"Tokikake"
The surging flames exploded and sent Zephyr, who had been suspended midair using Geppo, flying through the air. As he was thrown back, Zephyr roared hoarsely.
"Zephyr-sensei!"
Aokiji, who had just been knocked away moments ago, returned swiftly and caught his tearful master in his arms.
Gritting his teeth, he growled, "This monster!!"
The entire fight hadn't even left a scratch on him—yet now, it was Tokikake who had been killed!
What kind of monster is this guy?
As the flames dissipated, Ian slowly descended, his wings gently fluttering. He spoke with mild irritation.
"So… wouldn't it have been better to just pretend you didn't see me? Why drag everyone into such an ugly mess?"
Zephyr could only stare at him in a daze.
Tokikake—was gone, vanished without a trace.
"Die!! You bastard!!"
Roaring with rage, Zephyr had lost all reason after the death of his disciple. Enraged, he charged at Ian with everything he had.
"Zephyr-sensei!!"
Aokiji's face changed drastically.
Zephyr had completely lost control!
And against an opponent like Ian, losing your mind would only lead to one outcome!
He rushed forward to assist.
Ian floated serenely in the sky, allowing Zephyr's furious punch to pierce straight through his skull.
Guided by future sight through his Observation Haki, he didn't even need to fully transform into his Phoenix form.
All he had to do was turn the specific area that would be attacked into flames—and he could completely nullify every one of their attacks.
"How boring," Ian said flatly.
The Phoenix Form was immune to all direct attacks. Its resistance ignored all special abilities.
When he transformed into flames, he was nearly invincible.
"That's enough playing around."
Ian's right hand suddenly burst into crimson flames.
Aokiji's pupils shrank in an instant as he rushed in to attack.
"Die."
Zephyr had no time to pull back his fist—Ian had already thrown a punch straight at his chest.
This punch was meant to go straight through his body, tearing it apart completely.
"Zephyr-sensei!!"
Zephyr was knocked aside, and Aokiji gritted his teeth, swinging his fist to counter.
The spreading Haki was instantly shattered. The crimson fist, laced with dark patterns, collided directly with Aokiji's.
"Aaaaargh!!"
The Marine Admiral let out a scream. The Armament Haki covering his left fist held against the flames of destruction for a mere moment—then was wiped from existence.
His fist began to disintegrate.
Then his forearm followed...
"Kuzan!!"
Finally coming to his senses, Zephyr cried out and grabbed Kuzan, retreating rapidly.
But even so, only a small piece of his left arm remained.
"Ugh!!"
Aokiji's face turned pale, drenched in sweat.
"What a ridiculously unfair ability!"
An ultimate defense that was almost impossible to hit.
An ultimate offense capable of destroying everything.
To combine both into one person—how could such an unreasonable power exist in this world?
"Kuzan! Are you alright?"
Zephyr's face was filled with urgency.
"Relax, Mr. Zephyr," Ian cut in with a smile.
"Aside from its destructive power, my flame naturally still carries intense heat. I also helped cauterize Kuzan's wounds along the way."
Aokiji lowered his head.
The lower half of his bare left arm had already turned to charred coal.
The bleeding had indeed been stopped.
It even mirrored Zephyr-sensei now.
"Alright, you two,"
The crimson fire in Ian's right hand morphed in shape, stretching out into a scarlet blade. "Time to die."
"..."
Below, Crocodile watched the scene unfold, his lips drooping, his gaze dark enough to drip.
This bastard… is he really this powerful?
Even the other Yonko wouldn't be able to maintain such an overwhelming advantage while facing both a current and a former Marine Admiral at the same time.
To put it bluntly, it was like he was just beating on a pair of dogs!
On the nearby ship, Moria had clenched his jaw so tightly that several of his teeth had shattered.
That damn brat… he's even stronger than I imagined!
Even Oars probably wouldn't stand a chance against him.
What now?
How on earth are we supposed to beat him?
Shiryu's eyes, on the other hand, sparkled with excitement.
As expected!
Only someone this powerful can truly turn the world upside down!
Up in the sky, the Admiral and the former Admiral looked grim, their faces twisted with unease.
What should they do?
None of their attacks had any effect on this man.
On the contrary, if they were struck by his sword, it would mean the end for them.
How could they possibly face such an opponent?
Even together, the two of them were powerless!
Unless—
"IAN!!"
A furious roar erupted from below.
Just as Ian was about to cut down the pair, he looked down—
Hero Garp was storming in from the air, his fury shaking the heavens.
"Galaxy Impact!!"
A massive wave of Haki came crashing down.
Ian raised an eyebrow.
With a quick scan using Observation Haki, he saw that Redfield had already returned to their ship and was now sitting on the edge, gasping for air.
Redfield... he did that on purpose, didn't he? At this exact moment, he suddenly didn't want to keep fighting?
No... maybe it wasn't his fault.
Ian casually swung his sword.
The Blade of Destruction sliced through the torrent of Haki like silk, the wild winds whipping at his clothes.
An enraged Garp was not someone even Redfield could handle. If he didn't retreat now, a few more punches might really be the end of him.
On the ship below, Redfield leisurely wiped the blood from his face as he stared up at the sky, looking almost relaxed.
Shiryu stared at him with a puzzled expression.
Was this guy really just beaten to a pulp by Garp?
Why did he look like he was smiling?
What exactly was he thinking?
Up in the sky, Ian looked at the rapidly approaching Garp and let out a soft sigh. "Looks like today ends here."
This man was nothing like Aokiji or Zephyr—he wasn't so easy to mess with.
If it really came down to a three-on-one, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Whatever. He had already gotten the Devil Fruit he wanted.
That was enough.
With that, flames burst from beneath his wings, and in an instant, Ian shot into the heights of the sky. He grabbed Surtur, who had been waiting there, and without pause, transformed into a blazing meteor as they soared away in the direction they had come from.
"You little bastard!!"
Garp roared in fury, but there was nothing he could do. How was he supposed to catch up to Ian's speed?
Zephyr simply stood there, dazed, watching Ian's figure disappear into the distance. A sense of despair washed over him.
How could they possibly defeat someone like that?
Just as Ian had said, the power he possessed only brought despair to his enemies.
And worse... the World Government was still his partner, continuing to indulge and protect him.
**********
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