Chapter 5: Admiral Kizaru
Look closely, this man is named Karl.
At this moment, his brows were tightly furrowed, staring intently at the internal Marine newspaper in his hand. To be precise, it was a headline titled "Marine Headquarters 24th Marine Training Camp Opening Soon."
"Huu~"
Karl let out a long sigh of relief, his expression relaxed. He closed the newspaper, tore off some toilet paper... then pulled up his pants, flushed, lit a cigarette, and continued to kill time.
[Host has accumulated 1000 paid bathroom breaks. The Slacking System has been activated. Detecting Host's occupation... Occupation bound successfully!]
[Daily Task Issued]: Slack off for 3 hours. Method of slacking is not limited. Reward: Designated Attribute Enhancement Card + Random Additional Reward.
"1 hour and 21 minutes accumulated this workday. Please keep it up, Host."
"What the hell! What's going on?" Karl slapped his head in disbelief, looking around suspiciously.
Am I seeing things? Did I get hallucinations from taking a dump?
Or... has his long-overdue golden finger finally arrived?
That's right, Karl was a transmigrator. He had accidentally arrived in this familiar yet strange world, ravaged by pirates.
His talent was average, his luck was average, and his background was even more average. For the sake of his life, he had no choice but to join the Marines to seek safety in numbers.
Speaking of which, Karl joined the Marines at 14. Starting as a chore boy, he languished for ten years before finally becoming a Marine Captain of the North Blue's 108th Branch.
In all honesty, Karl considered himself a mere passerby in this world, useless except for his handsome looks.
But now, his luck had finally turned!
"System? Slacking System?" "Present!"
...
After communicating with the Slacking System, Karl finally understood what this thing was.
Simply put, as long as he did things unrelated to his main job during work hours, he would accumulate slacking time. Once he reached the daily slacking time limit, he would receive a reward.
Karl's bound occupation was "Marine." His current daily job was to maintain order. Anything unrelated to maintaining order counted as slacking. This made things simple for Karl.
He couldn't brag about other things, but he was simply too familiar with slacking. Otherwise, he wouldn't still be just a Branch Captain.
[Slacking Career Mode activated. Career Mission Issued - Training Camp Storm]: Join the Marine Headquarters Training Camp, become a new recruit, and start your happy slacking life at Marine HQ!
Reward: Random Devil Fruit.
[Achievement Reward for 1000 Paid Bathroom Breaks - Maiden's Stillness]: In a still state, stamina recovery speed is doubled.
Karl was stunned. He subconsciously opened the newspaper and muttered: "The 24th Marine Training Camp? Good, there's still time! I just need to tell the boss, but..."
Karl then forced himself to stay in the bathroom for another full hour, finishing an entire pack of cigarettes before walking out refreshed, heading straight for his direct superior's office.
Knock knock knock~
"Come in!"
Karl pushed the door open and walked into the office. Inside sat a man with a receding hairline, wearing a "Justice" cape, calmly sipping his coffee.
Slap! Karl slammed the newspaper page with the training camp announcement onto Charles's desk. He looked at him with a burning gaze and said in a deep voice, "Boss Charles, I want to go to Marine Headquarters to study!"
Commodore Charles narrowed his eyes, wondering how long it had been since he saw such an energetic Karl. Two years? Three years? However, he was very pleased to see his old subordinate pulling himself together.
He didn't know that Karl just wanted to complete the mission and, incidentally, find a new environment to slack off in. That was all.
"Karl, I recall recommending you for the HQ training camp no less than three times, but you always refused. Now you're actively asking to go. May I ask why?"
"No real reason. I just want to go to Marine Headquarters and see what those so-called elite marines are made of."
Charles shook his head helplessly. Karl clearly wasn't telling the truth, but he didn't want to press the issue. He just said, "Alright, just don't get too discouraged by those monsters. Remember, the 108th Branch will always be your home!"
Karl nodded vigorously, deeply moved. If he couldn't make it at Marine HQ, he guaranteed he would come back and be a wage thief!
Two days later, the warship from Marine Headquarters arrived on time. The officer who came to pick up Karl was named Shuzo. He had long arms, dark skin, and rough features. His rank was HQ Colonel, and he was very rude upon first meeting Karl.
"Pretty boy, what are you spacing out for? Don't waste my time, I've got plenty of other rookies to pick up!"
Karl froze, then reacted. What's wrong with being a pretty boy? Am I eating your rice? Do you know how popular I am with the noble ladies around here?
