Chapter 248: The Angry Whitebeard
In that instant, the entire ship fell into a deathly silence.
It wasn’t until the sound of Ian hitting the water and Teach collapsing onto the deck reached them that the people on board snapped back to reality.
“Quick… Save him!!!”
Even Marco couldn’t help but panic, shouting in alarm.
No one had expected a sparring match to end like this. As Marco and the others rushed toward Teach, a deep sense of regret welled up in their hearts.
The Whitebeard Pirates moved to save Teach, while the Dragon Hunter Pirates, flustered and uncertain, hesitated. Finally, Fujitora, calm and composed, ordered, “Save the captain.”
At his command, several Dragon Hunter Pirates members leaped into the sea, swimming toward where Ian had fallen.
Fujitora, meanwhile, walked over to where Teach had been and asked with a frown, “How is he?”
But his answer came in the form of a cacophony of weapons being drawn—dozens of swords, knives, and guns aimed at Fujitora and the Dragon Hunter Pirates members behind him.
“Damn it!” It was Braham, the commander of the Sixth Division, a plump man usually wearing a simple, kind smile, but now he was gritting his teeth. “Your captain actually struck Teach that hard!?”
Though surrounded by the Whitebeard Pirates, the Dragon Hunter Pirates weren’t cowards. They immediately drew their own weapons, pointing them back at the Whitebeard Pirates.
Even Fujitora tightened his grip on his staff sword.
Just then, a figure suddenly rushed forward, spreading his arms to block between the two sides, shouting, “Wait, everyone calm down! This might just be a misunderstanding!”
Braham looked up and saw it was Ace. He couldn’t help but say angrily, “Ace, get out of the way! Even if Ian is your brother, Teach is our family too!”
Ace shook his head. “I can’t step aside. Don’t forget, Ian didn’t want to spar with Teach in the first place!”
Reminded by Ace, the Whitebeard Pirates finally calmed down a bit. Vista, holding his sword, recalled the moment Ian had struck Teach. He had indeed felt a surge of power from Ian and couldn’t help but frown. “Could it be that Ian suddenly broke through while fighting Teach? That’s why Teach couldn’t dodge?”
But by then, Teach had already been carried below deck for emergency medical treatment, so no one could ask him about the specifics.
All that remained on the deck was the iron claw that Ian had cut off from Teach.
“Damn it, that Teach…” Marco, now calmer, couldn’t help but mutter under his breath. “The old man was right. That guy is too reckless and arrogant. He even made such a mistake while fighting Ian!”
Marco had heard such criticism from Whitebeard more than once. The old man had always hoped Teach would shape up, but Teach’s personality flaws were unavoidable.
“But regardless, Ian has to take responsibility for this!” Rakuyo, the commander of the Seventh Division, a man dressed like a Spanish pirate, said coldly. “If Teach survives, fine. But if he dies…”
At that, everyone fell silent. They had all seen the charred wound on Teach’s chest, right where his heart was.
Teach’s chances of survival were slim…
In this tense silence, a splash broke the quiet. Several Dragon Hunter Pirates members helped Ian out of the water at the ship’s railing.
The moment he hit the cold seawater, Ian’s mind had cleared a bit.
He knew that killing Teach had been impulsive, that he shouldn’t have done it in such a setting. Teach was still a member of the Whitebeard Pirates, and killing him in front of them was wrong.
But despite his impulsiveness, Ian couldn’t deny that the opportunity had been too good to pass up.
Ian didn’t know why Teach had suddenly tried to curry favor with him, but the fact that Teach had held back, showing less strength than Ian expected, left Ian no choice.
Teach probably never imagined that Ian’s hostility would suddenly turn into murderous intent, catching him off guard. And Ian himself hadn’t expected to break through at that moment, mastering the use of his aura to lock onto Teach, making it impossible for him to dodge.
These coincidences combined to cause this incident, making Ian feel as if some force of fate was driving it all…
Floating in the sea, Ian felt a sharp pain in his ribs. He could barely move. The power Teach had unleashed at the last moment was his true strength. That blow had broken several of Ian’s ribs, even though Ian had used Armament Haki to harden his defense. The fact that he was still injured showed just how terrifying Teach’s hidden strength was.
