Chapter 491: Celestial Dragons Must Die
There was actually such a secret history between Shanks and Dragon—this was something Ian had never expected.
Not only had the two met once, but it also involved Ian's own origins. Ian didn't know what to say about it, but it was precisely because of this conversation with Shanks that Ian peeled back some of the mystery surrounding the enigmatic figure of Dragon.
As a Revolutionary Army officer, it would be quite embarrassing to know nothing about one's own leader. After this, Ian gained a rough understanding of Dragon's intentions for starting the revolution.
Ian had speculated before that the Revolutionary Army's goal was to overthrow the World Government's rule, but now it seemed that Dragon's true target was likely the privileged class of the Celestial Dragons.
Ian even guessed that the Marines were excluded from his plans!
This was actually easy to understand. Although there were many heartless people in the Marines, the majority still upheld the concept of justice. The Marines appeared to have done many outrageous things, but if you thought about it carefully, they were often forced to carry out orders under the World Government's command.
The Marines protecting civilians and fighting pirates—this principle was absolutely correct, and their contributions couldn't be completely denied. However, the Marines' flaw was also obvious: as the violent arm of the World Government, they often had no choice. Once the higher-ups twisted the rules, the execution below naturally went astray.
Dragon, having once been a Marine himself, naturally understood this. That's why, after witnessing the Bannero incident, he resolutely left the Marine organization, thereby shaking off the World Government's constraints.
Just as Ian was thinking this, Shanks stretched and yawned, saying, "Alright, you've learned what you needed to. I'm going to sleep now!"
With that, Shanks grabbed his wine bottle, staggered to his feet, walked to the deck, found a random spot, lay down, and fell asleep.
Robin watched Shanks leave, then quietly said to Ian, "You... plan to take revenge?"
"Maybe," Ian replied noncommittally. "With my current strength, killing the king of the Ilusia Kingdom might be easy, but if I can't have the people elect a better king like I did on Drum Island, it's still useless. As long as the World Government and the Celestial Dragons exist, no one can guarantee that another king who fawns on superiors and bullies subordinates won't appear... Uncle Dragon probably understands this, which is why he's tirelessly carrying out Revolutionary Army activities in the Ilusia Kingdom. Only by breaking free from the World Government's constraints can a country truly gain freedom..."
Robin nodded silently. She was a survivor of Ohara, so she understood the World Government's power best. In her eyes, they were an invincible enemy.
She gently rested her head on Ian's shoulder and said, "Though I'm unwilling, you're right. I know that relying on my own strength alone is too insignificant. Even if I want to avenge those who died in Ohara, I can't. So... now I can only count on you. I hope that by following you, one day I'll see Ohara's name reappear on the map, letting the world remember this place again..."
Ian heard a dripping sound and knew Robin was crying—her tears falling onto the deck.
Although Robin had been tirelessly searching for Poneglyphs, who said she could let go of the hatred for Ohara's destruction? Her mother, her teacher, her friends—all had died in that Buster Call. It wasn't that she didn't want revenge, but that she lacked the power. She kept seeking refuge with the strong, partly for protection and partly hoping to use their strength to take revenge.
But unfortunately, even a Warlord like Crocodile didn't dare to oppose the World Government or the Celestial Dragons. That was until Robin met Ian.
Perhaps at first, Robin was only forced to "transfer" due to Ian's strength, but as she learned more about him, she gradually realized that Ian might be the person she was looking for. Not only did Ian have enough strength, but he was also a member of the Revolutionary Army. Most importantly, Ian had always held no goodwill toward the World Government and the Celestial Dragons—in fact, he could be said to despise them!
Maybe, by staying on this Dragon Hunter Pirates ship, she could see the day when her vengeance was fulfilled...
Ian understood Robin's feelings at that moment. After thinking for a moment, he helped her up, extended his pinky finger, and said very seriously, "I can't promise you anything right now, but let's make a pact. The two of us, the only survivors, will work together and do our utmost to overthrow the World Government and the Celestial Dragons!"
Robin broke into a smile through her tears and extended her pinky finger to link with Ian's.
Sengoku's premonition had come true. Because of this meeting between Shanks and Ian, Ian learned about his own origins. If before, Ian's hatred for the Celestial Dragons was based on a bystander's sense of justice and sympathy, now it had become a personal matter. The two were completely different.
Ian and the Red Hair Pirates spent three days at Saint White Poplar, which meant the Ark Maxim and the Red Force also stayed at the port for three days.
A Warlord's ship and an Emperor's ship, so blatantly docked at the port—it was enough to scare off gods and demons alike!
Not only did no pirate ships dare approach the port, but even merchant ships kept their distance. The deterrent effect was top-notch.
So, after buying lumber and repairing their ships, Shanks decided to leave. He even joked to Ian that if they stayed any longer, the people of Saint White Poplar would be sick of them both.
Indeed, with their ships sitting in the port, no one dared to come to Saint White Poplar Island. If this continued, the island's economy would plummet.
Over these three days, Ian had gotten familiar with the Red Hair Pirates. To his enemies, Shanks was a fearsome opponent, but to his friends, he was undoubtedly easy to get along with. So, seeing that Shanks and his crew were about to leave, Ian felt a bit reluctant.
At that moment, Ian remembered something and said to Shanks, "Big Brother Shanks, could I ask you a favor?"
"Go ahead!" Shanks patted his chest. "If I can help, I will!"
Ian pointed at Reiju and Robin and said, "You're heading back to the New World, right? If possible, I'd like Robin and the others to go with you. I need to go to Marineford next, and their identities aren't suitable for appearing there."
Ian had previously considered a plan to split into two groups. Now, by chance, meeting Shanks made it even better. With his escort, no one could touch Robin and the others.
"No problem! I'll send them back to your territory!" Shanks agreed without any hesitation.
So, with the help of Matthew and Dorry, they began moving the gold they had obtained from Skypiea from their ship's hold to Shanks's ship.
Seeing so much gold on Ian's ship, Shanks's eyes nearly popped out. He exclaimed in surprise, "Good heavens! You're really rich. I thought a ship made of gold was already impressive..."
"Hehe!" Ian chuckled. "Sorry for the trouble, Big Brother Shanks! If you want, feel free to take some of this gold!"
"No thanks!" Shanks shook his head. "Money is just enough for us to get by!"
Shanks had also figured it out and suspected that this gold was related to Ian's Pay-to-Win Fruit ability, so he naturally wouldn't take any.
After the gold was moved, Reiju asked Ian, "When I get back, should I contact Tesoro to exchange this gold for money?"
"Is that okay?" Ian asked her.
"It should be fine. I'll bring Uncle Fujitora along. He probably wants to see that giant casino too," Reiju said with a smile.
"Then I'll leave it to you! I'll be back as soon as possible!" Ian said.
After giving his instructions, Ian thought for a moment, pulled Shanks aside, and said in a low voice, "Big Brother Shanks... your arm... maybe I can help you restore it..."