Chapter 499: Edd War
Ian had guessed that Kuina would have a way, but he never expected her to be this fast!
It was only the next day, when Ian was out for a stroll accompanied by Aokiji, that he ran into Kuina again.
When Ian greeted her, Kuina let out a cold snort and suddenly kicked toward his face!
Ian was startled but quickly caught her foot. Then he noticed that on her shoe, near the laces, there was a tiny piece of paper!
With a flicker of thought, Ian smoothly swiped the paper into his hand while pushing Kuina's foot away, sending her back.
The paper had been transferred to Ian's hand without a trace!
"Heh, Kuina! You still want to fight?" Ian said with a grin. "Don't you see your Admiral Kuzan right behind me?"
"Hmph!" Kuina feigned a sulky snort, then raised her hand to salute Aokiji. "Admiral Kuzan!"
Aokiji nodded and asked, "Kuina, where are you headed?"
"Delivering a document to Vice Admiral Tsuru," Kuina said, indicating the file in her hand.
"What document?" Ian leaned in curiously, playing along.
But Kuina quickly moved the file away, holding it far from him, and stared at him warily.
Damn! My sister's a real actress! Ian couldn't help but silently applaud Kuina's performance. From start to finish, their hands never touched, and even with Aokiji right behind them, there was no sign of anything suspicious!
No one would ever guess that the intelligence exchange had been completed with that single kick, right?
Seeing this, Aokiji sighed and said to Kuina, "Alright, go on now!"
Kuina saluted and left without another word. Then Aokiji asked Ian, "What's going on between you two?"
"How should I know?" Ian shrugged. "She fought me once when she was with Smoker. She lost, and I guess she's been holding a grudge ever since. She seems pretty competitive…"
Aokiji nodded. He had noticed Kuina's personality too, so he didn't suspect anything about Ian's explanation.
However, he then said with some annoyance, "You might not know this, but after yesterday's battle, Commander Kuina suddenly gained a lot of suitors overnight! Those guys went to the Staff Office to give her flowers, and Vice Admiral Tsuru complained to me about it, saying it was disrupting their work…"
"Really!?" Ian's eyes flashed with a dangerous glint. "Want me to help? I'll just block the Staff Office entrance and beat them all up!"
No way! These Marines have some nerve! Trying to hit on my sister!?
At that moment, Ian was like a protective older brother, ready to knock out every ugly bastard who dared to confess to Kuina!
There's a saying: the eldest brother is like a father. That was Ian's mindset now. In his eyes, his junior sister Kuina had always been his pride. Even a fool like Zoro, Ian wanted to see grow as much as possible, let alone a brilliant and talented sister like Kuina. He cherished her even more.
So, Ian's fists cracked as he clenched them.
Aokiji didn't understand the reason and thought Ian just wanted an excuse to teach the Marines a lesson. He naturally refused, saying, "Don't bother. Those guys are already confined to quarters!"
"Alright!" Hearing that, Ian felt a bit better.
But then he realized why Kuina had gotten the intel so quickly. Besides working in the Staff Office, it was also because she was so popular in Marine Headquarters. Those admirers of hers would eagerly tell her anything if she casually asked, "I wonder where Admiral Akainu went?" Anyone who knew a little would rush to answer, trying to impress her…
The Marines might be wary of Ian, a Warlord, but they would never suspect Kuina, a fellow Marine. It seemed his decision to have Kuina gather intel was the right one.
With the intel in hand, Ian kept it pinched between his fingers. The tiny piece of paper, rolled into a ball, was barely noticeable. He didn't rush back but continued wandering around the Marine base as if nothing had happened.
During his stroll, he ran into Smoker and Tashigi and stopped to chat for a while.
Smoker and Tashigi were only Marine Captains. Though they were elite members of Marine Headquarters, they weren't privy to Fleet Admiral Sengoku's true intentions. They found it strange that Ian was staying in Marine Headquarters but didn't ask too many questions.
