Chapter 259: Ian's Plan
“So, what’s the situation on the island now?”
Ian put away the Thunder Stone and asked Konenai.
“I’m not entirely sure either!” Konenai said. “But although the miners were slaughtered this time, there are still plenty of them left. The island’s population is around two hundred thousand, and the number of slave miners is at least twenty thousand. That’s something the pirates can’t match!”
“Yeah, that’s true!” Ian nodded. “But even though that pirate king hired other pirate crews to suppress the miners’ uprising, isn’t this kind of suppression likely to backfire?”
“Of course!” Konenai agreed. “Hiring pirates was a mistake in the first place. Those bloodthirsty pirates have already ignited the anger of the people on the island. But…”
“But what?” Ian asked.
Konenai replied, “But the miners are still ordinary people. Even if they want to resist the tyranny, they lack weapons, so the outcome is hard to predict.”
Hearing this, Ian furrowed his brow in thought.
Clearly, Konenai had seen through Ian’s intentions, which was why she said this—to urge him to help the people on the island. She had witnessed the entire massacre in the village, where pirates stormed in and slaughtered the elderly, women, and children. The evil that had taken root on this island was something Konenai could no longer tolerate.
Ian was a member of the Revolutionary Army and Konenai’s comrade. Beyond that, he also wanted to secure the Thunder Stone for himself, making it an exclusive business for the Dragon Hunter Pirates. So no matter how he looked at it, Ian had a reason to act.
At this point, Ian had two paths: one was to help the island’s people overthrow the pirate king’s rule, and the other was to cooperate with the so-called pirate king.
However, the second option wasn’t suitable. Not only was Ian not the type to commit evil, but even if he approached the pirate king directly, he’d need the king to trust him.
Ian was certain that the Thunder Stone mineral hadn’t been widely circulated yet. After all, the ore refining was done inside the palace, wasn’t it? The pirate king was very cautious, likely only conducting secret deals with the World Government. Otherwise, the Thunder Stone discovered on this island would have already attracted the attention of the other Four Emperors.
And if Ian approached him, with a bounty as high as 650 million Berries, he would immediately arouse the pirate king’s wariness. Once the World Government’s news came out and Ian’s status as a Warlord was confirmed, the pirate king would probably become even more worried that Ian would uncover his secret. He’d likely do everything possible to make Ian leave the island.
So, Ian only had the first path available: help the miners overthrow the pirate king’s rule. Once the miners elected a new king, Ian could use his identity as a Warlord to provide protection for the country, thereby securing exclusive rights to the Thunder Stone trade.
With that in mind, Ian asked Konenai, “The rebel forces on the island should have other strongholds, right? Can you get in touch with them?”
“I’ll need to try,” Konenai said. “After this suppression, the rebels will definitely be more cautious.”
“Then find a way to contact them,” Ian said. “Maybe I can provide them with weapons.”
Konenai’s spirits lifted at that. “Really?”
“Yeah, at least a sixty percent chance,” Ian said. “Here’s what we’ll do: we’ll split up. You go find Walnut and Yardy, then try to contact the rebels here. After we help bury the dead in this village, we’ll head back to the ship. The ship will dock at the island’s port. Come find us there.”
Konenai agreed, stood up, and gave Ian a slight bow with her hand over her chest, smiling. “Got it, my captain!”
Hearing this, Ian couldn’t help but smile. He knew that Kuma had sent Konenai and the other two here to give him some Revolutionary Army comrades as helpers. Now that she called him that, it meant they were already part of his crew.
Ian had had a good impression of the three from the start, and the more people, the better.
Konenai left, while Ian led Zeke and the others to dig a large pit in the village to bury the dead. To be honest, although Ian had killed people himself, this was his first time witnessing such a bloody massacre. The pirates in the New World were even more brutal than those in the first half of the Grand Line. The fear and despair in the eyes of the corpses made it hard for Ian to look. All he could do now was ensure these people weren’t left to rot in the open.
