The warship sailed slowly into Marineford's massive naval port.
Even Levi was slightly captivated by the magnificent sight before him—truly, only slightly. The colossal military fortress loomed over the bay, the Gates of Justice stood majestically, countless warships were neatly docked, and Marine soldiers in their standard uniforms bustled about like industrious ants. The air was thick with discipline, power, and... an overwhelming sense of busyness.
This feeling of 'busyness' made Levi instinctively frown and yawn.
"So noisy... so many people... just looking at it is exhausting..."
He mumbled, hunching his shoulders and pulling his collar up, as if that could block out all the external disturbances.
Vice Admiral Tsuru's arrangements were efficient and thoughtful. A waiting civilian officer, who also seemed a bit listless (perhaps Tsuru had specifically chosen him to avoid irritating Levi), led him away from the busiest main roads. They took a relatively quiet path towards an officer's dormitory building set back from the main fortress.
"Mr. Levi, your room is on the top floor. It has a great view and is very quiet," the civilian officer's tone was calm, his pace unhurried, as if speaking too quickly would expend unnecessary energy.
Levi merely grunted in response, lacking the desire to ask another word.
Taking the elevator to the top floor, they found the corridor empty. The officer stopped before a sturdy-looking oak door and handed over a key.
"This is your room. Vice Admiral Tsuru instructed that you rest first. You can go to the officer's mess hall for meals anytime, or... if you find that troublesome, you can press the call bell in the room, and a steward will bring your meal."
"Meal delivery..." Levi's eyes seemed to light up for a fraction of a second; it was the only keyword that truly registered.
He took the key and pushed the door open.
Then, he froze.
The room was even better than he had imagined. It was a standard single officer's dormitory, but it had clearly been specially prepared. The space was generous, the furnishings simple yet of excellent quality. What was most captivating was the huge floor-to-ceiling window, which offered a view of the boundless sea and the magnificent harbor. Sunlight poured in unobstructed, warming the entire room. There was no hint of dampness or a fishy smell, only the fresh scent of sun-dried linen.
And in the center of the room, a large bed, covered with crisp white sheets and looking incredibly fluffy, captured Levi's gaze like a powerful magnet.
He almost tiptoed over, with a reverence typically reserved for holy sites, and cautiously poked the mattress with his finger. Soft, yet with excellent support, it was the kind of high-quality craftsmanship that perfectly conformed to the human body. Compared to his drafty, broken shack and his 'bed' of dry straw, this was paradise.
"That old lady Tsuru... she didn't lie..." he murmured, a rare, purely satisfied smile finally appearing on his face.
He was too lazy to even check the separate bathroom or small kitchen, and simply collapsed onto the large bed like a puppet with its strings cut.
"Mmm..."
His body sank into extreme softness, and every cell in his body seemed to let out a joyful sigh. The last trace of discomfort from the long journey vanished.
Warm, quiet, soft, and safe. Could there be a more perfect environment for 'lying flat'?
No.
Levi happily closed his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep. But... his stomach rumbled, reminding him it was still empty. He struggled for a fraction of a second: should he go experience the legendary unlimited mess hall, or sleep first?
Ultimately, the anticipation of good food (and the lazy convenience of meal delivery) narrowly defeated his desire for sleep. He fumbled for the call bell on the bedside table and pressed it firmly.
"Hello..." he said weakly into the intercom, "Food... Steak... Double portion... Deliver to the room... Thank you..."
Having completed this arduous task, he let his arm fall and slumped back into the mattress's embrace to await his meal.
Meanwhile, in the Fleet Admiral's office at Marineford Headquarters, Sengoku was nursing a headache as he stared at the mountain of documents on his desk, while his goat chewed on a report it had just deemed 'unimportant'.
A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," Sengoku said without looking up.
Vice Admiral Tsuru entered, her expression calm.
"Tsuru? You're back from the West Blue? I heard you handled the Black Shark Pirates?" Sengoku perked up slightly.
"I didn't handle them," Tsuru said, sitting on the sofa and pouring herself a cup of tea. "An interesting young man did."
"Oh?" Sengoku finally looked up, pushing his glasses up. "There aren't many young people you'd call 'interesting'. Very strong? Did you recruit him?"