But Karl could only say these things in his head. Looking at Shuzo's powerful and developed muscles, he had no doubt the man could kill him with a single punch.
"Yes! Sir!"
Forgetting his composure, Karl quickly boarded the medium-sized warship, hurriedly said goodbye to Captain Charles, and the ship quickly left the port, heading for the next branch.
Seven days later, the Marine warship was sailing on the sea, heading towards Marine Headquarters, Marineford. Karl leaned lazily and casually against the railing, his back to the setting sun.
A few female marines watched him with infatuation from a distance. When Karl smiled at them, they shyly turned their heads away, not daring to meet his gaze.
To be honest, Karl's build wasn't particularly large, only 192CM.
Black suit trousers wrapped around his long, slender legs. The collar of his white shirt was slightly open, revealing a well-defined upper body. His eyes were deep and soulful, paired with an intoxicatingly handsome face. He was a walking hormone emitter; no wonder those female marines were so mesmerized.
[Daily Task completed. Received: Designated Attribute Enhancement Card, Lifespan +10 days]
[Accumulated ten completed Daily Tasks. Attribute Panel unlocked. View attributes now?]
It had been exactly ten days since he received the Slacking System, and Karl had perfectly completed the daily task every day. He now had a total of 10 Designated Attribute Enhancement Cards and a pile of miscellaneous items.
Including but not limited to potato chips, otaku happy water, and so on. These were all things from the additional rewards. But it wasn't all junk; his luckiest pull had been 100 days of lifespan.
Karl didn't hesitate, thinking internally, "View attributes!"
Host: Karl
Age: 24
Physique: F+
Perception: F-
Will: E
Special Ability: Maiden's Stillness
Looking at his attributes, Karl frowned slightly, but he quickly relaxed. Before getting the system, he was just an ordinary person with mediocre aptitude, and this world had no shortage of ordinary people.
But now...
"System, use 5 Designated Attribute Enhancement Cards. Enhance Physique!"
"Hiss~"
Karl only felt the muscles in his body begin to spasm. After a violent shudder, everything became dull and tasteless. But it wasn't over. Karl once again invested five attribute enhancement cards, this time strengthening Perception.
"View attributes."
Host: Karl
Age: 24
Physique: E-
Perception: F
Will: E
Special Ability: Maiden's Stillness
Karl stretched his muscles and bones, and a crackling sound came from his body. He had become stronger, but only a little bit.
However, Karl was already very satisfied. Drinking tea, reading the newspaper, fishing, and flirting with girls every day easily surpassed a month of his hard training. Where else could he find such a good deal?
Now, he just needed to reach Marine Headquarters, join the marine training camp, and begin his glorious slacking career!
From now on, Aokiji would be his eternal idol, and he would resolutely resist workaholics like Akainu!
It was a joke. With such a meager monthly salary, why would he risk his life!
At dawn the next day, Karl was still happily playing with older sisters in his dreams, but the dormitory was in an uproar. He could vaguely hear talk about Marine Headquarters, Marineford, and the like.
Karl cursed inwardly, covered his ears, and continued to sleep. He had gone to bed very late yesterday, and then a "snoring exchange meeting" started in the cabin, keeping Karl awake until after three in the morning. He urgently needed to catch up on sleep.
He didn't know how much time had passed. He vaguely felt someone calling him, but Karl still didn't wake up.
"Bang!"
"You bastard! Everyone else is up and assembled, and you're still here sleeping in? This is unreasonable, get up for me now!"
Shuzo angrily ripped the blanket off Karl, dragged him all the way to the crescent bay port. The other new recruits were already lined up in formation, chests out, heads high, looking straight ahead.
Standing in front of them was a tall, purple-haired man, about 65 years old, with a resolute face and a body covered in powerful, developed muscles.
Seeing the dazed Karl, he frowned slightly and spoke in a slightly gruff voice: "Shuzo, what's going on?"
Shuzo suppressed his anger, bowed his head respectfully, and said, "Teacher Zephyr, this kid was sleeping in! I caught him!"
"Hm, is that so? Recruit, you'd better give this old man a reasonable explanation!"
Looking at this tall, resolute man, Karl felt a little emotional.
Standing before him was the former Marine Admiral, the current General Instructor, "Black Arm" Zephyr!
The Marines he trained were all over the Four Seas. Even his boss, old Charles, had been Zephyr's student.
