In Wano Country, Jack, one of the Three Disasters, handed the newspaper to Kaido.
Kaido slammed the table with a thunderous force, his anger shaking the room. "Damn the Navy! How dare they kill Linlin!"
"Governor, what should we do?" Jack asked cautiously from below.
Kaido paused, contemplating. "For now, ignore the Navy. Focus on gathering intelligence about Big Mom. Find out who controls her former territory!"
"Yes, Governor!" Jack replied sharply before leading his crew out to sea.
Kaido remained seated upon his throne, lost in thought. A Navy strong enough to defeat Linlin was no weakling. In fact, Kaido found himself curious he wanted to fight this man someday. Of course… not yet.
Meanwhile, back in Windmill Town, the news of Vale defeating Big Mom spread like wildfire. Villagers were stunned, but celebrations erupted immediately. The village chief shook his head, watching the wide-eyed Makino with a helpless sigh. "The gap between their levels… it's extraordinary."
In Shimotsuki Village, inside the Isshin Dojo, Guina had begun cautiously exploring the art of swordsmanship. Goushirou held the morning paper in his hands, whistling low. "Huh… Vale is ridiculously strong. Unbelievably strong."
Goushirou felt a mixture of joy and worry. Vale's growing power was one thing, but Monkey D. Dragon already a revolutionary figure was an entirely different challenge. One day, inevitable clashes would erupt between the two, shaking the world to its core.
Guina quietly appeared beside Goushirou. "Papa, he's really amazing, isn't he?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "I want to become that strong too!"
Goushirou smiled. "Then you'll have to train hard in swordsmanship, Guina."
"Yes, Papa!"
Time passed, and Vale's ship finally returned to Marineford. The moment he stepped onto the dock, he was greeted by rows of Navy soldiers lining the port.
"Welcome home, Admiral Residual Flame!"
A chorus of voices rang in unison, echoing across Marineford. Vale's eyes flickered with mild surprise he had not expected such a reception.
Garp laughed heartily. "Looks like you've become a Navy hero too."
Vale shrugged, unconcerned. "Well, that's fine, but I'd rather use this time to train."
"Yes, Admiral Residual Flame!" The soldiers echoed before dispersing.
Aokiji and the others exchanged subtle glances, their expressions a mixture of admiration and resolve.
"What's wrong, Kuzan?" Vale asked curiously.
Aokiji shook his head. "We're still far behind you."
"Then we'll just have to work harder to catch up," Vale said with a wave, heading toward Sengoku's office.
"Train hard," he called lightly over his shoulder.
The encouragement carried the weight of countless unspoken approvals. Soldiers watching felt a surge of determination.
"Yes! We'll train hard for Admiral Residual Flame!"
"We won't let him down!"
Vale's smile deepened at the sight of their resolve. Aokiji and the others also chuckled. "Looks like we can't afford to slack off either."
The soldiers then headed to the nearest training grounds, inspired.
Bang, bang, bang!
Sengoku, bent over paperwork, heard the knock and called, "Come in."
Vale and Garp entered, fresh from the port's deafening welcome. Sengoku's lips curved into a small smile. "Good work, Vale."
Garp scratched his nose. "Not just good, perfect!"
Sengoku laughed, nodding. "Indeed, Garp is right. Your performance was flawless."
Vale shrugged, unconcerned. "If there's nothing else, I'll rest a bit first."
Sengoku nodded. "Go ahead. Take a short break you've earned it."
Garp's gaze lingered on Sengoku. "Tell me, what's the new mission?"
Sengoku's eyes hardened. "It's related to Ohara."
Outside, countless people nodded respectfully at Vale, who returned their gestures. At home, he could finally focus on strengthening himself.
"System, activate Fusion Legacy."
With his words, an immense spiritual pressure erupted from Vale's body, scorching the air around him. It spread across Marineford without pause or buffer, leaving everyone feeling a tremendous heat.
The spiritual energy was far more intense than before. Ice blocks in the room instantly melted into water. Soldiers could only watch helplessly.
"Hopefully this time, Admiral Residual Flame will finish training quickly," someone muttered, shaking their head.
Even in Sengoku's office, both he and Garp could feel the oppressive power.
"Hiss… this kid is stronger than before!" Sengoku exhaled sharply, astonished. "How long has he been training? How has his strength increased so drastically? All these years of my own training… wasted?!"
Time passed ten minutes, an hour, two hours. Yet Vale's spiritual pressure seemed to intensify continuously.
"I can't take it! It's too hot!" The soldiers rushed to the kitchen freezer in desperation.
But upon opening the door, they found Sengoku and Garp already there.
"Marshal Sengoku? Vice Admiral Garp?!"
Both men coughed awkwardly, smirking. "This space is being used. Find somewhere else."
Suddenly, someone shouted from afar, "Vice Admiral Aokiji! Ice distribution over here!"
Everyone's eyes lit up. Of course! Kuzan, the master of ice, could help them.
They rushed to the portside tree, where Aokiji lounged lazily among a pile of ice blocks.
"Ah, you've arrived," he said, voice relaxed. A mischievous grin curved his lips. "One ice block, ten berries. Fair deal."
Of course, Aokiji was only joking. He distributed ice to the soldiers while waiting for Vale to complete his training.
An hour later, Vale's spiritual pressure finally receded. His crimson eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
"The spiritual pressure has strengthened considerably," he said, beaming.
"System, open attribute panel."
[Host: Ezra D. Vale]
[First Legacy: Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni]
[Legacy Progress: 57.3%]
Seeing that the legacy was only three percent from completion, Vale's lips curved into a confident smile.
"Almost there… you'll have to wait for me, Genryūsai."
Vale's determination was clear. The pinnacle of power was within his reach, and he was prepared to claim it.