At Marineford, every face was solemn.
From top to bottom, the entire Navy Headquarters was wrapped in a heavy, disciplined atmosphere. Sengoku issued orders with calm precision, directing the overall preparations.
Kizaru supervised the construction of the execution platform along the shore. One hundred thousand elite Navy soldiers were already in position, drilling relentlessly on the training grounds, honing their killing techniques. The goal was simple. In three days, they needed to inflict as much damage as possible on the Whitebeard Pirates.
Zephyr watched the soldiers train, his eyes filled with quiet approval.
"I hope you all survive this war," he murmured.
Even he knew that hope was unrealistic.
For now, the hawkish and moderate factions within the Navy had set aside their differences. Every officer focused on their assigned duties, preparing for what was to come.
Ironically, Ezra D. Vale was the least busy of them all.
That suited him just fine.
As he strolled along the shore, he spotted Garp sitting alone. The old man's hunched silhouette looked older than Ezra remembered, almost fragile. Even Ezra found it hard to believe.
Ace's situation had clearly hit Garp harder than anyone expected.
"Still thinking about Ace, Uncle Garp?" Ezra asked as he sat down beside him.
Garp sighed deeply.
"Ezra… tell me something. Why do people in this world want to become pirates?"
Ezra thought for a moment.
"Maybe at the beginning, it was for adventure. But now… more often than not, it's to vent the darkness in their hearts."
"And Ace?" Garp continued. "Was it adventure for him? Or something darker? What about Luffy?"
The question made Ezra fall silent.
Ace and Luffy had both set sail for adventure, that much was true. But did the world allow such innocence to exist?
Putting Luffy aside for a moment, consider Ace. When he first went to sea, he had nothing but a small raft. Where did his resources come from later? Ships were not gifts that simply fell from the sky.
And Luffy's ship had been given to him. That alone made him an exception.
The truth was simple. Most pirates survived by exploiting civilians. Call it protection if you wanted, but in reality, it was extortion.
Did Garp really believe all pirates were like Luffy?
Luffy was an anomaly. And even he could change one day.
"Uncle Garp," Ezra said calmly, "no matter what Ace's original intentions were, he chose the path of a pirate. Once that choice was made, our duty was to arrest him."
Garp stiffened.
He knew Ezra was right.
He was just exhausted.
Garp had dedicated his entire life to the peace of the seas, only to watch his son become the world's most wanted criminal and his grandson labeled one of the worst threats of the new era.
Forget about legacy or reputation. Even as the Hero of the Navy, he could not turn them back.
Three generations, three completely different paths.
"Ezra, you really don't know how to comfort people," Garp said with a bitter chuckle.
Ezra shrugged.
"I'm terrible at that kind of thing."
He patted Garp on the shoulder.
"The past already happened. All you can do now is keep moving forward. Or maybe start seriously thinking about retirement."
Garp nodded slowly.
"I will. After this war."
They sat together for a while longer before Ezra received a summons from Sengoku.
"What's going on, Uncle Sengoku?" Ezra asked as he entered the office.
Sengoku sat behind his desk, his expression grave.
"Kaido moved earlier than expected. Shanks happened to be in that sea zone, and the two have already clashed."
Ezra raised an eyebrow. He had arranged for Shanks to move, so that part did not surprise him.
"And?" Ezra asked.
Sengoku handed him a report.
"Luffy has broken into Impel Down."
Ezra froze.
His brows knitted tightly. Why would Luffy attack Impel Down at this moment? He was not even on Amazon Lily.
Ezra's mind raced.
"Does Uncle Garp know?" he asked.
Sengoku shook his head.
"The execution is too close. I'm afraid he would act on impulse, so I haven't told him."
Ezra nodded. Ace alone was already overwhelming Garp. If he learned Luffy was in Impel Down too, Garp might abandon everything here and rush there himself.
"So you called me here to…" Ezra began.
"To suppress Impel Down," Sengoku said firmly.
Ezra frowned. "What about Marineford?"
Sengoku waved his hand.
"I'm not sending you personally."
Ezra paused, then understood.
"You mean her?"
"Yes," Sengoku replied. "The three Admirals must remain at Marineford. As an Admiral candidate, Carmichael can still move freely. Send her to stabilize Impel Down."
Ezra nodded.
"Understood. I'll explain the situation to her."
As he turned to leave, Sengoku called out again.
"Ezra… about Garp."
Sengoku was clearly worried about him.
Ezra shrugged lightly.
"For now, he's holding together. No major emotional swings."
Sengoku let out a breath of relief.
"That's good. Still, this incident will probably hit him hard."
Then Sengoku looked at Ezra with rare seriousness.
"After this war, whether we succeed or fail, I plan to retire."
Ezra stopped in his tracks.
He knew Sengoku was tired, but hearing it out loud was different.
"Why?" Ezra asked.
Sengoku smiled faintly.
"Ezra, this is a new era. People like us belong to the old one. We're no longer suited to sail on a ship called the New Era."
Ezra fell silent.
Was that really true?
The strongest people alive were still monsters from the old era. And the so called new generation? Luffy, Kid, the so called Worst Generation?
They were still too weak.
"Have you chosen your successor?" Ezra asked.
Sengoku smiled and pointed at him.
"You."
Ezra's mouth twitched.
Wait. No. Absolutely not.
Being an Admiral was already exhausting enough. And now he was supposed to become Fleet Admiral?
Ezra raised both hands immediately.
"Cough. Uncle Sengoku, that joke isn't funny at all."
Sengoku waved his hand.
"I'm not joking, Ezra."
"I know you've never liked power struggles. But right now, you're the only one who can truly keep the seas in check."
He looked Ezra straight in the eyes.
"You are the next Fleet Admiral of the Navy."