Facing Zephyr's question, Karl swallowed. He felt as if he was being stared at by a wild beast, and his back felt slightly cold.
His scalp tingling, he replied: "Reporting, sir! Because I knew I was coming to Marine Headquarters yesterday, I was too excited to sleep all night, so I woke up late."
A faint smile appeared on Zephyr's expressionless face. He recalled the recruit files he reviewed yesterday. This kid seemed to have joined the Marines at 14 and had been in for 10 years.
It was his first time at Marine HQ! It was normal to be a little excited, so he wouldn't bother making things difficult for him. Time was precious, and anyway, there would be plenty of ways to train him later.
"Fall in!"
Karl breathed a sigh of relief, walked into the formation without a word, puffed out his chest, and looked straight ahead.
Zephyr scanned the Marine formation, nodding imperceptibly. Their spirits were good. He was just about to speak when he felt a tightness in his chest and began to cough uncontrollably.
"Cough! Cough cough~" Zephyr waved his hand to signal Shuzo not to help. He pounded his chest a few times, which brought some relief, but he was still breathing heavily.
"Everyone, from today on, you are this old man's soldiers! Regardless of your previous rank, here you have only one identity: Recruit!"
"For the next two months, you have only one goal. Tell me, what is your goal?"
All the recruits, including Karl, shouted without hesitation: "To get stronger!"
Slacking and getting stronger weren't mutually exclusive. Karl just wanted to get stronger while slacking, earning money while lying down. What was wrong with that?
"That's right! What this old man can teach you is how to get stronger! So, in the time to come, I will squeeze every last bit of potential out of you and turn you into Marine elites! Do you have confidence?"
"Yes!"
"Very good, this old man believes in you! Now, cough cough~ follow Instructor Shuzo to the training grounds!"
Zephyr originally had much more to say, but his damned asthma was acting up again.
He had to end the speech early and have Shuzo take this group of new recruits to the training grounds to test their Doriki levels and see what they were made of.
Karl walked within the ranks, looking up at the imposing Marine Headquarters. The building had the word "Marine" written on it, with the Marine emblem in the middle.
They passed through the Marine family residential area and arrived at the Marine Headquarters. The formation stopped.
Shuzo stood before the group and shouted: "Next, we will test everyone's Doriki. When your name is called, come forward! First, Ain!"
The youthful and energetic Ain stepped out of the line. Following Shuzo's instructions, she punched the Doriki-measuring device hard. The displayed value was 401. Shuzo looked at Ain's file and said, "Are you a Devil Fruit user?"
"Yes, I am a user of the Paramecia-type Return-Return Fruit."
Shuzo nodded, recorded the Doriki value next to Ain's name, and drew a circle. "Next."
After about half an hour, it was finally Karl's turn. He looked at the testing machine in front of him, took a deep breath, and unleashed a charged punch!
486! The highest in the group. Even Shuzo, who had been looking down on him, gave Karl a few extra glances. This pretty boy seemed to have something!
But it was just a few extra glances. This score wasn't that outstanding. An average Marine soldier had a Doriki of 10, and only those exceeding 500 were considered superhuman.
That group of overconfident CP9 members who would later go undercover in Water 7... their strongest, Lucci, had a full 4000 Doriki, and even the weakest, Fukuro, had 800.
And this was the score Karl got *after* using the attribute enhancement cards.
It could only be said that this batch of new recruits wasn't very strong; he was just the tallest among the short.
[Career Mission - Training Camp Storm]: Successfully entered the marine training camp. Reward: Devil Fruit, Paramecia-type Holy Light Fruit. It has been deposited into the system space. Please check.
"Damn!"
Karl cursed quietly. He knew that with his luck, he couldn't expect any Zoan Mythical-type or Logia-type Devil Fruits.
But having one was better than nothing. While waiting, Karl quickly asked the system and finally figured out what this Devil Fruit was.
The Holy Light Fruit was a support-type Devil Fruit. After eating it, one could use a power called Holy Light. Holy Light had two basic abilities: first, healing, and second, enhancement.
In short, by eating this Holy Light Fruit, Karl could transform into a "support," able to heal and buff. For the Marines, with their large numbers, this kind of ability was simply top-tier.
"This fruit... is pretty awesome!"
But there was no rush. He'd see if there was a chance to get a Mythical Zoan later; otherwise, he'd be too embarrassed to talk to people when he went out.
