Chapter 59: A Step Too Late
Feeling Jack's breathing and heartbeat cease completely, Ian couldn't help but raise the corner of his mouth.
You're a step too late... Admiral Kizaru.
One of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates, "Drought" Jack, was dead.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully defeating "Drought" Jack, one of the Three Calamities of the Beasts Pirates, user of the Ancient Zoan-type, Elephant-Elephant Fruit, Model: Mammoth!]
[Reward Gained: 3000 Enhancement Points!]
[Current Accumulated Points: 4865 Points!]
[Reminder: Every 1000 points can be used for one enhancement...]
The single payout had reached a new record. A pirate with a billion-berry bounty was indeed worth the effort. One kill could directly fund three enhancements!
"Major General Jock Ian..." a languid, yet imposing voice drawled. "I think you should tell me what happened here? Or do you need me to introduce myself? Admiral of Headquarters, Borsalino."
The man who had arrived and posed the question was one of the three great Admirals of the Marine Headquarters. Kizaru, Borsalino! User of the Logia-type Pika Pika no Mi, the Glint-Glint Fruit!
From the moment Kizaru entered Ian's reconnaissance range to his appearance on the scene, only a few brief seconds had passed. This was the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit—a terrifying speed almost equal to light itself! If Ian had acted a moment slower, Kizaru would have arrived first, and whether Jack could have been killed would have been uncertain.
Ian's cadres, seeing the yellow flash land, rushed over at high speed.
Peacock, T. Peng, and Skylark quickly saluted. "Admiral Kizaru!"
Nami, a beat behind, raised her hand. "Ad-Admiral Kizaru?"
After the battle, Ian resumed his "good boy" persona. He approached Kizaru and said, "Thank you for your support, Admiral Borsalino. The situation is actually not that complicated. The New World pirate Jack came to the island to cause trouble and was executed by me personally."
Borsalino glanced sideways, his sunglasses failing to hide his surprise. "!!!"
New World Pirate Jack?
Already executed by your own hands?
Killing one of the top three executives of a Yonko crew was a monumental event, and Ian had made it sound as trivial as taking out the trash.
Five Minutes Later.
After Kizaru's repeated inquiries, he and Ian reached a "friendly understanding." Kizaru had a basic grasp of the situation. He took out a Den Den Mushi and reported to Fleet Admiral Sengoku at Headquarters.
The Den Den Mushi connected quickly, mimicking Sengoku's anxious expression. "Kizaru! What's the situation? Have you reinforced the position?"
Borsalino scratched his cheek, organizing his thoughts. "I'm sorry, Fleet Admiral Sengoku. To be precise... I was a step too late."
A noisy commotion came from the other end of the snail. Immediately, the snail's expression changed, morphing into the visage of a grumpy old man. "Kizaru! You bastard! What did you promise me? Didn't you say if you rushed over, you'd be faster than this old man? Now you tell me you were a step too late? What were you doing before? How is Ian now? Where is he? Did they get him medical attention? Is he still alive—"
Seeing that Admiral Kizaru had no chance to get a word in, Ian immediately stepped forward. "Mr. Garp! Mr. Garp! It's me, Jock Ian! I'm fine, I'm perfectly alright. I can jog, I can even jump!"
Just from Garp's tone, Ian knew he had to speak up. Otherwise, who knew what harsh words the old man would heap on Kizaru.
"Ian? You're okay, kid?" Garp's voice softened with relief. "As long as you're okay, that's what matters. Kizaru, you bastard, you did make it in time! Were you deliberately trying to scare us old folks?"
Garp breathed a sigh of relief but still couldn't resist complaining about Kizaru's report. Ian shrugged and pointed at the Den Den Mushi, indicating that the reporting duties should be handed back to Kizaru.
"Mr. Garp, don't be so excited," Kizaru interjected, his voice returning to its usual slow drawl. "Everyone, please listen to my report first... I was indeed a step too late. Jack the Drought of the Beasts Pirates... is already dead."
A chorus of shocked exclamations, louder than before, erupted from the Den Den Mushi.
"WHAT?!"
"WHAT?!"
"Dead? Killed... by Ian?"
"This kid... actually killed that Drought Mammoth?!"
"..."
Kizaru listened as the Den Den Mushi conveyed multiple voices in a chaotic uproar. Only after the shocked exclamations subsided did he continue. "Yes. He was killed by our young Major General Ian."
Sengoku's voice, firm and commanding, came through the snail again. "Kizaru, now! Immediately! Bring Ian back to Headquarters for a meeting! Immediately! There is to be no delay!"
The tone of Sengoku's order brooked no argument. The task of cleaning up the battlefield had to be left to Ian's subordinates and the other Marines. Ian had known that killing Jack would inevitably cause waves; he had anticipated this. He also wanted to see what the top brass at Headquarters would say. How would they navigate the coming storm?
Two Hours Later. Inside the Top-Secret Meeting Room, Marine Headquarters.
Ian recounted the entire incident in detail, hiding almost nothing aside from a few minor, personal specifics.
This meeting was attended by the highest echelons of the Marines:
Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
Chief of Staff Tsuru.
Vice Admiral Garp.
Furthermore, the three Marine Admirals—Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji—were all present, a rare occurrence. Due to the meeting's top-secret classification, not even elite Vice Admirals were in attendance.
After listening to Ian's report, everyone in the room was stunned into silence.
All except for Garp, who sat with his arms crossed, his back ramrod straight, a grin stretching from ear to ear, bursting with pride he made no effort to conceal.
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