"[Congratulations, Host! Task Completed!]"
"[Inheritance Progress: +1%!]"
The familiar, metallic chime echoed in Ezra's mind. His lips curled into a faint, confident smile.
"Even a beaten dog can still be of some use, huh…"
Before the stage, the elite cadets stood frozen in disbelief. The young man who had just walked off the platform wasn't supposed to be human at least not by their definition. He was their age, yet he had just defeated a Marine Vice Admiral.
"H-he's way too strong!"
"Tina wants to follow him!"
Ezra, of course, had no idea that this one battle had already won him the heart of a certain pink-haired beauty among the crowd.
"Yo, old man. I won."
Sengoku had expected that outcome from the start. The moment Ezra stepped into the ring, the result was already decided. What Sengoku hadn't expected, though, was how effortless it would look Ezra had dismantled his opponent with almost lazy precision.
"Ezra," Sengoku said with a sigh that couldn't quite hide his pride, "your power has grown even stronger."
Ezra just smirked, eyes gleaming with mischief. "Guess that's what they call a growth phase. My strength's increasing fast."
Growth phase, my foot… Sengoku groaned inwardly. You call that a youth's growth phase? More like the evolution of a monster.
Realizing that the Vice Admiral on the stage was still lying there unconscious, Sengoku turned and barked, "Hey, a few of you from the Elite Class! Get Sakazuki to the infirmary, quick!"
Moments later, two familiar figures strolled over, the sunlight glinting off their uniforms Kizaru and Aokiji.
"Oooh~ that's scary, young man…" drawled Kizaru, his tone as slippery as ever. "At this rate, you'll be a full admiral before we know it~"
Behind the tint of his sunglasses, something sharp flickered in Kizaru's eyes.
Ezra felt an involuntary shiver crawl down his spine. That slow, dragging voice always made his skin crawl.
"Thanks, Uncle Kizaru," he replied dryly.
Aokiji, ever the relaxed one, scratched his head and said in his deep, lazy tone, "Hey, Ezra, even though your power's all about fire… I think we can still be friends."
Because you're just as lazy as I am, he thought privately but didn't say aloud.
Ezra caught the unspoken meaning anyway and chuckled. "Yeah, sure. Maybe we can grab a drink later "
"Drink, my ass!"
Crack! Sengoku's forehead slammed right into his, a thunderous headbutt that echoed across the training ground.
Ezra blinked, utterly baffled. "???"
"I'm six foot three, old man! You calling me a kid?!"
Sengoku coughed twice, trying to mask his embarrassment. "Ahem. Anyway about your promotion to Commodore. It's decided."
Ezra froze. "…Wait, Commodore?"
"Of course," Sengoku said with a rare smile. "And don't worry. We'll hold a proper ceremony. Can't let the youngest Commodore in history go uncelebrated."
Standing nearby, Zephyr frowned slightly. "Sengoku, are you sure about this?"
He wasn't against Ezra's promotion it was deserved but the boy was still so young. A public ceremony would spread across all four seas and the New World within days. The pressure that came with that kind of fame would be immense.
Sengoku waved off his concern. "You still don't get it, Zephyr? The future of the Navy… will be his."
Zephyr sighed, defeated. "Fine. Your decision, then."
And just like that, Ezra's promotion ceremony was scheduled for three days later.
Sengoku, who had secretly planned to make Ezra famous anyway, wasted no time. Invitations were sent to nearly every major figure in Marine Headquarters. Even the old war hero Garp was invited though Sengoku soon received word that Garp was still off chasing Roger across the seas.
Ezra couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. He had wanted to meet Garp in person. Still, there would be plenty of opportunities in the future. For now, nearly every other admiral and vice admiral had already confirmed their attendance, all eager to see the Navy's youngest Commodore for themselves.
After parting ways with Sengoku and the others, Ezra returned to his newly assigned quarters a small but elegant two-story villa overlooking the coast. The Navy certainly knew how to treat its rising stars.
He sat on his bed, exhaling deeply, then summoned the familiar blue panel in his mind.
"System, open my status screen."
[Host: Ezra D. Vale]
[Inherited Persona: Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni]
[Inheritance Progress: 32.1%]
Ezra tilted his head. "Huh. My spiritual pressure went up a lot… but that extra 0.1% looks really annoying."
Shaking off the thought, he got back to training. His body still needed to fully sync with the combat arts he had inherited Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō. Having the memories wasn't enough. Mastery came from repetition, from sweat, from instinct.
…
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The day of the ceremony arrived, and Marineford was more crowded than it had been in years.
The harbor buzzed with life warships docked in tight formation, flags snapping in the sea breeze. One after another, high-ranking Marines disembarked, exchanging greetings as they made their way toward headquarters.
"Yo! Long time no see, Jaki!"
"Ghost Spider, you old menace!"
"Hey, isn't that Mole? And Fire Mountain too!"
Four well-known Vice Admirals walked together, chatting as they went.
"I heard that kid actually defeated Akainu," said Mole, his mohawk standing tall in the wind.
Fire Mountain puffed out a ring of smoke from his cigar, grinning. "Yeah, it's true. The students from the Elite Class said Sakazuki passed out cold. Hahaha!"
Mole: "…"
Ghost Spider: "…"
Jaki: "…"
"What? Why the silence?" Fire Mountain frowned, then followed their gazes.
There, just a few steps away, stood Sakazuki Akainu himself his face dark as storm clouds, exuding enough killing intent to make the air freeze.
Fire Mountain swallowed hard. "You guys set me up…"
Mole raised a brow. "Set you up? You laughed out loud, genius."
"Exactly," Ghost Spider added with a smirk. "We didn't say a word."
Fire Mountain's face fell into despair. "You're all traitors…"
As he sulked, the others couldn't help but snicker under their breath.
And so began the day that would etch Ezra D. Vale's name into Marine history the day the youngest Commodore ever was born, and the world's balance began to shift ever so slightly.