The marine recruitment officer took a sharp breath. As a Marine staff member, he had far more knowledge than ordinary people and even most pirates.
He understood exactly what it meant when someone claimed to possess a Logia-type Devil Fruit, especially one with a reputation as fearsome as the Magma-Magma Fruit—a fruit said to hold the greatest offensive power among them.
Without a moment's delay, he led Sakazuki straight into the base, bypassing routine procedures and heading directly for the Base Commander's office.
...
"Reporting!"
"Enter."
Inside the office, Base Commander Jorisen looked up from his paperwork. His eyes first landed on Sakazuki—a tall, broad-shouldered boy with a resolute expression—before shifting to the visibly excited marine beside him.
Jorisen frowned. "What's got you so worked up? As a Marine, you need to control your emotions, Officer Joel."
Joel, still breathless from excitement, quickly blurted out, "Commander, this young man here wants to join the Marines. He's a Logia-type Devil Fruit user…a Magma-Magma Fruit user!"
"What?!"
Jorisen shot up from his chair, his expression instantly matching Joel's shock and excitement.
Sakazuki took this moment to get a good look at Jorisen. The man seemed around forty, his face marked by a jagged scar running across his cheek, and his left arm was missing entirely. His very appearance told the story of a seasoned warrior who had seen countless battles.
Jorisen strode over, his face breaking into a wide, genuine grin. He patted Sakazuki's shoulder firmly, his voice filled with joy.
"Good! Very good!"
For the first time in what felt like forever, a rare, faint smile tugged at Sakazuki's lips.
'This feeling… not bad at all.'
Jorisen studied him for a moment longer, his voice still trembling with excitement.
"Forgive me for the outburst, but this is just… fantastic! Truly fantastic!"
He laughed, his hearty laughter filling the room. After a moment, he settled down, though his grin didn't fade. He then gestured toward the chair across from his desk.
"Come, have a seat."
Taking the registration form from Joel, he read through it as he guided Sakazuki to sit.
"Sakazuki, 12 years old... damn. Reason for joining…"
Once they were both seated, Jorisen set aside the paper and looked at him seriously.
"Sakazuki, welcome to the Marines. I'm the base commander of the North Blue's 194th Branch, Jorisen."
"Nice to meet you, Commander."
Jorisen leaned forward, his voice steady but tinged with excitement.
"A Logia user is an invaluable asset to the marines—especially someone with the Magma-Magma Fruit. I need to report this to headquarters before we decide on your placement."
He glanced at Joel.
"For now, Joel will show you around the base and arrange a dormitory."
Sakazuki nodded, understanding the weight of his abilities. He knew joining the Marines would cause waves. Even setting the magma fruit aside, any Logia user who reached their full potential was considered a valuable asset. And magma... that was on the level of a natural disaster.
After chatting a bit more with Jorisen, Sakazuki followed Joel out the door.
Once they left, Jorisen picked up his personal Den Den Mushi and made a call
...
Grand Line. Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
In the communication room, a Marine operator picked up the Den Den Mushi.
"Moshi moshi, this is Headquarters."
Jorisen's voice came through from the other end.
"I'm Jorisen, Base Commander of the 194th branch in North Blue. Please connect me to Fleet Admiral Kong immediately. I have an urgent report. This is about a Logia-type Devil Fruit user joining the Marines."
Hearing that, the operator didn't dare delay.
"Understood, one moment."
They hurried to transfer the call to Fleet Admiral Kong's personal line.
...
Fleet Admiral's Office.
Kong was reviewing a stack of documents when the Den Den Mushi suddenly rang. He answered it without looking up.
After the operator explained the situation, Kong had them connect the call to Jorisen.
"This is Kong. What's going on, Jorisen?"
Kong didn't sound distant at all toward his old subordinate, who had been forced back to the Four Blues due to his injuries.
Jorisen's voice came through the Den Den Mushi.
"Fleet Admiral, here's the situation..."
...
North Blue, Fuwahana Island Marine Branch.
Back at the base, Sakazuki followed Joel around. He watched the marines train hard, their shouts and grunts filling the air—a clear sign of Jorisen's effective leadership.
They spent half the day walking around. With Joel explaining all sorts of things—from the structure of the Marines to the famous pirates making waves in North Blue. He also broke down the current power divisions among pirates and crime syndicates.
Later that afternoon, a messenger came to find them, saying Jorisen had summoned Sakazuki—the Headquarters' orders had arrived.
...
Walking into the office, Sakazuki saw Jorisen standing up with a smile.
"Sakazuki, your appointment has been finalized. You've been granted the rank of Lieutenant."
"For now, you'll undergo basic training at the branch. Once that's complete you'll enter the Headquarters for elite training."
Sakazuki nodded, acknowledging the decision.
"Lieutenant, huh? I thought I'd start as a Warrant Officer."
Jorisen laughed. "Haha, only the average Devil Fruit users start as Warrant Officers."
He raised the file in his hand and continued,
"And putting the Magma Fruit aside… I didn't expect you to be the infamous 'North Blue Demon' who's been making waves lately. Well done, those pirates don't deserve to walk away alive."
...
Three years later.
Reverse Mountain, Entrance.
A piercing alarm blared with unstoppable force.
A marine warship accelerated, ramming straight into a pirate ship, splitting it clean in half.
"Charge!"
A cold, indifferent voice echoed from the warship. Immediately, numerous Marine soldiers swarmed over the deck, leaping onto the shattered pirate vessel, launching a brutal boarding assault.
It wasn't a battle—it was a massacre.
In mere moments, the sounds of fighting faded.
One by one, the bloodstained Marines gathered the spoils and leaped back onto their ship, forming orderly ranks.
Purururu… pururururu.
On the marine warship, a Den Den Mushi rang.
A man answered it.
Jorisen's cheerful voice came through.
"Sakazuki, come back. This year's elite class has you signed up. Get ready to report to headquarters."
Sakazuki's lips curled into a faint smirk.
"Roger."
He hung up the Den Den Mushi, his gaze falling on the silent, shattered remains of the pirate ship.
His right arm began to shift, molten magma surging and twisting. It morphed into a massive, blazing lava fist.
"Great Eruption!"
Boom!
An earth-shaking explosion erupted. The pirate ship, already broken, was engulfed in a fiery inferno. The molten blaze devoured what remained, leaving behind nothing but smoldering cinders and bubbling seawater.
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Your support means a lot, thank you!