One Piece: Three Devil Fruits, Beginning with Darkness

**Chapter 19 - Joining the Marines**

**Naval Headquarters, Marineford**

The Marine Recruitment Office was filled with the sound of papers shuffling as an officer carefully reviewed the resumes before him. He adjusted his glasses, his expression shifting from curiosity to outright disbelief as his eyes locked onto a particular line of text.

"Ginny, from South Blue, 19 years old. Skilled in marksmanship."

"Bartholomew Kuma, born in South Blue, 16 years old. User of the Paramecia-class Paw-Paw Fruit."

"Jiger, born in South Blue, 15 years old. User of the Logia-class Dark-Dark Fruit."

A long silence followed. The officer, still staring at Jiger's resume, blinked several times as if trying to process what he had just read. Then, without a word, he slowly lifted his gaze to the towering young man standing before him.

Beside him, Rear Admiral Babs also wore an expression of pure shock.

He had already suspected that Jiger possessed a Devil Fruit ability, but he had never imagined it would be a **Logia**. And not just any Logia—but one tied to darkness itself.

Babs' mind raced. Among the new Marine recruits under Instructor Zephyr, there were already two terrifying Logia users: one wielding the **Magma-Magma Fruit**, and the other possessing the **Glint-Glint Fruit**. He had witnessed their power firsthand, and to sum it up in one phrase—it was like watching natural disasters unfold.

The **Glint-Glint Fruit** user was a living flash of light. Babs had seen a Marine Rear Admiral—someone at his own level—fail to even touch the hem of that recruit's coat. The speed was simply too overwhelming.

Then there was the **Magma-Magma Fruit** user. His power was not just untouchable—it was dangerous. Even if a Marine was fast enough to strike him, no one dared. A single touch of his extremely hot body could mean severe burns, if not worse.

The *Iron Body* technique, a defensive skill many Marines prided themselves on, was utterly useless against magma.

This was when Babs had come to a realization: **Not all Devil Fruits were equal.**

Among them, Logia-class Fruits stood at the pinnacle. They granted their users abilities that were nearly godlike, allowing them to control and *become* the elements themselves. And now, standing before him was another Logia user.

A boy of only fifteen years—who held the power of **Darkness** itself.

Babs swallowed hard. Just the *idea* of what the **Dark-Dark Fruit** could do sent a shiver down his spine.

This wasn't just another strong recruit.

**This was a monster in the making.**

The interviewer, still struggling to find his words, finally cleared his throat and managed to stammer,

"Fifteen years old? That's... quite young. Our standard recruitment age is usually higher..."

His voice trailed off as he studied Jiger's physique again. At nearly two meters tall, the boy looked anything but *fifteen*.

Jiger blinked in mild surprise. He was about to respond when, out of nowhere, Babs **slammed** the interviewer's head against the desk.

"Uhhmmph! (Babs, what are you doing?!)"

The interviewer let out a muffled cry, his face now pressed firmly against the paperwork. Meanwhile, Babs, still holding him down with one hand, turned to Jiger and the others with a wide, forced smile.

"Fantastic! I think these three recruits were *born* to join the Marines!"

Ginny and Kuma exchanged glances, caught somewhere between shock and amusement. Jiger, on the other hand, remained calm, watching the scene unfold with his usual composed expression.

Before anyone could react, Babs moved with *blinding* speed. His hands became a blur as he grabbed the Marine recruitment seal and **stamped it three times** onto their forms.

*Thud! Thud! Thud!*

For a moment, it almost looked like they had just signed away their lives.

The interviewer, finally lifting his head, gasped for breath and shot Babs a look of pure disbelief.

Babs, however, was already clutching their signed documents as if they were treasure.

"You've all passed!" he declared proudly. "I'll personally report this to Admiral Sengoku later. After that, the headquarters will arrange accommodations for you. Take a few days to rest, and then you'll begin your official training at the Marine Academy!"

