"Skyquake Slash!!"
Whitebeard's naginata suddenly rose, his haki erupting into a fierce slash, sending shockwaves along with it.
The air instantly split open with a massive, visible crack — it was as if even space itself had been torn apart.
Along with it, a roaring wave of flames was cut down. This time, it was Whitebeard parting the sea like Moses.
The surging haki slash, after piercing through the flaming tsunami, still had enough strength to slash at Ian's body before finally shattering completely.
Ian patted his chest, watching the father and son rapidly approaching him through the gap in the firestorm, feeling a little unsettled.
Is the air superiority already lost?
What an exciting father-and-son combo attack.
But just then—
Brrr brrr brrr.
The Den Den Mushi (phone snail) rang.
Ian blinked in surprise, then flapped his wings and waved his hands repeatedly. "Stop! Whitebeard-san, hold on, I need to take this call."
Marco and Whitebeard, however, acted as if they didn't hear, continuing their pursuit relentlessly.
But Ian's flying speed is faster!
Flames burst forth as Ian soared into the sky like a jet fighter, immediately putting distance between himself and the two pursuers.
"Hey?"
He actually managed to answer the call.
"You little brat!!"
Whitebeard was furious, veins bulging on his forehead from Ian's attitude.
That kid didn't take him seriously at all!
Whitebeard swung his naginata repeatedly, sending massive waves of haki mixed with slashes crashing like a storm toward Ian.
But Ian moved through the storm of strikes like a seabird in the wind, not even touched by a single blow.
This was the true power of Kenbunshoku Haki—the ability to foresee the future!
"Ian! It's me, Neptune!"
Neptune's voice came through the den-den mushi, "What exactly is going on? What did you do? We were almost captured by the Celestial Dragons just now! CP0 saved us at the last moment—was that your doing?"
Ian calmly dodged another attack from Whitebeard and replied, "To make a long story short, the government wants to use the fishmen as slaves to mine the sea floor, so they took you all to Mary Geoise."
"So, I went to see Whitebeard, and in the name of the Beasts Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates, pressured them. I told the Five Elders that if the safety of Fishman Island isn't guaranteed, then we'll go to war against the World Government."
"Ian!!"
Neptune's voice suddenly rose, trembling with emotion, clearly deeply moved.
"Don't worry, since CP0 stopped the Celestial Dragons' plan, it means the Five Elders compromised."
Ian stopped his high-speed movement, and Whitebeard paused his pursuit, glaring at Ian with a scowl as he made the call.
"So, you can relax and enjoy this trip to Mary Geoise."
"Ian!!"
Neptune's voice sounded as if he was about to cry. "I really don't know how to thank you enough…"
"It's not just me you should thank," Ian said with interest, looking at the stern-faced Whitebeard. "You know the hatred between me and the Whitebeard Pirates, but he was still willing to accept my suggestion."
"That's right! And the Whitebeard Pirates too!"
Neptune muttered repeatedly.
"Alright, we can talk more later. I still have some things to handle now."
Ian hung up the phone.
Almost immediately, Whitebeard himself charged forward.
The battle continued.
At the same time, in Mariejois, in a luxurious room in Pangaea Castle, Neptune and his wife had been placed there.
It wasn't until they entered and thoroughly checked the room that Neptune called Ian.
After ending the call with Ian, Neptune wiped away his tears and said, "If it weren't for Ian, this time we, even Fish-Man Island, would have been doomed."
It was too dangerous!
There was no exaggeration in saying that the entire Ryugu Kingdom had been hanging by a thread.
"We must thank him properly,"
Queen Otohime said solemnly.
"The World Government is even more despicable than we imagined."
Neptune couldn't help but lower his voice.
"Among the kings, there are still many upright ones like Cobra, but the World Government is truly rotten to the core!"
"Rather than letting them rule the world, it would be better if Ian—"
Neptune suddenly paused.
He looked down at his wife, who just happened to be looking up at him.
Neptune pondered, "Otohime, do you still remember the legend of Fish-Man Island? The legend of the Sun God Nika?"
"Of course."
Otohime nodded slightly.
"The legend says that one day, the Sun God who brings laughter and joy to the world will descend from the heavens, liberating Fish-Man Island, so that the fish-men and mermaids of the deep sea can embrace the vast sky."
"Could it be Ian?"
Neptune whispered, "The legendary Sun God, the liberator Nika, must be Ian, right?"
It was Ian who brought countless fish-men and mermaids to the surface and treated them equally with humans.
It was Ian who saved Fish-Man Island, freeing the Ryugu Kingdom from the fate of slavery under the World Government.
If not Ian, then who else?
Neptune's eyes brightened more and more.
"There's no doubt about it! Ian is the savior of Fish-Man Island! He is the one we have been waiting for!"
Otohime blinked, looking at her husband.
"Otohime! Just imagine, if Ian rules the world, all our people can live openly and proudly on the surface sea! Just like our comrades living under him now!"
The more Neptune thought about it, the more it made sense.
"As long as he replaces the World Government, everything will change!"
Since the World Government despises us, then let's have someone who recognizes and respects us instead!
Who could be more fitting than Ian?
He not only respected Fish-Man Island, but also possessed unmatched strength and influence!
Besides him, there was no second choice in the world!
"We should help him, Otohime!"
Neptune no longer wanted to feel powerless like he did before when facing the Celestial Dragons, and he knew that facing the human society led by the World Government now would only be even more helpless.
So, everything had to change.
The long wait was finally over!
Since this time they were taking the initiative, why not be even more thorough?
"We should help Ian become the savior!"
Neptune said seriously.
Otohime couldn't help but ask, "But Neptune, how should we help him?"
Above the Moby Dick.
Ian was still unaware of Neptune's thoughts as flames burst behind him, and he dashed like lightning toward Whitebeard.
Whitebeard did not hold back either, rapidly closing the distance with Marco's help.
In the next moment, the two—or rather, three—were about to collide.
Red light flickered in both Ian and Whitebeard's eyes; their Observation Haki fully activated, foreseeing the future.
Ian swung his sword; Whitebeard blocked.
Whitebeard threw a punch; Ian dodged.
Ian breathed fire; Whitebeard ascended.
Whitebeard then swung his naginata downwards.
Ian—
Instinctively dodged slightly.
"Hm?"
Ian's expression suddenly changed.
"You rely too much on the power to foresee the future, brat!"
The naginata sliced through, instantly cutting Ian in half at the waist; the two broken halves of his body flew up and down.
Ian stared at Whitebeard in shock, "That is—"
"Observation Kill!"
**********
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