Chapter 220: This Is Just Halftime (Two-in-One Chapter)
Because Pritz had been following far behind Ian and his group the entire time, his live broadcast actually only began from the moment Ian and the others encountered Kizaru.
The signal from the Video Den Den Mushi, transmitted via bioelectric waves, crossed the ocean and arrived at the main control room of the News Coo organization. There, a massive host Den Den Mushi received the signal, which was then quickly relayed to screens around the world.
In the 58th Red Tree area of Sabaody Archipelago, this was the most orderly region on the entire island, as it housed a Marine garrison and was frequently visited by government officials.
Here, several large monitoring screens stood tall. These screens were usually black and rarely activated, only turned on when the World Government or the Marines had a major event to broadcast live.
Even so, some reporters often lurked here, waiting.
Perhaps because two Marine Admirals had been deployed this time, the World Government had confidence in capturing the Dragon Hunter Pirates, so the News Coo organization’s broadcast had been authorized.
When the screen suddenly lit up, it immediately drew the attention of many reporters. They had been waiting here largely for that moment when the screen flickered to life, as it meant there was news to report.
Word spread quickly—one person told ten, ten told a hundred—and soon, a large crowd of reporters gathered beneath the screens.
However, many reporters didn’t yet know what was happening, so after gathering, they began asking each other about the situation.
Just then, Pritz’s face appeared on the screen. He gave a brief explanation of the broadcast: “Dear viewers, I am Pritz, an intern reporter for the News Coo organization, reporting live from the Salamis Duchy! The mastermind behind the Mary Geoise arson incident, Ian, captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates, has been confirmed to be here. The Marines have now surrounded the area and are moving to arrest the Dragon Hunter Pirates. However, according to intelligence, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Beast Pirates have also appeared in nearby waters, which is concerning…”
As Pritz introduced the situation, the reporters on-site gasped, because they had heard two formidable names from his mouth.
The next moment, Pritz’s face disappeared, replaced by a group of running figures. From the screen, it seemed Pritz was still quite far away, so the audience couldn’t make out what the running people looked like.
“Hey, hey, is that group the Dragon Hunter Pirates?”
“That guy named Pritz, get closer!”
“An intern reporter is still an intern reporter, so unreliable!”
Before the reporters could finish their discussions, a familiar figure appeared.
The appearance of Admiral Kizaru in his striped suit excited the reporters immensely. The deployment of a Marine Admiral for the pursuit meant that capturing the Dragon Hunter Pirates was almost certain.
Sure enough, the two sides clashed directly on the screen. Seeing Ian kicked flying by Kizaru, and watching Kizaru knock down members of the Dragon Hunter Pirates one after another, the reporters were thrilled. They scribbled down vivid descriptions of the scene with their pens, their words flowing elegantly. Lacking knowledge of the Dragon Hunter Pirates, they naturally sided with Kizaru. The crowd gathering beneath the screens grew larger and larger.
This was the case not only on Sabaody but also in other places around the world that could receive the signal.
However, as the battle progressed, when Fujitora and Ace appeared one after another, the excited and enthusiastic crowd gradually fell silent.
“Hey, have you noticed? Even though those guys can’t beat Admiral Kizaru, it seems… Kizaru can’t do much to them either!”
“What nonsense are you talking about? A Marine Admiral is invincible!”
But after Ace used his Great Flame Emperor to block Kizaru’s laser cannon, even those who had claimed Kizaru was invincible dared not speak again. The shock of the ring-shaped shockwave on the screen made the viewers realize what level of battle this was.
When Ian fired a railgun that blew off half of Kizaru’s face, everyone was stunned!
The three Marine Admirals, as the Marines’ highest combat power, had always been heavily glorified in the World Government’s propaganda. Thus, in people’s minds, the three Admirals were utterly invincible.
But now, that invincible image quietly crumbled in their hearts.
Marine Admirals could be hit too, and they could also be injured…
Although Kizaru’s face later regenerated, the image of invincibility could never be restored.
Finally, when the meteor summoned by Fujitora roared down on the screen, triggering a massive tsunami that swallowed the entire scene, the viewers stared at the now-black screen, anxious and frustrated.
