Returning to Marineford, it was already deep into the night.
In his single dormitory, Loya applied ointnt to his bruises, grumbling under his breath, "Tch, what a bunch of jerks. Knowing full well I get seasick, they still hit so hard..."
After bandaging himself, he began tearing into a roast suckling pig sent by Ms. S, using the ti to reflect on his recent experience.
Through his battle with the Silverback Great Ape, Loya had uncovered several critical issues. Beyond his atrocious "turtle-fist" brawling style, he realized his magic control was lacking. Whether gathering energy or manifesting a spell, he lacked finesse. Even though he had developed powerful kill-moves like Ice Coffin, Ice Bomb, and Great Serpent, they were re surface-level applications—or rather, he was simply giving "commands" to the system.
For example, the Ice Coffin he'd developed by mimicking Gray's "Absolute Freeze" worked because he held the intent, and the system materialized ice that was colder and harder than usual. There was no subjective intervention from his will; everything flowed naturally. The only active control he exerted was cranking up the magic power flow to speed up the spell's manifestation. Everything else was done via system assistance, leaving him clueless about the "how."
Worse, once a spell was fired, it couldn't be canceled—much like a video ga ability.
Loya thought, "The system is clearly mocking for being a magical idiot living in a technological age!"
However, during that battle, the massive consumption of magic had given him a fleeting sense of "understanding." This insight could help him transcend the status quo and reach true freedom of control. Then there was the "Shikai" transformation. Its principle was simple: it was a surge of power that required a vent. Once the ice-activated Dragon Force settled, the state would deactivate regardless of his wishes.
While these problems weren't pressing while he hovered between the Recruit Camp and the Elite Camp, they would be obvious to any true powerhouse. As Kuzan had said, learning to control power was always harder than obtaining it. It would be a long, grueling process of repetition and research.
ntally calling upon his cheat, Loya opened the system interface:
Na: Christopher Loya
Energy Stage: Tier 2, Level 5
Energy Points: 900/900
Magic Power: 6000/6000
Recovery Rate: 550/min
Dragon Force: 6/100%. (Enhances Dragon Slayer Magic; exceeding 50% triggers physical transformation; exceeding 90% results in Dragonification.)
Dragon Body: 9/100%. (Degree of physical adaptation to Dragon Force. Enhances all-around stats; can be temporarily boosted by devouring energy, but carries severe aftereffects.)
Moves: Ice Dragon's Roar, Iron Fist, Wing Slash, Hook Claw, Crushing Fang, Grip, Ice-Make Magic.
After three days of training and that massive battle, his Energy Points were finally ready to upgrade. His Dragon Body adaptation had broken past the 9% mark, signaling his transition to the next stage. But seeing the "6%" next to Dragon Force, Loya's mouth twitched.
"Heaven, please send a Zeref. At least then I'd have so hope of understanding this."
With his Dragon Force at 6%, he could test his hypothesis. He put down the bone, stood up, and closed his eyes. Intense, freezing air radiated uncontrollably, coating the room in frost.
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open and whispered, "Ice Coffin!"
A surge of magic poured from his palms. The cold current t the moisture in the air, instantly crystallizing into tiny ice shards, making the invisible flow of magic visible to the naked eye.
Crack!
A solid block of ice manifested instantly. Loya stared at it, tapping it with a finger.
Clink, clink.
The sound was crisp. Needs so cumin, he thought.
Loya let out a breath. 6% Dragon Force hadn't caused a qualitative change in the Ice-Make constructs. The hardness had increased slightly, but it still fell within the ordinary range. The magic might be the sa, but the "power density" of Ice-Make compared to Dragon Slayer magic was like an ancient water-press versus a modern ten-thousand-ton hydraulic forge. It was a fundantal limitation. Unless he could develop more powerful Ice-Make spells, the intensity would remain capped.
With the experint over, Loya looked at the "Up" arrow next to his Energy Points and initiated the upgrade. This system was his livelihood; every point of strength he gained made his survival more likely. Without it, he'd just be another naless cannon-fodder character.
