Chapter 352: Poisoned
Edoram's sudden retreat left Ian completely baffled.
He had considered how the Celestial Dragons might react—probably the same arrogant, self-important attitude as always, acting as if they were the rulers of the world and everyone else beneath them. To Ian, it didn't matter at all. After all, he was now a Warlord of the Sea, and times had changed. Even if he beat up another Celestial Dragon, he could still walk away unscathed.
But he never expected the Celestial Dragon in front of him to react like this.
"Edoram Saint!" The Celestial Dragon's guards finally snapped out of their shock and hurriedly chased after him, and then the whole group just ran off.
Ian scratched his head, puzzled, and asked, "What's this all about?"
Crocodile snorted coldly and said, "Looks like your reputation among the Celestial Dragons is pretty damn bad! That guy probably recognized you."
"Recognized me? That's no reason to get scared off, is it?" Ian asked, confused.
Beside him, Sabo smiled slightly and said, "Isn't this a good thing? We have business to attend to, and it's not suitable to cause a scene here."
"True," Ian nodded, deciding not to dwell on it. The three of them continued walking forward. The World Government officials in charge of inspections didn't dare check them at all and simply let them pass.
If even a Celestial Dragon was scared off, how could those officials think themselves above the World Nobles? So Ian and his two companions walked through Mary Geoise under the awed gazes of everyone around.
What they didn't know was that not far behind them, among the crowd, a tall, lean figure had witnessed the entire scene.
Aokiji had been following the three of them at a distance. Acting on Sengoku's orders, he planned to tail Ian and see what they were up to. Earlier, when he saw them encounter the Celestial Dragon, even Aokiji broke out in a cold sweat.
He thought something was about to go down!
Although he didn't know Ian well, he understood that Ian was a reckless guy. Aokiji knew that while others might choose to avoid the Celestial Dragons, Ian definitely wouldn't—he would confront them head-on!
Sure enough, Ian and his group didn't kneel at all, and the Celestial Dragon even fired his gun.
Aokiji had been ready to step in if Ian tried to attack the Celestial Dragon, to stop him from causing another uproar in Mary Geoise.
But then, something unexpected happened: the Celestial Dragon Edoram Saint was the one who got scared and ran off.
While this was a good thing and secretly relieved Aokiji, it also made him realize just how notorious Ian, this Warlord of the Sea, was in the eyes of the Celestial Dragons.
As a Marine Admiral stationed at Marineford, close enough to Mary Geoise, Aokiji knew something about the Celestial Dragons' recent situation.
Ever since Ian set fire to Mary Geoise and freed the slaves last time, the Celestial Dragons were initially furious, wanting to capture Ian and execute him in the cruelest way possible as a warning. But after the Marines' repeated failed attempts to catch him, the Celestial Dragons began to feel fear.
This fear came partly from their worries about the identity chips and partly from the death of a Celestial Dragon noble from the Musgard Saint family.
It had been a long time since a Celestial Dragon had been lost to an accident. Apart from natural deaths from old age, that foolish son of the Musgard family was the first World Noble to be killed by someone.
It was a strange psychological shift. For a long time, the Celestial Dragons had considered themselves creators, believing they had made this world and seeing themselves as gods. This twisted their thinking, making them intolerant of any disrespect. Combined with the World Government and Marines' thorough protection, they developed an arrogant mindset.
But when Ian killed a Celestial Dragon, it shattered that arrogance. Only then did they realize that even "gods" could be killed by others.
Now, they were caught in a contradiction: still arrogant on one hand, but afraid of being killed on the other. Through constant discussions, the Celestial Dragons gradually developed an irrational fear of Ian, someone who would kill them without mercy. In their minds, Ian's image grew more terrifying, like a demon.
Only a demon could be an enemy of the gods; only a demon could kill a deity. That's how the Celestial Dragons thought.
It wasn't that their side was weak, but that the enemy was too strong! This felt a bit like self-delusion, but it at least gave the Celestial Dragons some psychological comfort.
As a result, the elders of every Celestial Dragon family, when teaching their children, would specifically warn them to be careful of Ian, that demon. They even used Ian's wanted poster photo to tell their kids: if you ever meet this guy, it's best to stay far away...
The Celestial Dragons feared death more than anyone. They weren't stupid; when faced with someone truly untouchable, they knew to keep their distance. Otherwise, why wouldn't these arrogant fools go pick a fight with the Four Emperors?
That was the reason Edoram ran off in fright. Ian didn't know what had happened behind the scenes, but Aokiji understood a bit.
So when he saw this, even Aokiji found it a bit speechless. But on second thought, he figured it was for the best. As long as the Celestial Dragons didn't provoke Ian, the Marine Admirals would have fewer headaches and wouldn't have to clean up their messes.
Ian and his group didn't stay long in Mary Geoise, so even if the Celestial Dragons still harbored resentment over Ian killing one of their own, they wouldn't come looking for trouble. That was exactly what the Marines wanted to see.
When Aokiji reached the port and learned that Ian and his companions had already gotten a ship and descended the channel into the New World, he leisurely got his bicycle from the Marine soldiers stationed there. Straddling his long legs over it, he pedaled into the water flow of the channel.
As the bicycle's wheels turned, a thin trail of ice formed beneath them, carrying Aokiji as he sped down the slope...
……………………
After entering the New World with their ship, Ian and his two companions sailed toward the island where Ian had once hidden the slaves.
In the letters he had sent with Hac and Robin, Koala, Ian had specified the location. If Jinbe and Boa Hancock were willing to help, they would head to that island to meet up with Ian and the others.
So next, Ian just had to wait.
After crossing the Red Line, Ian's Den Den Mushi signal was finally unobstructed. When he tried to contact Fujitora again, he managed to get through.
"Captain, is that you!?" A excited voice came from the other end.
"Walnut? Are you holding the Den Den Mushi?" Ian was also excited. Finally, after all this time, he could make contact.
"It's me!" Walnut said on the other end. "Captain, where are you now? We're in trouble!"
"Don't panic, take it slow!" Ian comforted her. "Where are you now? On Travira Island or on Barron Sky Island?"
Walnut replied, "We're on Barron Sky Island now, Captain. Not long after you left, something big happened. Someone attacked our island. There were so many enemies. Uncle Fujitora could hold them off for a while, but in the end, he couldn't handle it. A lot of our crew members were seriously injured. Out of options, Uncle Fujitora used his Devil Fruit ability to lift all of us up to the Sky Island."
"Is Ace on the Sky Island too?" Ian pressed.
"Yes, he is!" Walnut said. "Ace arrived on our island just as the attack started. He seemed to be looking for you, but when he saw the enemies, he helped us fight them. Later, he got injured too and had to come up to the Sky Island with us."
"How is he? Is his injury serious?" Ian asked, frowning.
"No, to be precise, he wasn't injured!" Walnut gave Ian some surprising news. "He was actually poisoned! A very potent poison. It's not fatal, but even Doctor Erlang couldn't cure him!"
"Po... poisoned!?" Ian was utterly stunned.