Chapter 150: A Flying Bear
That evening, on the coast of the island, a massive bonfire was lit, and a celebration banquet for their new beginning began.
The ship Ian and the others had seized was originally an armed merchant vessel. The cargo hold contained plenty of food and drinks. Additionally, during the few days they had been anchored here, some of the more capable slaves had even gone into the sea to hunt Sea Kings to supplement their provisions. So, despite the large number of people, there was enough food.
Gathered around the bonfire, people held cups of wine in their hands. Regardless of race or gender, they embraced each other, singing, dancing, and crying tears of joy.
In truth, this banquet should have been held long ago. It had only been delayed because Ian hadn't woken up. After holding it in for three whole days, their emotions finally burst forth. One could only imagine the scene.
There had been about five hundred slaves rescued from Mary Geoise. However, some had been captured by the Marines during the escape, and others had tragically fallen to their deaths when the ship slid down the Red Line. Now, only a little over four hundred and twenty people remained.
People wept for the suffering they had endured, and they laughed to celebrate this hard-won freedom.
Ian held a large wooden cup, drinking wine as he quietly watched the celebrating crowd. Even though he had never truly experienced being a slave, he could feel their joy at gaining freedom.
"Benefactor, we toast to you!"
Another group came up to offer Ian a drink. Among them was even a child!
Yes, among the slaves Ian had rescued, there were indeed several children. This world had no juvenile protection laws. The Celestial Dragons never considered age when selecting slaves. The child who came forward to toast Ian was only about twelve years old. Yet, Ian could see many crisscrossing scars on the child's exposed skin.
Sighing, Ian ignored whether a child should drink alcohol or not. He deliberately clinked his cup with the child's and asked, "Do you have any family left?"
"No..." The child's lips trembled, and tears streamed from his eyes. "My mother... she was shot by a Celestial Dragon when she tried to protect me..."
Ian felt a tightness in his chest. He realized he had inadvertently stirred up the child's painful memories. He wanted to slap himself.
Just then, a large hand gently rested on the child's head. Ian turned to see the towering Giant, Sardine, sitting beside him. Sardine lowered his head and said to the child, "Alright, stop crying. Your mother protected you so you could live on. From now on, you must become a strong warrior and avenge your mother!"
"Mm!" The child bit his lip hard and nodded in agreement.
Ian found that this approach worked well on the child. So, he raised his cup and nodded toward Sardine.
When they had descended from the Red Line, they had relied heavily on Sardine. If not for his immense strength leading the effort to drag the ship, everyone might have been stuck there.
Sardine laughed heartily, picked up his even larger cup—or rather, barrel—and clashed it hard against Ian's. Then, tilting his head back, he downed it in one gulp.
The people around followed Sardine's lead, tilting their heads back and emptying their cups. Even the child did the same. But it might have been his first time drinking, and he choked, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
After downing the cup, the child was a bit dizzy. Wiping away his tears, he asked curiously, "Benefactor, can we know your name? And why do you always wear a mask?"
As soon as he asked, a burly man nearby quickly tugged at the child, scolding him for asking such a question.
"Shut up!" the man said. "The benefactor must have his reasons for doing this."
Ian waved his hand to stop him. "Actually, it's okay to tell you. The reason I keep my face covered is because I killed a Celestial Dragon this time. Or maybe two? I'm not entirely sure..."
Before he could finish, the scene suddenly fell into an eerie silence. Even those who had been singing and dancing stopped and stared at Ian.
Everyone looked at Ian in shock. Gradually, many of them began to tremble.
Ian observed this and sighed inwardly. He knew that mentioning this might stir up fear among the slaves.
But what Ian never expected was that, the next second, a thunderous cheer erupted!
Everyone raised their hands high, venting their emotions wildly. Even Sardine tilted his head back and roared at the sky.
"They're dead! Those damned Celestial Dragons—finally, one of them is dead!"
"Awesome!"
"Karma! They've finally gotten what they deserve!"
"This is news worth celebrating even more than freedom! Cheers!"
"Cheers!!!"
The people excitedly raised their cups, pointing them toward the sky, and then drank them all in unison.
