After ending the call with the Five Elders,
Shanks stood quietly, his gaze fixed on the endless sea.
"Very soon," he murmured,
"the great pirates of the New World will be forced into a new balance."
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
At Marineford,
Ezra D. Vale had already finished getting dressed.
He studied his reflection in the mirror, then nodded in satisfaction.
His appearance remained sharp and striking, just as handsome as ever.
Over the past few years, his height had continued to climb, now standing at nearly 2.8 meters tall.
Still a little shorter than Kizaru's three meters,
but close enough to be imposing in his own right.
He wore a black suit today.
There was no white "Justice" cloak on his shoulders.
After adjusting his crimson gloves,
Ezra vanished into the air, heading straight for Mary Geoise.
This time, he had no intention of informing Sengoku.
He activated Curved Light Concealment,
then used Flash Step to leave his residence.
Moments later, he arrived within Mary Geoise,
entering directly through Pangaea Castle
and stopping before Imu's chamber.
The appointed time had not yet arrived,
so Ezra decided to sit with her for a while.
"Good morning, Sister Imu."
Imu looked up from the documents in her hands, a smile forming on her face.
"You're early today, Ezra."
He shrugged casually.
"I missed you."
"Tsk. Such sweet talk. Asking for trouble," she replied,
though the smile on her face only grew brighter.
As expected, praise worked wonders.
Ezra soon explained his true purpose.
Imu nodded slightly.
"I have already heard about this matter from the Five Elders."
"What do you think we should do?" Ezra asked.
Imu smiled faintly.
"What? You haven't decided yourself?"
Ezra shook his head.
"At first, I did not want to agree.
We already have Stussy working from the inside.
But the situation on the seas is changing too quickly.
If four top-tier pirates form a balance,
it might not be a bad outcome."
Imu nodded in agreement.
"That is correct.
Ezra, remember this.
Even if Stussy is loyal,
you must still make her feel pressure.
She needs to believe that you are dissatisfied with her,
so she will push herself harder."
Ezra nodded.
"I understand, Sister Imu."
Imu smiled and returned to her book.
"Since you understand, then act as you see fit."
"Understood."
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
"Lady Imu. Young Master Ezra.
Shanks has arrived in the conference chamber."
Ezra turned slightly toward her.
"I'll head over now, Sister Imu."
"Go."
With that, Ezra opened the door and left.
Outside the conference chamber,
Shanks stood quietly, waiting.
Before long, the voice of the Five Elders echoed from inside.
"Let him enter."
The doors opened.
Shanks bowed slightly.
"Greetings, honored Elders."
When he raised his head,
something immediately felt wrong.
Why were there only four of them?
As confusion crossed his face,
a door at the rear of the chamber slowly opened.
One of the Elders stepped forward first.
Then something even more shocking happened.
The Five Elders rose respectfully
and moved aside toward the entrance.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Measured footsteps echoed through the chamber.
Ezra D. Vale emerged from behind the doors.
"Young Master."
The Five Elders spoke in unison.
Ezra gave a small nod,
then strode forward and sat casually upon the throne.
Resting his cheek against his right hand,
his crimson eyes calmly studied Shanks.
Wine-red hair.
Three scars slashed across his left eye.
An empty left sleeve.
He had already been to Foosha Village.
That arm was lost to the Lord of the Coast.
A long black cloak draped over his shoulders.
Shanks' mind went completely blank.
From the moment Ezra entered,
his thoughts stopped functioning.
What is this?
What is going on?
They were supposed to be the World Government.
So why were they treating a Marine with such reverence?
Could it be that the World Government was merely a façade,
and the true power behind everything was the Navy itself?
His thoughts spiraled wildly.
Seeing Shanks frozen in place,
one of the Elders coughed softly.
"Shanks. Speak."
Shanks snapped back to reality.
"Ah… right.
Could someone explain what exactly is happening here?"
He scratched his head, still completely stunned.
Ezra raised an eyebrow.
"Shanks, are you saying you do not know who I am?"
Shanks nodded, then quickly shook his head.
"Before today, I knew you as Admiral Blazing Ash of Marine Headquarters.
But now?
Who are you really?
A Celestial Dragon?"
The Elders exploded instantly.
"How dare you!"
"Insolence!"
"How could the Young Master be a Celestial Dragon?!"
Ezra glanced at them.
The Five Elders immediately fell silent.
"Shanks," Ezra said calmly,
"none of that matters.
What matters is this.
Today, you speak with me."
Shanks fell into silence.
Negotiating with the World Government was one thing.
That was distant and abstract.
But negotiating with a Marine.
A Marine Admiral.
About becoming an emperor of the sea?
That was absurd beyond belief.
Ezra noticed his hesitation and waved a hand.
"Just think of me as the Five Elders' representative.
If you say nothing,
then this meeting ends here."
Shanks panicked slightly.
"Wait. I'll speak."
Ezra nodded for him to continue.
Shanks took a deep breath.
"I want to make a deal with the World Government.
I will become one of the Four Emperors
and help stabilize the seas.
I can even share intelligence with you.
In return,
you must not act lightly against my friends.
That includes the Whitebeard Pirates."
Ezra raised an eyebrow.
This was exactly as expected.
Shanks was perhaps the truest embodiment of freedom on the seas.
If the Pirate King was defined as the freest person alive,
then Shanks was the one closest to that throne.
His open and generous nature attracted capable companions,
and like his former captain Roger,
his crew followed an elite path.
But his greatest strength
was also his greatest weakness.
He valued bonds above all else.
Too idealistic.
As Ezra watched the determination burning in Shanks' eyes,
a faint smile curved at the corner of his lips.