King of Gods!

Ian floated lightly to the floor.

As he fell from above, he did accumulate tremendous kinetic energy, but at the moment of impact, the surging Haki aura counteracted his fall, instantly reducing his speed to its limit.

Completely ignoring Kizaru and Saturn, Ian's gaze was fixed solely on the astonished Vegapunk.

"No way?"

Kizaru's forehead was covered in sweat, and his tone was extremely bitter. "I've never heard of this guy being here before."

Only those who have personally faced Ian at his full potential know just how terrifying this man truly is!

Now that so many years have passed, this guy's strength must have become even greater!

"What on earth is going on?!"

Saturn was utterly shocked. He shouted incredulously, "Ian! Why are you here!"

Was he here for Vegapunk? But how did this guy know Vegapunk was here?

What exactly is going on?

The esteemed Gorosei felt their minds were in complete chaos; they couldn't understand what was happening.

But Vegapunk's response immediately made him realize what was happening.

"Ian!"

Vegapunk, who had been utterly astonished just moments before, suddenly broke into an excited smile. "You came so fast!"

Even a scientist like him, engrossed in his research, was extremely familiar with Ian's appearance!

Saturn and Kizaru both widened their eyes simultaneously.

Vegapunk's reaction only proves one thing.

"Because a friend brought me here."

Ian smiled and spoke as he walked toward Vegapunk.

Just then, the bear descended from the hole, landing heavily behind Ian.

That brat from the Bakalya Tribe!

Saturn certainly wouldn't forget the bear, but at this moment he couldn't care less about it; all his attention was drawn to something else.

Saturn looked incredibly old but was actually much older than he appeared, glared at Vegapunk with eyes wide with fury and hatred. "Vegapunk, you betrayed us!"

No wonder Ian managed to find this place!

Vegapunk seemed a little embarrassed. He scratched his face sheepishly and whispered, "Sorry, I didn't mean for this to happen."

"But why is that, Doctor?"

Kizaru was utterly perplexed. He looked at his longtime friend and asked, "Would you rather be with Ian and pirates like the Beasts Pirates than with the government?"

Vegapunk paused for a moment.

Ian laughed and said, "That's probably because the Doctor thinks we're more likely to win this war than the World Government."

"Stop spouting nonsense, Ian! Who do you think you are!"

Saturn roared in fury.

Even the terrifying Joy Boy from eight hundred years ago lost, who do you think you are, kid?

"Because I think,"

Vegapunk finally spoke, saying seriously, "Compared to the World Government, the Beasts Pirates can make this world a better place!"

"Now, having inherited the will of the original pirate Joy Boy, Ian will lead the Beasts Pirates to challenge you!"

Ian's lips twitched.

I did not inherit anyone's will.

"What!!"

Saturn's pupils constricted. "Joy Boy? You bastard! Vegapunk, you're researching the Void Century!"

"I've always been searching!"

Vegapunk, now completely uninhibited, shouted with great fervor, "This world needs the truth!"

"This world could have been a better place eight hundred years ago, but it was you! It was your World Government that forcibly blocked that process!"

What would the world be like today if the technology possessed by that Giant Kingdom had spread across the seas?

Technology may bring conflict, but it will certainly promote development.

More technology will inevitably lead to more advanced productivity, which will create more wealth and enable people to live better lives.

However, all of this was prevented by the World Government.

Saturn's cheek muscles twitched.

Kizaru's eyebrows were lowered, making his eyes completely invisible, and thus his expression unreadable.

"So,"

Ian looked behind Vegapunk at the enormous furnace.

A glimmer of starlight floated in the liquid inside the furnace.

"Doctor, is this the energy source you've researched?"

"That's right!"

Vegapunk instantly snapped out of his previous impassioned state, a look of excitement spreading across his face. He pounded his chest and shouted, "This is it! I'll name it the Holy Mother's Flame! It will surely change the world!"

Once completed, a single flame can provide an absurdly large amount of energy!

This new type of energy will undoubtedly bring about revolutionary changes to the world!

That's wonderful!

Ian sighed sincerely.

