Not a Mythical Beast, But a God!

The top floor of the castle keep was pitch black, unlit, with only faint moonlight shining in through the hole Ian had broken.

So, where is it?

Flames wrapped around the halo behind Ian's head, instantly illuminating the dark room.

The spacious room was sparsely decorated, with hardly any furniture.

It was clear that the Kozuki family had fallen on hard times these past few years. Despite ruling a region, they were quite poor.

"Ruffians! Halt!"

Just then, a shout came from behind.

Ian turned around.

Under the moonlight filtering through the hole, two samurai entered, swords drawn.

They looked like some of Shimotsuki Yasuie's samurai from earlier.

Hmm?

Ian frowned slightly.

Their blades were pitch black.

They can use Haki?

Shimotsuki Yasuie himself can't use it, but his subordinates can?

That goes against the basic rules of the Pirate World.

As everyone knows, in the Pirate World, the boss is always the strongest, no matter the faction.

Does Shimotsuki Yasuie think he's Buggy the Clown, daring to go against the natural order?

While Ian's thoughts were drifting, the two samurai had already lunged forward like the wind.

Their coordination was excellent; they split into two paths, attacking him simultaneously from both sides.

Then.

Ian casually sidestepped, and the samurai's blades passed right by his chest and back.

The two samurai paused slightly. He's just a child, yet so agile?

They didn't have time to think too much. If one strike wasn't enough, then five, ten, a hundred strikes!!

Just two swords stirred up two gales in an instant. Ian was caught between two fierce winds, like a petrel in a storm, about to be torn to shreds at any moment.

However, that moment, which seemed to be coming in the next second, never arrived.

The petrel danced in the storm.

Ian danced amidst the sword edges, casually stepping back, twisting, bending, and looking back, perfectly dodging every swing from the two samurai.

How is this possible!!

The faces of the two samurai were flushed red, like pig livers.

Ian was getting a little full of himself.

It can't be helped that I'm this outstanding.

Who do you think I've been fighting these past few years?

Compared to Teacher Kai's speed, which was practically instantaneous movement, these two are as slow as crawling turtles.

However, I didn't even need to dodge.

Clang!

Two crisp sounds rang out in quick succession, almost blending into one.

"What?"

The two samurai's expressions changed simultaneously, with no hint of the excitement of finally hitting their opponent.

Ian raised his hand and casually grabbed their powerful blades.

With this level of Haki and this amount of strength, how could they possibly hurt me?

It's probably because I've fought Teacher Kai too much; without entering my ball form, I instinctively want to dodge when attacked.

He glanced at the two pale-faced samurai.

They're much weaker than Hyogoro.

Seriously, they dare to chase after me with this level?

They really don't know their own limits.

Boom!!

The next instant, the very top of the castle keep erupted in a brilliant pillar of golden fire, blooming in the night sky like a volcanic eruption.

Below, in the courtyard.

"..."

Shimotsuki Yasuie, covered in burns, gritted his teeth as he watched the blooming flames.

"Hahaha! Ian would never lose!"

Opposite him, Yamato said with a grin, "Me neither!"

The girl continued her attack.

"Ah, this is troublesome."

Ian scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit regretful.

Although the two samurai had been blown away by the soaring flames and no one knew where they had gone, the entire floor had been ignited by him, and the fire was spreading everywhere.

He needed to find them quickly.

But he didn't know where Kozuki Oden's two children were, so he walked down one of the corridors.

"Mother,"

Just then, a shoji door next to him was pulled open, and a little imp with a chonmage hairstyle rubbed his eyes as he came out of the room. He seemed a bit listless, perhaps because he hadn't woken up yet. "It's so hot? Did something happen?"

He blinked his eyes and looked around blankly, searching for his beloved mother.

But what he saw were flames spreading everywhere, and within the flames, a golden-armored winged figure wreathed in blazing fire.

The boy's eyes widened. "Am I still dreaming?"

Oh?

Ian raised an eyebrow. Kozuki Momonosuke.

It really worked out without any effort.

He strode towards the imp, who was the same age as him.

Momonosuke looked at Ian approaching and instinctively pinched his cheek. The clear pain instantly woke him up. "It's not a dream!!"

He was already eight years old. Even though he had been well protected by his parents, he knew some things. He knew they were facing a threat from an enemy!

Momonosuke's face immediately showed fear, and he instinctively tried to run backward.

Behind him was his room, so there was nowhere to run. But he couldn't think of that now.

