Chapter 245: Teach Trying to Get Close
After hearing Ian's answer, Whitebeard snorted disdainfully and said, "Another Warlord. Why are you brats all so obsessed with that position?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Ian was a bit puzzled by Whitebeard's words.
"Nothing. Your words just reminded me of another brat who became a Warlord," Whitebeard said, tilting his head back to take a gulp of sake.
Ian thought for a moment and quickly understood. Was Whitebeard talking about Sand Crocodile Crocodile?
Based on Ian's memories, Crocodile seemed to have some kind of grudge against Whitebeard. During the Paramount War, Crocodile had tried to attack Whitebeard and seemed intent on taking his head.
Ian had no way of knowing what their relationship was, but after spending these days with the Whitebeard Pirates, he knew that the position of Second Division Commander had been vacant for a long time. Now, with Whitebeard suddenly bringing this up, Ian couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.
Could it be that the vacant Second Division Commander position originally belonged to Crocodile!?
This speculation had never been confirmed. Ian had asked members of the Whitebeard Pirates about it, but found that many didn't know the details. The Second Division Commander position seemed to have been empty for quite a while.
Shaking his head, Ian set these thoughts aside for now. He knew this wasn't the time to dwell on such matters.
Although it was Kuma who first suggested Ian join the Seven Warlords, and Ian had joined the Revolutionary Army under his guidance, he hadn't thought much of it at the time. He just assumed Kuma wanted him to become a Warlord to help with something. However, as he traveled through the New World and negotiated with the Marines, Ian gradually realized that the position of Warlord might actually be very useful to him.
Joining the Seven Warlords meant he would no longer be hunted by the Marines and would have corresponding privileges. This would give Ian a longer period to improve himself.
It had been a year since he set sail. Although Ian's strength had grown considerably, overall, he had noticed his growth rate beginning to slow down.
The card system was originally derived from a game, so it naturally couldn't avoid the common problem of games: fast improvement in the early stages and slow improvement in the later stages. Ian's current strength was roughly on par with Marco and the others of the Whitebeard Pirates. He could exchange a few moves with a Marine Admiral, but he couldn't guarantee a sure victory. Having this level of strength in a year was already impressive, but as the proficiency requirements for various basic skills increased, and even advancement required personal comprehension, Ian's growth naturally slowed.
So he felt it was time for a buffer period to let himself settle down.
It wasn't just him. The Dragon Hunter Pirates also needed to improve their strength and recruit more powerful members. Under these circumstances, being constantly hunted by the Marines was definitely not feasible. One wrong move could lead to the destruction of the crew.
After much deliberation, Ian decided that becoming a Warlord was a good choice.
Of course, this wasn't the only option. For example, Ian could join the Whitebeard Pirates and accept Whitebeard's protection, or he could try to find the Red Hair Pirates, which would also be a good choice.
However, compared to joining under one of the Four Emperors, being a Warlord offered more freedom. Not to mention anything else, Ian needed a large amount of money to recharge and exchange for diamonds to improve his strength. As the boss, he could freely control the money, but under a Four Emperor, the money earned would have to be handed over, right? And even though Warlords were nominally supposed to obey Marine orders, in reality, if Ian didn't want to deal with them, there wasn't much they could do.
"Since you want to join the Seven Warlords, I won't stop you! But in my opinion, the Marines will probably have a hard time agreeing," Whitebeard said to Ian. "After all, you and Ace are brothers, which means you have an indirect relationship with the Whitebeard Pirates. The Marines won't allow someone connected to a Four Emperor to become a Warlord!"
Hearing this, Ian frowned. Whitebeard's words seemed to make a lot of sense!
"Regardless, the message has already been conveyed through the CP0 agents," Ian finally said. "Even if the Marines disagree, it's no big deal. At worst, my crew and I will continue exploring the New World."
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard laughed, then couldn't help asking, "What exactly does the World Government want you to hand over? Seriously, I've been wondering about this for a while. With such a high bounty on your head, the Marines still expect to capture you alive!"
Ian didn't hide it from him. "It's a Celestial Dragon's identity chip. It might be very important to them."
