"Smoker… hello. My name is Saint Roselith Seraphina."
Her voice was calm, smooth, almost musical.
"…Hello."
Smoker's reply emerged with an uncharacteristic hesitation.
The normally blunt trainee Marine looked unexpectedly restrained, silver brows tightening as he tried and failed to hide his shyness.
"You mentioned earlier that you're a Devil Fruit user."
Seraphina tilted her head slightly, her closed eyes giving her an air of serene mystery rather than blindness.
"That must mean you're quite formidable."
Smoker cleared his throat.
"Well… I suppose you could say that."
Seraphina smiled faintly.
"I have a small request."
Smoker straightened instinctively.
"What request?"
"How would you feel about a sparring match with me?"
"…A spar?"
The question caught him off guard, though not unpleasantly so.
"No problem," he answered after a brief pause.
"If that's all."
In truth, Smoker had already begun rationalizing the situation.
How could he possibly refuse?
Not when the request came from someone who looked less like a recruit and more like a celestial vision.
He was even considering how carefully he should moderate his strength.
After all, sparring required responsibility.
Guidance.
Control.
Seraphina, meanwhile, was experiencing something entirely different.
She had encountered skilled fighters before.
But never a Logia user.
The Logia class of Devil Fruits was widely regarded as the most elusive and dangerous category.
Intangibility.
Elemental transformation.
Near immunity to conventional attacks.
Facing Smoker ignited a quiet spark of anticipation within her.
The match was scheduled for after lunch.
Bruce returned from the cafeteria window carrying two trays, navigating through the crowded hall before stopping beside Seraphina's seat.
"Lady Seraphina… are you truly going through with this spar?"
She calmly lifted her fork, securing a portion of food before answering.
"It's not a duel, Bruce."
"Just a sparring session."
Her tone was casual, though her appetite was anything but.
Training consumed energy at astonishing rates.
And Seraphina replenished hers without restraint.
Above Marineford, the midday sun burned brightly.
Within the base, however
Rumors spread faster than wildfire.
"Did you hear? Two Special Training Camp recruits are fighting over a dispute!"
"Pass it on, it's a full duel!"
"No, no a death match!"
"They won't stop until one of them is dead!"
"…Who exactly is dying?"
A more rational Marine finally asked.
"I'll tell you quietly."
"Don't repeat this."
"I heard Instructor Zephyr and Vice Admiral Aokiji had a falling out!"
"…WHAT?!"
By the time Seraphina finished her meal, the gossip had escalated into complete absurdity.
"…Unbelievable."
She murmured softly.
"All this… in the time it takes to eat lunch."
Bruce sighed.
"Marines do love exaggeration."
Seraphina rose gracefully.
"These soldiers have too much spare energy."
"Perhaps the training intensity is insufficient."
"I should mention that to Instructor Zephyr someday."
The sparring grounds were packed.
Not only trainees, but active-duty Marines had gathered, drawn by distorted whispers of drama and conflict.
"I heard Vice Admiral Aokiji opposed Zephyr's methods."
"A disagreement between instructor and deputy instructor?"
Yet when reality became clear
Disappointment washed through the spectators.
"…It's just two recruits?"
"…We rushed here for THIS?"
Seraphina stepped onto the platform without concern for the murmuring crowd.
Smoker followed, composed once more, Marine discipline suppressing earlier embarrassment.
"The Devil Fruit I possess…"
He began firmly,
"…is the Smoke-Smoke Fruit (Moku Moku no Mi)."
"A Logia-type ability."
"I can transform into smoke."
Seraphina gave a small nod.
"As you can see…"
She rested her hand upon the hilt at her waist.
"I am a swordswoman."
Smoker's gaze shifted briefly.
Two swords.
Yet her posture suggested single-blade preference.
He barely had time to analyze further.
Seraphina moved.
No warning.
No theatrics.
A slash cut through the air with terrifying precision.
Smoker's body dissolved instantly into smoke.
