Navy Headquarters, Marineford.
"Ginny, from the South Blue, nineteen years old, skilled in marksmanship."
"Bartholomew Kuma, from the South Blue, sixteen years old, holder of the Paramecia-type Paw-Paw Fruit."
"Darkseid Lloyd, from the South Blue, fifteen years old, wielder of the Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit."
Inside the Marine recruitment office, the interviewer stared blankly at the three individuals standing behind Lloyd. His gaze then dropped to the stack of résumés on the table. When his eyes reached the small line printed across Lloyd's entry—Logia-type Dark-Dark Fruit—his pupils shook.
Rear Admiral Babus stood beside him, equally stunned. He had expected Lloyd to be a Devil Fruit user, but he had never imagined Lloyd possessed a Logia. That alone was enough to destabilize an entire battlefield.
Babus understood clearly what kind of monsters Logia users were. Two such prodigies were currently under Instructor Zephyr's training: the Magma-Magma user and the Glint-Glint user. Babus had seen both in action, and in his mind, one description summarized their presence: their very movements were natural disasters.
If not for former Admiral Zephyr personally serving as their instructor, any ordinary officer would have been crushed trying to restrain them.
Most Marine officers at Headquarters possessed Armament Haki, but even with haki, the sheer destructive force of magma and light was overwhelming. Babus still remembered, vividly, the sight of a Rear Admiral—someone not far from his own rank—being completely overwhelmed by the user of the Glint-Glint Fruit. Even with sharp Observation Haki, the Rear Admiral could barely graze the hem of that user's coat.
As for the Magma-Magma Fruit user, touching him was already a death sentence. One tap of molten rock would be enough to incapacitate even a veteran officer. Iron Body meant nothing before magma.
From that day, Babus understood that Devil Fruits were not created equal. And among them, Logia stood as royalty.
And Lloyd's Logia—the Dark-Dark Fruit—was the polar opposite of the Glint-Glint Fruit. Babus could only imagine the scale of destruction an element like darkness could unleash. His excitement became a physical tremor.
He had actually brought back such a monster to the Navy—or rather, a prodigy.
The interviewer swallowed loudly. Perhaps out of confusion or sheer panic, he blurted out something he immediately regretted.
"F-Fifteen years old? That's a bit young. It doesn't meet our recruitment requirements…"
He stared at Lloyd, nearly two meters tall, and wondered whether the age printed on the paper was some kind of joke.
Lloyd lifted his head slightly, his expression stoic, about to speak—when Babus suddenly erupted. He slammed the interviewer's head into the desk.
"Mmmph?! (Babus, what are you doing?!)"
Ignoring the man's muffled protests, Babus smiled stiffly at Lloyd and the others.
"Excellent. I believe the three of you are natural talents destined to serve the Navy."
Before Lloyd, Ginny, or Kuma could react, Babus's hands blurred across the air, stamping each résumé forcefully. The crisp ka, ka, ka echoed like chains being locked. To the interviewer, it looked less like recruitment and more like enslavement.
Once he managed to lift his head, Babus was already holding the stamped papers, issuing instructions briskly.
"You've passed. I'll report to Admiral Sengoku shortly. Headquarters will prepare accommodations for all of you. Rest for a few days, then take these résumés to the Navy Academy to register."
Lloyd glanced at the bright red seals and nodded.
"We'll look around the base first. We'll be back to meet you afterward."
"Of course. Just don't wander too far. You aren't official Marines yet."
"Understood."
When Lloyd and the other two left, Babus looked down at the résumés again, pressing Lloyd's against his chest and even planting an exaggerated kiss on the page. The interviewer shuddered at the sight.
Rubbing the red imprint on his forehead, he muttered irritably,
"Hey, Babus, this is too much. Even if you ignore Lloyd's age, did you even investigate their backgrounds? All you know is that they're from the South Blue."
Babus shot him a sideways glance.
"We can worry about that later. This is a Logia, do you understand the value of a Logia? And a Paramecia user too. Paramecia fruits vary, but who knows—this might be a treasure."
"Tch. And that Ginny girl looks promising too. Confident, sharp. There weren't many like her among the applicants."
"Exactly. Talents like this are a blessing to the Navy. I didn't do anything wrong."
The interviewer sighed heavily.
"Fine, fine. Just go report everything to Admiral Sengoku. Show him the résumés. We still haven't done background checks, this is completely reckless…"
"I will report everything truthfully. Admiral Sengoku will understand."
Babus tucked the résumés into his coat and marched away. On the way, the earlier adrenaline faded, and his thoughts became more ordered. He replayed his time at Sorbet Kingdom and its many oddities.
Background checks were important—especially for Lloyd. Compared to Spandam, who practically reeked of opportunism, Lloyd's calm, aloof unpredictability was unnerving.
But no matter how Babus tried to piece things together, the idea that Lloyd could be a Celestial Dragon never once crossed his mind. At most, he assumed Lloyd was the illegitimate child of a high-ranking official in the World Government. Perhaps hidden away in a remote country like Sorbet Kingdom until the right moment.
Such arrangements were hardly rare.
But in Babus's heart, none of that mattered. Not when a Logia was involved. That alone overshadowed every other concern.
With renewed confidence, Babus arrived at the door to Sengoku's office and knocked.
"Admiral Sengoku, this is Babus."
"Enter."
Inside, Sengoku stood by his desk, reviewing a document freshly delivered from the World Government. He muttered to himself as he read,
"Strange. Why would Sorbet Kingdom suddenly replace its King? And the report barely mentions the disappearance of King Bekori…"
When he looked up and saw Babus entering, he gestured him closer.
"Good. You're back. Tell me what happened in Sorbet Kingdom. Has the King been found?"
_____
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