Akainu's eyes glinted sharply, like molten steel catching light.
"Good. At least you've got the guts to stand up. Maybe you're not a coward after all!"
Ezra D. Vale tilted his head lazily and dug at his ear as if he hadn't heard a word of it. His tone dripped with mockery.
"Tch. Barking that loud… try not to end up a whimpering stray when this is over, old dog."
"You—!"
The words hit Akainu like a punch to the gut. His blood pressure spiked instantly, magma-like fury bubbling beneath the surface. He clenched his fists, restraining himself with visible effort. The Fleet Admiral's office was no place for an explosion of that magnitude.
Sengoku, watching the tension rise, exhaled through his nose. "Alright, enough. Since words aren't solving anything, settle it the old-fashioned way with a fight!"
He looked between the two men, his expression firm. "If Ezra wins, Sakazuki, you'll have no right to object to his promotion. But if you win, his appointment as Rear Admiral is nullified. Fair?"
Akainu's eyes burned. "Hmph. No objections here."
Ezra gave a careless shrug. "Fine by me, old man. Whatever keeps him from barking."
Sengoku nodded. "Good. Then let's take this to the training grounds."
As they left, another tall figure appeared at Sengoku's side Zephyr, the former admiral known as the Black Arm.
"Oi, Sengoku," Zephyr said gruffly, his voice edged with concern. "What are you thinking? That kid's got talent, sure, but putting him against Sakazuki? You're sending him to his death."
Sengoku only smiled faintly. "Zephyr, you might be surprised by what you see today."
Zephyr froze for a moment. Surprised? Did that mean Sengoku believed Ezra could actually defeat Akainu? That was ridiculous… wasn't it?
But Sengoku said no more, his calm expression betraying nothing.
By the time they reached the Marineford training grounds, Zephyr's elite class was already mid-session.
"Formation!" Zephyr barked.
Instantly, the trainees assembled into perfect rows. Ezra's eyes swept over the group, recognizing a few familiar faces.
Tina… and Smoker?
"Wait, they're still cadets at this point?" Ezra murmured under his breath, raising an eyebrow. He didn't know much about their pasts he only remembered Smoker as the chain-smoking vice admiral from the future, and Tina because… well, she was beautiful.
At that exact moment, Tina felt someone's gaze and looked up, meeting Ezra's eyes.
"Eh? Why is that boy staring at me? Tina doesn't understand…" she muttered softly, blinking.
Before she could think further, Akainu stepped onto the central field. Adjusting the brim of his cap, he barked, "Kid, get down here."
Ezra rolled his eyes and looked over at Sengoku. "Old man, is he always this loud? No one's taught him manners yet?"
Sengoku had no response to that. He simply sighed and gestured toward the arena.
Ezra shrugged, then strode forward to face Akainu.
The murmurs from the elite class rose immediately.
"What's going on?"
"Is Vice Admiral Akainu really fighting that kid?"
"You've gotta be kidding! That boy's gonna get crushed!"
Sengoku raised his voice over the chatter. "Silence!"
In an instant, the crowd fell quiet.
"The spar between Vice Admiral Sakazuki and Ezra D. Vale will now begin!"
A ripple of shock swept through the cadets.
"They're actually serious?!"
"Has the Fleet Admiral lost his mind?"
"There's no way that kid survives this!"
Ezra ignored the noise. A faint smile played across his lips as he drew Ryūjin Jakka from his side. The blade gleamed, alive with restrained heat.
Akainu snorted, his tone dripping with disdain. "Such flashy tricks. Let's see what you've got, brat."
Ezra tilted his head, eyes narrowing. "Try not to die too quickly, alright?"
Then he vanished.
A whisper of displaced air, a blur of motion Ezra's Shunpo was so fast that the spectators barely saw him move. One moment he was standing still, the next he was right in front of Akainu.
"What speed !" Akainu's pupils contracted. He instantly activated his Observation Haki, tracking Ezra's position.
Clang!
The sound of steel and hardened Haki collided, a shockwave rippling outward.
Akainu's arm trembled from the impact, his expression darkening. "That strength… it's not ordinary!"
Ezra seized the opening, his blade dancing like firelight as he pressed the assault. Each swing of Ryūjin Jakka left streaks of burning air in its wake.
Akainu snarled. "Don't push your luck, brat! Hellhound!"
His right arm morphed into a molten beast, lava dripping and hissing as it lunged forward.
Ezra smirked. "Still such a hothead, huh?"
With a flicker of movement, he stepped out of range, his body blurring again.
"Worried about ending up a real stray dog, Akainu?" he called from behind, voice calm, teasing.
Akainu's face darkened to the color of his magma. His killing intent erupted like a volcano, so thick that even the cadets could feel it.
"You little brat… you're asking for death!"
He slammed his fist forward, molten fury roaring out. "Crimson Lotus: Magma Hound!"
A giant wolf-shaped blast of molten rock exploded toward Ezra, the ground beneath it melting into glowing rivers of magma.
The elite cadets gasped, retreating instinctively from the heat.
"W-what power!"
"That's Akainu's signature move!"
"There's no way that kid can block that!"
But Ezra didn't flinch. His hand tightened around the hilt of Ryūjin Jakka, the blade now glowing faintly, as if a slumbering sun had begun to stir.
"Let's see whose fire burns brighter," he murmured.
He swung his sword in a single, smooth arc.
Fwoom!
The air rippled, and an invisible wave of heat rolled across the field. The lava wolf struck but instead of consuming Ezra, it evaporated, collapsing into vapor midair.
Steam blanketed the arena.
When it cleared, Ezra stood unharmed, Ryūjin Jakka resting casually on his shoulder.
"Sorry," he said with a faint grin. "I told you I'd go all out."
The look on Akainu's face froze, torn between rage and disbelief.
And for the first time in years, Sakazuki the embodiment of the Navy's absolute justice felt something unfamiliar crawl up his spine.
Fear.