Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi rang out sharply.
"This is the place! Then head north!"
Viola's voice came through the receiver. "Roughly twenty nautical miles away."
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Ian tossed Surtur into the air. "Surtur!"
"Yes, Master!"
The tiny flame spirit instantly swelled in size, bursting through the protective bubble and transforming into a colossal god of fire in midair.
Ian landed on its shoulder, pointing to the right. "Full speed ahead!"
"Yes, Master!"
Flames erupted from Surtur's back and joints, propelling it like a shooting star that streaked across the sky in an instant.
"Idiot! That's the wrong direction!"
Inside the Den Den Mushi, Viola spoke irritably.
The shooting star slightly froze, then in the blink of an eye, sped off in the opposite direction.
The howling wind rushed past Ian's ears, his short black hair fluttering wildly in the gale.
"Oh!"
He stood up, standing atop Surtur's shoulder. "I see it."
Below on the sea, a massive ship was slowly making its way forward.
"Go down."
"Yes! Master!"
Below, on the ocean's surface, the Whitebeard Pirates' flagship, the Moby Dick, was steadily sailing.
The time was nearing dusk — dinner time.
Because there were many people, and if it wasn't raining, the Whitebeard Pirates usually ate on the deck.
Tables had already been set, and the cooks hurriedly carried fragrant dishes to the tables.
But every time at this moment, the mood among the Whitebeard Pirates would turn a little somber.
The one who used to do this was Thatch.
Once the Whitebeard Pirates' head chef, Thatch.
He always hummed a cheerful tune while serving delicious food.
Carefully arranging the dishes while mercilessly kicking away anyone trying to sneak a bite.
But that lovable guy had long been gone.
He would never return.
Once all the food was placed, the hint of melancholy in Whitebeard's eyes at the head seat faded, and he laughed heartily, "Then let's eat—"
The world's strongest man suddenly looked up.
Far off in the sky, a meteor was falling straight toward them.
"No way!"
Marco stood up immediately, his eyes wide with disbelief. "That guy—why is he here?! Is he alone? Or is the main force following behind?"
That familiar aura!
But this time, it was far, far stronger than the last time they met.
"Isn't this perfect timing?"
Whitebeard's golden hair fluttered despite the absence of wind. His calm voice carried the force of a thunderclap.
"That's right! This brat came at the perfect time!!"
Flower Sword Vista instantly drew the twin blades at his waist, roaring with fury, "Boys! Get ready for battle! It's time for revenge!!"
"Yeahhh!!!"
The deck of the Moby Dick erupted into a thunderous cheer.
And at one corner of the deck, a girl with dazzling emerald-green hair tightened her grip on the sword in her hands. Her captivating eyes were locked on the falling meteor from the sky!
It was getting closer by the second!
Now, they could clearly see its shape.
A towering giant of golden flames surged across the sea, its entire body engulfed in a roaring inferno.
And on the shoulder of that blazing giant stood a lone figure, arms crossed over his chest, gazing down with proud defiance—the sworn enemy of the Whitebeard Pirates.
He actually came!
Blackbeard, the burly and dark-skinned Teach, watched the approaching fire giant with mixed feelings.
That guy Ian... he really dared to charge at Moby Dick alone?
Even if he had defeated the Golden Lion Shiki, and more recently Charlotte Linlin, that still didn't justify this level of arrogance, did it?
"Gurararara! You really dare to come, brat!"
Whitebeard rose to his feet, his broad back like a wall that could hold up the sky itself.
The man known as the strongest in the world lifted his right hand, clenching his fist as a spherical shockwave formed above it. His fist became wreathed in a layer of black Armament Haki.
Boom!!
Even before he threw the punch, the sea around them had already begun to boil.
The ocean swelled and dipped violently, creating plateaus and deep basins upon the surface of the water!
"Hold on tight!"
Vista shouted, "Pops is about to blow!"
At that moment, everyone aboard could only look at their father with eyes full of awe.
This was their father!
Even before making a move, his sheer presence was enough to shake the heavens and the seas.
"Quake Fist!!"
Whitebeard finally threw his punch.
The veins on his muscular right arm bulged as he swung his fist, wrapped in shockwaves and Haki, and slammed it into the air before him.
With a soft crack, the air shattered like glass.
In the next instant, a world-shattering shockwave surged forward like a roaring dragon, bearing down on Ian with unstoppable force.
"Ohhh,"
Standing atop the rapidly descending Surtr's back, Ian couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement at the overwhelming display before him.
The seamless fusion of dual-colored Haki and shockwaves—the storm that sought to obliterate everything—was terrifying even to behold.
He couldn't afford to be hit by that.
Still with his arms crossed, Ian spoke calmly, "Surtr, crush it."
"Yes, Master!"
In his giant form, the restless Surtr laughed wildly in response, his right arm suddenly turning a blazing crimson.
"Fist of Destruction!!"
The towering giant hurled his punch straight into the storm from above.
Boom!!
His massive fist collided with the invisible shockwave.
And yet—it truly felt as though he had struck something solid.
The roaring quake abruptly ceased, and the raging Haki, having lost its vessel, vanished into nothingness.
The storm halted in an instant. The sky remained clear and bright, the breeze gentle and warm.
"No way!!"
Marco shouted in disbelief. "How could this happen?!"
If Ian had blocked the blow himself, Marco wouldn't have been so shocked.
After all, even though the guy was only sixteen this year, he was already one of the Four Emperors, standing shoulder to shoulder with Pops. Possessing such monstrous strength was expected.
But now, the target of his attack was the very creature beneath his feet—his own mode of transportation.
Even Whitebeard's expression grew more serious.
Ian chuckled lightly.
It wasn't that impressive.
Surtur had only disrupted the air itself.
The destructive power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was indeed terrifying.
But shockwaves still required a medium to travel through.
Without air, the so-called air shockwave couldn't exist—it would simply dissipate into nothingness.
And the Haki attached to the shockwave was now like a tree without roots.
Ian lightly leapt, landing softly on the deck of the Moby Dick.
The massive fiery spirit floated behind him, watching intently as it gazed down on the Whitebeard Pirates.
"Whitebeard-san, don't misunderstand," Ian looked at Whitebeard, whose face was as deep and unfathomable as a dark pool, and smiled lightly.
"I'm not here to start a fight, nor do I bear any hostility."
"Let's talk about Fish-Man Island."
**********
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