OnePiece-Strongest ice Dragon Chapter 17 17: Victory! A New Way to Level Up

Kuzan had seen Loya's move clearly. Recalling how Loya had used that sa technique the night before, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for Aldo. Even though Kuzan didn't know the chanical difference between "Ice-Make Magic" and "Ice Dragon Slayer Magic," he was certain of one thing: in terms of sheer freezing power, Loya was no longer weaker than him.

"Where are you aiming, kid?!" Aldo mocked, preparing to kick Loya away. But when he tugged at his legs, he realized the ice was completely different from before. The force of his sudden movent nearly sent him stumbling.

"What?!" Aldo's eyes widened. The ice that had been easy to break just a mont ago now felt as hard as steel.

Loya coughed, spitting out the last of the blood in his lungs. He glided on his ice-blade skates, circling Aldo with his hands behind his back. "Yo, big guy! Co and hit ! My skin's been itching for a beating all day!"

"Damn you!"

Aldo's calves turned pitch black; he had activated Armant Haki to harden his body. But even with the boost, he couldn't move an inch. He gave up on pulling free and raised his fists, slamming them down with all his might. "So what if it's steel? I'll smash it to pieces!"

"Yeah, but I'm not giving you the chance!"

Loya chuckled and clapped his hands. A pillar of ice, moving as if it were alive, spiraled out from behind his back and bound Aldo's upper body. To ensure he couldn't break free, Loya delivered a swift Talon kick to the bindings, reinforcing them with Dragon Slayer magic.

Loya slid to a halt in front of Aldo and shrugged. "You're stronger than , your moves are faster, and you've got Armant Haki. If I fought you head-on with my brawling style, I'd lose for sure... but fighting requires a brain. You're so dense, I'd feel guilty if I didn't ss with you a little."

In the end, Aldo conceded, deeply frustrated. Kuzan's face was as dark as charcoal, but he couldn't say much. He sullenly declared Loya the winner.

After the crowd dispersed, the two companions left to spread the news of a powerful new recruit joining the Elite Camp, while Aldo left, brooding over his defeat. Only the swordsman remained, sitting cross-legged in the center of the plaza to ditate.

Despite his lingering annoyance, Kuzan fulfilled his duties as promised, explaining the nuances of power to Loya.

"Freezing ability looks powerful, but it lacks the point-blank lethality of other Logia types. For instance, Admiral Akainu's magma burns you just by being near it, but ice isn't like that. To give soone frostbite, you need direct contact or wide-area coverage. It's more of an auxiliary and crowd-control tool. I know your ability is different—it's focused on the cold itself—but you can't just rely on brute-forcing your way through. You need to develop your own unique techniques instead of just mimicking ."

Kuzan turned his hand into ice and flexed his fingers. "And most importantly: your ability is a form-enhancent, not a transformation into an ice-human. You don't have Logia immunity. I suggest you strengthen the armor technique you used earlier, but focus it on your vital points. Don't coat your whole body—that must be exhausting, right?"

Loya nodded, thinking to himself: Exhausting is an understatent. That costs 500 magic power a minute—enough for three strikes!

"That's enough for today. Let's discuss your understanding of ice applications in combat."

The night grew deeper. Busy soldiers returned to their dorms, and the massive Marineford Headquarters grew quiet. Developing a fruit ability isn't about brute force; it's about contemplation and exploration. Kuzan hadn't brought him here because of the space, but because of the silence.

As for Kuzan's little sche with Aldo? He would never admit it.

After hours of demonstration and discussion, Loya felt enlightened. Many of his misconceptions were corrected, and he gained new ideas for improvent.

Seeing Loya deep in thought, Kuzan stood up and brushed off his pants, glancing at the moon. "Ara ara, it's getting late. I'm heading back. See you here tomorrow, if nothing cos up."

Loya stood up and bowed deeply. "Yes, take care, Kuzan-sensei!"

"I told you, don't call sensei!" Kuzan waved him off impatiently, hands in his pockets, and strolled away.

Loya watched him leave. "Well, Admiral Aokiji is definitely fit to be Fleet Admiral material."

In his past life, he rembered fans arguing endlessly about Kuzan's character based on later plot points. But that didn't matter now. Loya believed in his heart that Kuzan was a good man. Even though he hated trouble, he hadn't slacked off once in his duty to teach Loya.

After cleaning up, Loya climbed into bed and drifted off to sleep, the scent of at filling the air—Ms. S had left a pot of aty bones at his door to help with his recovery.

The next day, Loya rose early and rushed to the training camp. He had to be prompt; after all, he still had a month of latrine duty to finish!

As he humd a song while mopping, the Seventh Squad Major General walked in. "Loya, why are you so happy? Don't tell you've fallen in love with cleaning toilets? Hahaha!"

"Tch. 'The fish does not know the joy of the water.'" Loya retorted with a disdainful hum, pushing the mop toward the instructor's feet. "Careful, watch your step—don't slip!"

The instructor didn't understand the reference, but rembering the embarrassnt of having to change his uniform yesterday after getting splashed, he hurried into a stall.

Loya's good mood had a concrete reason. Yesterday, he'd discovered a new way to increase his energy points. He opened his system interface with a grin:

Na: Christopher Loya

Energy Stage: Tier 2, Layer 0

Energy Points: 10/400

Magic Power: 500/500

Recovery Rate: 00/min

In just one day, his energy points had jumped by 100!

He realized that food alone wasn't the primary driver anymore. His dragon body had reached a threshold where growth was tied to experience and self-realization. A intense spar, a deep conversation, or a breakthrough in logic—everything that helped him grow stronger now contributed to his points.

When my Dragon Body hits 0%, I bet eating won't increase my points at all anymore, Loya thought with a sigh. While he was happy to have found a more efficient way to level up, he found himself missing the days when he could just "eat, sleep, and punch monsters" to beco stronger.