Jiger glanced at the red Marine seal now stamped onto his resume. It was official. The first step into the Marines had been secured.

"Then let's go hang out first and come back here to wait for you later?" Jiger suggested, his tone casual.

"Just don't stray too far," Babs reminded him. "After all, you haven't officially started your training yet."

"Got it," Jiger replied with a nod before turning to leave with Kuma and Ginny.

The moment the three recruits were out of sight, Babs pulled Jiger's resume close, staring at it like it was a priceless treasure. Then, in a display that made the nearby interviewer shudder, he **kissed** the paper with exaggerated enthusiasm.

The interviewer, rubbing his sore forehead from Babs' earlier rough treatment, scowled. "Hey, Babs! You're going too far! Even if we ignore Jiger's age, have you even looked into their backgrounds? You only know that they're from South Blue!"

Babs shot him an annoyed glance. "Don't sweat it. This is a Logia! Do you understand the value of a Logia?" He then waved Jiger's resume dramatically before slapping Kuma's onto the table. "And this one's a Paramecia user! Do you know how rare these kinds of talents are?"

The interviewer clicked his tongue in irritation. "Tch! Look at you acting like you just found a treasure chest. That girl, Ginny, isn't bad either. She's got a heroic presence. I haven't seen many female applicants with that kind of aura."

"Exactly!" Babs exclaimed, nodding fervently. "The Marines need talents like these! I'm doing exactly what's best for us!"

The interviewer sighed, clearly resigned. He shook his head, muttering, "Fine, fine. Just make sure to report to Admiral Sengoku. And show him those resumes while you're at it. You do realize we haven't done a proper background check, right? We're still being too hasty about this!"

Babs waved dismissively. "I'll handle it. I'm confident Admiral Sengoku will support my decision!"

With that, he tucked Jiger's resume carefully into his uniform—almost as if protecting a precious artifact—and strode away with newfound urgency.

---

As he made his way toward Admiral Sengoku's office, Babs' initial excitement began to settle. Now that the rush of securing such promising recruits had faded, his mind started to piece together the bigger picture.

A background check was indeed crucial, especially for Jiger. There was something about him that didn't quite add up.

Spandam's involvement made things even more complicated. If there was any connection between Jiger and the shady dealings of the World Government, it was something worth looking into.

But even with that in mind, Babs couldn't shake off his gut feeling—Jiger was **important**.

The kid had just appeared out of nowhere, a seemingly ordinary youth from South Blue, yet he possessed one of the most **dangerous** Logia-type Devil Fruits in existence. And his combat presence was already formidable.

Something about his origins was suspicious.

Perhaps he was the illegitimate son of some high-ranking World Government official. Someone who had been hidden away in the **Sorbet Kingdom** for years, waiting for the right time to emerge.

A scenario like that wasn't unheard of. Powerful men often made arrangements for their children—setting them up in distant lands, ensuring they had a foundation to return to when the time was right.

It made sense.

And yet, Babs had **no clue** just how much he was underestimating Jiger's true identity.

If only he knew that the boy he had just recruited was a **Celestial Dragon belonging to the Figarland family**.

But such a thought never even crossed his mind.

To him, this was a **golden opportunity**—one that was worth the risk.

As he approached Admiral Sengoku's office, Babs straightened his posture and took a deep breath. He knocked lightly on the door.

"Admiral Sengoku, it's Babs," he announced.

A calm yet commanding voice responded from inside.

"Come in."

---

Inside the office, Sengoku sat at his desk, reading over a document recently sent from the World Government. His sharp eyes scanned the contents, and a deep frown creased his face.

"It's strange..." he muttered under his breath. "The Solbel Kingdom suddenly changed rulers, yet there's no mention of what happened to the missing King Beckley…"

He set the papers down just as Babs stepped inside. Without wasting a moment, Sengoku gestured for him to speak.

"Babs, you've just returned. Tell me, what exactly happened in the Sorbet Kingdom? Did you find King Beckley?"