Under Sengoku's orders, the warship had restructured its formation and was now en route to Marineford — the Headquarters of the Marines.
After nearly two weeks at sea, the vessel, equipped with specialized Sea Stone-lined hull plating, cut through the Calm Belt with no resistance. Sea Kings, sensing nothing from the disguised ship, gave it a wide berth.
Inside the warship, orders echoed through the corridors as elite Marines assembled.
This mission was led by Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Admiral Zephyr, and among those present were the three current admirals: Akainu, Aokiji, and Kizaru. But standing quietly among them was a new, unfamiliar face.
Kyle.
"Kyle, you performed exceptionally for a recruit during the Golden Lion incident," Sengoku declared, his voice authoritative but not without pride. "Once we dock at Marineford, I'll recommend an official reassessment of your rank. Of course, your contributions in this mission won't go unnoticed. A promotion to Ensign is well-deserved."
Kyle gave a sharp salute. "Thank you, Admiral."
Sengoku wasn't exaggerating. Though protocol required certain procedures, his personal approval held serious weight. Still, he opted for transparency — letting Kyle's performance speak for itself.
Zephyr nodded and stepped forward, arms crossed. "You've got potential, Kyle. I'll be stepping back from frontline duty soon to focus on training recruits. Once things settle, you'll be under my command. The Gravity Fruit is no joke — if you don't build a solid foundation, it'll control you, not the other way around."
Kyle didn't expect that — Zephyr himself offering to mentor him?
Of course, he accepted. No hesitation.
"Understood, Admiral Zephyr. I'll do my best."
Though Kyle had a system granting him certain powers and bonuses, even he knew the importance of earning credibility within the ranks. His time-traveler edge could only carry him so far — real growth needed recognition.
Standing off to the side, Kizaru tilted his head and gave a slow, amused grin.
"Oooh, scary~ This rookie's packing two named swords and a Paramecia Devil Fruit. I'm curious to see what kind of monster he grows into."
Typical Kizaru — playful tone masking serious observation. No one took offense. It was just his way.
Aokiji, more reserved, stood with hands in his pockets, ice in his breath as he exhaled.
"I heard about him on the way back," he said lazily. "Didn't think we had anyone that promising among the new blood."
He turned slightly toward Kyle and gave a nod.
"Well then, Recruit Kyle… try and keep up with us, yeah? We could use someone else to share the workload."
Sengoku's eyebrow twitched — Aokiji was brilliant, but his laid-back attitude constantly tested his patience.
As the warship coasted closer to port, Kyle stood on deck, reflecting on the mission.
Sure, some of his earlier actions were designed to rack up "attention points," but stepping up to the Golden Lion without flinching had earned genuine respect. That kind of courage wasn't faked.
And it paid off.
He'd obtained the Gravity Devil Fruit, wielded Sakura Jukiku, a famed blade taken from the Golden Lion himself, and netted over 280,000 Attention Points.
He eyed the system's prompt in his mind:
Basic Level: 100,000 Points ✅
Intermediate Level: 200,000 Points ✅
Advanced Level: 500,000 Points — In Progress…
Only 220,000 more to go before his next system evolution.
He smirked. "Time to milk Marineford for all it's worth."
While other transmigrators leveled up in secret, Kyle's growth was public — and that came with consequences. He knew that someday, if he climbed too high, someone up top would feel threatened.
So he needed to move carefully.
Just then, a sailor entered the room, saluting.
"Admiral Sengoku, Admiral Zephyr — we've arrived at Marineford!"
---
At Marineford, the Calm Before the Climb
The ship docked to the sound of trumpets and steel-toed boots against stone. Though they hadn't captured the Golden Lion, the Marines' morale had surged.
As Kyle disembarked, walking through the central square with Sengoku and the others, whispers followed in his wake.
> "That's the guy who went toe-to-toe with Shiki, right?"
"I heard he's got the Gravity Fruit. Some even say Akainu respects him."
"Those two swords on his belt? He took them from the Golden Lion. Insane."
"They're saying he might get fast-tracked to Ensign…"
The crowd parted like a wave as Marines stared. Kyle heard the system trigger.
> [+2,000 Attention from surrounding Marines]
[+3,000 Attention from onlooking Petty Officers]
[+7,000 Attention from Rear Admiral]
[+10,000 Approval from Rear Admiral Gion (Momousagi)]
The system's passive awareness function let Kyle pinpoint who was watching him — even showing names and relative power levels.
That's how he noticed her.
Gion, codename: Momousagi. One of the few female contenders for the rank of admiral. Maybe seventeen or eighteen at this point, but already a Rear Admiral — with the famed Jinbiro sword strapped to her waist.
She was staring intently at Sakura Jukiku, the blade hanging at Kyle's hip.
Swordsmen could recognize power at a glance.
Kyle couldn't help but feel the fire of rivalry already beginning to burn.
360,000 points.
Only 140K more to hit the advanced draw.
This visit was already worth it.
Then, another high-ranking figure approached — Vice Admiral Tsuru, nicknamed the "Wise General." Rumored to possess the power to nullify Devil Fruits and known for her unwavering dedication to Absolute Justice.
Sengoku smiled.
"Tsuru long time. You handled Kyle's paperwork, right?"
She gave Kyle a once-over. He was younger than she expected — maybe twenty?
"All documents are ready," she said evenly. "However, HQ still needs to assign someone to formally evaluate his capabilities. Unless you plan to nominate someone directly?"
Sengoku turned to the trio of Vice Admirals.
Akainu looked like he wanted to set the air on fire just to avoid speaking.
Kizaru suddenly found the sky fascinating.
Aokiji scratched his head, pretending to stretch.
"Cowards," Sengoku muttered under his breath.
Then Cray asked thoughtfully, "Recruit Kyle — those swords. Sakura Jukiku, right? One of the 21 great grade blades. Are you planning to pursue the path of the sword?"
Kyle nodded. "Yes, Vice Admiral Tsuru."
He'd already decided. Between the system, his dual swords, and the Gravity Fruit, it just made sense to lean into that swordsman persona. It fit.
Sengoku snapped his fingers.
"Gion! She's a master swordswoman, and smart as hell. Let's have her test Kyle."
Cray smiled knowingly.
"That would be… interesting."