Ding! [Training Camp Storm Phase 2 Activated]: Training Phase. Accumulate 400 hours of slacking.
Reward: Designated Attribute Enhancement Card (Advanced) *10.
Special Skill: [Swift as a Hare]. In a state of motion, stamina consumption speed is halved.
Gulp. Karl swallowed. Nothing more to say. Time to start slacking!
"The Doriki test is over. Everyone, follow me!"
The Doriki test ended quickly. Among the new recruits, only three were noteworthy.
The first was Karl, who currently had the highest Doriki. The other two were Paramecia users: Ain with 401 and Bins with 451.
Karl, finding out he was the highest in the group, was filled with regret. He wished he had just thrown a casual punch. Now he had stuck his neck out, which would very likely attract extra attention, needlessly increasing the difficulty of slacking off.
Ding! [Daily Task Issued (Training Camp Phase)]: During daily training, accumulate 8 hours of slacking. Reward: Designated Attribute Enhancement Card *2, Random Additional Reward *2.
"Holy crap, the daily rewards for the training camp are doubled?!" Karl could only marvel at how worthy it was of a career mission.
"Ding! Friendly reminder: The currently bound occupation is Marine. Career mission and daily mission rewards will increase along with the host's military rank."
"Host, please correct your attitude. Slacking is not giving up!"
That was right. For Karl, slacking was just the means; getting stronger was the goal!
Take that long-faced man Kuzan. Don't be fooled by his constantly sleepy appearance; when things needed doing, he really stepped up. This attitude of slacking when it's time to slack and working when it's time to work was something Karl found very worthy of study.
Even though Aokiji maintained this passive attitude after the Ohara incident, it didn't stop Sengoku from appreciating Kuzan as he neared retirement, even wanting to recommend him as the next Fleet Admiral.
What a role model for the slacking world! This was it!
It was just a pity that the World Government interfered. He then lost to that workaholic, became disheartened, and retired from the slacking world.
Thinking of this, Karl couldn't help but think of the Holy Light Fruit he had just obtained. This fruit seemed especially suitable for him!
No, no rush. There were too many people right now. Even if he was going to eat it, it wouldn't be now.
With a complicated heart, Karl followed the new recruits to the training grounds. Instructor Zephyr was already waiting.
Once everyone had arrived, Zephyr took the roster from Shuzo, glanced at it casually, and set it aside. He then roared at them, "Attention!"
"I declare the 24th Marine Training Camp officially open! Everyone, turn to the right! Run 50 laps around this field! Begin now!"
At the command, all the new recruits obediently began running laps around the field.
Zephyr took this opportunity to study each recruit's file, exchanging a few words with Shuzo from time to time. When he saw Karl's file, he couldn't help but ask.
"Huh? That kid who was late just now is actually the strongest in this batch?"
"Yes, Teacher Zephyr. Even I was very surprised. That pretty boy... no, that kid looks so frail, I didn't expect him to have decent strength."
Zephyr nodded and patted Shuzo's shoulder. "Keep a close eye on this kid for me. He still has potential to be dug out!"
On the track, Karl ran in the middle of the group with a bitter expression. He swore he was definitely slacking, but his slacking time wasn't accumulating at all.
Karl was almost frantic. If this kept up, he might not even be able to complete his daily task. Did he really have to feign illness to skip training for it to count as slacking?
But that wouldn't work either! This wasn't the military training of Karl's original world. Faking an illness wasn't that easy.
If he was exposed, given Zephyr's attitude towards Kizaru, it would very likely lead to a souring of his relationship with Zephyr, and it wasn't impossible he could even be expelled from the training camp!
After all, he wasn't Kizaru, who was a powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit user. He was currently just a marine with mediocre talent.
An ordinary marine who didn't train hard and only thought about slacking off and avoiding training... trying to coast by at Marine Headquarters?
"Host detected in a slacking dilemma. Time-limited mission issued: Find a perfect way to dodge this training session within 10 minutes.
Reward: Active Skill [Frail]: Upon use, Lifespan -3 days, Defense -100%, Injury/Illness chance +1000%, and gain Major Injury Exemption (immune to fatal injuries and their aftereffects). Lasts for 3 minutes. PS: Can only be used once every three days."
Karl's eyes lit up instantly. He felt that life had hope again. As expected of the Slacking System, so considerate!
The autonomy to slack!
Although it cost lifespan, it was only three days, and it wasn't like he would use it often. Not to mention, the random rewards could give him more days of lifespan.
