Sengoku's body trembled when he heard Ezra's answer. A moment later, his face lit up with pure joy.
"Ezra… are you saying you have made your decision?"
Ezra shrugged.
"If you want to take it back, I would not mind."
"Do not joke about that! I will never take it back!"
A smile finally returned to Sengoku's face. It was not the most elegant smile in the world, but that was not the point.
What mattered was that Ezra had agreed.
"So when exactly will I take the position?" Ezra asked again.
Sengoku thought for a moment before answering.
"You probably understood the message from the Five Elders."
"They are giving you one year to transition the role with me."
"During that time I will guide you and help you become familiar with the responsibilities of a Fleet Admiral."
Ezra nodded slightly. The Five Elders had clearly thought this through.
They had arranged almost everything in advance.
"What about six months from now?" Sengoku asked carefully.
Ezra rubbed his chin and thought about it for a moment before nodding.
"Six months is fine."
The two of them spent some time discussing additional details.
The transition process would begin soon.
Every day Ezra would come to the office to study under Sengoku and learn the administrative duties of the Fleet Admiral.
At the same time, he would regularly visit Tsuru to study strategy and command.
In short, his entire day would be packed.
And that schedule did not even include the possibility of urgent reports or emergency decisions.
Only now did Ezra truly understand Sengoku's exhaustion.
This job was brutal.
After finishing the discussion, Sengoku let out a long breath.
"For now, that is everything. As for specific documents and procedures, I will explain them to you later."
Ezra's mouth twitched.
That is everything?
This was not a small amount of work. This was an overwhelming mountain of work.
Is it still possible to change my mind?
Of course, that thought only stayed in his head for a moment.
Backing out now was never truly an option.
By the time their discussion ended, the sky outside had already grown dark.
Ezra stretched his arms and asked,
"Oh, right. Uncle Sengoku, when exactly does the World Draft begin?"
"Next month," Sengoku replied. "It will last for six months."
Ezra raised an eyebrow.
Another six months.
He did not even need to guess.
Sengoku had clearly arranged the timing deliberately.
Six months later, Ezra would step down from the position of Admiral.
That would leave a vacant seat.
At that time, Issho could step into the role.
Wait.
Something suddenly occurred to Ezra.
"Uncle Sengoku… what about Kuzan?"
A sly smile slowly appeared on Sengoku's face.
"Well, that will depend on how you handle it."
"After all, I will not be the Fleet Admiral anymore."
"Kuzan is your subordinate. Issho is someone you personally recommended for the World Draft."
"So the final decision about the Admiral position will belong to you."
Then Sengoku burst into laughter.
Ezra held his forehead.
So this was the trap.
To be honest, Kuzan becoming an Admiral was almost inevitable.
His name had already been considered during the previous Admiral selection.
It was simply that Ezra had been stronger at the time.
But this time, could they really ask Kuzan to step aside again?
That would almost certainly lead to a direct confrontation.
Kuzan versus Issho.
Just thinking about it made Ezra's head hurt.
Then suddenly an idea flashed through his mind.
Why should they compete at all?
Why not simply create five Admirals?
Previously the Five Elders had been reluctant to expand the number of Admirals.
They feared that giving the Navy too much power could make it difficult to control.
But now things were different.
Ezra himself would become the Fleet Admiral.
Even if the Navy had five Admirals, what would happen?
Kuzan.
Issho.
Sakazuki.
Borsalino.
And even someone like Ryokugyu.
Could five of them really challenge him?
The more Ezra thought about it, the more reasonable the idea seemed.
Of course, he kept the thought to himself.
If he told Sengoku now, the old man would probably reject it immediately.
Once he officially became Fleet Admiral, he could bring the proposal directly to the Five Elders.
Thinking about it, Ezra could not help admiring his own cleverness.
"Uncle Sengoku, anything else? If not, I will head home."
Sengoku waved his hand.
His mood had improved considerably.
"Go ahead. And remember to report to Tsuru early tomorrow morning."
Ezra nodded before leaving the office.
Under the quiet glow of the stars, he finally returned home.
To his surprise, the kitchen lights were still on.
"Ezra, you are back."
Gion greeted him with a bright smile.
Ezra gently rubbed her hair.
"You had the day off today?"
She nodded with a playful expression.
"Yes. I finally get a short break."
"Have you eaten yet?"
Ezra shook his head.
"Not yet. Sengoku kept me in the office."
Gion tilted her head slightly.
"You did not make the Fleet Admiral angry again, did you?"
Ezra blinked.
What do you mean again?
He lightly tapped her head.
"How could I make him angry? Actually, I am going to become the Fleet Admiral soon."
Gion froze.
"What?"
She stared at him with wide eyes.
"Ezra… what did you just say?"
Ezra smiled.
"I said I am going to become the Fle…"
"Ahhh!"
Before he could finish, Gion was already spinning around the room in excitement.
Watching her celebrate, Ezra felt a warm smile appear on his own face.
Both of them were naval officers.
Their duties often kept them apart.
Yet somehow Gion was always there at the right moments.
At least now, there was someone with whom he could share his happiness.
"That is wonderful!" Gion said excitedly. "Go take a bath first. I will prepare dinner."
Ezra tilted his head.
"Is that really necessary?"
Gion shook her head firmly.
"Of course it is. Today is a special day."
Ezra shrugged and did not argue.
He leaned forward and kissed her forehead before heading upstairs.
A short while later he came back down wearing a black robe.
The delicious smell of food drifted from the kitchen.
"Ezra, just wait a moment. It will be ready soon."
"No rush," he replied.
He sat down on the sofa and picked up a newspaper.
There was not much entertainment in the world these days.
Television certainly did not exist.
Just as they were about to start dinner, someone knocked on the door.
Ezra raised an eyebrow and walked toward the entrance.
"Coming. Who is it?"
"It is me. Garp."
"Uncle Garp?"
Ezra opened the door.
Standing outside was Monkey D. Garp.
It had been some time since Ezra had last seen him.
He looked a few years older than before.
But there was still a warm smile on his face.
"I heard the news from Sengoku," Garp said with a grin.
"Congratulations, Ezra."
Ezra smiled in return.
"You are too polite, Uncle Garp. Come inside."