With this thing, Pluton, who has been dormant for eight hundred years, can be activated again and unleash his world-destroying power!

"Then, Doctor,"

Completely ignoring Saturn and Kizaru behind him, Ian smiled broadly, "From now on, let's take it with us."

"..."

Saturn's pupils constricted.

How can this be!

Vegapunk and the Holy Mother's Flame cannot leave! They both must stay here!

While mentally addressing their colleagues in Mary Geoise, the Gorosei roared aloud, "Borsalino! What are you waiting for! Kill Vegapunk!"

Now that things have come to this, there is no room for further hesitation!

Vegapunk must die!

The energy sources he researched must also be preserved!

"Well..."

Kizaru let out a long sigh. "Why did it turn out like this?"

Why would he risk his life against his longtime friend?

However, the pain of being a member of society lies in the fact that we are often not in control of our own lives.

"Borsalino..."

Vegapunk's expression also became very complicated.

Although he had made up his mind to betray the World Government, the man in front of him was indeed a close friend of many years.

"Doctor, I'm sorry--"

Kizaru sighed, and his body began to transform into light.

but.

"Who gave you the right to Elementalization in front of me?"

Ian simply turned his head to the side and glanced back out of the corner of his eye.

Buzz!!

A red Inazuma leaped from his body and struck Kizaru in an instant.

This is an overwhelming force; there is absolutely no way to avoid it.

"Ugh!!"

Kizaru groaned, his body shuddering violently, and he staggered backward.

The body, which had already transformed into light, has now solidified back into a physical form.

Red Inazuma coiled around his body.

What is this?

Kizaru looked bitter. "My body is practically paralyzed!"

"That level of Conqueror's Haki!"

Saturn felt like his scalp was about to explode.

He completely overwhelmed Borsalino simply by using Conqueror's Haki?

Just how strong has Ian gotten in the last few years?

Bullet.

While suppressing Kizaru, Ian casually spoke, clearly not feeling any pressure and completely at ease.

A gigantic arm descended from the ceiling, grabbed the furnace, and Polymerization it into the furnace.

Then the giant hand reached out to grab Vegapunk again.

"Wait, wait, wait!"

Vegapunk waved his hands repeatedly, "There are some things we must take with us!"

"What a hassle."

A gigantic face emerged from the ceiling. "Then lead the way quickly!"

Vegapunk turned to look at Ian.

Ian nodded slightly. "Go."

So Vegapunk quickly ran towards a passage.

Just then, another person ran out of the passage.

"Doctor? What exactly is going on?"

Sentomaru, carrying a giant axe, looked completely bewildered.

"Don't get in my way!"

Before he could even react, Bullet's large hand had already grabbed him.

Sentomaru instinctively wanted to resist.

His Haki was indeed passed down from Kizaru, and its strength is not low.

But in front of Bullet, he could only be described as weak, unable to even budge that giant hand in the slightest; on the contrary, he himself was about to be crushed.

"Wait! Don't hurt him!"

Vegapunk hurriedly said, "Sentomaru is a child I raised since he was a child!"

"Snort."

Bullet snorted and threw the large, fat man in his hand towards Kizaru and his companion.

Wow!

Screaming, Sentomaru slammed into a wall like a soccer ball, and it took him a while to groggily crawl out, rubbing his head.

"So, what exactly is the situation now?"

He still didn't quite understand the current situation.

"Sentomaru,"

Kizaru, his body still trembling, lamented, "The Doctor has betrayed us; he's joined the Beasts Pirates."

"Ah?"

Sentomaru instantly stood up, watching Vegapunk, with his enormous head, rush into the passage.

He couldn't help but shout, "Doctor! What's going on?!"

Vegapunk's cheek twitched slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Sentomaru has wanted to become a Marine since he was a child.

Asking him to leave with me now is probably impossible.

Therefore, it's best to avoid getting involved with that child again; it's not a good thing for him.

Vegapunk believed that even if a fight broke out, Ian wouldn't do anything to him, because, as he had just said, Ian was the child he had raised!

Vegapunk rushed headlong into the passage; he needed to hurry and gather his things!