But the question was, what method should he use to perfectly dodge this training?
"Tsk tsk~"
With only ten minutes, Karl suddenly felt immense pressure. His gaze began to wander. Unconsciously, he saw Ain running steadily in front of him. An idea!
I choose you! Ain!
This girl's ability was the Return-Return Fruit. If Karl remembered correctly, her ability could make people "younger."
As long as he became a child, would Zephyr have the heart to make a little kid run fifty laps?
The plan was perfect! Time to act!
Karl immediately accelerated, sprinting to Ain's side. He looked straight ahead, but the corner of his eye was fixed on Ain's youthful figure. He smiled without showing his teeth: "Hey, Ain! Can you do me a favor!"
Ain, who was focused on running, turned her head. She saw Karl winking at her, and her pretty face flushed slightly.
Faced with Karl's handsome and bright smile, she was too thin-skinned to look him directly in the eye.
She could only pretend to be casual and replied shyly, "Um~ What do you need me to do?"
Yes! Karl cheered in his heart. Being handsome really paid off!
If he looked like Silver Fox Foxy, this probably wouldn't have worked.
"Ain, I heard you're a user of the Return-Return Fruit. Can you show me your ability?"
Ain frowned slightly, saying with difficulty, "This... Brother Karl, you mean right now?"
"Yes, yes, right now! Try it on me! Don't worry, if anything happens, I'll take full responsibility!"
Karl slapped his chest loudly, afraid Ain wouldn't believe him.
When Ain heard this, she knew it was a bad idea. She knew her ability better than anyone! Once used on Karl, it would definitely turn him into a small child. She absolutely could not do this to her colleague.
"No, no, no, I can't, Brother Karl! I absolutely can't do that!"
After speaking, Ain immediately pulled away, her attitude extremely firm.
Karl, angry at his own failure, wanted to slap his own face. Dammit, why couldn't you be just a little more handsome!
I'll teach you a lesson this time. If there's a next time, you can forget about washing your face for the rest of your life!
It was fine that Plan A failed; he still had Plan B!
Running up next to Ain again, Karl whispered: "Ain, just let me see your ability. You don't have to use it on me, okay?"
Karl's tone carried a trace of pleading, and he looked at Ain with pitiful eyes.
Time ticked by, second by second. Ain really couldn't stand Karl's gaze any longer and sighed helplessly.
As Karl watched, she extended her left hand. A deep pink halo of light emerged from her palm, flickering like a flame, mysterious and strange.
Now!
A glint flashed in Karl's eyes. His right hand shot out with the speed of lightning and grabbed Ain's left hand, holding on tight and not letting go.
As his body began to change, Karl smiled slightly. The "frame-up" plan was a success!
"This!"
Ain covered her mouth, completely stunned by Karl's move. But she reacted quickly and immediately retracted her power.
However, her ability took effect instantly upon contact. It was already too late to retract it.
Karl, now a 14-year-old boy, was tripped by his own pants and fell to the ground. The marines behind him couldn't dodge in time and were tripped by the fallen Karl.
One after another, the commotion on the field quickly attracted Zephyr's attention. He shouted for the running recruits to stop and then sprinted over to Karl's side.
Frowning deeply, Zephyr looked at the comical boy trying to cover himself with his oversized clothes and asked in a deep voice, "What happened?"
"Reporting, Instructor! I asked Ain to show me her ability just now. Out of curiosity, I touched it, and this happened..."
"This is preposterous! You are in training, not playing house! Ain, is it so great being a Devil Fruit user? You have to show off in front of your colleagues?"
"I... I... It was my fault, Instructor Zephyr!"
Ain wanted to say something, but she quickly hung her head in dejection under Zephyr's stern gaze, admitting fault and taking the blame for Karl.
"Hmph! What are you all still looking at? Do you not need to train? Keep running!"
"You two, come with me!"
Zephyr's face was full of anger. He stormed off, flicking his sleeve. Karl whispered to Ain, "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you later!"
Ain pursed her lower lip, her face pale. She was in no mood to pay attention to Karl and staggered forward.
"Sigh~"
Karl let out a long sigh. He had indeed been dishonorable this time, having tricked Ain. But he had always been one to repay kindness with kindness and enmity with enmity.
He would count this as owing Ain a favor, and he would definitely repay it next time.
"You two are really bold! Causing trouble for this old man on the very first day of training! Ain, this old man is asking you, can he return to normal?"
