And not only did he not stop it, but he actually participated in it.
Seeing the melancholy on Zephyr's face, Ian raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you regretting it?"
"Not at all. If it were back then, I might have regretted it, but after experiencing so much, for me... I have already done enough of what is called justice."
Zephyr shook his head, a smile and a sense of relief on his face. "Just as you said, family is the most important thing, kid. I might have sought justice from the World Government in the past, or chosen to compromise for the greater good."
"But now, if Aria and Aikes were in danger, I would make a scene even more fiercely than that of the Straw Hat Pirates, and just like the Straw Hat Pirates, I would do everything in my power to save my most important family!"
As he spoke, he looked at Ian and said, "Besides, the World Government is the epitome of justice, so isn't it also justice for me to catch pirates? In fact, I've known this for a long time. If pirates can be recognized by the World Government, then I can easily become a heinous criminal. In this era, the so-called justice is no longer so absolute."
Ian: "..."
Hearing Zephyr's insights, Ian smiled as well.
When he was young, he also thought that good was good and bad was bad, justice was justice, and evil was evil.
For a period of time, he even felt disgusted by Roger's creation of the great pirate age and the chaos caused by Luffy releasing Impel Down's pirates.
As he grew up and experienced more, he came to understand that sometimes what we call justice is just a matter of where you sit.
Just like Gol D. Roger, the King of the Pirates... Who can be sure that the so-called great pirate age wasn't a solution he came up with at the end to save the world?
While the rise of the Great Pirate Age brought chaos, it also propelled the world's development, revealing more of its darkness, giving rise to countless powerful individuals, weakening the World Government's power and influence, and breaking down existing class structures.
Therefore, he thought of becoming stronger back then, seizing the opportunity to rise up and dominate the sea.
Unfortunately, the fate of a transmigrator did not seem to favor him.
Therefore, from the beginning, he did not claim to be an apostle of justice, nor did he think about changing the world. Like everyone else, for him, justice was just a weapon that could be used.
Now, his family is more important to him.
Just like what Instructor Zephyr said, if something happens to his family, he'll tear anyone who talks to him about justice, and he might even do something more outrageous than Luffy.
In a chaotic and disorderly era, when seeking justice proves fruitless, people resort to all sorts of means that they find unacceptable in order to survive.
He might feel dissatisfied, annoyed, or have opinions about these people, distance himself from them, or even take action to stop or retaliate against them. But he would never mock or look down on those who are fighting with all their might to seek justice, resist fate, and strive to survive.
Seeing Zephyr's melancholy and wistful expression, Ian still smiled and said, "If you really can't stand it, why don't you take your team out and wander around for a while!"
Upon hearing this, Instructor Zephyr was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, nodded, and looked at Ian, "It's a really good suggestion."
…
Time passed slowly, and as darkness fell, Ian and Zephyr rode the pink dragon to the Skypiea.
At this moment, everyone was waiting for Ian's arrival on the Skypiea.
Although Kuma and Enel had already brought back the news, and Robin and Ain had seen Ian appear on the Marineford during the live broadcast of the public execution, everyone was still tense and worried as long as they didn't see him return.
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when Ian and Instructor Zephyr appeared.
"Ian."
"Daddy."
Seeing his wife and children rushing towards him, the weak-looking Ian still managed a smile. He picked up one child in each arm and held them in his arms, but he didn't hold them for long before handing them over to Instructor Zephyr.
It wasn't that he disliked the child and wanted to hug his wife; it was just that after sunset, his injuries not only failed to heal but even worsened, leaving him too weak to hug the child.
Regardless, he's still a loving father!
So, they are just temporarily being handed over to Instructor Zephyr.
As for him now... It's getting dark, he's seriously injured, and he needs to rest early.
To be honest, Ian didn't care much about the public execution.
Robin mentioned that the public execution was over, but his outburst had caused the marines to lose control of the situation.
Furthermore, the appearance of Rayleigh, the former right-hand man of the King of the Pirates, only exacerbated the chaos.
As a result, the Straw Hat Pirates managed to escape successfully.
However, they were unclear about the specific outcome, since the live broadcast of the public execution was ultimately cut off.
However, since the Marines have chosen to cut off the public execution, the final result is probably quite bad and embarrassing for the Marine Headquarters.
In any case, if Marshall D. Teach successfully escapes, coupled with the Five Elders' defeat and the collapse of the Marine Headquarters, not only the Marines but also the World Government will lose reputation big time.
More than anything else, Ian was curious whether the Red-Haired Pirates had come this time, and whether Whitebeard had successfully retreated.
Of course, none of this mattered to Ian.
However, Ace was particularly happy to hear that his brother had escaped and that Ian had successfully repelled the Five Elders and the God's Knight. He even suggested holding a banquet to celebrate.
This is also a tradition at sea.
After a victory, everyone holds a banquet to celebrate and allow those who have fought to relax. Therefore, the proposal was approved by everyone, including Zephyr.
But Ian, who was seriously injured, was not in the mood for it. However, he did not spoil the fun and let everyone eat and drink as usual.