The Storm Follows Man, The Dragon Head Mask!

"Promoted to major?"

Loi was naturally a bit surprised by Vice Admiral Billoss's words.

Within the Navy, the rank of major marked a clear dividing line.

Officers at the lieutenant level—even a captain like himself—were essentially still low-ranking officers. He could only lead his own action squad, the Detention Unit 35th Squad, on missions. In essence, he had execution authority but no command authority.

But an officer of colonel rank or above was different.

Starting from major, he could engrave his name on a warship and have his own personal vessel. He would also gain a degree of command and decision-making power, the authority to appoint or dismiss subordinates, the ability to issue certain combat orders, access to classified documents, participation in confidential operational briefings, and even the right to mobilize local naval forces to assist him.

This was reflected in the salary as well—a captain earned around 300,000 Belly a month, while a major's salary shot up to 500,000 Belly a month.

It took Loi a moment to snap back to reality.

"So that's how it is!?"

Then it suddenly clicked why Smoker had given up on taking him as an adjutant. With his promotion to major, by regulation, he could no longer serve as Smoker's adjutant in the future branch.

"Old man, you've really... done me a huge favor."

Loi said sincerely.

"Hahaha, it's nothing, nothing!"

Vice Admiral Billoss laughed heartily. "I promised to put in a good word for you, kid. If I couldn't even keep a promise to my subordinate, I'd have retired long ago!"

"But Loi, you're a major now, so I've already signed you up for the 'All-Army Martial Arts Tournament'—you don't have a problem with that, do you?"

"Of course not."

Loi was taken aback for a moment, then nodded.

Since he already knew Vice Admiral Billoss would retire after the tournament, he definitely had to participate. He was determined to secure the position of Detention Unit administrator.

"Good, that's the spirit—rare to see you this serious."

Seeing this, Vice Admiral Billoss nodded with satisfaction. "Now that's more like it. You were so lazy before, completely lacking in drive!"

But then his tone shifted sharply. "However, I have to warn you—as I said before, because of this incident, the World Government thinks the Navy handled things very poorly."

"So to tighten military discipline, this All-Army Martial Arts Tournament... might be different from before. The difficulty will be much higher."

He looked at Loi seriously. "You're not weak, kid, but you still have gaps. So I've contacted an old friend to give you special training in these last few months."

"Old friend? Special training?"

Hearing this, Loi frowned. He didn't think he needed any special training.

"That's right!"

Vice Admiral Billoss said gravely. "He's a formidable guy, and he hasn't taught anyone in a long time. He should contact you soon—study under him properly, kid."

He patted Loi on the shoulder.

Seeing the vice admiral already acting like 'the future is yours,' Loi could only nod reluctantly. "Fine."

"Good! Then go back and prepare."

With that, Vice Admiral Billoss waved his hand and casually pulled his beloved Dango Skewer from the drawer.

Loi, not about to disturb his superior's afternoon tea, turned and left without a fuss.

But still.

"Vice Admiral Billoss's old friend, a formidable guy. Well, the candidates are limited, and what he wants me to cram for isn't hard to guess."

As he walked out of Tenshukaku, Loi had a rough idea in his mind.

But clearly, this wasn't what mattered most to him.

What truly mattered was...

"I need to create the next Slice Clone as soon as possible, keep earning Belly, and solidify the existence of the 'Twelve Zodiacs.'"

"Otherwise, my presence in this incident is still too noticeable. I might get targeted."

Loi pondered.

"The only problem now is..."

His gaze fell before him.

On the illusory Light Screen, the content displayed was crystal clear.

code
[Fruit Encyclopedia]

[Holder: Loi Amos]

[Current Encyclopedia Fruit Types: 21 (Paramecia - 8, Zoan - 8, Logia - 4, Special Paramecia - 0, Mythical Zoan - 1)]

[Fruit Slots: 3]

[Current Slotted Fruits: Glimmer-Glimmer Fruit LV2, Dragon Dragon Fruit God Pterosaur Form LV3, Strong-Strong Fruit]

[Current Belly Held: 5.1376 Billion]

"Which fruits should I strengthen?"

Luo Yi found himself in a happy dilemma.

Yes.

During the last operation to seize the Celestial Gold, he had ultimately chosen to spend 400 million Belly strengthening one of the Logia fruits he possessed, the 'Glimmer-Glimmer Fruit'.

A LV2 Glimmer-Glimmer Fruit allowed for 'partial Elementalization' of the body, granting extreme speed and the devastating power of lasers. In his view, it was a Logia fruit that complemented the Wind God Pterosaur Fruit quite well.

And the facts had proven this strengthening necessary.

When facing Commodore Lan Li's strongest sword strike of his life, it was precisely this ability that allowed 'Rooster' to survive.

"Logia fruits themselves are countered by Haki, but that just means they can be hit by it—when Elementalized, methods like 'decapitation' or 'piercing the heart' can't achieve an instant kill."

"Paired with the immense Life Force of an Ancient Zoan, it's a perfect combination."

Luo Yi inwardly marveled at how well his fruit pairing suited him.

But the current problem was simple enough.

"First, spend 500 million Belly to strengthen the Slice-Slice Fruit to LV2. That way, I can split off two more clones—this is a necessary expense."

"The question is what to strengthen next."

Luo Yi understood clearly.

The 5 billion Belly he currently had on hand sounded like a lot.