Hmm... Ain frowned, thinking hard, and slowly said: "With my current ability, it will probably last for about three days before Brother Karl returns to normal."
Zephyr nodded. It was good that he could recover; the situation wasn't too severe. But a reprimand was definitely necessary.
"Ain, Karl, this will not happen again. As punishment, you both will have extra training tonight. Any objections?"
Neither of them had any objections. Zephyr was very satisfied with their attitude of admitting their mistake.
"Ain, return to the ranks and continue running. Karl, your current condition... forget it. Go to the infirmary and get a check-up.
If there are no problems, come back. Wait until your body returns to normal, then rejoin the training and make up for everything you missed!"
[Time-limited Mission Completed]: Reward: Active Skill [Frail].
Hearing the pleasant notification, Karl's heart rejoiced. The autonomy to slack off was finally in his hands. From now on, whether he participated in training wasn't up to Zephyr, but up to his body.
The only potential problem was getting injured too frequently. Being absent from training often would most likely cause his impression in Zephyr's mind to plummet.
At this thought, Karl once again remembered the Holy Light Fruit he got today. The world of One Piece was full of all sorts of weird and bizarre abilities, but how many fruit abilities could strengthen others? Very, very few.
The Pump-Pump Fruit was one, the Horm-Horm Fruit could also be considered one, and the Shadow-Shadow Fruit? In any case, support abilities were not common.
And his Holy Light Fruit was undoubtedly one of the top-tier ones, integrating healing and enhancement. Its strategic value was immeasurable.
Karl couldn't say for sure, but he was certain that if he ate the Holy Light Fruit, he would definitely become a hot commodity in the Marines. After all, who wouldn't want a teammate like that?
Then there was the fact that this Devil Fruit could help him slack off with peace of mind. Think about it: a battle starts, Karl sends out a Holy Light, his teammate is buffed, and his mission is complete.
The rest of the time could be used for slacking. The buffed teammate easily defeats the villain, everyone is happy, and who would dare say he was slacking?
Finally, there was the most important point. This kind of ability was very likely to attract the attention of the Marine high-ups. At that time, even if his relationship with Zephyr soured, he wouldn't be expelled from the training camp.
"Karl! Karl!!"
The roar in his ear brought Karl back to his senses. He quickly shouted: "Present!"
"What are you spacing out for? Hurry up and go to the infirmary!"
Seeing Karl's "dead pig not afraid of boiling water" appearance, Zephyr frowned, thinking to himself, "Why does this kid look so happy? He couldn't have done this on purpose to skip training, could he?"
No, no, he must be overthinking it. After all, this kid had been a marine for ten years, and his record had no blemishes. In all these years, he had only encountered Kizaru, who made him both angry and helpless.
This kid Karl looked so earnest and proper, he shouldn't be...
"Yes! Sir!"
Karl nodded, pulled up his trousers, and walked with difficulty towards the infirmary. He couldn't help it; his body had shrunk so much that his clothes had become a burden.
Half an hour later, Karl quietly returned to the training grounds, sat in the stands, and watched the new recruits train. He sighed inwardly, "This is youth!"
Especially watching his slacking time continuously accumulate, Karl's mouth was about to split into a wide grin. One word: wonderful!
On the training field, Bins was training hard. The corner of his eye happened to sweep over Karl, who was beaming with a smile in the stands, and he couldn't help but feel a little angry.
They were training so hard, while that guy was hiding off to the side resting, which was bad enough, but he was also secretly laughing at them. How despicable!
Bins wasn't the only one who thought this; many people shared the same thought. It hadn't felt that tiring originally.
But seeing that guy Karl enjoying himself with his legs crossed on the sidelines, they immediately felt both tired and angry. On what grounds!
Faced with the gazes constantly sweeping over him, Karl was completely unaffected, enjoying his rare slacking time with a clear conscience.
It was a joke! This master was slacking off based on his own ability. Besides, he had been a diligent marine for ten years; couldn't he enjoy himself a little?
Shuzo, who was instructing the new recruits, also noticed the situation with Karl. He finally understood why these new recruits were so distracted. So it was this kid who was affecting morale!
"What are you looking at! Although Karl isn't training for now, his Doriki is the highest among you! It's useless for you to be unhappy with him; he can still easily defeat you. So, now is your chance."
"Now, all of you, train hard for me!"
That's right! Karl was already strong; now was their chance to surpass him.