“Captain, when we take down those pirates, please let us join in!” Zeke and the others said, suppressing their murderous intent after finishing the work.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get your chance,” Ian nodded.
Afterward, Ian led the group back the way they came, reached the beach, and took a small boat back to the Dragon Hunter Pirates’ ship.
As soon as they were on board, Fujitora and the others gathered around to ask what had happened. Ian didn’t hide anything from them and explained the whole situation, though he temporarily kept the Thunder Stone a secret.
“So, what’s your plan next?” Fujitora asked.
Instead of answering, Ian turned to Baby-5 and said, “Now, I’m letting you go back.”
Baby-5, cigarette in mouth, looked surprised. “Letting me go back?”
“I need you to contact your young master,” Ian said with a smile. “Tell Doflamingo that I want to do business with him.”
“What kind of business?” Baby-5 asked, her expression complicated.
“Weapons trade,” Ian said. “I need about twenty thousand guns and swords. If possible, some mortars too. Don’t bother denying it—I know Doflamingo deals in weapons. You can tell him to sell them at the usual price.”
Doflamingo was publicly a Warlord and the king of Dressrosa, and most people wouldn’t know he was one of the underworld’s brokers. But Ian bluntly revealed Doflamingo’s identity, which surprised Baby-5.
“If possible, I’d like you to personally escort the weapons here for the handover,” Ian said with a smile.
“Wh-why?” Baby-5, driven by her need to be needed, couldn’t help but ask, her cheeks flushing.
“I told you, as long as you’re willing, you’re part of our crew,” Ian laughed.
That was right. Baby-5 was indeed Doflamingo’s subordinate, having lived with him as family for over a decade. But Ian knew that Baby-5 was only being used by Doflamingo because of her personality. The so-called familial bond Doflamingo offered didn’t seem to run very deep with Baby-5. Ian believed that if he tried to poach her, he could succeed.
Of course, poaching required the right timing. To be honest, despite this mindset, Ian had treated Baby-5 well—not just him, but the entire Dragon Hunter Pirates crew. He genuinely intended to see her as a comrade. Through this gradual influence, Baby-5 might come to see the difference between him and Doflamingo, and then the poaching would succeed.
Baby-5 eventually left, escorted by two Dragon Hunter Pirates members to Dressrosa, carrying the weapons trade agreement.
What Ian meant by having a way to get weapons was his current relationship with Doflamingo. Sure, Ian had killed Vergo, and Doflamingo wanted to kill Ian for revenge. But because Ian held something Doflamingo desperately wanted—the identity chip—Doflamingo wouldn’t openly turn against Ian until he got it.
So, Ian planned to use this relationship while it lasted. He estimated that Doflamingo would likely agree to the weapons deal ninety percent of the time.
After securing the weapons source and sending Baby-5 off, Ian revealed his plan to the Dragon Hunter Pirates crew.
He intended to openly dock the ship at the island’s port.
Ian figured that even though the king had used pirates to suppress the rebel forces, he wouldn’t be completely at ease. He’d probably hire even more pirates to serve him.
Someone might ask: as a king, couldn’t he form an army to suppress the rebellion? Why rely on pirates?
That was probably psychological. Ian understood that this usurping pirate king likely had no sense of security. If he formed an army, the soldiers would have to come from the island’s native population. As an outsider, entrusting his safety to the locals was risky—what if the army turned on him one day and overthrew him again?
So, the king hired pirates as enforcers. Pirates worked for money, didn’t require long-term upkeep with large sums, and as long as the pay was good, they’d fight just as hard.
At a time when the king was still looking to hire more muscle, the arrival of the Dragon Hunter Pirates would surely catch his attention.
A pirate crew with a total bounty of 1.2 billion Berries would be the most powerful enforcer available. Even if the king felt uneasy, he’d probably come to them.
And that was exactly what Ian wanted—for the king to come to him. That way, he could get close to the pirate king.
On one hand, providing weapons to the rebel forces; on the other, trying to contact the pirate king. What was Ian up to?
What else? He was trying to get his hands on the Thunder Stone refining technology…