Chapter 100: Destination Sabaody Archipelago (Two-in-One Chapter)
The cold seawater hit him, making Ian shiver involuntarily.
Falling into the water wasn’t a big deal normally. Although Tina was a Devil Fruit user and couldn’t swim, Ian could. He held Tina tightly with one arm while treading water slowly in the sea, keeping them afloat as he waited for the Marine warship to rescue them.
However, what Ian hadn’t expected was that the disintegrating Spade, the ship they were on, had already started sinking!
Everyone knew that when a ship sinks, people nearby were in great danger. As the vessel went under, it would create a whirlpool, and the powerful currents would drag everyone nearby down into the sea with it.
That was exactly the situation Ian now faced. The Spade had already been taking on water after being attacked, and now that it had broken apart, the sinking was accelerating. The Marine warship was still some distance away, and it would take time to reach them.
Ian could already feel the pull of the current. Being in the water was completely different from being on land; he couldn’t use his strength effectively. With Tina in his arms, he tried swimming forward a few strokes but found he couldn’t break free from the suction. He knew trouble was coming.
“Miss! Remember to hold your breath!” Ian said to Tina in his arms.
Tina’s expression was complicated at that moment. She knew she had no strength at all in the water, so if she wanted to survive, she had to rely on Ian.
Waves rolled in, and a surge of force dragged Ian and Tina under the sea.
Thanks to Ian’s advance warning, Tina had held her breath. Although she couldn’t swim, if she could hold out for a while, once the Spade fully sank and the water’s force subsided, they could resurface.
Ian held Tina with his left arm and pressed his hat firmly with his right hand. He didn’t know if the Den Den Mushi inside the hat would be okay, but he couldn’t let go now. If he did, the hat would drift away with the current, and he might never get it back. He maintained this position, using only his legs to kick, trying to keep them from being pulled too far by the current.
But the suction from the sinking ship lasted longer than Ian had expected. After a while, Tina couldn’t hold her breath any longer. In the water, she was already weak and limp, and as a woman, her lung capacity couldn’t match Ian’s. When she was about to run out of air, she couldn’t help but struggle, moving her body.
Her movement caused her to sink a little further. When Ian reacted and tightened his grip, he wasn’t holding her waist anymore. Instead, his arm wrapped around her chest, and his hand ended up resting on her full breasts.
Startled, Tina opened her mouth to shout, but she forgot they were underwater. The last bit of air she had held escaped as bubbles.
She choked on a mouthful of seawater, and the discomfort was indescribable.
If this continued, Tina would really drown. But just then, Ian’s mouth came over and kissed hers, passing some air to her.
Ian felt quite helpless. He had no improper intentions toward Tina. After all, she was much older than him. If he calculated correctly, Tina was 29 years old at this time. His feelings toward her were purely based on admiration for her mature, elegant demeanor.
But falling into the water was unpredictable like this. Once a Devil Fruit user ate a Devil Fruit, they were essentially cut off from swimming. Tina hadn’t experienced a situation like this in years, so panic was inevitable. In such circumstances, Ian couldn’t let her die; he had to protect her, leading to this cliché scenario.
Fortunately, after receiving the air, Tina calmed down and stopped struggling recklessly. She knew that a drowning person’s frantic movements could sometimes drag the rescuer down with them.
Feeling the current’s pull gradually weaken, Ian kicked his legs and swam toward the surface. He was also running out of breath.
By then, the third warship had approached the area, searching for survivors. Besides Ian and Tina, there were also the Marine soldiers who had been knocked unconscious by Ace’s Conqueror’s Haki. Jolted awake by the cold seawater, they were desperately surfacing and calling for help.
“Whoosh!!” When they finally broke the surface, both Ian and Tina let out long, heavy breaths.
Ian drew the Enma from his waist and raised it high. In an instant, flames engulfed the entire blade, the blazing fire standing out vividly in the night. The search crew on the warship spotted it and quickly lowered a lifeboat, rowing toward Ian and Tina.
“Thank you…” Tina whispered to him, still catching her breath. “But… how long are you going to keep your hand there?”
Ian was startled, then realized his hand was still on her chest. He quickly moved it down a bit and said, “Sorry, sorry!”
But even as he said that, Ian was recalling the sensation. Tina had been wearing a red Marine uniform, and only now did Ian realize there was quite a bit of substance beneath it. It felt bigger than he had imagined.
Tina didn’t say anything more. She was a mature woman and wouldn’t blush over such a small matter. It had been unavoidable earlier, and she understood that.
Once they were on the lifeboat and back on the Marine warship, both Tina and Ian let out long sighs of relief.
Tina sat on the deck, and a Marine soldier quickly brought her a dry cloak and a cup of hot water. Ian, on the other hand, was ignored.
Tina looked at the Seastone shackles on her ankle, then at her soaking wet clothes. She stood up and said, “I’m going to change clothes!”
After that, she glanced at Ian and ordered the Marine soldier, “Give him a cup of hot water too!”
“That’s more like it!” Ian smiled at her.
Tina snorted coldly and walked into the cabin without looking back. The Marine soldiers on the warship watched Ian warily.
