The moment Ezra D. Vale stepped into the Holy Land, he finally understood what "extravagance beyond reason" truly meant.
It wasn't just the vaulted ceilings inlaid with jade or the golden chandeliers that shimmered like captured starlight it was the very ground he walked on. The road beneath his feet was paved with diamonds. Actual, polished, glimmering diamonds.
For a man who'd lived two lives, even Ezra had to admit this was excessive.
His eyes darted everywhere, unable to settle. It was as if he'd been transported into a gilded illusion, one that screamed of both beauty and sin.
"Focus, Ezra," Sengoku murmured beside him. "We're here."
Ezra blinked and turned toward the massive crimson doors before them. The sight made him unconsciously straighten his back. The doors were enormous painted a deep red that seemed to radiate authority. Just standing before them carried a pressure that demanded silence.
No wonder this place is called the Holy Land, he thought. They've weaponized architecture.
Knock, knock, knock!
Sengoku took a moment to compose himself, his expression uncharacteristically solemn, before knocking.
"Come in," came a deep, commanding voice from within.
When the doors swung open, Ezra was met not with the Five Elders but with an older man whose presence alone filled the room like thunder.
His hair was shaped like the kanji for "mountain," and his mustache mirrored it perfectly. He wore a sleeveless black shirt adorned with medals of honor, and beneath his left eye was a stitched scar. His gaze was sharp as an eagle's, the kind that pierced through lies before they were spoken.
Without even trying, he exuded dominance.
"Commander Kong!" Sengoku immediately stood straighter, saluting.
So this is him… Ezra realized. Steel Bone Kong the former Fleet Admiral of the Marines and current Commander-in-Chief of the entire military.
"Oh, it's you, Sengoku," Kong said in a gravelly tone. "And who's the boy?"
Sengoku stepped aside, revealing Ezra. "This is Ezra D. Vale… a promising talent I've taken under my wing."
Kong's brows lifted slightly in surprise. Having worked with Sengoku for decades, he knew the man well cautious, calculating, rarely impressed. For him to personally recommend a recruit was… unusual.
After a long, silent examination, Kong finally nodded. "I see. In that case, Sengoku, I hope your instincts prove right."
"Yes, Commander!" Sengoku replied firmly.
Kong turned and led them deeper into the castle. Their footsteps echoed down endless marble corridors until they reached a grand chamber.
Sengoku stopped, his voice low. "We're here."
Ezra followed his gaze and saw them.
Five elderly men sat around a vast obsidian table. Each wore an impeccably tailored suit, each radiated quiet authority that could crush nations.
The first, with curly white hair and a scar over his left eye, wore a black suit.
The second, tall and gaunt, had long straight hair and a beard that nearly reached his chest.
The third, dressed in crimson, bore a scar across his chest and golden hair that caught the light.
The fourth, bald with a birthmark on his forehead, had a neatly groomed mustache and wore deep green.
The fifth, also bald, wore a white robe, glasses glinting, and rested his hands on the hilt of the First Generation Kitetsu sword.
Together, they were the apex of worldly power
The Five Elders.
Ezra couldn't help but stare. Not because of their authority but because of the glare.
Two bald heads. Both shining like freshly polished lamps.
My god, he thought. So bright I could use them to light a campfire.
"Pay your respects to the Five Elders!" Sengoku hissed beside him.
Ezra didn't move.
Sengoku nudged him sharply with his elbow.
"Ah uh, right! Greetings, Five Elders…" Ezra said lazily, his tone casual to the point of sacrilege.
Sengoku's heart nearly stopped. For a fleeting moment, he questioned every decision that had led him to this point.
But Ezra? He was doing it on purpose.
If Sengoku couldn't stop his promotion, then Ezra would just torpedo his own image. If the Five Elders thought he was too unruly, maybe they'd refuse Sengoku's request.
And if they did… no more Rear Admiral nonsense!
Sure enough, the Elder with the Kitetsu frowned deeply. "Sengoku… is this how you discipline your subordinates?" His voice dripped with disdain.
Cold sweat rolled down Sengoku's temple. This was not how he'd planned things to go.
Ezra's brows twitched. He didn't mind being called disrespectful but dragging Sengoku into it? That was going too far.
"Hey, old man," Ezra said evenly. "Don't you think your accusation's a bit off?"
The room went silent.
The Elder's killing intent surged like a blade. The air thickened with power. "And what exactly is wrong with what I said, boy?"
If Ezra didn't talk fast, he'd be a corpse before the minute was over.
Calmly, he crossed his arms. "First of all, I'm not one of his subordinates. Not yet, anyway. Second, even if I were, I've only known the old man for less than a month. You think that's enough time to train obedience? Sorry, but I'm not that easy to control."
The Fifth Elder's expression darkened. He slammed his sword into the ground with a thunderous bang.
"Nonsense! Utter nonsense!" he barked. "Did your parents never teach you how to speak to your elders?!"
A torrent of raw Conqueror's Haki exploded from him, filling the chamber like a storm. The pressure was suffocating. Sengoku froze, horrified.
Why does every conversation in this world end with someone trying to kill me? Ezra thought bitterly.
"Five Elders, please forgive him!" Sengoku shouted. "He's not—"
A single arm blocked him. Ezra's arm.
"Sengoku… don't," he said quietly. "This isn't your fight."
His crimson eyes narrowed. "So, when words fail, you just try to beat me into submission? Typical."
Then, with a flare of energy, Ezra released his own power.
BOOM!
The room ignited with an overwhelming spiritual pressure like living fire, clashing head-on with the Elder's Haki. The air trembled. The walls cracked.
And far above, deep within Pangaea Castle…
A pair of ancient scarlet eyes opened.
"Oh? A power I haven't seen before," came a smooth, amused voice. "Fascinating."
It was Imu the shadowed sovereign behind the World Government.
Amusement curled in Imu's tone as they extended their Observation Haki, sending a silent command across the halls of Mary Geoise.
Back in the chamber, the Five Elders stiffened. The Fifth Elder blinked in surprise as the voice reached his mind.
He exchanged glances with the others. One by one, they nodded.
Then, the Elder's killing intent vanished.
Ezra blinked, lowering his power in confusion. What the hell just happened?
The Elder in the black suit spoke at last. "Young man… who are you?"
"Ezra D. Vale," he replied calmly. "Just a perfectly ordinary Marine passing through."
A faint smile touched the Elder's lips. "Sengoku. Wait outside."
Sengoku frowned. "Five Elders, please he didn't mean any disrespect!"
The Fifth Elder raised a hand. "It's fine. We won't harm him."
Reluctantly, Sengoku placed a hand on Ezra's shoulder. "Don't worry. I won't let anything happen to you." With that, he turned and left the room headed straight for Commander Kong.
Ezra watched him go, muttering, Great. I'm so dead.
Silence lingered for a long moment. Then one of the Elders stood.
"Follow us," he said. "Someone wishes to see you."
Ezra blinked. "Huh?"
But the way they said it calm, assured, almost reverent sent a shiver down his spine.
He had no idea that, waiting beyond those ornate halls, was a being whose gaze could shake the entire world.
Imu the unseen ruler of everything had taken an interest in him.