With Ezra's cold voice still lingering in the air, white flames ignited at his fingertips. In an instant, the blaze burst forth, tearing through the fiery slash before crashing straight into Owen's chest.
The Big Mom pirate's body convulsed violently, his mouth opening and closing as if to beg for mercy, but not a single word escaped before his charred form fell silent forever.
"Tch. Trash that wasted my time…" Ezra muttered, his expression flat as he looked down upon the frozen pirates below.
His golden eyes flickered with icy disdain. "You can all go keep him company."
Snap!
A crisp sound echoed as Ezra snapped his fingers.
"Fireburst."
BOOM!
In the blink of an eye, the entire pirate ship erupted in a deafening explosion. Flames devoured the deck, swallowing the terrified screams of the crew one by one.
"No! Don't kill me!"
"Please, Commander Ezra! I was wrong!"
"NOOOOO—!"
The cries faded into nothingness, replaced only by the crackle of fire and the hiss of the sea.
Ezra turned away, his cloak rippling in the searing heat, and stepped back onto the Navy warship. The soldiers on deck stood at attention, eyes wide with awe and reverence as they watched him pass.
When he finally disappeared into the corridor leading to the training room, whispers broke out among the ranks.
"Did you see that? Commander Ezra's power just keeps getting stronger!"
"Yeah! He took down that Big Mom pirate like it was nothing!"
"Feels like no one can even touch him anymore."
"It's like… no matter who shows up, he can one-shot them!"
"Truly the future of the Navy!"
"The next admiral? It's gotta be him!"
Their admiration burned brighter than the flames still smoldering in the distance.
Hina, standing silently by the railing, watched him go with a faint look of uncertainty in her eyes.
"Commander Ezra… he's so powerful now. What should I do?"
No one could answer her question. Perhaps, deep down, she'd have to find that answer herself.
Meanwhile, far away in Totto Land
"NOOO! OWEN! MY BROTHER!"
A furious roar shattered the silence within Big Mom's territory. The massive pirate known as Charlotte Daifuku, the third son of the Charlotte family, clenched his fists as he stared at the burning remnants of Owen's life card. His rage boiled over like molten lava.
"Damn that Ezra D. Vale!"
Beside him, a tall figure loomed the stoic and powerful Katakuri, his face dark and grim. The bond between the triplets Katakuri, Daifuku, and Owen was unbreakable. And now, one of them was gone.
"Big Brother… what do we do?" Daifuku demanded through gritted teeth.
Katakuri's expression tightened. He was furious too, but years of discipline kept his composure intact. "We report this to Mama first," he said coldly.
"But—"
"Enough, Daifuku! You think I'm not angry?!" Katakuri snapped, his crimson eyes burning with suppressed fury.
Daifuku fell silent instantly. Without another word, the two brothers stormed toward Big Mom's chamber.
Inside, the Yonko herself sat devouring mountains of cake, her three Homies circling lazily above her head.
"Mama! There's been an incident!" Katakuri said urgently. "Owen… he's dead!"
The chewing stopped.
Big Mom's enormous face darkened, her expression twisting into one of murderous rage. "Who?" she hissed. "Who killed my son?!"
"It was the Marine you invited to your tea party," Katakuri replied, his voice grim. "Ezra D. Vale."
The moment the name left his lips, an overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Big Mom's body. The sheer pressure was suffocating several of her children and trusted officers instantly collapsed unconscious.
"That damned Marine!" she roared. "That cursed D bloodline!!"
With a furious swipe of her arm, she sent a towering cake crashing through the wall. The entire island trembled beneath her rage.
"Katakuri!" she bellowed. "We're leaving NOW! I want him DEAD!"
Katakuri's gaze hardened. "Understood, Mama."
As he turned to leave, Daifuku rushed to his side. "Big Brother! Take me with you! I'll avenge Owen!"
Katakuri hesitated for only a moment before nodding. "Alright. We'll bring him down together."
"The life card points to the East Blue near Loguetown," Katakuri continued, his tone sharp and focused. "That Marine recently purged the entire East Blue. He's probably stationed there now."
Daifuku's jaw tightened. "Then that's where we'll find him."
"Exactly. We move."
The brothers departed at once, vengeance burning in their eyes.
Three days later, Ezra's ship docked at Loguetown. The once-peaceful city was now overflowing with people merchants, travelers, and pirates disguised as commoners.
Ezra's sharp gaze swept across the crowd. "So many rats hiding in plain sight…"
He didn't bother confronting them. Letting Hina handle small fry would be good training.
Walking toward the Marine base, he was greeted by salutes from rows of soldiers.
"Commander Ezra!" they chorused.
He nodded approvingly. "Loguetown won't stay calm for long. Keep every citizen under control. If any pirates cause trouble… cut them down."
"Yes, Commander!"
Satisfied, Ezra gave a curt nod only to be interrupted by a breathless soldier rushing toward him.
"Commander Ezra! Bad news!" he shouted. "Big Mom's pirate ship has been spotted again!"
Ezra's eyes narrowed. A faint, dangerous smile curved his lips.
"So… she came herself this time, huh?"
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Enjoying the chaos, action, and wild adventures?
Don't stop here! You can unlock advanced chapters and exclusive content by joining my P@treon! Every powerstone counts if we reach 300 powerstones, a BONUS CHAPTER will be released! ⚡
Be the first to witness the next epic battles, shocking twists, and hidden secrets before anyone else!
Join the crew on P@treon and set sail beyond the horizon!
[email protected]/_sey
Change @ to a