"Ooooh~ how scary~ another Devil Fruit user has appeared, huh~?"
The moment he heard that voice behind him, Karl felt a chill run straight up his spine.
He whipped his head around in shock—
Standing there was a tall, slender man with naturally curly black hair, wearing a pair of sunglasses. He was dressed in a yellow-and-white striped suit, a purple tie, a dark green shirt, and spotless white leather shoes. His thin lips were pursed, one hand propped under his chin as if deep in thought.
That pose…
That aura…
You—PPAP uncle?!
No—wait—
It's Admiral Kizaru!
When did he get here?
Karl hadn't sensed him at all!
"A–Admiral Kizaru!"
Karl jumped to his feet and snapped into a salute, his expression full of excitement. A completely normal reaction for an ordinary Marine facing an Admiral.
Kizaru glanced over Karl through his sunglasses, silently wondering whether Zephyr's training camps had lowered their standards recently.
Why was there a minor here?
"Borsalino," Zephyr barked coldly. "What are you doing here?"
Zephyr had never gotten along with Kizaru. Back when Kizaru was still a student, he'd been Zephyr's least favorite—lazy, arrogant, and worst of all, hopelessly unbalanced in his training.
Those were old grievances, things Zephyr didn't want to recall.
But seeing Kizaru again still made his blood pressure spike.
Especially when he noticed him chatting casually with his recruits—Zephyr immediately got anxious, afraid Karl might get led down a crooked path.
…Wait. This kid isn't even a Devil Fruit user yet—
Kizaru raised a brow and waved his hand lazily.
"So scary~ Teacher Zephyr, no need to get so worked up, you know~ Your old arms and legs should take it easy."
Zephyr's face darkened.
"I don't need your concern. You, on the other hand—an Admiral with nothing better to do? Why are you wandering around my training camp?"
"Well~ I heard your recruit training camp started again, so I came to help you scout for promising talent," Kizaru said lazily. "Mmm~ this one seems not bad. Hey, kid, what ability do you have?"
As he spoke, Kizaru plopped down onto a bench, crossed his legs, and leaned back comfortably, completely ignoring Zephyr's glare.
"Hmph! Then you're blind this time. This brat isn't a Devil Fruit user at all. Seems your eyesight's not so great either."
"Oh? Is that so?" Kizaru replied mildly. "Then what's this?"
Flash.
In less than a second, Kizaru vanished from his seat and reappeared—now holding the half-eaten Holy Light Fruit Karl had thrown aside.
He sat back down and casually displayed the remaining fruit flesh for Zephyr to see.
The entire round trip took less than a second.
Karl, being the weakling he was, only saw a streak of golden light. By the time he could react, the fruit was already in Kizaru's hand.
Staring at the familiar swirling patterns on the fruit, Zephyr's pupils tightened. He turned to Karl and asked seriously,
"Did you just eat this?"
Karl swallowed and nodded.
"Uh… yes. But it tasted awful, so I only took one bite."
Zephyr grabbed the fruit from Kizaru's hand. He'd studied the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia before, but no matter how he searched his memory, he couldn't identify this fruit.
Crunch.
The fruit was crushed into pulp in Zephyr's grip.
"You idiot!" Zephyr roared. "Do you think Devil Fruits are something you can just eat casually?! Do you have any idea that once you eat one, the sea will curse you for life? You'll become a complete non-swimmer!"
Kizaru: …Why do I feel attacked?
"Ahem."
Zephyr shot Kizaru a glare, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down.
"Enough. Show me your ability. Now."
Kizaru turned slightly as well, clearly intrigued. He wanted to see exactly what kind of power Karl had gained.
With these two monsters watching him, Karl had no room to resist.
If he'd known this would happen, he would've eaten the fruit back in the dormitory.
But who could've predicted that Kizaru—this absolute menace—would just appear out of nowhere?
Under Zephyr's gaze, Karl stretched out his right hand.
A pale golden glow bloomed once more in his palm. With a thought, Karl guided it forward, the light flowing smoothly into Zephyr's body.
Zephyr's eyes flew open.
He'd suffered from asthma for most of his life, yet never—not once—had his lungs and throat felt so clear.
That golden light was like sunlight dispersing deep-seated darkness.
"Cough—cough—hack!"
Moments later, Zephyr began coughing violently, as if he were about to cough out his lungs. A strange flush spread across his face.
Kizaru frowned. He didn't know exactly what was happening, but it was definitely connected to Karl.
In the next instant, a brilliant golden glow gathered at Kizaru's fingertip as he slowly raised it toward Karl.
"What did you do to Teacher Zephyr?"
"Stop."
Zephyr lifted a hand to halt him.
Then—
Phut.
He spat out a large chunk of dark, clotted blood. Instead of panic, a smile spread across his face.
He grabbed Karl's shoulder, eyes blazing with excitement.
"Your ability… it has healing effects?"
"Wait—my body…"
Before Karl could answer, Zephyr lifted his hands in disbelief. His eyes shook violently.
That golden light had actually made him stronger, if only a little.
It was as if he'd grown a year younger.
The boost wasn't big—but Karl had just obtained this ability.
"Where did you get this Devil Fruit?" Zephyr demanded.
There was no way Karl could say "the system gave it to me."
After a brief pause, he replied, "I… went to the infirmary earlier. On the way back, I bought some fresh fruit to eat, and then… this happened."
A lie—
but not entirely.
Karl had bought fruit earlier, wanting to relive the joy of watching others train while he ate snacks on the sidelines. The scattered peels on the ground were proof enough.
Zephyr quickly filled in the rest on his own.
Karl ate the fruit he bought. One of them happened to be a Devil Fruit. He ate it. Kizaru noticed.
"Providence favors the Marines!!!"
Zephyr roared with excitement, tears streaming down his face.
This old man, who had devoted nearly his entire life to the Marines, understood better than anyone what healing plus enhancement meant for the organization.
Karl had just gained his power, yet it already produced such a noticeable effect on him.
Once this kid matured…
His value to the Marines would be incalculable.
First—Karl's ability could be released at range, meaning he could conveniently buff his comrades. With training, he might even strengthen multiple Marines at once, boosting the overall combat strength of the Marines by several tiers.
Second—his power included healing, and extremely potent healing at that. On a battlefield where blades showed no mercy, having Karl around would drastically reduce Marine casualties, allowing them to redeploy forces more aggressively.
And finally—most importantly—
Karl was a ten-year veteran. His loyalty was unquestionable. His foundations were solid. His potential, enormous.
With proper cultivation, given enough time, Karl would inevitably become a leading figure of the new generation of Marines.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Zephyr's gaze toward Karl grew increasingly fervent.
Having you—
is the Marines' greatest fortune.
"Karl," Zephyr said, voice trembling with excitement,
"you're coming with me—right now—to Sengoku's office. Immediately."
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