And then, at that very moment—
"Hm!!"
Suddenly, several uncertain shouts rang out across the deck.
The four Marines simultaneously looked up, and Kong also raised his head.
Like them, many others on the deck lifted their heads as well.
"What?"
Saturn stared at the sky in shock.
Amid the thick clouds above, a massive shadow silently emerged.
Golden light began to bloom within the clouds, and the enormous wings alone caused the cloud layer to split with each flap.
Through the flowing clouds below, a gigantic golden dragon slowly descended.
"Hey!"
Kizaru incredulously pushed his sunglasses up onto his forehead. "No way?!"
A sudden gust of wind blew down from the sky, shaking the massive ship moored at the shore.
"Blaze Cannon."
The golden dragon lifted its head slightly, and in the next instant, it opened its mouth and unleashed a furious torrent of flames.
The brilliant golden fire fell like a waterfall descending from the heavens.
"Oh! Looks like it's saying hello to us!"
Kizaru said with a grin.
"It's Ian!!"
Kong paid no mind to Kizaru's nonsense and shouted at the top of his lungs, "Watch out! His attack is coming!"
"Oh? So this is Ian the Skyfire?"
The Supreme Commander of the God's Knights rose to his feet, lazily tilting his head back to gaze at the massive golden divine dragon in the sky and the blazing fire it spewed.
"Hmph, let me see his strength for myself."
He placed his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.
In the next instant, his long blade was drawn, and a massive crimson strike shot into the sky, colliding violently with the descending flame.
The fiery breath and the soaring slash met without yielding, instantly triggering a violent explosion in the sky.
Then, the breath shattered the slash, continuing its descent with undiminished force.
"What?"
Garling paused, slightly stunned.
His serious strike had been broken so easily?
"Ha!"
A sudden roar came from behind.
The commander of the army, Kong, leaped into the air, swinging his fist with all his strength. His right fist, charged with Haki lightning, unleashed a massive shockwave, finally blasting apart the fire that had been falling from above.
"Hoo!!"
A violent wind howled down from above, whipping the clothes of everyone on the deck.
The enormous golden dragon flapped its wings and hovered not far above the island.
"So many familiar auras… but also many unfamiliar faces," Ian said gently, looking down at the people on the deck.
His gaze focused on Garling and Saturn.
Although he had never met these two before, Ian knew of them.
The Supreme Commander of the God's Knights, and Saturn, one of the Five Elders.
If Saturn was here, that meant the other four Elders could be summoned at any time.
Oh… this is a bit terrifying.
The World Government really is going all out this time.
"Ian!!"
Saturn stomped his staff heavily, glaring at Ian through gritted teeth.
"Why are you here?!"
This was supposed to be a secret assassination mission, barely known even within the World Government.
Their route was highly classified!
Ian had no reason whatsoever to know they would be here.
Yet now, the bastard was perfectly blocking their path.
How did he know? How did he know their route?
Who told him? Who leaked the information?
Thoughts raced through Saturn's mind, faces flashing before his eyes.
Who could it be?
Could it… be Stussy?
"Wondering how I knew, huh? Haha," Ian chuckled lightly, then called out, "Dracule Mihawk! My friend, aren't you coming out to see me?"
Saturn froze for a moment.
The next instant, the deck was torn apart by a sword slash from below, and a figure leapt through the gap.
Mihawk landed on the ship's railing, glancing back at the people on deck with slight annoyance.
After a brief moment of shock, everyone quickly shot him hostile glares.
Mihawk's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but look up at Ian.
"My friend… is this how you treat your friends?"
This bastard… he's completely framing me.
"Was it you who betrayed us?"
The air tore apart in an instant. A long sword wrapped in dual-colored Haki suddenly struck from behind Mihawk.
In the nick of time, Mihawk turned and drew his blade.
Clang!
Sparks of Haki lightning flew everywhere, and Mihawk was forced backward, landing lightly on the shore.
"Oh?"
His hawk-like eyes blazed, fixed on the man who had just swung a sword at him—the commander of the God's Knights.
"Impressive slash!"
Mihawk's lips curled into a smirk. "So the World Government has a swordsman of your caliber hidden away?"
"To oppose the World Government," Garling said coldly, "your fate is nothing but death."
"Death or life," Mihawk raised his long sword, "let the sword decide!"
He wanted to measure his own strength against Ian, but seeing such a formidable swordsman right before him, Mihawk couldn't possibly just stand there without fighting.
Ian?
Go climb a tree or something!
"Haha!"
Ian laughed heartily.
He had only framed Mihawk to protect Stussy's CP0 identity and, incidentally, to push Mihawk into rebelling.
But he hadn't expected it to go so smoothly.
Mihawk really took a liking to Garling.
"Very well, my friend!"
Ian said with a grin, "then let's fight side by side, as we haven't done in a long time!"
Mihawk rolled his eyes in disdain.
Still… there was no choice now, was there?
There were no words left to explain.
"Even Mihawk is siding with that bastard?"
Sengoku walked to the ship's railing, clenching his teeth. "The Beasts Pirates' strength is even greater than we imagined!"
"No matter what, we take them down here."
Saturn looked up.
Above the sky, besides Ian, there were several powerful auras even deeper, higher up. Ian hadn't come alone.
Perfect timing!
"What a coincidence, I was thinking the same thing."
Ian lowered his altitude and landed on the shore amidst violent tremors, behind Mihawk. He smiled and said, "You must be one of the Five Elders, right?"
"Since you've come to the human world, don't go back."
"You think you can stop me?"
Saturn sneered.
"In any case—"
Ian extended his right claw.
Then, he grabbed Mihawk.
"Huh?"
Mihawk froze, instinctively struggling. "Ian! What are you doing?"
"Mihawk, go up there for a while!"
With a powerful toss upward, Mihawk instantly became like a cannonball, flying deep into the sky and disappearing.
Then.
Ian's body gradually shrank, finally taking the Human-Beast form. He smiled and said, "Ready to watch the fireworks?"
Everyone on the ship's deck paled.
Ian held a jar in each hand, each containing a piece of Dyna Stone.
Snap.
The surging Haki crushed the jars.
Boom!
**********
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