Although they knew that Captain Tina had been rescued by this man, since Ian was from the pirate ship earlier, the soldiers couldn’t figure out his identity. They could only treat him with this lukewarm attitude.
Ian didn’t mind. He took off his hat to check if the Den Den Mushi was okay.
When he looked, he panicked. The Den Den Mushi had come out of its shell and looked sickly.
“What… what’s wrong?”
Ian grabbed a Marine soldier in a fluster and asked him.
“It’s probably the salt in the seawater that hurt it,” the soldier said, having more contact with Den Den Mushi and understanding the issue. “Den Den Mushi like water, but only fresh water. The salt in seawater dehydrates them. It wasn’t in the sea for too long, so just soak it in fresh water, and it should be fine.”
Ian quickly asked for some fresh water from the soldiers, put it in a basin, and placed the Den Den Mushi in it.
It worked well. After a while, the Den Den Mushi perked up a bit.
Just as Ian was relieved, Tina came out of the cabin after changing clothes. The first thing she did was ask about the casualties.
The Marine soldiers knocked unconscious by Ace had mostly been rescued. The only problem now was the soldiers on the warship that Ace had taken.
Tina thought for a moment and then had Ian follow her into the cabin.
In a room, she coldly asked him, “Your pirate friend took my warship, and my soldiers are still on it. How do you plan to explain this?”
“Don’t worry,” Ian nodded to her. “If you follow the route that warship took, you’ll definitely find your soldiers safe and sound!”
“Good!” Tina said. “That’s what you said. From now on, you’ll be under house arrest. If I don’t recover my soldiers, you’ll be held responsible.”
Although Tina was grateful to Ian for saving her, that was one thing, and this was another.
Ian shrugged. He didn’t mind, because he knew that with Ace’s personality, those Marine soldiers really wouldn’t be in danger.
“By the way, you’re not going to put a bounty on me, are you?” Ian asked Tina.
“I’ve checked your identity! You are indeed a bounty hunter, and a famous one in the East Blue!” Tina flicked her still-damp pink hair, lit a cigarette, and put it in her mouth. She suddenly asked Ian, “How’s Smog doing?”
Ian wasn’t surprised she asked about Smog. In his memory, Tina and Smog were fellow Marine trainees from the same class. So he nodded and said, “He’s fine. I just had a fight with him before I set sail. He looks energetic.”
Tina smiled, then asked curiously, “You’re clearly a bounty hunter, so why are you friends with a pirate? Tina finds it strange.”
“That’s a long story,” Ian sighed. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
“Don’t worry,” Tina said. “I won’t put a bounty on you. But your friend is another matter!”
Ian nodded. This was what he had expected. In fact, from the moment he saw that the commander of this Marine unit was Tina, he knew there was room for negotiation.
Among the Marines, there were different ideologies. People like Akainu Sakazuki or Vice Admiral Doberman were the hawkish faction, taking a completely hardline stance against pirates. If he had encountered someone like that, being on Ace’s ship would have left no room for reasoning.
But Tina was different. Although she was also from Marine Headquarters, she belonged to the more moderate faction. She would crack down on real pirates, but when faced with a special case like Ian, she would consider other options.
That was why Ian had chosen to stay and save Tina. With this favor, he might avoid being reported and having a bounty placed on him.
Ian also understood that maintaining his identity as a bounty hunter was awkward. If he were purely a bounty hunter who caught any pirate he saw, that would be fine. But he had connections with some pirates—Ace was one, and Zoro would be another in the future. Ace was manageable, but Zoro was his junior brother, a bond he couldn’t shake. Once Zoro set sail with Luffy as a pirate, Ian wouldn’t be able to catch him either.
In this regard, Ian was in a similar position to Garp. Garp was a Marine Vice Admiral, but his son was a Revolutionary, and his grandson would become a pirate. It was awkward no matter how you looked at it.
This was perhaps the so-called “being in the world, unable to control one’s own fate.” The people he knew all had their own ideals and paths, and he couldn’t interfere with their choices.
After thinking it over, Ian asked Tina, “Where are you heading next? Back to Marine Headquarters?”
Tina nodded. “The operation to capture the Iron Bone Pirates has gone awry. It has to end here. Your friend Ace caused some damage to my unit, and the ships need repairs, so we have to return to Marine Headquarters first.”
“Then let me hitch a ride!” Ian smiled. “I’ll follow your ship to Sabaody Archipelago!”
Ian’s sudden decision to go to Sabaody Archipelago wasn’t without reason. After connecting the events of the past few days, he realized he had fallen into a thinking trap.
The situation in the Grand Line was completely different from the East Blue. Navigation in the Grand Line required a Log Pose, forcing one to go from island to island in a straight line. Under these circumstances, even if Ian caught pirates, sending them to a Marine base to collect bounties was a huge hassle. He still hadn’t figured out where the G-3 branch on this route was located!
This was evident from the fact that Ian hadn’t had any income since entering the Grand Line. When he killed Pix on Bibbico Island, he couldn’t take the body to claim the reward.
And even if he found the G-3 branch’s location, what then? If he continued forward and caught more pirates, could he turn back and go to the branch again?
