Time passed, and soon it was the year 1509. Seven years had flown by.
On an island in the West Sea, a group of pirates screamed in terror as they ran toward the harbor.
"Faster! Hurry up!"
"Don't let that demon catch us!"
"Move quicker!"
The pirates shouted frantically, panic in their eyes.
Whoosh!
A scorching spiritual pressure pierced through the body of one of their comrades.
"No! Sale!"
A cry of a fallen ally rang out. The remaining pirates dared not slow their pace. Their ship was almost at the harbor.
"Everyone! Push forward!"
"Once we board the ship, we can retreat!"
Captain Reiga shouted to rally his crew.
Then, a chilling voice reached their ears.
"Hado No. 4: White Lightning."
Whoosh!
A streak of white lightning surpassed everyone's speed and struck their ship.
Boom!
The vessel was instantly obliterated.
Reiga and the others were forced to stop, fear gripping their eyes as they turned to see the source.
Tap, tap, tap.
In their sight appeared a pair of pointed dress shoes, clad in a black pinstripe suit. His navy "Justice" cloak fluttered motionless as if in no wind. Beneath black tousled hair, a pair of crimson eyes watched the pirates with cruel amusement. His handsome face seemed untouched by time.
"Fire-Electric Pirates, Captain Reiga. Bounty: 150 million Berries."
Ezra D. Vale tilted his head slightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"I heard your bounty comes from killing an entire nation's civilians?"
Reiga swallowed frantically, struggling to contain his fear.
"So what if it does?" he growled.
Ezra shrugged.
"It doesn't matter. It's just… I despise pirates who target civilians the most."
Snap!
The crisp sound of his fingers snapping echoed, and a wave of pale blue flames erupted from the bodies of countless pirates.
"Ahhhh! What is this?!"
"No! Captain! I don't want to die!"
"Stop!"
Their cries were pitiful, filled with terror, including Captain Reiga's.
"Enjoy your journey to hell."
As the words left Ezra's lips, no one remained alive.
Ezra rubbed his slightly sore neck.
"All done for today."
In an instant, his figure shot upward, soaring into the sky toward Marineford.
"Time really flies," he murmured, reflecting. Seven years had passed since the Ohara incident.
In those seven years, Ezra had rarely rested, constantly striking down pirates. His tenure as an admiral had also spanned seven years.
His subordinates, including Kuzan, had been dispatched to various seas to exterminate pirate crews.
Soon, Ezra returned to Marineford.
"Sir, the mission is complete."
He pushed open the office door of Sengoku without ceremony.
Sengoku shook his head in mild exasperation.
"Ezra, could you knock next time? Can you not pick up bad habits from old Garp?"
Ezra shrugged.
"Old habits die hard. Anyway, there hasn't been much work lately. Time for a break, right?"
Sengoku nodded.
"Very well, then I'll take my leave."
Ezra returned home, removed his suit, stretched, and sat on the sofa.
"System, open status panel."
[Host: Ezra D. Vale]
[First Inheritance: Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni]
[Inheritance Level: 70.2%]
It had taken Ezra seven years to raise his inheritance level from 58% to 70%. The difficulty of obtaining inheritance levels was evident. Even with the intensity of his training, it had taken that long.
Finally, he had unlocked the ability he had long dreamed of mastering. Yet he had never fully used it.
About five years ago, when Ezra first unlocked it, he had secretly traveled to a deserted island in the West Sea to experiment.
The result? Even releasing just half of it vaporized the entire island and several kilometers of surrounding sea.
Frightened, he immediately deactivated it, finally understanding why the fleet admiral had sealed this power away.
It was absurdly dangerous, like the temperature at the core of the sun.
Since then, Ezra had self-sealed the ability, quietly increasing its strength without ever showing it to others.
Despite this, his spiritual pressure grew, and it did not escape the watchful eyes of Sengoku and others.
Shaking off chaotic thoughts, he reminded himself,
"I haven't visited Im this month yet… maybe tomorrow."
He then drifted into sleep.
You might wonder where Vinsmoke was? He had been invited by the North Blue's Vinsmoke family to represent the navy at a family gathering for the birth of their son, along with Vice Admiral Tsuru.
The next morning, Ezra woke early and arrived at Mariejois.
"Yo, Uncle Sora."
"Back again, Ezra," Sora greeted.
Ezra walked alone through the assembly hall, heading deep into Panga City. As for the Five Elders? There was no need to see them personally.
"Im, are you there?" he knocked and asked.
"Come in."
Hearing the familiar voice, Ezra opened the door. Over the past seven years, not only had Ezra's appearance remained unchanged, but Im had also not aged a day.
"What are you staring at? Lost in thought?" Im asked, cheeks slightly flushed.
Ezra scratched his head awkwardly.
"Well, you're still as beautiful as ever, Im."
"Flatterer. Come, sit."
Next to Im's throne was another of the same size, prepared years ago for Ezra. At first, he had refused, but soon realized its convenience.
As the two chatted about recent events, far across the Red Soil Continent, a red-skinned fishman with thick hair and a headband struggled to climb toward Mariejois.
Fischer Tiger. Bounty: 230 million Berries.
Tiger's face was tense. Recalling the oppression and abuse he had endured, that tension hardened into burning anger.
"I will reach there. I will do what I must do!"