Thinking about it, Ian regretted his impulsiveness but didn’t regret killing Teach.
Ace was one of the few friends Ian had in this world, and Ian knew that because of Blackbeard Teach, Ace would face a tragic fate. Since Ian knew Teach was the spark for future events, why should he stand by and do nothing?
But now, Ian had to consider the fallout. Knowing someone would come to rescue him soon, he held his breath and thought things over in the water.
He was certain that his blade had pierced Teach’s heart. With the high temperature of the black flames, Teach’s heart had likely been burned to a crisp the moment he was struck.
In other words, Teach probably wouldn’t survive. Ian had to consider Whitebeard’s reaction.
It was ironic. Ian had killed Teach for Whitebeard’s sake, but now he had to face Whitebeard’s wrath…
In the water, Ian saw several Dragon Hunter Pirates members swimming toward him. He let them support him and bring him back to the surface.
When he returned to the Moby Dick, enduring the pain, he saw the Whitebeard Pirates’ uncertain, hostile stares.
And then, there was the enraged, towering figure…
Whitebeard had come out. The moment Teach was carried below for treatment, Whitebeard had been informed. He stormed onto the deck, standing before his sons, looking down at Ian.
But Ace stepped in again, blocking Whitebeard and Ian. He looked up at Whitebeard and said urgently, “Dad, don’t act rashly! There might be a misunderstanding. Please give Ian a chance to explain!”
Ace understood Ian’s thoughts better than anyone. He knew Ian had warned him to be careful of Teach. But he hadn’t expected Ian to actually try to kill Teach. Now, Ace was frantic, worried about both Teach and Ian.
Still, he was more worried about Ian. He hadn’t been with the Whitebeard Pirates long, and his bond with Teach couldn’t compare to his bond with Ian.
So, even knowing his father was furious, Ace stepped forward to defend Ian.
Seeing Ace defend him like this, Ian smiled faintly and then looked at Whitebeard.
“For Ace’s sake, Ian boy, I’ll give you a chance to explain!” Whitebeard snorted.
But Ian ignored him for a moment, switching to Orihime Inoue’s card to heal himself. The Twin Heaven Return Shield’s effect began to work as Ian channeled his psychic power. When the pain lessened, Ian straightened up, sat up, and looked back at Whitebeard.
Ian knew that if he went along with Ace and claimed it was a misunderstanding, he might still get out of this. After all, even in a spar, accidental injuries could happen.
But when Ian saw the coldness in Whitebeard’s eyes, he felt a surge of defiance.
Yes, Ian owed Whitebeard for helping him escape the Marines. But Ian was also grateful and had planned to use his abilities to treat Whitebeard as repayment.
Even this attempt to kill Teach wasn’t just for Ace—it was for Whitebeard too.
Ian knew how badly Teach would later harm Whitebeard. After spending time with him, Ian had come to respect the old man’s extraordinary charisma. He didn’t want Whitebeard to repeat his mistakes.
But seeing Whitebeard’s gaze now, Ian felt like his good intentions were being trampled.
So, he smiled and said to Whitebeard, “Old man, I don’t need to explain anything to you right now. I don’t know if there will ever be a day, but if there is, you’ll thank me for this.”
“What do you mean?” Whitebeard frowned.
“I mean, if I had to do it all over again, I’d still strike Teach down!” Ian declared loudly.
“You…!” Whitebeard’s forehead bulged with veins as he glared at Ian. But Ian glared back without flinching.
Finally, Whitebeard was fully enraged. He thrust out his arm and swung a punch at Ian.
The punch didn’t hit Ian directly but struck the air a few steps in front of him. Yet, as the fist connected, the atmosphere let out a piercing shriek!
A visible crack appeared in front of Ian—a tear in the air caused by the intense vibration!
The moment Whitebeard attacked, Ian activated the Twin Heaven Return Shield to defend himself. But the shield had barely formed when an overwhelming, irresistible force shattered it. The force traveled through the air and struck Ian, sending him flying. He coughed up a mouthful of blood.
A single blow from the Four Emperors Whitebeard was so terrifying that Ian couldn’t even defend against it…