The blade passed harmlessly through.
Gasps erupted across the arena.
Smoker counterattacked reflexively, smoke surging forward
But Seraphina had already retreated beyond striking range.
"…So that's how it works."
Her voice carried genuine curiosity.
"The defining trait of a Logia."
Smoker's expression hardened.
Her attack speed.
Her execution.
That had not been beginner-level swordsmanship.
He advanced again
And Seraphina vanished.
"Soru?!"
Several watching Marines shouted simultaneously.
She reappeared within Smoker's blind spot.
Her blade descended.
A second strike.
This time
Armament Haki coated the edge.
Invisible.
Yet devastatingly real.
Impact.
Smoker's form snapped back into solidity as the force sent him crashing onto the platform.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Smoker stared upward, stunned.
"…Two strikes…"
"…I didn't even see…"
The surrounding Marines were equally frozen.
"That pressure…"
"That presence…"
"…Was that Haki?!"
Seraphina herself seemed momentarily surprised.
"I may have overestimated Logia intangibility…"
She hurried forward.
"Smoker? Smoker, are you alright?"
He groaned faintly.
"…I'm fine."
"…Just… let me lie here for a moment."
A pause.
"…Actually."
"…Hospital."
The legend began that day.
Whispers of a "monstrous rookie" echoed through Marineford's corridors.
The World Government's directive remained absolute:
Seraphina's true status must never be disclosed.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku reviewed the incident report with narrowed eyes.
"…Extraordinary."
From his perspective, everything was political calculus.
He never once considered the simplest truth.
That joining the Marines had been Seraphina's own decision.
Months passed within the Special Training Camp.
Seraphina never sought unnecessary conflict again.
Her focus shifted entirely toward refinement.
Observation Haki.
Armament Haki.
Rokushiki.
Under Zephyr's relentless discipline and Kuzan's deceptively casual guidance, her growth accelerated at an alarming pace.
One morning
"Seraphina!"
Smoker's voice echoed across the dormitory corridor.
"Let's spar again!"
She sighed softly.
"Big Chimney…"
"This is the sixth time this month."
"But if you insist…"
"I'll indulge you."
Beside her, a blue-haired Marine smirked.
"Honestly, Chimney."
Hina crossed her arms.
"Are you addicted to defeat?"
Smoker clicked his tongue.
"I can't beat Seraphina yet…"
"But you?"
Hina's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Oh?"
"Iron Cage."
With a swift motion, black iron bars extended from her arms, forming a lattice prison around Smoker.
Ability of the Cage-Cage Fruit (Ori Ori no Mi).
Smoker dissolved into smoke instantly, escaping through the gaps.
"Tch…"
Hina frowned.
"Logia users are troublesome."
Smoke surged forward in retaliation
"Enough."
A blur intercepted them.
Seraphina stood between the two, having used Soru with effortless precision.
"You depart on an expedition tomorrow."
Her tone was firm, yet gentle.
"Do you intend to lose your evaluation scores to pointless brawling?"
That ended it.
Even Smoker relented.
"…Fine."
Hina exhaled.
"That chimney truly never learns."
Seraphina smiled faintly.
"I heard the cafeteria introduced a new dish."
"Shall we?"
Hina's irritation vanished instantly.
"Really?!"
"Let's go!"
Their friendship had begun in the most ordinary way.
A crowded cafeteria.
No available seats.
Hina, searching for space, had reluctantly shared Seraphina's table.
Curiosity replaced hesitation.
Conversation replaced silence.
Hina often wondered how Seraphina navigated the world with closed eyes.
Yet the girl's confidence never wavered.
Optimism proved infectious.
And somewhere deep within Seraphina's consciousness
A familiar presence stirred once more.
✦ [SYSTEM] ✦
Progress Assessment: Rapid adaptation confirmed
Haki Development: Exceeding projections
Next Reward Threshold: Approaching
Seraphina's smile deepened.
The tides of fate were shifting.