Following Hina to the bow of the warship, Ezra D. Vale narrowed his eyes.
Out on the horizon, a pirate ship was cutting through the waves its massive sails bearing the unmistakable symbol of the Big Mom Pirates.
Hina's expression hardened. "Vice Admiral Ezra, should we engage them head-on?"
Ezra shook his head. "No need to rush. Sail closer. Let's see what Charlotte Linlin is planning."
"Yes, sir!"
The Navy warship glided steadily toward the pirate vessel. As the distance closed to less than three meters, both ships came to a synchronized halt.
Then, from the deck of the pirate ship, a figure slowly emerged.
It wasn't Big Mom.
Instead, it was a tall, muscular man with flame-orange hair shaped like three jagged spikes. He wore a pair of red gradient shorts, a yellow cape that rippled in the breeze, and massive steel gauntlets on both hands.
The man cracked his knuckles boom, boom! his gaze sharp and hostile as he fixed his eyes on Ezra.
Ezra frowned slightly. Who the hell is this guy again?
Big Mom had so many children that it was impossible to remember them all. Asking Ezra to name each one would be like memorizing the entire World Government budget utterly hopeless.
"Oi, brat! You must be Ezra D. Vale!" the man barked, his tone dripping with arrogance, as if Ezra wasn't even worth acknowledging.
Ezra raised an eyebrow. Well, it's been a while since I met a loudmouth like this one.
"And you are?" he asked casually.
The man slammed a fist against his chest. "Listen up, kid! I am the fourth son of the Charlotte Family Charlotte Oven!"
Ezra's eyes lit with recognition. "Ah, right. The Heat-Heat Fruit user."
He didn't remember much about the guy's name, but that devil fruit was one he knew all too well.
They were both men who could control heat though, compared to Ezra's mastery over flame itself, Oven's abilities were nothing but child's play.
Ever since Ezra's own power had evolved, the Heat-Heat Fruit no longer even crossed his mind.
At that moment, Oven shouted, "Hey, kid! I came here to deliver a message! Mama invites you to her tea party next month!"
His lips twisted into a mocking grin. "Of course, you can refuse. But if you do… I'll boil you alive where you stand! Hahahahahaha!"
The pirates on his ship erupted in laughter behind him, echoing their commander's arrogance.
Ezra, however, was puzzled. "Charlotte Linlin inviting a Marine to her tea party? What kind of joke is that?"
"How dare you!" Oven's face turned red with fury. "You dare to call Mama by name?!"
Ezra shrugged, completely unfazed. "Relax. It's just a name."
Was he supposed to call her Lady Big Mom now? Please. She didn't deserve that kind of respect.
"You insolent Marine!" Oven roared. "Forget the invitation! You can die right here!"
With a furious bellow, Oven slammed both feet into the deck and launched himself into the air, leaping straight toward Ezra's ship.
Ezra's expression darkened slightly. "My warship isn't cheap, you know."
Then he vanished.
Shunpo!
In an instant, Ezra appeared right in front of Oven, moving so fast the pirate's eyes barely registered it.
"What ?!"
Before Oven could react, Ezra's right fist connected squarely with his chest.
"Where you came from, go back there."
"Ikkotsu!"
BOOM!
The impact sent Oven hurtling backward like a cannonball, crashing straight through his own ship's deck. Planks splintered, smoke billowed, and the pirates screamed in panic.
"Damn it, you brat!" Oven growled, shoving debris off himself. His body began to glow crimson, waves of heat rolling off his skin.
He had activated his Heat-Heat Fruit.
"Hot Wind Fist!"
Oven's right arm turned molten red as he condensed heat into his gauntlet. The very air rippled around him before he hurled a blazing punch toward Ezra.
"Burn in my flames, Marine!" Oven shouted, confidence blazing as fiercely as his attack.
But Ezra remained floating in the air, hands in his pockets, expression calm almost bored.
The scorching heatwave hit him full-on.
And yet… nothing happened.
The inferno that would have melted steel brushed past him like a gentle breeze.
Oven's eyes went wide. "Wha ?! How is this possible?!"
Ezra rolled his neck lazily, his voice dripping with disdain. "I was hoping you'd surprise me a little. But this? Pathetic."
He smirked. "You call that high temperature?"
The mockery was like oil on fire. Oven's veins bulged as rage consumed him.
"Damn you! Damn you!!" he roared, ripping off his gauntlets and grabbing a massive greatsword from beside him.
"RAAAH!!"
The blade began to glow red, then orange, then white-hot as the temperature soared. Flames erupted along its edge, roaring like a living beast.
Ezra tilted his head slightly. "Hmm. I'll admit, that's… a little more interesting."
"'A little more interesting'?! You'll regret mocking me, Marine!" Oven roared.
"Take this! Blazing Heat Slash!"
A searing arc of fire tore through the air toward Ezra, distorting space itself with its intensity.
But Ezra didn't flinch. He simply raised one finger.
"Interesting trick," he murmured. "But still too dull."
"Take your rage… and burn in hell."
"Hadō #33 Blue Fire, Crash Down."
The sky erupted in blue light.
A torrent of azure flame hotter and purer than anything Oven could ever produce cascaded downward, swallowing the pirate's attack whole and engulfing him in a blinding inferno.
When the light faded, only smoke and silence remained.
The once-proud fourth son of the Charlotte Family lay motionless amid the ruins of his ship, his sword nothing but molten scrap.
Ezra landed lightly on his warship's deck, brushing invisible dust off his coat. "Big Mom's kids really are full of themselves."
Hina approached cautiously, eyes still wide. "Vice Admiral… that was incredible."
Ezra smirked faintly. "It was nothing. If they want to play with heat, they'll need to do better than that."
As the smoke cleared over the East Blue, the warship turned once more toward the distant horizon toward Loguetown, where fate awaited.
The sea was calm again.
But everyone aboard knew this was just the beginning.
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