But in the face of the Fruit Encyclopedia, that bottomless pit of spending, it wasn't nearly enough.

He could choose to strengthen several fruits to LV2, or strengthen the Dragon Dragon Fruit to LV4, or even strengthen a few Logia fruits to LV3.

The price gaps and ability differences between various fruits created countless choices.

"Coo coo!"

But just as Luo Yi was pondering, he heard a sound from above.

He instinctively looked up and saw a seagull wearing a mail cap dropping a stack of newspapers toward him.

"Oh? The World Economic News Agency's paper?"

Luo Yi caught the newspaper and opened it.

Sure enough, the wanted poster for 'Rooster' he'd just seen fell out from within, and the matter of 'Arashit Island' was naturally the headline.

But Luo Yi wasn't concerned about that—the Navy was putting a bounty on the criminal 'Rooster', what did that have to do with him, Navy Major Luo?

At this moment, his gaze instead landed on an inconspicuous corner of the paper.

[Alabasta Has Gone Seven Months Without Rain; Abnormal Climate Draws Attention]

"...Oh?"

Luo Yi raised an eyebrow.

"I think I know which fruit I should strengthen."

Murmuring to himself, Luo Yi quickened his pace and soon returned to the Detention Unit dormitory.

Closing the door, he began to continue mapping out his plan.

"But... am I forgetting something?"

As the bright moon climbed high and the night deepened, Luo Yi scratched his head and muttered under his breath.

But soon, this small doubt was cast from his mind.

He continued busying himself.

And Luo Yi had naturally completely forgotten.

At that moment, on the Detention Unit Training Ground.

"Where the hell is the boss?"

In the darkness, Hans shivered from the cold, utterly forlorn.

"Wasn't he supposed to come beat me up? Did he forget?"

"Maybe I should head back first. No, if I go back and the boss finds out, I'm done for—Ah-choo! S-so cold."

One week after Sergeant Hans caught a cold from staying up late training.

Alabasta, Elma.

This city, located on Alabasta's southwestern coast and bordering the Sandora River, had once been called the 'City of Oasis' due to its prosperity.

But recently, this city has been shrouded in an uneasy atmosphere.

Seven months—seven whole months—and not a single drop of rain had fallen on Elma.

As a result, the once surging Sandora River, which had nourished both its banks, had now dropped to its lowest recorded water level, to the point where even drawing water in Elma had become a massive problem.

"The price of water keeps climbing, and they say even the groundwater is drying up now."

On the southern side of Elma, Aha wiped the sweat from his brow, staring at the large vat before him that was nearly empty.

"What in the world is going on?"

Anxiety churned in his heart.

As a country where most of its land was desert, the people of Alabasta had certainly seen droughts before.

But a drought like this, one that seemed to suck the very life from the earth, was something he had never encountered.

"Don't worry, King Aha Cobra will surely think of something."

Beside him, his wife, holding their daughter, tried to soothe her husband.

"King Cobra? I heard Alubarna has been getting rain normally."

Aha managed to scoop out a cup of water from the vat and handed it to his wife and child as he spoke.

"Meanwhile, things are even worse up north at the Yuba Oasis—people have already started fleeing. If the king had a solution, he'd have come up with it by now."

He was deeply unsettled.

Though there was no clear proof yet, rumors had already begun circulating in Elma.

They said His Majesty the King had resorted to some improper means to ensure rain fell on the capital, leaving not a single drop anywhere else in the entire kingdom.

He didn't really believe it—after all, King Cobra had always been known for his wisdom—but still.

"This can't go on."

Staring up at the sky, so piercingly blue it stung his eyes, Aha murmured.

But it was at that very moment.

"Huh?"

The corner of Aha's eye caught a glimpse of something in the distance.

There, not far off, at the edge of the desert beyond the city.

A solitary figure was slowly approaching.

Still far away, the figure was somewhat blurry.

But Aha could clearly see the scene around that figure.

"..."

Instinctively, Aha rubbed his eyes—he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

It wasn't until the figure drew closer that he was sure it wasn't an illusion.

There, above that person's head.

Dark gray rain clouds were constantly forming and gathering.

The clouds hung low, as if they were materializing out of thin air.

And within those clouds, a clearly visible curtain of water, like a pillar falling from the heavens, enveloped the figure!

"Shhhh—!"

"Shhhh—!"

As the figure drew nearer, Aha could almost hear the sound.

It was the sound every citizen of Elma had been longing for.

It was rain—a torrential downpour.

"That person... that person... is he a god?"

At that moment, the thought instinctively rose in Aha's mind.

But the next second, he snapped back to reality.

"Quick! Zina, go get the basins and vats—everything we have at home, hurry!"

Seeing the rainstorm approaching, he urgently called to his wife.

"Okay!"

After his wife rushed off to fetch the water containers.

Aha took a deep breath, then turned his head back to look at the figure.

By now, the figure was very close.

So close that Aha could make out his appearance.

He was wearing a dark robe that concealed his form.

But Aha could see that on his head, he wore a mask.

Aha recognized that kind of mask—a specialty of the South Blue called the 'Sea Beast Mask,' said to be available for purchase everywhere, even customizable.

In a great nation like Alabasta, and in a large city like Elma, it wasn't considered rare.

Yet amid that torrential downpour, that mask made Aha feel boundless majesty and mystery.

It was a Dragon Head Mask!