Ian was stunned as he watched. He realized he had been wrong. While the people of this world feared the Celestial Dragons, their hatred for them was even stronger than their fear. Upon hearing that a Celestial Dragon had been killed, their first reaction wasn't fear—it was excitement.
Especially for those who had once been slaves, their hatred for the Celestial Dragons was bone-deep. So, it wasn't hard to understand why they cheered.
In fact, Ian himself hadn't realized the full impact of his actions. Even the World Government could only publicly cover up the death of the Celestial Dragon. They knew that the Celestial Dragons' atrocities had caused immense resentment across the world. Countless people hated them. If the world learned that even the Marines couldn't protect the Celestial Dragons from being killed, the Celestial Dragons would face a storm of revenge.
The World Government couldn't afford to lose the Celestial Dragons, so they had to resort to such measures to protect them. As for dealing with the mastermind behind the murder, that would be handled in secret.
After the toast, the tearful expressions were gone, replaced by pure laughter.
They finally understood why Ian kept his face covered. All doubts vanished.
Ian had no choice. Many of the rescued slaves needed to be sent away. They still had families to return to. If the Marines got wind of this and came knocking, it could bring trouble to Master Koushirou and the others.
So, at least until those who needed to leave were gone, Ian planned to keep his mask on.
The people understood his intentions and voluntarily avoided the topic, resuming their celebration.
"Benefactor!" Sardine asked Ian, "What are your plans next? Many of us rescued slaves are homeless and alone, including me. We all want to follow you. Do you have any thoughts about forming a pirate crew?"
Ian was also considering this. Now that he was in the New World, he couldn't use his identity as a pirate hunter. Even if he could, it wouldn't do him any good here. Facing the powerful Four Emperors' pirate crews, a pirate hunter caught in the cracks would be in great danger. At the same time, Ian and the others needed to evade the Marines' pursuit.
In a world dominated by pirates, the best way to hide was to become a pirate and blend in.
Of course, Ian was also a member of the Revolutionary Army. He could lead these people to join the Revolutionary Army. Given their experiences as slaves, they likely wouldn't refuse.
Just as Ian was weighing the pros and cons of the two options, he suddenly heard a *puru puru* sound.
It was the sound of a Den Den Mushi. Ian looked over curiously and saw Margaret holding a small Den Den Mushi as she ran over.
"I forgot to tell you," Sardine said. "Margaret said she found this small Den Den Mushi in your pants pocket. It didn't ring at first, but starting yesterday, it rang once. You hadn't woken up yet, so we didn't dare answer it."
Ian nodded. Because of his disguise, he couldn't carry the large Den Den Mushi that Kuma had given him. Only this small one, which could fit in his pocket, remained. He had used it to contact Konenai and the others before.
Now, Margaret had found it while washing his clothes. If it was ringing now, someone must be trying to contact Ian.
Who could it be? Ian took the Den Den Mushi from Margaret but didn't answer it. He pondered who might be calling.
As far as he knew, only Konenai and the others had this small Den Den Mushi's number. But weren't they still lying low, waiting for the World Conference to begin?
The small Den Den Mushi had a limited range. It could only be used when the caller was nearby. Konenai and the others couldn't be anywhere near here.
After thinking for a moment, he got up and went to a secluded spot before answering. He suddenly remembered there was someone else who might contact him.
"Hello? Ian?" As expected, a deep voice came through as soon as the call connected.
It was indeed Kuma. Ian smiled slightly and said, "Kuma, did you get this number from Konenai?"
"Yes," Kuma replied on the other end. "I knew you probably hadn't gone far, so I've been moving around near the Red Line, trying to call this number at each location. I finally got through to you."
"Is there something you need?" Ian asked.
"Don't hang up. I have a Den Den Mushi here that can track radio waves, so I can pinpoint your general location," Kuma said. "I'll come find you soon. Pick a secluded spot and wait for me."
"Alright, but how are you getting here?" Ian asked curiously.
"Flying."
Kuma answered succinctly with a single word and then fell silent.
So, Ian had no choice but to stay put, holding the receiver, waiting for Kuma's arrival...