“Hey, hey! What’s going on? Did the broadcaster get swallowed by the tsunami too?”
“What happened afterward?”
“Damn it, is there only one reporter on that island?”
This was maddening, especially for the reporters, who frantically began making calls, desperate to know the situation on-site and to get information about the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
Who was Ian, the captain of the Dragon Hunter Pirates? Where was he from? Had he always been a pirate? What was the inside story of the Mary Geoise arson incident?
And what about Fire Fist Ace? Wasn’t his tattoo from the Whitebeard Pirates? Had he already joined them? Judging by his fight with Kizaru, he was clearly a Logia Devil Fruit user. Had the Whitebeard Pirates grown even stronger?
And that blind, shabbily dressed middle-aged man—was he the one who summoned the meteor that caused the tsunami? Where did such a powerful person come from?
The reporters had too much they wanted to know, because they needed to turn this news into text, and they needed solid details!
The reporters on Sabaody were busy, but they didn’t notice that among the crowd behind them, an old man with white hair, draped in a coat and wearing sandals, laughed heartily and turned to leave.
“Ian, so it’s you after all!” Silvers Rayleigh smiled as he walked away, muttering to himself, “I was a bit worried about you, but now it seems you’ve got some good companions by your side!”
Although the battle on screen was brief, Rayleigh could tell that Ian hadn’t been fighting at full strength. The three of them together had almost held off Kizaru. Seeing this, Rayleigh felt less concerned about Ian.
“Your Aunt Shakky would be thrilled to know this…”
Elsewhere, people staring at the black screen were most concerned about the final outcome. They wanted to know whether Admiral Kizaru’s intervention would succeed in capturing the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
At that moment, the name Dragon Hunter Pirates became known to the world!
Watching the broadcast were not only ordinary citizens but also numerous pirates. Among them, many knew the bounties of Ian and Fujitora and had once considered testing the Dragon Hunter Pirates to see if they could rise by defeating them. However, after seeing the battle footage, these pirates couldn’t help but shiver and quickly abandon their unrealistic thoughts.
In the New World, Dressrosa!
Doflamingo and his family had also watched the live broadcast. After the screen went black, Doflamingo rested his chin on one hand, lounging sideways on his chair, and remained silent for a long time.
He had naturally seen Baby-5 flash by on the screen, but he didn’t pay her much attention. His gaze had been fixed firmly on Ian.
He had seen the wanted poster, but this was his first time seeing Ian’s appearance.
“Young Master Doflamingo, we’ve found out. That Fire Fist Ace indeed joined the Whitebeard Pirates not long ago,” said Trebol, the slimy, dripping-nosed man beside him.
“No wonder Kaido was stopped by Whitebeard,” Doflamingo said. “I didn’t expect him to have ties to the Whitebeard Pirates…”
“But what about Zephyr?” Trebol asked Doflamingo. “Why didn’t that old man show up?”
“Zephyr is retired, and he doesn’t get along well with Kizaru. Since Kizaru took the lead, he probably didn’t participate,” Doflamingo explained.
Trebol nodded, then asked, “So, Young Master, should we continue our cooperation with the Dragon Hunter Pirates?”
“Fufufufufu!” Doflamingo laughed loudly. “What’s the rush? The final result isn’t out yet. If he really escapes from two Admirals, then cooperating with him is no big deal. And if he doesn’t escape, it’s fine too. I contacted Kaido earlier hoping to catch this kid through him. Now that Kaido might not be an option, if Ian falls into the Marines’ hands, I can still find a way to see him. Then, by offering bait and saying I can save him, he’ll surely hand over the identity chip. Either way, I won’t lose…”
In the first half of the Grand Line, on the Santin Island of Alabasta, inside the Rain Dinners casino, Crocodile and Nico Robin were also watching the black screen.
“What do you think, Nico Robin?” Crocodile asked, a cigar in his mouth, looking at the dark-haired beauty with his unique gaze.
Nico Robin didn’t speak, but her body trembled slightly.
Although she had seen Ian’s face in the broadcast, the Marine lineup reminded her of the tragic scene at Ohara, and the fearful memories resurfaced.