Actually, Ian had quite a history with the Marines. He had friends among them, like Smoker and Tashigi, and Vice Admiral Garp. But he also had enemies, like Vice Admiral Fighting Dog, whose arm he had cut off, and Vice Admiral Momonga, whom he had defeated. He ran into all of them during his stroll, and each treated him differently.
After his walk, Ian returned to his quarters. When he was in his room, Aokiji and Kizaru didn't enter but just waited outside.
Once inside, Ian opened the note Kuina had given him.
The note was tiny, so it couldn't hold many words. He only saw one name on it: "Edd War!"
Ian wasn't familiar with Whitebeard's territory, so he didn't know if this place was within the old man's domain. But reasoning it out, it probably wasn't. If Akainu, a Marine Admiral, entered Whitebeard's territory, he would be immediately monitored.
Since it was outside Whitebeard's territory, Akainu's movements were worth pondering. What was he doing there?
Moreover, for some reason, Ian felt the name was familiar, like he had heard it somewhere.
Frowning, he thought hard, and then a flash of insight hit him. He remembered!
Edd War!? Wasn't that the site of the Edd War naval battle!?
The Edd War was a famous historical event, dating back to the era of Pirate King Roger.
And it inevitably involved one person: Golden Lion Shiki of the Flying Pirate Pirates! At that time, the Flying Pirate Pirates, the Roger Pirates, and the Whitebeard Pirates were the three most famous pirate crews on the Grand Line!
This was about three years before Roger's execution, at least twenty-five years ago. Golden Lion Shiki and Pirate King Roger had a history of fighting and then befriending each other, a relationship of both enemies and friends over decades. However, Shiki's fleet was incredibly powerful back then. He approached Roger seeking an alliance, wanting to use his forces combined with Roger's knowledge of the "weapon that could destroy the world" to dominate the world together.
Unfortunately, Roger had no such ambition and directly refused Shiki. Enraged, Shiki declared war on Roger!
Unlike Roger's elite-focused approach, the Flying Pirate Pirates had dozens of ships surrounding Roger's single vessel. Although Roger's crew destroyed most of Shiki's fleet, they were pushed to the brink of defeat.
If not for a sudden storm that reversed the Flying Pirate Pirates' advantage, and Roger seizing the opportunity to turn the tide, there might have been no Pirate King in this world…
That battle was later called the Edd War, secretly celebrated by many. That was why Ian found the name familiar.
That naval battle ultimately cemented Roger's reputation as the Pirate King. Defeating the more powerful Flying Pirate Pirates with just one ship, Roger rose to prominence on Golden Lion Shiki's shoulders.
What was Akainu doing there with the Marines?
Could it be that the Marines were planning a "New Edd War" against the Whitebeard Pirates in that sea!?
Thinking it over, Ian gradually understood. The first Edd War made Roger the Pirate King. Who would the second Edd War make famous?
The Marines? Or the Whitebeard Pirates?
Ian knew that a battle between the Marines and the Whitebeard Pirates was inevitable, but he hadn't expected that his interference would cost the Marines the Paramount War, only to potentially spark a New Edd War with the Whitebeard Pirates!
Choosing this location—was it to symbolize the Marines' resolve? Did they want to use this battle to cement their own fame?
Ian was now one hundred percent certain that Akainu hadn't chosen the Edd War sea area randomly. He didn't know exactly what Akainu was planning, but he guessed it might be the Marines' opening move. Perhaps Akainu was setting something up there…
Right now, elite Marines from other branches were constantly arriving at Marine Headquarters, showing that the Marines were gathering. This war could break out at any moment.
This made Ian anxious. He wanted to warn Ace to be careful of Blackbeard and Akainu, but he was trapped in Marine Headquarters.
"Luffy, Zoro! It's up to you now!" Ian clenched his fists silently. "Don't let me down. When you see the Celestial Dragons, beat them flying or cut them down! That way, either Kizaru or Aokiji will have to leave Marine Headquarters for Sabaody Archipelago. Then, with only one Admiral left, things will be much easier for me!"