Fired up, they let out a loud and uniform roar: "Yes!!!"
Seeing this, Shuzo was very satisfied. As for whether Karl would be isolated or targeted, that was not his concern at all.
Off to the side, Karl sighed helplessly. Looking at the way those new recruits were looking at him, he might really get targeted.
But it didn't matter. He still had the system. He might as well eat that Holy Light Fruit right now!
Taking advantage of no one paying attention, Karl quietly moved to a blind spot in the corner. After looking around to make sure no one was there, he took the Holy Light Fruit out from the system space.
The fruit looked like an orange, with golden-yellow skin covered in circles of intricate patterns. Taking a deep breath, Karl bit into it without hesitation.
"Ugh~ So disgusting..."
Karl threw the unfinished part aside, forcibly suppressing the disgusting urge to puke. Seeing the faint golden ball of light slowly emerging from his palm, the corner of his mouth tilted up slightly.
"View attributes!"
Host: Karl
Age: 24
Physique: E
Perception: F+
Will: E
Special Ability: Maiden's Stillness
Holy Light Fruit: 0% (Awakening progress)
Active Skill: Frail (Usable)
Looking at his panel, Karl was a little surprised.
He didn't expect that after eating a Devil Fruit, all his attributes except Will would improve. This was all a bonus from the Devil Fruit.
"Sigh~ Getting stronger just by sitting. Tell me, isn't that infuriating?"
After a simple test of the Holy Light's power, Karl found it was just as the system said: enhancement and healing. He couldn't feel the enhancement effect for now, after all, he was in a 14-year-old's body.
As for the healing effect... Karl endured the pain and cut his palm open with a fruit knife. He applied one shot of Holy Light, and the wound healed instantly. Only the bloodstain on the ground proved he had just been injured.
"Huu~ This Devil Fruit is stronger than I imagined!"
Although he couldn't fly or move through the earth, which disappointed Karl a bit, this was the One Piece world, after all!
If Devil Fruit abilities weren't enough, there was still Haki and martial arts. Moreover, the Holy Light Fruit was far from useless!
"Ooh~ How scary~ Has another ability user been born?"
Hearing the voice from behind, Karl's back suddenly felt cold. He turned his head in shock, and what came into view was a tall, skinny man with 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 white leather shoes. His rather thin lips were puckered, and one hand was on his chin, as if in thought.
It's you! The PPAP uncle! No, it's Admiral Kizaru!
When did he arrive? He hadn't noticed at all?
"Ki-Admiral Kizaru!"
Karl stood up stiffly, saluted Kizaru, his expression a little excited, which was very in line with an ordinary marine's attitude when meeting an Admiral.
Kizaru scanned Karl through his sunglasses, thinking to himself, "Is Teacher Zephyr's training camp recruitment so unreliable these days? They're even bringing out minors?"
"Borsalino! What are you doing here?"
Zephyr and Kizaru didn't get along well. Back in Kizaru's student days, he was Zephyr's least favorite student: lazy, arrogant, and most importantly, unbalanced in his skills.
But this was all in the past, and Zephyr didn't want to bring it up anymore. Still, seeing Kizaru made his blood pressure spike.
He became even more anxious seeing him talking to his new recruit, afraid that Karl would be led astray by Kizaru and go down a path of no return.
Wait, he doesn't seem to be an ability user...
Kizaru raised an eyebrow, quickly waved his hands at Zephyr, and said in his sarcastic tone: "So scary~ Teacher Zephyr, don't be so agitated! You have to take it easy with your old arms and legs."
Zephyr's face was dark as he said in a deep voice: "This old man doesn't need your concern. You, on the other hand, an Admiral, how do you have time to stroll around this old man's place?"
"Teacher Zephyr, I just heard your marine training camp had started again, so I came over to help you see if there were any outstanding talents! Ooh, this one looks good. Hey, young man, what was your ability again?"
After speaking, Kizaru plopped down on the bench, crossed his legs, and slumped against the backrest, completely ignoring Zephyr's gaze.
"Hmph~ Then you've misjudged. This kid isn't an ability user. Your eye for talent isn't all that great!"
"Oh? Is that so? Then what is this?"
Kizaru's figure flashed. He picked up the half-eaten Holy Light Fruit that Karl had thrown on the ground, then sat back down, showing the unfinished fruit in his hand to Zephyr.
The round trip took less than 1 second, showing just how fast Kizaru was.