He didn’t have enough Eternal Posits to freely travel back and forth on the route.
This route, which only allowed forward travel in a straight line, was specifically designed for pirates’ adventures. If Ian wanted to be a bounty hunter, among all the islands in the Grand Line, the only one truly helpful to him was Sabaody Archipelago!
There, not only was it close to Marine Headquarters, but it was also a convergence point for several routes. All kinds of pirates would eventually gather there. Ian could lie in wait on Sabaody Archipelago, catching pirates as they came, and then send them to Marine Headquarters to collect bounties. It was close and convenient.
Only Sabaody Archipelago was truly Ian’s paradise.
So, running into Tina here was actually a good thing. Tina definitely had an Eternal Posit for Marine Headquarters at Marineford. Ian could hitch a ride on her ship directly to Sabaody Archipelago.
That was the two reasons Ian had chosen to stay and part ways with Ace here: one was to prove himself to Tina through action, preventing her from issuing a bounty on him, and the other was to hitch a ride on a Marine ship directly to Sabaody Island.
It wasn’t just about different identities and paths. Ace was a pirate; he could go from island to island on adventures, moving forward whether he had money or not. Ian couldn’t do that. His strength growth depended on large amounts of money, so although it was regrettable, he had to skip these adventures.
Of course, there were many unknown factors on Sabaody Archipelago. It was right under Marine Headquarters’ nose, with Marine Admirals stationed there and Celestial Dragons present. If something happened that Ian couldn’t stand, it might trigger unexpected incidents. He would have to act according to the situation.
But regardless, going to Sabaody Island was a good choice for Ian.
After hearing his words, Tina was silent for a long time, as if weighing the pros and cons. Since Ian wasn’t a Marine, letting a non-Marine board a Headquarters ship was something Tina wasn’t sure about.
Finally, Tina spoke. “Alright, consider it repayment for saving me. But your movement must be restricted! There are some sensitive areas on the warship that you cannot approach!”
“No problem!” Ian nodded.
Although he had boarded Marine ships before in the East Blue under the guise of a swordsmanship instructor, that was completely different from now. This was a standard Marine Headquarters warship! Allowing an outsider like him on board was likely due not only to him saving her but also to some consideration for Garp and Smog.
Ian felt fortunate. This was another reason he insisted on maintaining his bounty hunter identity—it allowed him to have some connection with the Marines. If he had truly become a pirate, the only way he could be on this ship would be as a captured prisoner.
Having reached an agreement with Tina, Ian found it amusing. It seemed he was constantly hitching rides—on merchant ships, pirate ships, and now a Marine Headquarters warship.
He wondered when he would finally have a ship of his own.
That night, Tina arranged a small room for Ian to stay in. It was probably a Marine soldier’s quarters. Although these Headquarters warships were massive, they also carried many people, so the rooms were naturally small.
Neither Tina nor Ian brought up the incident in the water. Similarly, the matter of the Seastone shackles was not mentioned. Ian had used the Seastone shackles to subdue Tina in one move, allowing Ace to escape. This was a humiliating experience for Tina, and she wouldn’t return the shackles to Ian.
Ian didn’t think it was a big deal. After fighting Ace and realizing that his Nen and Haki could affect Devil Fruit users, he had lost interest in using Seastone.
He couldn’t rely on Seastone shackles every time he faced a Devil Fruit user, could he? How would he train his combat abilities that way?
And so, the night passed. The next morning, when Ian got up, he learned that the Marines had caught up with the warship Ace had taken the night before.
Ace and his crew had only enough people to barely sail such a massive ship. So, halfway, they had switched to a small boat, damaged the warship’s mast, and left it adrift. The Marine soldiers they had tied up were left unharmed on the ship.
When she heard this news, Tina finally relaxed and eased her surveillance of Ian.
Of the three warships Tina had brought out, only one was intact. One had a large hole blown in it by Ace’s Fire Fist, and another had its mast destroyed. They had no choice but to return for repairs.
So, this Marine unit began following the Eternal Posit’s guidance back to Marine Headquarters.
Ian didn’t know how long the return trip would take, but he wasn’t in a hurry. Whenever he had free time, he practiced his swordsmanship and Nen training on the Marine deck.
Two days later, Tina found him and handed him a wanted poster.
On it was a photo of Ace, though Ian didn’t know where the Marines had taken it. At this point, the Marines didn’t seem to know Ace’s full name, so it only read “Fire Fist Ace!”
And the bounty amount was a staggering ninety million Berries!
Ian stared at Tina in shock. He didn’t understand why Ace’s first bounty was so high.
“He’s a Logia Devil Fruit user!” Tina explained, wearing her cloak and smoking a cigarette. “So Headquarters takes him seriously. Plus, when I reported, I mentioned he has Conqueror’s Haki. The final bounty was set at this amount. Tina is also shocked.”
“Ninety million! Damn!” Ian looked at the wanted poster excitedly. “Man, now I really want to catch him!”
“If you did, Tina would be very happy to see it.”
“By the way,” Ian suddenly thought of a question and turned to Tina. “What if… just hypothetically… if I were also wanted, how much would my bounty be?”