"Golden Lion, click to follow! The lottery is starting! [Please send flowers and monthly tickets!]"
A sudden, loud voice rang out, slicing through the tense air.
The Golden Lion was caught completely off guard. For a moment, he almost lost his balance in midair—ready to plunge from the sky into the sea. When he finally regained his composure and settled back into his stance, he looked down in bewilderment.
Standing confidently at the bow of the Marine ship was a young recruit — Kyle.
No one dares speak to me like that when I'm soaring across the seas! Shiki thought, his pride stung.
A hush fell over the deck. The crashing waves and sea breeze were the only sounds breaking the silence. All the sailors froze, shocked at the audacity of this rookie.
Even Sengoku and Zephyr exchanged subtle glances, their expressions tightening.
If these words had come from Akainu, it wouldn't raise eyebrows — the Vice Admiral was known for his fierce temperament and blunt words. Even another Vice Admiral saying this would be believable, given their experience and composure.
But this? An ordinary recruit? Someone who looked barely like a swordsman, holding two swords awkwardly?
And the Golden Lion was no ordinary pirate — he was a legendary swordsman, feared across the seas. Many had challenged him and failed.
Yet here stood this green recruit, unafraid, boldly taunting the notorious pirate.
Despite Kyle's blatant breach of naval protocol—stationing himself at the bow without permission—Sengoku saw something different. There was a fearless fire in the young man's eyes, and he said nothing.
Akainu's gaze narrowed, sensing a familiar spark — as if looking at his younger self.
Zephyr watched with a knowing smile, silently pondering.
"Recruit!" Sengoku's voice rang out, firm but warm. "Your dedication to justice is admirable. The Navy needs more like you! But return to your post immediately."
Though stern, there was genuine concern in his tone. Sengoku feared Kyle's boldness might lead to unnecessary harm. The Golden Lion was no opponent to rush into unprepared.
The fleet's future relied on its young Marines growing stronger, step by step.
Around them, sailors whispered excitedly.
"This is a real Marine!" one said.
"I'd never have the guts to do that."
Some worried the insult would provoke Shiki's wrath, and that no Marine could hide from a pirate with the power of the Lion Fruit — the same pirate who once broke into Marineford without fear.
Watching Sengoku defend Kyle stirred a mix of envy and admiration.
Akainu clenched his fists, scowling.
Most sailors today, he thought, lacked guts — like Aokiji and Kizaru, who avoided conflict and hid behind their reputations.
"A user of the dazzling Light Fruit with super speed," he mused angrily. "A man who wields the Ice Fruit and walks on frozen seas! How hard could it be to get them here? This is maddening!"
But Kyle was different. If things got tough, this recruit would fight with everything he had.
Zephyr nodded quietly to himself.
"Recruit, do you realize who stands before you? The Golden Lion. Many of the strongest bow their heads to him. You're truly brave. With proper training, you could become a hero."
---
The Golden Lion hovered in the air, momentarily speechless.
To respond to such a challenge… from an unknown recruit… might damage his fearsome reputation.
But silence could also be seen as weakness.
His eyes flicked to Kyle, then back to Sengoku and the admirals.
I'll remind him who's boss later, Shiki thought.
For now, his focus was on the higher-ups.
He tightened his grip on his swords.
"Well then…" he muttered.
---
Gradually, calm returned.
Kyle realized his bold words had achieved their purpose.
Whether the system would reward him was uncertain — but under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he sheathed his swords and moved back to stand behind Sengoku and the other admirals.
Nestled between the Vice Admirals and Admirals stood Kyle.
Suddenly, the system's familiar voice chimed in his mind:
[Ding!]
You received 5,000 Attention Points from surrounding Sailors!
You received 10,000 Attention Points from Vice Admiral Sakazuki!
You received 20,000 Attention Points from Admiral Zephyr!
You received 30,000 Attention Points from Admiral Sengoku!
You received 50,000 Attention Points from Golden Lion Shiki!
Current Attention Points: 115,025.
Use 100,000 points to open the Primary Lottery. Since this is your first lottery, two high-level rewards will be randomly refreshed and you will receive a luck buff. The chance of getting the best reward increases to 3%!
---
Kyle's heart raced.
One phrase was enough to unlock the first lottery? he thought in disbelief.
The biggest chunk of points — 50,000 — came from Shiki himself. That surprised him.
The system's attention is… impressively broad. Anyone can count, he reasoned.
But maybe the Golden Lion isn't exactly happy about it…
Kyle pushed the thought aside as the system automatically opened the lottery interface.
---
The lottery had four tiers:
Starter (100,000 points)
Intermediate (200,000 points)
Advanced (500,000 points)
Ultimate (1,000,000 points)
The format was like a giant drum — points could be spent to spin a pointer made of bronze, silver, gold, or diamond, with rewards upgrading accordingly.
The rewards for the bronze tier appeared on the drum:
1. Initial Conqueror's Haki
2. Bat Zoan Devil Fruit — Phantom Beast Vampire (upgraded)
3. Initial Mental Strength
4. Initial Swordsmanship
5. Initial Armament Haki
6. Gravity Paramecia Devil Fruit (upgraded)
7. Initial Sensory Haki
The bronze tier wasn't flashy, but two Devil Fruits caught Kyle's eye.
Will I get one of these? he wondered.
[Bat Zoan — Phantom Beast Vampire]:
Belonging to the Red Earl, this rare Zoan type grants the power to drain or restore life force — a form of near-immortality and peak physical fitness.
[Gravity Paramecia]:
The power wielded by future Admiral Fujitora, it controls gravity — pressure, attraction, repulsion, and more. A supreme force rivaling even Shiki's lion abilities.
For Kyle, a rookie, both fruits were incredibly tempting.
"System! Start the lottery now!" he commanded.
The bronze pointer spun wildly…