"PhD..."

Sentomaru watched Vegapunk's retreating figure, his face gradually turning pale.

Then he finally noticed the figure in the corner of his eye.

"Ian!!"

The fat man, wearing a bellyband, roared, "Was this your doing?!"

I don't understand why this guy is here! I don't understand why the Doctor is involved with him!

Sentomaru only realized one thing: everything was inextricably linked to this bastard!

There's no need to be so bitter and resentful.

Ian casually pulled up a chair and sat down, saying calmly, "This is Dr. Vegapunk's own decision. You understand now, right? As the darling of the World Government, how could I possibly force him?"

Sentomaru opened his mouth, but couldn't think of any rebuttal.

Yeah, if the Doctor hadn't taken the initiative, Ian wouldn't have been able to contact him at all!

"Speaking of which,"

Ian looked at Sentomaru, "Since you're a child raised by the Doctor, you're practically one of us. How about it? Come over here with me."

"Pooh!"

Sentomaru immediately spat disdainfully, "I'm going to be the world's number one Marine! How could I possibly associate with pirates!"

Ian nodded slightly, but didn't seem to care much.

Sentomaru is someone whose presence or absence wouldn't make a difference; his casual question was for Vegapunk's sake, and he didn't care about being rejected.

Then, Ian's gaze fell on Kizaru.

"Admiral Kizaru,"

He extended the invitation a second time, even deliberately halting the release of his Conqueror's Haki for it. "So, what do you say? Would you be willing to work somewhere else?"

Freed from the constraints of Conqueror's Haki, Kizaru finally breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled awkwardly, "Haha, what an honor."

He paused for a moment, then said, "But unfortunately, I don't have that idea yet."

"I see."

Ian shook his head with some regret. "In that case, I guess I'll just have to kill you here."

Since we've already encountered this situation, wouldn't it be good to weaken the World Government's power before starting a war?

Saturn is unkillable, but Kizaru is a different story.

Now that he can suppress the Elementalization of the guy with his Conqueror's Haki, this guy won't even be able to escape.

Kizaru clearly noticed this as well, and his expression gradually became even more unpleasant.

But at that moment, Saturn beside him suddenly sneered, "Ian! Do you think you can do whatever you want?"

"Oh?"

Ian was indeed intrigued by the guy's words. "So, you're not going to put on another show like summoning your four colleagues, are you? No matter how many punching bags you have, they're still just punching bags."

Saturn's sneer faltered, then turned somewhat annoyed.

However, he also admitted that even if he brought his four fellow stars over, they wouldn't stand a chance against Ian.

Back then, so many people combined were beaten like dogs by Ian; the gap will only be bigger now!

But this time is different!

"Be proud of it, Ian!"

Saturn suddenly raised his voice, almost like reciting an aria, "The King of Gods is about to descend!"

Ian was taken aback.

King of Gods?

That means...

Kizaru was taken aback.

"God" probably refers to the Celestial Dragons, so the King of Gods...

The ground suddenly began to tremble, and a huge black magic circle appeared in front of Saturn.

Let's go back a little earlier.

In a room deep within New Mary Geoise.

The four Gorosei who received the telepathic call from Saturn rushed here and knelt before the supreme ruler.

"Lord Im!"

Warcury kowtowed, "If we lose Vegapunk and the energy he developed, things will be very bad! It means we'll have to resort to last resorts! So, we have to stop that Ian guy!"

Then, the figure shrouded in a long black robe slowly stood up.

"Let Saturn summon M."

"Yes!"

Let's return to the present, to the Marine Science Unit base.

Ian raised an eyebrow, looking with a hint of surprise at the slender figure that slowly emerged in the center of the magic circle.

A tall, even somewhat pointed, crown; a jet-black robe; a slender, elongated figure.

There can't be any mistake.

"Lord Im!"

Saturn immediately knelt down.

Kizaru and Sentomaru were completely dumbfounded.

The Gorosei, have they knelt down?

"You are,"

The voice coming from beneath the black hood sounded like a superposition of two voices, male and female, indistinct and with an unclear timbre.

"Pirate Emperor?"