"His strength... is very special," Tsuru chose her words carefully, handing over Ensign Koby's vague report and concisely adding her own observations. "...One sentence made the entire pirate crew fall into a deep sleep. Marines who approached him also inexplicably felt tired and sluggish."
Sengoku's brow furrowed as he read. "What kind of bizarre ability is this? A new Devil Fruit?"
"I'm inclined to believe it's an unknown, conceptual-type ability," Tsuru said slowly. "It's related to 'will' and 'inertia'. It's not a direct physical attack; it's more like a rule-level influence. Furthermore, this ability seems to perfectly align with his personality. That young man... is one of the laziest people I've ever met. He seems to use his power only to better 'avoid trouble' and 'lie flat'."
"Lazy? Avoid trouble?" Sengoku's headache worsened. "You recruited a lazy bum into Marineford? Tsuru, this..."
"Precisely because of his ability and his personality, he is more valuable and easier to control," Tsuru interrupted, her eyes sharp. "Think about it, Sengoku. A power that can make enemies lose their will to fight without shedding a drop of blood. How crucial could that be in handling large-scale conflicts, rescuing hostages, or even dealing with troublesome ability users? He doesn't even need to go to the front lines. He just needs to appear at the critical moment and feel 'troubled' enough."
Sengoku was silent, tapping his fingers on the desk. He understood. Such a strategic-level ability was indeed rare. "But what about his personality? How can someone so lazy integrate into the Marines? How can he obey orders?"
"We don't need him to integrate, nor do we need him to obey conventional orders," Tsuru smiled. "We just need to provide him with a comfortable environment he can't refuse, making him feel that Marineford is the best place in the world to 'lie flat'. Then, when needed, to protect his 'comfort zone', he will naturally step in to 'solve the trouble'."
"So, we're keeping a strategic weapon in the best mess hall and dormitory?" Sengoku summarized, his expression strange.
"A very apt summary," Tsuru nodded. "And, I believe Kizaru will like him very much."
Thinking of Kizaru's ambiguous work ethic, Sengoku's mouth twitched. "Does his ability have any weaknesses?"
"Certainly," Tsuru said. "For targets with extremely strong wills, the effect might be lessened. He also seems unable to fully control its range, potentially affecting friend and foe. More importantly," she revealed a meaningful smile, "as long as he doesn't define something as 'trouble'—or if it actively provides him with convenience, like delivering food—his ability's passive influence can be completely circumvented. His laziness is both his greatest weakness and our best means of control."
Sengoku sighed, rubbing his temples. "Alright, Tsuru, he's in your hands. For now, he'll be under your command with the position of 'Special Strategic Advisor'. Give him high clearance, but no specific tasks. We'll observe him."
"Understood," Tsuru stood up.
"Wait," Sengoku called out. "What is he... doing now?"
Tsuru thought of how Levi had pounced on the bed, and her lips curved. "At this moment... he's probably verifying whether the steak from our mess hall is truly unlimited. Or, he's already asleep."
Sengoku looked at the mountain of documents on his desk and felt a pang of envy for the lazy young man.
At that moment, in Levi's room, he was sitting cross-legged on the carpet, 'attacking' a large table of delicacies—double steak, grilled fish, pasta, and a large glass of iced juice. His method was lazy yet efficient: food portioned itself, and a fork levitated to his mouth.
"Mmm... tastes good... much better than wild fruits..." After finishing the last piece of meat, he burped, rubbed his full belly, and crawled back to his heavenly bed.
Sunlight streamed through the window. Faint shouts of training soldiers could be heard, but the excellent soundproofing muffled them into a distant, blurred white noise. A triple satisfaction of security, fullness, and comfort washed over him.
Levi let out a contented sigh, burying himself in the soft pillow.
"Perfect..."
"From now on... I'll just lie here... until the end of time..."
His last thought before sinking into a warm darkness was: "Marineford... what a good place..."
The legend of the Sleeping King in Marineford had officially begun. And rumors about "Vice Admiral Tsuru bringing back a mysterious lazy bum who can make people fall asleep" had already begun to circulate among the well-informed at headquarters.