"Oh!?" Whitebeard raised an eyebrow. "Can I take a look?"
"It's not on me," Ian shook his head. He wondered how the Revolutionary Army's decryption was going and when they would return it.
"Forget it then!" Whitebeard snorted. "In a few days, the Whitebeard Pirates will be leaving. Although this is my old friend's country, staying here too long isn't good. Many pirates no longer dare to come to this island. Salamis needs tourists to survive. My crew has done what it can. As for you, you can stay here a while longer."
"Mm, Old Man, I understand!" Ian nodded. He understood Whitebeard's meaning. Before receiving the Marines' reply, the Dragon Hunter Pirates could continue to stay on Salamis Island. After all, this was an island under Whitebeard's protection. The Marines probably wouldn't dare to come a second time.
It could be said that Ian and his crew owed Whitebeard a great debt. Even as he was about to leave, he still remembered to protect the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
"Old Man, how is your health?" Ian asked after a moment of thought. "I have some healing abilities. Maybe I can try to treat you."
"Oh!?" Whitebeard was a bit surprised. He glanced at Ian and said, "Alright, come find me after dinner!"
Whitebeard's current health was generally still good, but he had already begun to equip a medical team. However, so-called medical treatment was fundamentally at odds with his love of drinking. Whitebeard didn't want his body to break down, but making him give up alcohol was even more impossible. Since this brat Ian said he had healing abilities, let him try. Maybe it would save him from having to quit drinking.
With Whitebeard's departure, everyone dispersed. Fujitora came up to Ian and asked, "Ian, you're quite bold. Not only do you demand the position of Warlord from the World Government, but you also ask for so much money? 200 billion is no small amount!"
Ian smiled and said, "Of course I know that. That amount is just to give them room to negotiate. I estimate the World Government will agree to at most half, and that would be impressive!"
"Half is still 100 billion Berries!" Fujitora said. "If I used that for gambling, I could gamble for a long time!"
Ian laughed heartily. "Fujitora, if you want to gamble, that's easy. Once we're no longer being chased by the Marines, I'll take you to Gran Tesoro for some fun!"
"Oh!? Really!?" Fujitora's face lit up with excitement. He had heard of Gran Tesoro before, but that giant gambling ship was always floating on the sea, its whereabouts uncertain. Ordinary people, unless they were lucky, couldn't always find it.
The other members of the Dragon Hunter Pirates also gathered around, their eyes shining as they looked at Ian.
Ace, standing nearby, adjusted his cowboy hat and grinned. "I don't know how to gamble, but if you're going to have fun, Ian, make sure to invite me!"
"Don't worry, there's not only a casino there but also plenty of delicious food!" Ian couldn't help but smile back at him.
Hearing this, Ace became even more interested. Just as he was about to ask something, a voice suddenly interrupted.
"Hehe, Ian, can you take me along too? I really like gambling!"
Ian turned around and immediately frowned. The speaker was none other than Blackbeard Marshall D. Teach!
He was grinning with his gap-toothed mouth, rubbing his hands together as he smiled at Ian. The jeweled rings on all ten of his fingers, combined with his appearance, made him look both crude and nouveau riche.
Ian had encountered Teach several times during this period. Because he had always been wary of this man, Ian rarely spoke to him even when they met.
Since they had met on Clockwork Island before, and Teach was still one of Whitebeard's men, Ian could only resort to this cold treatment. Although Teach had tried several times to talk to Ian, Ian had ignored him.
Now this guy was back again.
"Oh, we'll see!" Ian said expressionlessly.
Ace looked at Ian strangely, then at Teach. He remembered Ian once warning him to be careful of Teach, so he couldn't help but observe him closely.
However, what Ace saw was a simple, honest smile on Teach's face.
If it were anyone else, being given such a cold response would probably make them take the hint and leave. But not Teach. He chuckled and said, "Don't be like that, Ian! You've been ignoring me all this time. Did we have some misunderstanding back on Clockwork Island? If it weren't for you and that beautiful Pirate Empress, I wouldn't have escaped back then. I've always wanted to thank you in person!"