One Piece: Three Devil Fruits, Beginning with Darkness

**Chapter 20 - Shocked Sengoku**

Babs stood before Admiral Sengoku, his posture straight but his face filled with anticipation. He had just finished recounting the details of his trip to the Sorbet Kingdom, including the political shift, the unexpected presence of Spandine, and the strange circumstances surrounding King Bekori's disappearance.

Sengoku leaned forward slightly, resting his chin on one hand as he processed the information. His brow furrowed. "A small country like Sorbet attracting this much attention… I've heard of Spandine. His status in the World Government isn't insignificant, but he's certainly not well-liked."

Babs let out a scoff, nodding in agreement. "If you ask me, the man's insufferable. The number of times I had to resist the urge to kick him into the sea on the way there…" He shook his head as if trying to rid himself of the frustrating memories.

Sengoku exhaled through his nose, a mixture of amusement and exasperation flashing across his face. With a dismissive motion, he picked up the document resting on his desk, glanced over it one last time, and then casually tossed it to the small white lamb beside him.

The lamb, unfazed, let out a tiny squeak before promptly devouring the paper, chewing it as though it were a simple snack.

As the creature swallowed with a satisfied grunt, Sengoku reached over, gently stroking its fluffy head. "Well, it's out of our hands now. If the World Government has already decided, then there's nothing more for us Marines to concern ourselves with."

He turned back to Babs. "Was there anything else?"

At this, Babs' entire demeanor changed. His restrained excitement from earlier burst forth as he swiftly pulled three resumes from his uniform, setting them neatly on Sengoku's desk as if presenting precious artifacts.

"Yes, Admiral! I have something big to report!"

Sengoku, initially uninterested, leaned back in his chair and cast a casual glance at the documents. His brows knitted together. "Resumes? That's Zephyr's department. Why bring them to me?"

Babs grinned, barely able to contain himself. "Because, Admiral, two of these recruits are Devil Fruit users. And one of them…" He dramatically tapped a finger against one of the resumes. "…is a Logia user. The Dark-Dark Fruit."

Sengoku's reaction was immediate. His entire frame stiffened as he jolted upright in his seat.

"What!? A Logia!?"

His eyes, sharp and calculating, darted down to the documents, scanning them with renewed interest. Finally, his gaze locked onto one name—**Jiger**. His lips pressed into a thin line as he read the details.

"Dark-Dark Fruit…" he muttered under his breath. "A darkness-based ability that directly opposes Borsalino's Glint-Glint Fruit?" He exhaled sharply, shaking his head in disbelief before turning back to Babs. "You've really brought me a surprise this time."

At that moment, Sengoku's mind raced with possibilities. He had heard nothing about this particular Devil Fruit being in circulation. The information regarding Devil Fruits from the **Valley of the Gods Incident** had been tightly controlled by the World Government.

As far as Marine intelligence knew, only three of the fruits involved in that event had been confirmed—the **Paw-Paw Fruit**, the **Azure Dragon Fruit**, and the **Buddha Fruit** that Sengoku himself had obtained from Garp. Any others had been kept under lock and key, hidden away by the World Government.

And yet, somehow, this **Dark-Dark Fruit**, which should have been a closely guarded secret, had surfaced in the hands of a young recruit from South Blue.

Sengoku tapped his fingers rhythmically against the desk, his mind piecing things together.

This fruit had been stolen from **Rocks' lair**—one of the most valuable and powerful Devil Fruits in existence. The fact that it had fallen into the hands of a Marine recruit was… unexpected.

His grip on Jiger's resume tightened slightly.

If the World Government had learned that this fruit had slipped through their fingers, there would undoubtedly be consequences. But for the Marines?

For the **Marines**, this was a monumental victory.

Sengoku's sharp eyes flicked to Babs. "You're absolutely certain about his ability?"

Babs nodded vigorously. "Without a doubt, Admiral. This kid—Jiger—he's strong. And he's just fifteen."

Sengoku's fingers twitched slightly. 'Fifteen?'

A fifteen-year-old with a Logia Fruit as formidable as the Dark-Dark Fruit? That was unheard of. Even Marine prodigies like Sakazuki and Borsalino had been older when they consumed their respective fruits.

And speaking of those two…

Sengoku's thoughts shifted to the Marine Academy's current rising stars—**Sakazuki with the Magma-Magma Fruit**, and **Borsalino with the Glint-Glint Fruit**. These two alone were forces of nature, their elemental abilities making them nearly untouchable in battle.

And now, with the addition of **Jiger's Dark-Dark Fruit**, the Marines would have a trio of Logia users, each wielding an ability of **immense destructive potential**.

Glint, Magma, and Darkness.

'If these three reach their full potential, what kind of strength will the Marines wield in the future?'

It was an exhilarating thought. Before he became Fleet Admiral, Sengoku's passion for strengthening the Marines burned brightly. Unlike the weight of bureaucracy that would eventually fall upon him, those concerns were left to the current Fleet Admiral, Kong. For now, his primary focus was on building Marine strength and eliminating piracy at its roots.

His gaze drifted back to Jiger's photograph attached to the resume.

His excitement only grew.

