"Damn you!!"
Zephyr's facial muscles trembled with rage.
Except for Gion and the other vice admirals capable of levitating with Moon Step, everyone else was annihilated in that instant!
Enel merely sneered. In the next moment, he transformed into lightning, returning to the Golden Flying Dragon even faster than Ian.
"Hmph."
Surtur snorted coldly. Without Ian's command, it dared not continue fighting and transformed into flames, chasing after its master.
Zephyr clenched his fists, his left fingernails digging into his flesh.
How could this happen? How did it come to this?
Ian!
Ian!!
Ian!!!
Was this bastard born to be his enemy?
He had severed Zephyr's arm in the North Sea!
Earlier, he had killed Tokikake right before Zephyr's eyes, forcing him to leave the Navy.
And now, he had snatched the Dyna Stone from Zephyr's hands, nearly destroying his greatest hope against the World Government.
"Ian!!"
Zephyr shouted in near madness.
That bastard!
That bastard!!
"Zephyr-sensei—"
Gion looked at her most respected teacher with worry.
What should they do now?
Without the Dyna Stone, even if Kuzan joined them, their strength was far too weak compared to the Pirate Emperors or the Navy and World Government.
Without the Dyna Stone, they couldn't even protect themselves in this chaotic New World.
Even the Cross Guild could easily annihilate them, not to mention the Navy and World Government, who harbored a deep hatred for them.
Gion was also engulfed in confusion.
What should she do?
What should be done now?
On Ian's side, unaware of Zephyr and the others' thoughts, he had already returned to the Golden Dragon immediately.
"Be careful. Don't let any of these glass jars break."
Ian carefully placed the sealed water tanks on the deck.
"Oh! So this is the Dyna Stone?"
Viola leaned over, marveling at the precious stones she had finally located after using several bottles of eye drops.
"Do these stones really hold power close to that of an ancient weapon?"
Law's face was filled with amazement. "You can't tell just by looking at them, can you?"
This thing must be a natural nuclear bomb.
Ian thought.
"Be careful," he said, "Don't touch it. If it explodes, aside from me and Enel, no one would survive."
Ian didn't need to explain further. Enel could transform into lightning, and pure physical attacks wouldn't affect him either.
"How are we supposed to store something this dangerous?"
Viola quickly stepped back. "I don't want to be blown into the sky!"
"It's simple."
Ian chuckled lightly. "Yamato, freeze them."
"Simple enough."
Yamato drew her kanabo and, with just a gentle swing, the water in the tanks froze solid, encasing the Dyna Stones completely.
Interestingly, the purple liquid in the glass jars didn't freeze—probably some kind of antifreeze.
That would do.
The ice Yamato created wasn't ordinary; its hardness surpassed steel by far. Even under the sun, it wouldn't melt in a short time.
With this protection, transporting the Dyna Stones back to Hive Island was entirely feasible.
"These stones, combined with Mr. Kuma and Viola's abilities!"
Jack's face was full of excitement. "Big Brother Ian, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore, right!!"
Whoever dared provoke them would simply have the bears smash these stones over, followed by a warm round of bombardment.
"I think so too."
Ian's lips curved into a faint smile.
With this, the World Government would have to think twice about their actions.
Which meant they could finally act freely in a true sense.
Yes.
At last, it was time to defeat Kaido-sensei and fully unify the Beasts Pirates.
Ian thought to himself.
There was no need to fear the World Government's caution now, nor pretend to play along with them.
Yes, it's decided. Once I grow a bit stronger, I'll blow up Five Elder's gold coins.
His current strength still didn't provide enough of an advantage over Kaido-sensei. If he were to gamble the Beasts Pirates in a full-fledged battle, Kaido wouldn't go easy on him.
Without sufficient confidence, it was better to wait a little longer—there was no need to rush.
Just let the body develop a bit more.
The Golden Dragon set sail and returned smoothly.
But to Ian's surprise, the NEO Navy did nothing afterward, continuing to develop in the original waters as if nothing had happened.
Ian found it rather amusing.
Did they think he wouldn't reveal that he had taken the Dyna Stone, so they could bluff and intimidate with this information gap?
Interesting.
But it didn't matter.
Ian didn't care about the existence of the NEO Navy at all.
They were nothing more than a group of inconsequential people.
It was enough if they played a minor role in the future war against the World Government.
Ian guessed correctly; Zephyr had the same thought.
Time rewinds to a little earlier, after Ian seized the Dyna Stone and left.
On the wreckage of the ships in that sea area…
Zephyr had freed himself from his painful, resentful emotions and said seriously, "At this point, this is all we can do for now!"
"That Ian guy will never easily reveal the fact that he took the Dyna Stone; otherwise, he'd become the target of everyone's wrath."
"We'll use this time to expand our strength as much as possible. Absorb as many people as we can."
Gion and the other former Navy Vice-admirals silently nodded.
"But this alone won't be enough."
Zephyr spoke seriously, "Everyone has already seen the gap between us and Hive Island. It's not something that can be bridged simply by recruiting more soldiers. The World Government is even stronger."
"So… we need to come up with another plan."
"Another plan?"
Gion asked, "Zephyr-sensei, what do you mean?"
"The Navy!"
Zephyr said, "From now on, we can only try to recruit those with the same ideals as us from within the Navy."
"Ah?"
Gion was momentarily stunned.
Is that even possible?
She thought carefully, and the truth was—it might not be impossible after all.
After all, her Zephyr-sensei was highly respected throughout the Navy. Among the current Navy commanders, his reputation was immense.
If he tried to recruit people, it was very possible he could gather some talented individuals.
"I understand!"
Everyone responded in unison.
There seemed to be no other choice now.
Zephyr, however, sighed quietly.
What should he do about Ian, who had obtained the Dyna Stone?
After returning to Hive Island, Ian became quiet.
His daily life was simple: playing, or training with Yamato and Hancock to develop the Observation Haki that allowed glimpses of the future. In a sense, he was already living a pre-retirement life.
Ian hide the Dyna Stone deep under the sea with Jinbei.
It was the safest place—completely isolated from air, making it impossible for the Dyna Stone to detonate.
Afterward, Crocodile targeted the NEO Navy a few more times, but nothing significant came of it. Zephyr had become even more cautious without the Dyna Stone.
And so, the year passed—Marine Calendar 1512 was over, and now it was Marine Calendar 1513.
This year, Ian turned seventeen.
As everyone knew, Luffy and Ace had set sail at seventeen, so it was his time to take action as well.
It was time to go and seize Five Elder's gold!
Ian thought to himself.
With that in mind, Ian gave Kaido-sensei a call, preparing to report his upcoming plans to his respected mentor.
"Kaido-sensei, I'm getting ready to take on the Beasts Pirates. Make your preparations."
**********
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