Time drifted lazily forward to the year 1502.
Two years had passed since Vale became an Admiral. In those two years, he had not only annihilated the Big Mom Pirates but had also assisted Stussy in controlling numerous islands. Of course, all of this was done secretly. For the moment, he could not reveal his connection to Stussy.
Yet Vale, never one to act sparingly, amplified Stussy's spiritual pressure several times over. To put it bluntly, the current Stussy was far stronger than the former Big Mom.
For the remainder of the time, Vale had spent cruising through various seas, keeping hostile forces in check. Interestingly, wherever he appeared, newly sailing pirates immediately returned home, swearing never to take up piracy again. This pleased Sengoku immensely.
The era of the Great Pirates, as Roger had once proclaimed, seemed to have begun. But it had only just begun.
During these two years, one thing continued to trouble Vale Imu. The Five Elders had contacted him repeatedly, urging him to visit Pangu City to meet Imu.
But in Vale's mind, memories of his last encounter with Imu were still vivid. Surviving an encounter with the ultimate boss had been a stroke of luck. Facing her again? He was in no hurry.
Unfortunately, the Five Elders were persistent.
"Vale, I beg you, will you come?" one of them implored.
Vale looked at the twisted Den Den Mushi, his eyes tired. It was the fifth Elder, and if Sengoku had seen him behaving so servile, it would have been another heart-attack moment.
Sighing, Vale finally said, "Alright, alright. I know. I'll make time to return."
Hearing this, the Elder finally relaxed. They had been pleading for nearly two years. Vale was truly exasperated. "Fine. I'll go. With my current strength, I won't lose to Imu. Who's afraid of whom?"
"So, this week then?" the Elder asked eagerly.
Vale rolled his eyes. "Fine. I got it," he said, cutting off the call decisively.
Content, he stretched out on his beach chair, gazing at the elite classes training in Marineford's practice grounds.
"System, open panel."
[Host: Ezra D. Vale]
[First Legacy: Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni]
[Legacy Progress: 58.8%]
"Just a little more to go," he murmured, letting out a small sigh. Two years of relentless work had nearly pushed him to sixty percent. Only he knew what grueling, devilish training he had endured. The sheer amount of effort would have made even Akainu flinch. Sengoku worried Vale might push himself too far.
As Vale pondered, his Den Den Mushi buzzed.
"Buzz, buzz."
He picked it up. "Who is it?"
"Vale! Still training?" A familiar, booming voice came through.
Vale's lips curled into a smile. "Garp, Uncle Garp! I'm resting now. Did you finish your mission?"
Garp sighed. "Ah… it's complicated. I'll tell you when I get back."
Vale nodded. "Alright. Did you bring me senbei?"
"Don't worry. I brought plenty!"
"Good, good." Thanks to Garp, Vale had grown fond of snacking on senbei over these two years.
They hung up, and Vale stretched lazily.
"Hmm, nice weather… Did I forget something?" He had a nagging sense of needing to do something, but couldn't remember what. "Well, whatever. I'll figure it out when I get there," he muttered, heading to the port.
"Good morning, Admiral Residual Flame!"
"Good morning, Admiral Residual Flame!"
Bathed in admiration, Vale arrived at the port.
"Huh? Residual Flame?" A familiar, relaxed figure stood not far off.
"Yo, Aokiji! Not training today?" Vale called out.
Aokiji ruffled his fluffy hair. "Vice Admiral Garp told me to wait here for him."
Vale raised an eyebrow. This old man called someone else too?
"Vale, what are you doing here?"
"Collecting my senbei," Vale replied with a shrug.
Aokiji nodded, and the two stood chatting casually. Over the past two years, Aokiji had grown remarkably strong. Vale had continuously guided him in training, especially in swordsmanship and combat techniques. Now, Aokiji's close-quarters combat was formidable. Even Kizaru, another master swordsman, admitted he couldn't best Aokiji though whether he was telling the truth was another matter entirely.
Before long, a Doghead-class Navy ship slowly docked. Garp and Bogaard disembarked.
"Vale! Kuzan!"
"Uncle Garp!"
They nodded in greeting.
"Hahaha! Vale, here's your senbei!" Garp said, presenting a crate of the snacks. Vale's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Bogaard, please take these home for me. Just knock on the door; En is home."
"Understood, Admiral Residual Flame," Bogaard nodded, carrying the crate away.
Garp, holding one in each arm, strolled toward a nearby restaurant.
"Oh, by the way, Uncle Garp," Vale asked, remembering Garp's sigh on the phone. "Did your mission go smoothly?"
Garp sighed again. "Smooth? Hardly."
He recounted the events of the past two years. When Sengoku first assigned him a long-term mission regarding Ohara, Garp had traveled there countless times, only to find scholars and academics, nothing out of the ordinary. Each time, they had berated him, calling him ignorant. Now, just the mention of Ohara filled him with dread.
Vale suddenly remembered the Five Elders were planning a Demon Purge this year. The target: Ohara.
After a meal, Aokiji excused himself, and Garp returned home with Vale.
"Vale, you're back. Oh? Vice Admiral Garp?" En, now grown into a very capable young woman, greeted them warmly.
"I hope I'm not intruding," Garp said.
En smiled, waving them in. "Of course not. Please, come in."
Sitting in the yard, Vale and Garp snacked on senbei while En wisely gave them space.
Garp spoke quietly, "Vale, that child is about to make her move."
Vale froze, realization dawning. He had forgotten something important. Ace… was about to act.
"Is Luluk still on Batterilla Island?"
Garp nodded. "I wanted to take her a year ago, but the Five Elders somehow discovered that Roger's bloodline had survived. They searched Batterilla Island frantically. I couldn't take Luluk then."
"I thought Roger's bloodline might have ended there, but I didn't expect Luluk to survive until now." Garp's face bore a trace of guilt.
Vale paused, thinking. "Where is she now?"
"I just brought her back to Windmill Town. Hopefully, she can have her child there."
Vale considered, then said firmly, "I'll go with you to see her."