Rookie Karl could only see a flash of golden light, and then his half-eaten Holy Light Fruit was in Kizaru's hand. He couldn't see anything else clearly.
Looking at the fruit in Kizaru's hand, those familiar patterns... Zephyr's gaze hardened. He turned to Karl and asked seriously: "You just ate this?"
Karl swallowed and nodded: "Uh, yes. But it was too disgusting, so I only took one bite."
Zephyr frowned and snatched the Holy Light Fruit from Kizaru's hand. He was someone who had seen the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, but after searching his memory, he still couldn't determine what ability this Devil Fruit granted.
"Pfft~"
The Holy Light Fruit in his hand was crushed to a pulp by Zephyr. His voice full of anger, he roared at Karl: "Idiot! Is a Devil Fruit something you can just eat recklessly? Don't you know that once you eat a Devil Fruit, you'll be cursed by the sea and become a hammer forever!"
Kizaru: Feels offended!
"Ahem!"
Zephyr glanced at Kizaru, took a deep breath to calm down, and continued speaking to Karl: "Huu~ Show this old man your ability!"
Kizaru also turned sideways with great interest, wanting to see what Karl's ability was.
He couldn't help it. These two were the biggest of big shots. Karl had no room to resist. If he had known, he would have been more low-key and eaten it back in the dorm.
But who could have expected that this troll Kizaru would suddenly appear?
Under Zephyr's gaze, Karl extended his right hand. A faint golden ball of light appeared in his palm again and, under Karl's control, quickly merged into Zephyr's body.
Zephyr's eyes widened. He had suffered from asthma for most of his life, but he had never felt his lungs and throat so clear. That golden light was like the sun dispersing the darkness...
"Cough cough cough~"
Before long, Zephyr began to cough violently, as if he was about to cough up his lungs, his face an unnatural shade of red.
Kizaru frowned. Although he wasn't sure what was happening to Zephyr, it was definitely related to Karl.
The next second, Kizaru aimed his fingertip at Karl. A dazzling golden light gathered as he said slowly: "What did you do to Teacher Zephyr?"
"Don't!"
Zephyr extended his hand to stop Kizaru. Then, with a "pfft," he spat out a large wad of dark, black phlegm. A smile appeared on his face. He grabbed Karl's shoulders and asked in pleasant surprise: "Your ability... it has a healing effect?"
"Wait... this old man's body..."
Before Karl could speak, Zephyr raised his hands in disbelief, his eyes full of shock. That golden light just now had actually made his strength increase a tiny bit.
It was like he had become a year younger. Although the boost wasn't much, Karl had only just become a Devil Fruit user!
"You, where did you find this Devil Fruit?"
Of course, Karl couldn't say the system gave it to him. After a moment's thought, he said: "Didn't I just go to the infirmary? On the way back, I bought some fresh fruit to eat, and... this happened."
Karl had lied, but not completely.
He had indeed bought some fruit on his way back from the infirmary, just to savor the pleasure of eating snacks while watching others go through military training. The fruit peels and scraps on the ground were proof.
Zephyr quickly filled in the blanks. While Karl was eating the fruit he bought, one of them suddenly turned into a Devil Fruit, which Karl happened to eat, and was then discovered by Kizaru.
"Heaven bless the Marines!!!"
Zephyr roared with emotion, tears streaming down his old face. This old man, who had dedicated almost his entire life to the Marines, understood better than anyone how important a healing + enhancement ability was for the Marines!
Karl had only just gained his fruit ability, and it already had such a noticeable effect on him. Once he grew, his value to the Marines would be immeasurable!
First, Karl's ability could be released from a distance, which meant he could conveniently apply enhancement effects to his comrades. After training, he might even be able to buff multiple marines at the same time, raising the Marines' overall combat power by several levels.
Second, Karl's ability had a healing effect, and a very powerful one at that. On a battlefield where swords have no eyes, with Karl around, the Marines' casualty rate would be greatly reduced. The Marines could then counter-attack, thus freeing up more combat power!
Finally, and most importantly, Karl was a ten-year veteran. His loyalty to the Marines was beyond question. Moreover, his foundation was solid, and his potential for growth was extremely high. As long as he was properly trained, given time, Karl would definitely become a leading figure of the new generation of Marines!
Thinking of this, Zephyr's gaze towards Karl became a little more intense. Having you is the Marines' good fortune!
"Karl, you, come with me to Sengoku's office right now! We're going now!"