Admiral Mok took a deep look at Lancelot. He wasn't foolish.
Lancelot was forcing him to choose sides.
Once he obeyed Lancelot's command, he would completely antagonize the forces behind Nelson and Drey.
From then on, he would be marked as Lancelot's man. Henceforth, he would belong to Lancelot's faction.
Of course, he could also betray Lancelot.
But... he didn't dare, nor did he possess the capability.
"Hah..." Mok took a deep breath. "I'll obeys."
Hearing this, Lancelot nodded with satisfaction.
"Rest assured, as long as you perform your duties well, I will not treat you unfairly."
After speaking, his gaze swept over the officers beside Mok.
"The same goes for all of you!"
Just then, Daniel approached from a distance and quickly came before Lancelot.
"Chief Inspector Captain Daniel of Shells Town, reporting as ordered."
Seeing Daniel arrive, Lancelot couldn't help but smile.
This man was one of the most loyal under Lancelot's command.
Although his combat abilities were lacking, loyalty was what mattered most.
As for lacking strength... there were ways to enhance it.
For example... Lancelot took out three boxes, opened them one by one, and placed them before Daniel.
"What are these?" Daniel looked utterly confused.
Having been born and raised in the East Blue, his knowledge was limited.
He truly had no idea what these three fruits before him were.
They couldn't possibly be ordinary fruits, right? After all, Lancelot had specifically brought them out to reward those with merit.
Not only Daniel but even the officers nearby were equally puzzled.
So they turned their questioning gazes toward their Commodore Mok, for when it came to knowledge, he was the only one among them who truly had substantial experience.
After all, he was the only one dispatched from Headquarters.
He had seen the world beyond the East Blue.
At this moment, Commodore Mok stood there completely dumbfounded, his eyes wide as saucers.
His mouth hung agape, his jaw nearly hitting the ground.
After snapping back to reality, he pointed at the fruits in the three boxes with a trembling voice, his face filled with horror.
"Th-this... these are Devil Fruits?"
Lina stepped forward. "Exactly!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she began transforming into her hybrid beast-girl form before everyone's astonished expressions.
"Under our Governor-General Lancelot's command, as long as you achieve sufficient merit, your military rank will match your accomplishments. If you not only have merit but also demonstrate absolute loyalty to the Governor-General, then you will receive unexpected rewards."
She gestured to the fruits, then to herself.
"For example, these Devil Fruits. They can give you the potential to become powerful. I, Lina, am from Loguetown. You can go investigate what my strength used to be like. I was definitely just an ordinary person who knew a bit of swordsmanship."
Nothing is more impactful than facts presented before one's eyes.
At this moment, everyone's gaze shifted from Lina to Lancelot.
Their way of looking at Lancelot had completely changed now.
Even Commodore Mok's.
Devil Fruits were incredibly precious, even in the Grand Line.
In any faction, they were considered the most important strategic resources.
Yet unexpectedly, this person before them had taken out three at once.
Indeed, Mok thought, someone with connections to the Holy Land is different! Even Marine Headquarters couldn't just produce them so easily.
Seeing everyone's expressions, Lancelot couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth slightly.
These three Devil Fruits were the three "unknown" ones his cheap father had mentioned during their phone call.
One Zoan type, two Paramecia types.
They had finally been delivered to him two days ago.
With the method to steal abilities now available, he wouldn't lack Devil Fruits in the future.
Naturally, he could use these "legitimate" ones to win people's loyalty.
But his move had truly shocked everyone present.
Lancelot said to Daniel, "You've done well in Shells Town. Not only have you recruited many new soldiers, but you've also restored Shells Town to its former peace and prosperity. Even the port expansion you undertook is nearly complete. So, this is your reward... Choose one from among them!"
"Yes, Governor-General!"
At this moment, Daniel stood straighter than anyone else.
He was extremely excited.
But his eyes scanned back and forth between the three Devil Fruits, unable to decide which one to choose for the moment.
Seeing this, Lancelot reminded him, "The first one is a Zoan type, though the specific animal is unknown. After eating it, you might gain tiger attributes like Lina, or you might get rat attributes... It all depends on your luck. However, whatever it turns out to be, it will instantly enhance your strength. At the same time, it will enhance your talent for physical training."
"The second and third are Paramecia types, also unknown. For example, Buggy the Clown from the East Blue, and the mercenary Eric. They are respectively the Paramecia-Chop Chop Fruit Ability User and the Paramecia-Scythe Fruit Ability User. After eating a Paramecia fruit, you will gain magical abilities like theirs."
As Lancelot spoke, not only did Daniel's eyes grow brighter, but so did everyone else present.
At this moment, they were itching to snatch these three Devil Fruits for themselves.
Especially Commodore Mok.
He was already a master of physical combat, so the temptation of a Zoan-type Devil Fruit was too great for him.
If he hadn't been acutely aware that he was no match for Lancelot, he might have actually made a move.
"Hah..." Daniel took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.
But it was impossible—his entire being was consumed by excitement.
His gaze swept over the three Devil Fruits one last time before finally settling on the last Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.
Gritting his teeth, he picked it up.
And took a fierce bite.
Soon after, an incredulous expression spread across Daniel's face.
He felt a mysterious, cold power suddenly surge within his body.
Instinctively, he raised his hand.
A white frost appeared in his palm, which he then flicked toward one side.
The frost burst forth, shooting toward a nearby military barracks.
Half of the barracks was instantly frozen solid.
And this was just after he had eaten the fruit, with its power still limited.
One could only imagine how formidable it would become once he mastered the Devil Fruit.
If he were to awaken it, it would be nothing short of heaven-defying.
"This... this..." Commodore Mok's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Not just him—even Lancelot was utterly shocked.
Daniel's new ability reminded him of someone: the Marine Admiral Aokiji.
"Gulp..."
Lancelot couldn't help but swallow hard, and the way he looked at Daniel had completely changed.
This guy was the luckiest man alive!
An unknown, random Paramecia-type Devil Fruit had unleashed this kind of power.
It was truly unbelievable!