Chapter 433: Rehearsal
Sanji howled as he launched a flying kick straight at Ian.
Ian certainly wasn't going to let himself get hit, but this damn Sanji kid was just too annoying. Maybe it was because there were so many beautiful women on the ship now, but the guy was acting like he'd been injected with stimulants. He was the most rambunctious one on the entire vessel. So, after dodging Sanji's kick, Ian casually grabbed him by the ankle and flung him to the side!
*Splash!* Sanji immediately fell into the sea...
Ian finally felt some peace and quiet. He turned to look at Reiju, asking with his eyes: "Is there something wrong with your little brother?"
Reiju smiled knowingly. However, seeing Sanji full of energy like this, she felt relieved, thinking that at least he seemed happy staying with the Straw Hat Pirates.
But now that she had seen Sanji, it meant Ian had fulfilled his promise to her. So Reiju couldn't help but wonder where she should go from here—should she return to the Vinsmoke Family, or take this opportunity to leave far behind...
And whenever she thought of that cold, lifeless family, a trace of loneliness crept onto Reiju's face.
This expression happened to be seen by Sanji, who had just climbed back onto the ship from the sea.
And so, the guy's mind went straight to the gutter again. He wildly imagined that this so-called brother-in-law of his had toyed with his sister's feelings, causing her to look so lonely.
"Ohhh!" Sanji erupted again. Once on deck, he launched another attack at Ian.
This time, perhaps due to his emotional agitation, his speed was noticeably faster than before, forcing Ian to raise his arm to block the kick.
But Sanji's repeated antics were starting to piss Ian off. He grabbed the guy and slammed him face-first into the deck!
In truth, Ian was still holding back. Although it looked like Merry's deck had been smashed into a hole by Sanji's face, Ian knew Sanji was fine.
Didn't Reiju show any concern? That idiot Sanji, after all, was just like her—a genetically modified human!
However, this move made Zoro and Luffy both stand up. Zoro drew his swords, while Luffy assumed an attacking stance.
Maybe it was the shift in Ian's aura when he got angry that made Luffy and Zoro sense he was genuinely about to lose his temper with Sanji. And no matter what, Sanji was their comrade. They couldn't just watch Ian beat him up like this.
"Oh!?" Ian was a bit surprised to see their stances, but after figuring out what they were thinking, he said with a hint of amusement: "What's this, Zoro? After being apart for so long, do you want a long-overdue duel?"
Zoro, holding the Sandai Kitetsu in his mouth and a sword in each hand, said to Ian: "I usually hate this pervy cook too, but if anyone's going to beat him up, it's got to be me!"
"That's right!" Luffy nodded in agreement. "If you beat up Sanji, there'll be no one to cook for me later!"
Robin found this amusing and couldn't help but let out a chuckle.
"Haha!" Ian laughed too. He could see that the Straw Hat Pirates were indeed quite united. But in reality, Zoro was just using Sanji being bullied as an excuse to pick a fight with Ian. It had been over two years since they last crossed swords, and the guy was probably itching for a rematch.
As for Luffy, that idiot was just a single-celled organism. Seeing Zoro stand up, he stood up too, without really thinking much about it.
Chopper, held in Robin's arms, was terrified, thinking a real conflict was about to break out. Tearfully, he begged everyone to stop.
As for Usopp, he was already lying on the ground, playing dead...
Only Nami saw through it. She sighed helplessly, smiled wryly, and moved aside.
Vivi, standing nearby, didn't catch the subtlety. Seeing Nami step back, she grew anxious and asked: "Shouldn't we... help?"
Nami crossed her arms and said: "No need. First of all, we can't do much. And second, letting these idiots learn a lesson might do them some good."
As if to confirm her words, Sanji got up too. He was indeed fine, though his hair was full of wood chips. Still, he struck a cool pose, lit a cigarette, and stood shoulder to shoulder with Luffy and Zoro.
Like Zoro, Sanji had long wanted a real fight with Ian. It was a grudge that had been buried since their encounter at the Baratie restaurant.
The three main combatants of the Straw Hat Pirates now faced Ian together.
Ian turned to look at Ace and Reiju, pointing at Luffy and the other two, and asked: "You don't mind if I give them a beating, do you?"
"Haha!" Ace laughed. "I used to beat up Luffy all the time when we were kids!"
As for Reiju, she stood with one hand on her hip, smiling without objection. She actually wanted to see how much Sanji had grown. Did he have what it took to survive as a pirate on the sea?
Whether as an older brother or an older sister, the mindset toward a younger sibling is the same—wanting to protect them while also hoping they grow stronger.
Ian felt the same way. After all, this time Zoro hadn't encountered Hawk-Eye yet. He still didn't know how many strong fighters roamed this sea. Even Ian, with all his advantages, still had opponents he couldn't beat. So giving them a preview of the New World's power might indirectly help them grow faster.
However, Ian couldn't start a fight on their small ship. He pointed to a nearby island and signaled for the three to follow him.
Once they reached the island, Robin, Reiju, and the others leaned against the ship's railing, resting their chins on their hands, ready to watch the show. Usopp, Chopper, Nami, and Vivi stayed on the ship, worried.
On solid ground, Zoro untied his shirt, revealing his lean, muscular torso. He wrapped the shirt around his waist and tied a black cloth around his head. Sanji and Luffy also began stretching their limbs. Ian, meanwhile, stood with a smile, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword, waiting for them to get ready.
Zoro didn't want to gang up on Ian like this, but they all knew that if they fought one-on-one, none of them stood a chance. So they decided to attack together.
They treated this as a rehearsal for their upcoming battle with another Warlord of the Sea: Crocodile. They wanted to understand what kind of strength a Warlord truly possessed.
"Here we go, Luffy!" Zoro muttered through his sword to Luffy beside him.
"Yeah!" Luffy nodded seriously.
Seeing they were ready, Ian smiled and beckoned them forward with his hand.
This gesture irritated all three of them, and the next second, they moved!
Luffy charged straight ahead, taking the lead in the frontal assault. As he sprinted toward Ian, he stretched both arms backward. The longer he ran, the longer his arms became.
When he was about two meters away from Ian, his arms, stretched behind him, snapped back with tremendous force!
"Gomu Gomu... Bazooka!"
Luffy's hands, in a pushing stance, slammed toward Ian with the immense kinetic energy of the rubber's rebound.
At the same time, Zoro leaped several times, circling around to Ian's left. With the sword in his mouth held horizontally and the two in his hands following suit, he brought them down in a cross-shaped slash with all his might.
As for Sanji, the last one, he jumped high into the air from the start, spinning his body like a wheel. When he was directly above Ian, he extended his heel, bringing it down like a battle axe aimed at Ian's head.
The three attacked almost simultaneously—one from the front, one from the side, and one from above. Their coordination seemed flawless.
But just as Luffy's Gomu Gomu Bazooka was about to hit Ian, Ian moved!
In that instant, a powerful aura erupted from Ian. Luffy's attack came to an abrupt halt just before landing.
It was Luffy who stopped himself—an emergency brake, really!
Because in that moment when Ian's aura exploded, Luffy saw the sharp, fierce look in Ian's eyes. In that instant, he felt as if he were staring at a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.
He had a premonition: if his hands really pressed forward, the next second, Ian's sword would cut them off!
The Dark Old Demon says:
Three chapters tonight, including one make-up chapter.