Hummm!
A familiar blue magic circle appeared beneath his feet. The rising air currents blew his hair straight up, making him look like a certain "Strongest Warrior in the Universe."
"Should I cut my hair?" he wondered, feeling his scalp tingle as his hair defied gravity.
The blue diamond on his wrist dissolved, coiling around his body like a serpent. Dense blue energy surged from the air, diving into him like birds returning to their nest. He could feel the magic power boiling inside him with every upgrade—the sensation of growing stronger bit by bit was addictive.
Stepping into Tier 2, the energy surge was far beyond what he'd felt at Tier 1. As he leveled up, an inexplicable aura erupted, suppressing the surroundings despite the distance.
Marine Headquarters, main fortress. In the Marshal's office, Zephyr and Sengoku were reviewing the final assessnt data.
"...Then, let's keep this Hughes Piddeman at Headquarters," Sengoku said, pointing at the list.
Zephyr checked the file and nodded. "Agreed. Although he's outside the top twenty, his swordsmanship is impressive."
Sengoku took his red pen and checked the na. "Start him as a Second Class Private and decide his promotion based on rit."
Just then, that familiar, oppressive aura washed over them. The air seed to solidify. Both n froze, their hands hovering over their paperwork. It was a mysterious, indescribable feeling—the tension of prey facing a predator. Sengoku initially thought soone had awakened Conqueror's Haki, but a quick investigation showed no one had collapsed.
Feeling as if his heart had been squeezed, Sengoku took a long breath to calm his racing pulse. He smiled bitterly at Zephyr. "I heard Loya killed the only Silverback Great Ape on the island?"
Zephyr didn't look up. "That's right... he used a wide-range attack to cripple it, but you know the vitality of those apes. Even with a shattered heart, it went berserk for five minutes. Loya used that technique he's been developing, finishing it off blow by blow."
"Oh?" Sengoku raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you say his close-quarters combat was weak? To kill a Silverback..."
Zephyr looked up, as if seeing that silhouette from days ago once more. He shook his head and pulled a stack of photos from his pocket. "The people present were under strict orders to stay silent. I was going to organize these properly tomorrow, but since you're asking, see for yourself."
Sengoku took the photos, mumbling, "What kind of power could make you so nervous... He's still just a..." He stopped mid-sentence. His pupils constricted. He slamd his hand on the desk and stood up, staring fixedly at the photos.
"That... could that be the power of a Dragon?!"
Zephyr sighed, resting his chin on his hand. "Thankfully, there's nothing that terrifying in reality. Sotis I really wonder if Loya is a Devil Fruit user at all... this power is too horrifying."
Sengoku didn't reply, studying the photos one by one. In the images, Loya stood in his dragon-scaled form. The savage claws, the bone spurs, the cold, vertical golden pupils—it was all there. He looked like an indifferent god gazing down at the mortal world.
But that wasn't what shocked Sengoku.
On the edge of the photos, a red pen had circled a pebble floating in mid-air. Sengoku traced the markings to the edge of the battlefield. Comparing the photos, he realized those items hadn't moved a single milliter. In the previous fra, Loya had been sent flying and crashed right next to that stone. In the intense wind pressure of that battle, even if there hadn't been a direct impact, the pressure alone should have blown a stone that size away.
Yet, no matter how intense the fight beca, those marked objects remained rooted to the spot, unchanged until the very end.
Sengoku slamd the photos onto the desk with unprecedented seriousness.
"Zephyr, what is your guess?"
"Ah, probably a ti or space-related ability..." Zephyr's gaze drifted through the window toward the recruit dormitory, where Loya was unconsciously radiating his aura. "Kuzan told Loya's ice powers are different from his. They focus more on the property of 'freezing.' That's why he was the root cause of Loya's elental superiority. So, I suspect that perhaps... at its peak, the Ice Dragon Fruit might be capable of freezing ti and space."
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