"Come on, kid!!"
The naginata in his hands pulsed with shockwaves and Haki once more, and the entire island, along with the atmosphere above it, began to tremble.
"Let me see your true strength!"
"Is that so?"
Ian smiled. "Then I'll satisfy you."
In the next instant, his body, glowing with golden light, suddenly expanded.
The sky-darkening Golden Divine Bird flapped its wings, stirring up a hurricane as it hovered above.
What an enormous creature! Its wingspan stretched over five hundred meters. Even just floating in the sky, it looked like a golden cloud. A mere flap of its wings stirred an unstoppable gale.
Then, brilliant golden flames erupted from the massive dragon. Its colossal body seemed to melt within the fire.
In the next moment, the flaming bird spanned across the sky.
Scarlet hues quickly spread within the golden flames, and in the blink of an eye, Ian's body turned a deep crimson.
"This is the Sun God's Winged Dragon, Phoenix form!"
A voice like rolling thunder poured from the flaming bird's mouth.
"Are you ready, Whitebeard?"
He hovered in the sky, yet the ground below began to melt. Far out over the sea, thick mist rose.
The Moby Dick, docked at the shore, immediately caught fire. Members of the Whitebeard Pirates screamed as they retreated in terror.
"The Sun God's… Winged Dragon?"
Mihawk murmured under his breath.
Sun God?
Winged Dragon?
Is this the name of the ability of Ian, something almost no one on the seas knows about?
Mihawk had heard some legends about the Sun God before.
Could this be the ability that Ian possesses?
"Finally giving it your all?"
Whitebeard lowered his body, raising his naginata.
At this moment, there was none of the usual gloom or heaviness on his face. Instead, there was a joy almost childlike.
At the final moment, with everything cast aside, he could actually smile.
"Come!"
The man who had long been sung about as a great pirate of the seas leapt into the air, swinging his massive blade toward the enormous firebird in the sky.
"Farewell, Whitebeard."
The firebird flapped its wings downward.
"Sky Split!!"
The blade came down.
The surging haki and shockwave tore a gash across the firebird's head.
But in the next instant, the firebird swallowed Whitebeard whole.
The massive bird slammed onto the shore.
A spiraling crimson flame shot up instantly, reaching deep into the sky—perhaps even beyond the world itself.
"Ugh!!"
Teach's body had turned completely black, staggering backward.
He was far too close to Lord Ian. Even without the flames spreading, the sheer heat alone was almost unbearable.
"This is insane!"
Mihawk looked up at the towering vortex of flames that seemed endless, unable to hide his astonishment.
"If Ian hadn't deliberately controlled the fire, hadn't restrained the explosion upward… this entire island, along with all of us, would've been wiped out by now."
The flames vanished in the next instant. On the shore lay a deep, bottomless circular crater.
Ian had returned to his human form, standing beside the massive pit.
Casually, he threw the object he held toward the Whitebeard Pirates.
The long blade spun through the air and finally crashed down, embedding itself in front of Vista, who was kneeling on the ground.
"I left this just for you."
Ian said, "Take it back as a memento."
Even today, even a famed blade of the supreme great blades rank could no longer withstand Ian's destructive fire.
Yet Ian had left this sword behind.
Whitebeard himself had been reduced to ashes. At the very least, he would leave a small keepsake for his loyal sons and grandsons.
"Pops!!"
Vista stared at the blade before him, his body trembling violently as he collapsed to the ground, writhing like a caterpillar and wailing uncontrollably.
"Ian!!"
Amidst a roar that sounded almost demonic, a slender voice charged toward Ian.
"Again and again! How many of my family do you intend to kill?!"
Kōzuki Hiyori had completely broken down.
For all these years, she had considered Whitebeard her true father.
Even her biological father, Kōzuki Oden, did not hold as important a place in her heart as Whitebeard.
But now, that father figure had also been slain by Ian, leaving no trace of his body.
All reason fled in that instant, leaving only one thought in the girl's mind: to strike down Ian with the blade in her hand.
Ian, as if he hadn't even noticed Hiyori, lightly leapt over the large pit and landed before Mihawk and the others.
"Let's go. Back to Onigashima."
He said.
Sphinx lay in the latter seas of the New World, beyond Onigashima.
So now they could return to Onigashima, gather all their allies, and head to Sphinx to claim the final Road Poneglyph and confirm the location of the ultimate island.
Finally, to seize the legendary treasure.
"Can't wait!"
Teach said cheerfully, "I wonder what the legendary treasure really holds!"
Mihawk cast him another glance.
Is this really the mental state of someone who just lost their father?
"We'll know soon enough."
Ian said.
Behind them, Hiyori rushed to the edge of the pit, ready to leap, when a blue shadow suddenly descended from the sky, pressing her to the ground.
"Hiyori! Don't act rashly!"
Marco held her down with all his strength. His face was streaked with tears and snot, a mess of grief, but he still forced himself to speak loudly despite the sorrow, "Don't forget Pops' orders! Don't betray his will!"
"Waaaaahhh!!"
Hiyori broke down in tears, her right hand stretching forward with all her strength as she gripped the blade, as if she could pierce the distant figure through sheer will alone.
"Ian! Ian!!!"
Ian's steps came to a halt.
Marco looked up in shock.
Ian turned his head slightly. "Right… even though Pops told you all to disband the Whitebeard Pirates, don't do it yet."
"Don't be in a hurry to let the World Government know what happened today. Until the final war begins, just act as you always have."
Marco clenched his teeth so hard it seemed he might shatter them.
After giving his final warning, Ian turned back around and continued forward.
"Teach, from now on, you'll be the one keeping an eye on them."
He spoke calmly.
"Understood!"
A vicious gleam flashed in Teach's eyes. "Zehahaha! Leave it to me, Lord Ian!"
"The moment they show even the slightest movement, I'll personally send them all to hell!"
Ian nodded lightly.
Just as he said—after Whitebeard's death, the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates no longer mattered.
It was time to head for Laugh Tale.
**********
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