However, his speed was too slow in front of Ian. With a casual step forward, he grabbed the boy by the collar and lifted him up.

Without using his abilities, Ian was only slightly taller than Momonosuke.

But in his beast form, Ian was taller than two Momonosukes, close to an adult's height. Lifting the boy was effortless.

"Kozuki Momonosuke?"

Ian felt like he was asking the obvious, but a final confirmation shouldn't be a problem.

"It's hot! It hurts!! Help me!! Father! Mother! Help me! I've been caught!"

He was utterly cowardly. Momonosuke started crying hysterically the moment Ian grabbed him. The high temperature radiating from Ian's body was already causing him to scream in pain.

It seemed he had the right person.

Ian nodded slightly. Kozuki Oden probably wouldn't bother with a body double for his son.

"Momonosuke!!"

A shriek-like exclamation came from behind. Ian turned his head. A gentle woman with green hair had just pulled open a shoji door and rushed into the room.

"Mother!"

Hearing his mother's voice, Momonosuke, who was crying rivers of snot from fear, twisted his head desperately like a drowning man seeing a straw. "Hurry and save me!"

The woman, Toki, bit her lip.

She had rushed up as fast as she could, but she was still a little late.

Momonosuke had been caught!

"Mother? Brother?"

At this moment, an even worse situation arose. A soft voice sounded beside her. A little girl pulled open the shoji door next to her. Kozuki's second daughter, Hiyori, had also been woken up. She hugged her small pillow, rubbed her eyes, and yawned as she walked out, looking at the scene with confusion.

"Hiyori!!"

Toki instinctively scooped her younger daughter into her arms.

The little girl didn't realize the situation at all. Held in her mother's arms, she comfortably closed her eyes.

"Mother's embrace is so warm."

Toki, however, almost bit her lip through.

They're all here, are they?

Ian took a step forward. "I'm sorry, but Teacher Kai said he wants to see you."

"Stop right there!"

Toki drew the katana at her waist, pointing the tip directly at Ian. "Don't come any closer! And let go of Momonosuke!"

"I can't do that."

Ian didn't stop walking or show any signs of letting go. He just shook his head. "All I can say is, I'm sorry."

Sigh, I really feel like I'm walking further and further down the villain's path.

"Give Momonosuke back to me!"

The enraged mother unleashed astonishing strength. With a slide of her foot, she closed the distance like teleportation, her blade slashing horizontally.

She could indeed tell from Ian's voice that he was a very young child.

But even if he was a child, he couldn't harm her child.

Ian casually raised his hand and grabbed the blade of Kozuki Toki's sword.

Without any Haki attached, the blade couldn't break through Ian's defense, and his strength made it difficult for Toki to resist.

Toki didn't hesitate. She directly let go and reached out with her slender right hand towards Ian's arm.

Flames surged from Ian's hand, forming a barrier in front of Toki.

However, the woman didn't hesitate at all and thrust her hand directly into the scorching golden flames.

The terrifying heat instantly contorted her expression.

But in the next second, the flames blocking her path vanished.

"Hmm?"

Ian couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation.

What happened?

But he immediately remembered that this woman was a user of the Paramecia-type Time-Time Fruit.

That was a very tricky ability.

The Time-Time Fruit had the ability to travel through time and send people or objects into the future.

Could it be that she had sent the flames into the future?

She could do that?

As he marveled, Toki's hand had already landed on his arm.

Success!

Toki was so overjoyed she almost wept.

"Now, fly off into the distant future!"

"Time-Time Fruit, activate ability!"

But.

Huh?

Toki froze.

Ian grabbed her wrist in return and lifted her up. "I caught you."

"How is this possible!!"

Toki couldn't comprehend it. "How could it not work!!"

Her Time-Time Fruit had no effect on this guy!

It shouldn't be, this made no sense at all.

Powerful Haki could indeed hinder the effectiveness of Devil Fruit abilities, and even directly repel certain Devil Fruit users.

But this guy showed no signs of using Haki.

It was simply, the ability just didn't work on him!

How could it not work! How dare it not work!

Devil Fruit abilities should be absolute.

If even her abilities didn't work, what should she do next? What about Momonosuke and Hiyori?

"You ask how it's possible it didn't work,"

Ian said leisurely, "Isn't it very simple? Because the Sun God's Winged Dragon of Ra is not a mythical beast, but a god."

A god?

Toki was slightly stunned.

This child actually claimed to be the Sun God?

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