After suppressing his anger, Kaido did not leave Wano for the entire year.
As for the funds needed to maintain his army of artificial Devil Fruit users, he had no choice but to continue seizing islands and turning them into profit.
Through relentless effort, his artificial army had grown stronger.
It still hadn't reached his expectations, but for now, it was usable.
Aside from the Four Emperors, the Supernovas also kept a low profile this year.
After the brutal lesson Ezra had taught them at Sabaody Archipelago, they had all come to a realization.
They were too weak.
Far too weak to survive in the New World.
And so, they began to push themselves harder than ever before.
Take the Straw Hat Pirates, for example.
Tony Tony Chopper traveled to Torino Island to study medicine, improving both his medical knowledge and his combat ability.
Usopp trained on the Boin Archipelago under Heracles, constantly hunting and sharpening his skills as a sniper.
Sanji suffered through intense training on Kamabakka Kingdom, challenging the 99 Vital Recipes and enduring endless hardship.
Franky, fascinated by the legend of the "Burning Beast," immersed himself in Vegapunk's abandoned laboratory, perfecting his cyborg body.
Nami studied weather science on Weatheria, refining her navigation abilities.
Brook, on the other hand, did something completely unexpected.
In just one year, he became a world-famous star.
A pirate becoming a celebrity, adored by the public. It was absurd.
Finally, Nico Robin joined the Revolutionary Army.
And then there was Monkey D. Luffy.
Under Rayleigh's guidance, his growth over the past year had been tremendous.
Whether it was his Devil Fruit mastery or his Haki, he had improved significantly.
Now, his strength finally matched his 400 million bounty.
On a snow-covered island, Luffy had just finished battling a massive bear and lion.
Robin approached him quietly.
"Luffy, the two years are up. It's time to fulfill our promise, isn't it?"
Luffy grinned widely.
"Shishishi! I can't wait to see everyone again!"
Robin smiled softly.
"Then it's time for us to set sail."
"Yeah! Let's go, Robin!"
Overall, the pirate world had not changed much.
Few newcomers dared to set out to sea.
Whenever someone thought about becoming a pirate, one image would inevitably surface in their mind.
Ezra D. Vale.
Because of him, the number of pirates had dropped sharply.
On the Marine side, things were very different.
Kizaru continued leading the Science Division, but with Vegapunk now under the protection of Admiral Ryokugyu, Kizaru had been completely freed from that responsibility.
As a result, the three Admirals became more active than ever.
Their presence was felt across all four seas.
For those still hesitating about becoming pirates, this was more than enough to crush that idea.
Garp had mostly recovered over the year.
Though he no longer stood on the front lines, his responsibilities remained heavy.
Together with Zephyr, he trained new recruits.
Considering his age, Ezra had refused Garp's retirement request, but he also refrained from assigning him overly demanding missions.
As for Sengoku, his hair had turned completely white.
After stepping down, the sudden relaxation had pushed him fully into old age.
Yet his mind remained as sharp as ever.
He now served as the Marine Chief Inspector, assisting Ezra with administrative duties.
One of the biggest changes within the Marines was the Zero Division.
Created just a year ago under Ezra, it had already earned a fearsome reputation.
Though small in number, every member possessed at least Vice Admiral-level strength, with some even reaching Admiral level.
They were monsters.
Aside from Fujitora, Ryokugyu, and the Brown Bear, Ezra had personally enhanced the strength of seven CP0 agents using his spiritual pressure, elevating them to near-Admiral level.
These ten individuals had become one of Ezra's most powerful forces.
As for Ezra himself, he had not stirred any major events this year.
After stabilizing everything, he devoted himself entirely to intense training.
Though little news of him spread, no one dared to underestimate the strongest man in the world.
At the new Marine Headquarters, formerly G-1
Waves of intense heat radiated from the distant mountains.
"Fleet Admiral Ezra is training again…"
"Yeah… it's been like this for over half a year now."
"Just endure it. The stronger he is, the more pirates will fear us!"
"Exactly. It's just heat, I can handle it "
"Hey! Why did he faint?!"
"Hurry! Get him to the infirmary!"
The soldiers scrambled in chaos as they carried the unconscious man away.
"Still… it really is hotter than usual today."
"Does that mean the Fleet Admiral has grown even stronger?"
That single thought struck everyone at once.
Their gazes turned toward the mountain.
At the peak
Ezra sat cross-legged on an open plateau.
Resting across his palms was Ryujin Jakka.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Waves of scorching spiritual pressure radiated from his body.
He looked like a blazing sun, wrapped in crimson-orange flames.
After a while, the pressure subsided.
Ezra slowly opened his crimson eyes.
"…Finally. I've fully mastered the power of Shikai."
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"System. Open my status panel."
[Host: Ezra D. Vale]
[First Inheritance: Genryusai Yamamoto]
[Inheritance Progress: 99.5%]
Looking at the nearly complete percentage, Ezra was in an excellent mood.
"System, how do I unlock the second inheritance?"
[Ding! To unlock the second inheritance, the host must gain recognition from the first inheritance and raise compatibility to 90%.]
Ezra raised an eyebrow.
"Recognition? What does that mean?"
[Ding! The First Inheritance Trial has been unlocked. Would you like to enter?]
Ezra chuckled softly.
"A new feature, huh…"
"What happens if I fail the trial?"
[Ding! Failure will not affect the host.]
Ezra nodded slightly.
"So I only need to pass it once?"
[Ding! Correct.]
A confident smile spread across his face.
"Good."
"Then let's begin the trial."