Sakazuki was shocked by Ian's crazy actions.
Although he was a Marine Headquarters Admiral and adhered to absolute justice, deeply hating pirates, he didn't arrogantly believe he could simultaneously eliminate three Four Emperors crews. Not to mention eliminating three Four Emperors crews simultaneously, with Marineford's current deployment, they would struggle even if Kaido led the Beasts Pirates to Marineford.
Undeniably, Marineford now had him, Aokiji, and Kizaru, three Admirals, stationed there. Sengoku and Garp would also be present at the execution platform, and Marineford had gathered all Marine Vice Admirals and 100,000 elite troops, which was more than enough to deal with the Whitebeard Pirates. However, they had to consider not only eliminating the Whitebeard Pirates but also preventing other pirate forces from emerging at that time to create chaos. Once Kaido led the Beasts Pirates to Marineford, the Marine would have no choice but to go all out. In such a scenario, any slight disturbance on the Grand Line would bring unimaginable consequences to the Marine.
If another Yonko was drawn into this war, they couldn't imagine what severe consequences it would cause; the world could be overturned by it.
Most importantly, after three Four Emperors crews were drawn into this war, other pirate forces would not just possibly, but absolutely, cause trouble everywhere to expand their respective forces and territories.
However, despite his shock, Sakazuki quickly calmed down. This was because he believed Ian must have considered these factors. Since Ian had made such a plan, it was impossible for the Marine to bear all of it.
Seeing Sakazuki's reaction, Ian picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and casually said, "Just state your business, why are you all standing? Return to your seats!"
Hearing this, Sakazuki and Shamrock returned to their seats.
Once the two were seated, Ian continued, "The Marine's main target is the Whitebeard Pirates. Your deployment doesn't need to change or be redeployed because of my plan, because you are not the ones dealing with Kaido. Regardless of whether Kaido's Beasts Pirates use the 'besiege Wei to rescue Zhao' strategy to wage war elsewhere to alleviate Whitebeard's pressure, or if he plans to personally join Whitebeard at Marineford, This Young Master will not let him have his way."
After a slight pause, Ian stood up and walked to the center of the hall, "As long as Kaido dares to leave Onigashima, the CP0 agents lurking in Wano Country will immediately contact the God's Knights. The God's Knights will cooperate with CP0 from inside and out, swiftly capturing the Wano Country Shogun's Palace and quickly seizing the major fortresses of Wano Country and Onigashima. While the God's Knights occupy Wano Country, the Marine in the New World must move into Wano Country at the fastest possible speed, completely taking control of Wano Country!"
Sakazuki hesitated, but finally mustered the courage to ask, "What if Kaido doesn't leave Wano Country?"
Ian waved his hand, confidently saying, "Kaido will definitely leave Wano Country, because another Yonko will immediately leave his territory."
Sakazuki's pupils slightly contracted, "Does the Young Master mean that Red Hair Shanks will also make a move?"
"No, no, no," Ian smiled and turned to look at Uta, "If nothing unexpected happens, Shanks already knows that his daughter has been brought back to the Holy Land by me. Having given up his Celestial Dragons status and left the Holy Land to become a commoner, he will definitely return to the Holy Land for Uta. Once Kaido receives news of Shanks leaving his territory, because Shanks has always played the role of maintaining the balance of power in the New World, his departure at this time will surely make Kaido mistakenly believe that Shanks intends to stop the Whitebeard Pirates."
Sakazuki fell silent. A public execution had actually directly involved the Four Emperors of the Sea who ruled the New World. Such a grand undertaking, in the current Grand Line, probably only Saint Ian, the most powerful Crown Prince of the Holy Land, could pull off.
However, he still couldn't figure out what other trump cards Ian had that he didn't know about. Besides the God's Knights, would the Gorosei also make a move? Or did the Holy Land have a mysterious ace he was unaware of?
After a brief silence, Sakazuki tentatively asked, "Shanks's goal is to return to the Holy Land, which means he won't be drawn into this war! So, the Young Master's targets are the Whitebeard Pirates, the Beasts Pirates, and the Big Mom Pirates."
Ian returned to his seat, took the wine glass Hancock handed him, and said confidently, "This Young Master has already sent people to infiltrate the Big Mom Pirates' territory. Charlotte Linlin's Totto Land, whether they want to be involved in this war or not, they must pay the price for ignoring the World Government's authority all these years!"
Before Sakazuki could react, Ian suddenly changed the subject, looking at him with burning eyes, "Sakazuki, if This Young Master is not mistaken, you should also possess the qualities of a king! The reason you haven't awakened Conqueror's Haki until now is because even though you have been suppressed by the Gorosei all these years, you have always maintained your loyalty to the World Government!"
Hmm?
Sakazuki's pupils slightly contracted, and he asked, puzzled, "What does the Young Master mean by that?"
Ian picked up his wine glass and stood up, looking down at Sakazuki, his powerful aura completely undisguised, "There's a saying circulating in the Grand Line:'Strong individuals with Conqueror's Haki are as numerous as carp crossing a river in the New World.' And above all kings, there is the Pirate King!"
"As the Crown Prince of the Holy Land, bearing the future of the World Government, am I really inferior to a mere Pirate King?"
After a slight pause, Ian took a sudden step forward, the aura unique to the Crown Prince of the Holy Land abruptly surged, and an invisible pressure enveloped Sakazuki. He said in a deep voice, "Sakazuki, step forward!"
Feeling the oppressive force from the Crown Prince of the Holy Land, Sakazuki's heart tightened, and his body trembled uncontrollably at that moment.
Immediately after, Sakazuki quickly stood up and hurried to Ian, kneeling on one knee, "What are the Young Master's orders!"
Ian didn't speak, but held the wine glass in one hand and slightly raised his other hand, placing it on Sakazuki's head.
The moment his palm touched Sakazuki's head, terrifying Conqueror's Haki suddenly erupted without warning. The black and red Conqueror's Haki then condensed into dazzling bolts of lightning, completely enveloping Sakazuki.
Sakazuki, who never expected Ian to suddenly release Conqueror's Haki and envelop him, his pupils sharply contracted. He then instinctively reacted, and his unique Logia-type Magma-Magma Fruit ability erupted, attempting to counter Ian's sudden release of Haoshoku.
However, because Sakazuki didn't expect Ian to suddenly attack him, having missed the initiative, he was completely unable to contend with the sudden arrival of the ultimate Conqueror's Haki.
As soon as his Magma-Magma Fruit ability erupted, Sakazuki strangely found that his Devil Fruit ability was suppressed by the Conqueror's Haki, unable to exert any effective resistance.
Immediately after, he let out an uncontrollable roar, tilting his head back.
The next second, a terrifying energy, no less powerful than magma, revived within him and then quietly burst forth.
Rumble—
The moment the two pure energies collided fiercely, neither gave an inch, intertwining and soaring into the sky, directly piercing through the castle and causing thunder to rumble over the Holy Land.
"This is—"
Gringo, who was sitting in his seat, suddenly stood up, looking in disbelief at Sakazuki, who had suddenly erupted with terrifying energy to contend with Ian's released Conqueror's Haki. He exclaimed, "Conqueror's Haki! Sakazuki really possesses the qualities of a king!"
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