Roh hurriedly approached Ezra, stopping ten meters away.
Ezra's lips twitched. "A little closer, will you?"
Roh blinked, swallowing his unease, and stepped right next to him.
"Admiral Zanka, what is it?"
Ezra nodded slightly. "Don't ask. I just need to try something first."
He didn't explicitly mention attempting to communicate with the Devil Fruit within Roh. After all, any normal person would know that a Devil Fruit does not possess consciousness. If he said that out loud, Roh would probably think he'd lost his mind.
Roh, hearing this, wisely remained silent.
Ezra placed his right hand over Roh's head, feeling the energy within him. He didn't use his Observation Haki he relied purely on his senses.
Soon, a surge of energy flowed from Roh's head into Ezra's hand.
He could feel it the energy of the Devil Fruit of Surgery.
A spark of excitement lit Ezra's eyes. It actually worked…? The fruit has consciousness? This was unbelievable. Could it be that only the Devil Fruit of Surgery behaved this way?
Not the time to ponder.
"Calm down, calm down," he muttered, exhaling slowly. He attempted to convey his intent to the fruit, but no matter how he tried, it remained agitated.
Ezra's brow furrowed. "Refuse the toast, take the punishment."
With that, a wave of spiritual energy surged into his palm. The Devil Fruit hesitated, then, with a mixture of fear and reluctance, withdrew from his hand.
The portion of the Devil Fruit's energy within Roh obediently returned to its host.
Ezra removed his hand from Roh's head.
Roh slowly opened his eyes, looking at Ezra.
"Do you still feel fear inside you?" Ezra asked.
Roh blinked, noticing that the energy within him had finally stabilized. A flicker of surprise crossed his face. "Admiral Zanka, the fear is gone!"
Ezra exhaled in relief. Success, at least for now.
"Admiral Zanka, how did you do that?" Roh asked, still puzzled. How could a single touch stabilize him so completely?
Ezra sighed, waving his hand. "Don't ask… even I don't fully understand it."
He himself was full of questions.
Roh seemed to have an idea. "Admiral Zanka, the reason you came to Mary Geoise… could it be because of this?"
Ezra paused. That was… not unreasonable. "Yes. Why do you ask?"
Roh smiled faintly. The Admiral had gone to seek help from the Five Elders for his sake. Roh felt deeply grateful.
"Admiral Zanka, rest assured! From now on, I will capture more pirates to repay your kindness!"
Ezra's patience thinned slightly. Does this guy think I did it for him? Realizing this, he shook his head, understanding that Roh simply misinterpreted his intentions. He didn't bother clarifying, waving his hand.
"All right, all right. Set sail back to G1 Headquarters."
"Yes, Admiral Zanka!"
Roh's worries settled, and his mood lifted.
Once the Reaper was underway, Ezra reclined in his chair, lost in thought. The journey back to G1 Headquarters was long, and his mind ached from overthinking. He decided to set it aside for now.
"You've worked hard during this mission. Dismissed, rest well."
"Yes, Admiral Zanka!"
With orders given, Ezra left the ship and arrived at the harbor, where he saw Zephyr leading a group of elite trainees toward the fleet.
"Uncle Zephyr? Are you taking the elite squad on a mission?"
Zephyr turned, spotting Ezra. "Ah, Ezra. Yes, we're taking them out to see the world."
Ezra smiled. "Be careful this time. Watch your backs."
Zephyr's lips twitched. "Hey, Ezra, don't jinx it."
Ezra shrugged. "Well, your constitution always seems to attract pirates…"
"You little brat… never mind, I'm off."
Zephyr laughed and cursed playfully as he boarded the ship. Ezra watched him go and didn't head to see Sengoku. Instead, he returned home, unaware of the changes Zephyr would face upon his return.
Meanwhile, in Sengoku's office, a Den-Den Mushi from the 36th Division of the Grand Line rang urgently.
"Hello? Sengoku here."
"Admiral Sengoku! It's bad!" The voice was panicked, full of screams in the background.
Sengoku's brow furrowed. "What happened?"
"Whitebeard! Admiral Sengoku!"
Sengoku's face went pale. "Do you realize what you're saying? Whitebeard is dead at Marineford!"
"No, Admiral Sengoku! Someone claiming to be Whitebeard's second has appeared!"
Sengoku's anger flared. "What is going on?!"
The soldier on the line was cut off another voice had picked up the Den-Den Mushi.
"Hello? Sengoku? I am Whitebeard's wife, Miss Bayu!"
A flicker of murderous intent crossed Sengoku's eyes. "What have you done to the Navy?"
"Oh, hahaha! Don't worry, Sengoku. We only knocked them out no one's dead!"
Sengoku exhaled slightly but remained furious. "I never heard that Whitebeard had a wife. Who are you really?"
Bayu's face burned with fury. "I told you, I am his wife! My son inherited all of Whitebeard's power!"
Sengoku's brow tightened, but he held his composure. "You knocked out the Navy and took the Den-Den Mushi… and now you claim to be Whitebeard's wife? What do you want?"
A sly smile appeared on Miss Bayu's face. "Hahaha, Sengoku. I have only one condition… and it's up to you whether you accept it."
"Speak."
"Allow my son, Whitebeard the Second, to join the Seven Warlords of the Sea!"