Across from him, Babs, who had been observing Sengoku's reaction, struggled to suppress a smirk. To see Admiral Sengoku—one of the most composed men in Marine headquarters—display such an unguarded expression of genuine enthusiasm made Babs feel an overwhelming sense of pride.

Still, despite his satisfaction, he hesitated before speaking, scratching the back of his head.

"Admiral Sengoku, normally, I wouldn't need to report a new recruit directly to you, but there's something you should know… Jiger is only fifteen years old. He doesn't meet the standard age requirement for enlistment. If Zephyr Admiral finds out, he might not be pleased."

Sengoku barely spared Babs a glance before scoffing. "Rules? What rules? Look at this!" He jabbed a finger at the document. "This Jiger is already **1.9 meters tall!** What does age matter when the kid is built like a battleship?"

Babs blinked at Sengoku's blunt reasoning, but before he could respond, the admiral continued.

"And more importantly, this isn't just any Devil Fruit—it's the Dark-Dark Fruit. We are not turning this one away. Zephyr isn't the type to be stubborn over technicalities. He will understand exactly what this means for Marineford."

Babs exhaled in relief. "With your approval, I feel much better. But there's another thing, Admiral… Jiger's background isn't simple."

Sengoku raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

"You should've seen Spandine's reaction to him. That arrogant brat—who normally acts like the World Government's golden child—was practically bowing in front of Jiger. I don't know what kind of connections he has, but it's obvious that he's someone important."

Sengoku leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest as he considered the implications. "It's not a big deal. If Jiger chose to join the Marines, that means he has a sense of justice. No matter his background, the fact that he's here means he wants to fight for something greater. And besides…" He chuckled to himself. "How deep could his connections really be? What, is he a Celestial Dragon or something?"

The idea alone was so absurd that Sengoku let out a short laugh.

**A Celestial Dragon signing up for Marine training?**

Ridiculous. The thought itself was a joke. Those arrogant parasites saw themselves as gods; the mere concept of one voluntarily enlisting was unthinkable.

Shaking his head, he pushed the idea aside and picked up the second resume—**Bartholomew Kuma**.

"Hm? The Paw-Paw Fruit… a Paramecia type."

He squinted at the name, a flicker of recognition stirring in the back of his mind. The **Valley of the Gods Incident**—the chaotic battle that had changed history forever.

Memories rushed back.

During that battle, **Saint Garling** had intercepted **Charlotte Linlin**, preventing her from claiming a certain Devil Fruit. That fruit had instead been eaten by a tall child… and then, shortly after, he disappeared along with three others.

Sengoku frowned deeply, tapping the paper against his desk as the realization dawned on him.

Could this Kuma be that very same child?

He quickly did the math in his head. Based on Kuma's age and height, it was highly probable.

And if that were the case… then Kuma had once been a slave of the Celestial Dragons.

That complicates things.

His eyes flicked to Jiger's resume again.

Jiger wasn't one of those children from the Valley of the Gods. That much was clear. There was no way a child of his status would be thrown into that mess. In Sengoku's mind, Jiger had to have some kind of World Government backing—otherwise, why would someone like Spandine be groveling before him?

He looked up at Babs. "What's the relationship between Kuma and Jiger?"

Babs straightened. "The three of them—Jiger, Kuma, and Ginny—are close. From what I observed, their bond is strong. Kuma and Ginny even refer to Jiger as their 'big brother.'"

Sengoku's expression softened for a moment, a nostalgic smile tugging at his lips.

He couldn't help but think of his own past—**Tsuru, Garp, and himself**—when they were young, full of ambition, determined to change the world together.

'It's good.'

A trio with this level of loyalty would only push each other to greater heights.

He gave a small nod. "I understand. That settles it, then. Take them to the accommodation area and have them settle in. In two days, bring them to Zephyr for formal enlistment."

Babs grinned, saluting. "Yes, Admiral!"

Sengoku glanced at him once more. "Oh, and Babs—"

Babs stopped at the doorway. "Sir?"

"You did well this time. Bringing back talent like this is no small feat. I'll be sure to mention your efforts to Fleet Admiral Kong."

Babs' face lit up with excitement. "Thank you, Sengoku Admiral!"

With that, he turned on his heel, clutching Jiger's resume as he walked away with a spring in his step.

The moment Babs left, Sengoku let out a slow exhale, rubbing his temples.

**Now comes the real problem.**

The Celestial Dragons had many slaves—enough that a single missing one wouldn't normally raise suspicion. But Kuma's case was different. If any direct ties to Mary Geoise were discovered, things would get… ugly.

Sengoku's fingers drummed against his desk.

If it weren't for Jiger, Kuma's enlistment never would've been approved. Under normal circumstances, Sengoku would have rejected a former Celestial Dragon slave outright—just to avoid potential political fallout.

But the **Dark-Dark Fruit** was too much of a game changer to risk alienating Jiger.

Sengoku exhaled, steeling his resolve.

"Anyway… the Celestial Dragons already have more than enough slaves," he muttered. "And it's been years. If we handle this carefully, they probably won't notice…"

It wasn't the most ethical reasoning, but at the moment, Marineford's future mattered more.