From the battle footage, it seemed Kizaru couldn’t do much to Ian and his two companions, but Nico Robin wasn’t optimistic at all. This time, the Marines had deployed forces stronger than a Buster Call. Though it wasn’t like a Buster Call that would bombard the entire Salamis Island into oblivion, Nico Robin felt that the Dragon Hunter Pirates probably couldn’t escape the Marine encirclement…
Why was this… Was the World Government’s power truly that overwhelming? Could no one resist them?
Nico Robin’s fingers, pressed against her chest, tightened involuntarily…
Among the current Seven Warlords of the Sea, only Doflamingo and Crocodile had seen the battle footage. Sea Knight Jinbe was on Fish-Man Island, deep beneath the sea, where no signals could reach. Similarly, Pirate Empress Boa Hancock had returned to Amazon Lily, located in the Calm Belt, where news traveled much slower.
Bartholomew Kuma was in Vegapunk’s laboratory, undergoing body modifications. Hawk-Eye Mihawk, however, couldn’t care less; he was at his home on Kuraigana Island, engrossed in a classic novel.
As for the last Warlord, Gecko Moria, he didn’t know Ian at all and paid no attention. He was on his Thriller Bark, stealing the shadows of those lost in the Florian Triangle and expanding his zombie army…
Besides the Seven Warlords, many at Marine Headquarters were also watching the live broadcast of the battle.
“So it’s that kid! He’s become a pirate too?” Tina, wearing sunglasses and holding a cigarette with her arms crossed, muttered. Honestly, when she confirmed that Ian was the one who had caused the uproar at Mary Geoise, she had found it hard to believe. Her impression of Ian was still of the time he had hitched a ride on her warship. She never imagined that Ian had grown to this extent.
Tina always remembered that Ian had initially been unwilling to become a pirate, yet now he was a great pirate with a bounty of 500 million Berries. Every time she thought about it, she felt a sense of unreality. Why had he ended up opposing the Marines? Was he forced by the Celestial Dragons, or was it voluntary? Tina couldn’t explain it all…
Aokiji was also silent. His injuries had healed, but what surprised him was that the kid who had injured him at Mary Geoise seemed to have developed new abilities…
Garp was still munching on his snacks and sipping his tea. He had naturally seen Ace on the screen but remained completely expressionless, thinking to himself, “So that’s it. Ian and Ace have become brothers. Sending Ian to capture Ace was a mistake from the start… Right, next time I see Ian, should I make him call me grandpa too?”
Garp was tangled in his thoughts…
Because Pritz had also been swept up by the waves, the live broadcast was interrupted, leaving people around the world temporarily unable to see what happened next. But time continued to flow, and the situation on Salamis Island was still evolving.
The tsunami triggered by the meteor had swallowed the port coast of Salamis Island, but since this tsunami was man-made and had no follow-up, the seawater gradually receded.
Just then, a Marine warship carefully docked.
Zephyr, along with Ain and Binz and the members of the Pirate Hunter Squad, stepped ashore.
Seeing the entire port in shambles, with Marine soldiers scattered everywhere, bloated with seawater and rolling their eyes, Zephyr couldn’t help but look serious.
“That Borsalino kid…” Zephyr muttered but said no more.
Because of his strained relationship with this student, although they had come together, they had split up when it was time to act. Kizaru handled the frontal assault and capture, while Zephyr led the fleet to blockade the sea, each doing their part.
But what Zephyr hadn’t expected was that Kizaru had failed!
The situation on Zephyr’s side hadn’t been great either. Ace had come from behind them, using Fire Fist to blast a hole in a warship and break through the Marine encirclement. Zephyr had immediately sensed trouble and pursued Ace by warship. However, just as he was about to reach the port, Fujitora’s meteor had landed, nearly hitting the warship.
Relying on the warship’s sturdiness, they barely weathered the tsunami’s waves before Zephyr could lead his men ashore…
“Check everyone immediately! Look for members of the Dragon Hunter Pirates!” Zephyr ordered. “They were hit by the waves, but they definitely aren’t dead!”
“Also, find Borsalino! He’s a Devil Fruit user; the seawater might have drained his strength. Locate him!”
“Yes, sir!” Binz and the others immediately began carrying out the orders.
But just then, a massive gravitational force suddenly enveloped the area where Zephyr and his men were standing…