Chapter 501: Matthew's Sleep-Kill Flow
With Sengoku's orders given, the Marine Headquarters immediately fell into a flurry of activity. Large numbers of Marine soldiers began to assemble, grabbing their weapons and boarding the warships at the port.
Kizaru also received the order. The man who had been guarding the entrance to Ian and the others' dormitory simply stood up and left without a word.
He had had enough of staying here over the past few days!
He and Ian had fought a fierce battle back then, and not only did he hold a grudge, but Ian did too. Ian had always disliked Kizaru's attitude, finding him sarcastic and insincere. He would rather sit next to Aokiji, basking in the sun and taking a nap, than exchange a single word with Kizaru.
If it were just that, it might have been tolerable. But Enel, that long-eared fellow, acted like a little punk, constantly staring at Kizaru with a provocative glare from the corner of his eye!
Ian had once told Enel that if a fight ever broke out, Enel's opponent would be Kizaru! Both were Logia users, both were incredibly fast, and Enel was especially skilled in Observation Haki, making him the perfect counter for Kizaru. So, ever since hearing Ian's words, Enel had treated Kizaru as his imaginary enemy. How could his gaze toward Kizaru be anything but hostile?
And yet, Kizaru couldn't do anything about it. He knew that if he tried to teach Enel a lesson, Ian would have a perfect excuse to cause a massive uproar in the Marine Headquarters!
Now, Sengoku's order came at the perfect time for Kizaru. After receiving it, he turned and left without even saying goodbye.
However, he had no idea that Ian, who had been closely monitoring the movements of the Marines at Marineford, noticed Kizaru's departure the moment it happened.
Enel's Mantra had been covering the entire Marineford all along.
"That sleazy-looking old man got on a ship and left the port," Enel reported to Ian.
Ian knew that things were developing in the best possible direction. Luffy, Zoro, and the others had actually managed to create this opportunity for him.
"Matthew, proceed with the original plan," Ian said immediately.
"O...kay..., Cap...tain...," Matthew replied slowly.
Ian then walked out of his dormitory and into the open area outside. Aokiji was lounging on a deck chair nearby, keeping watch. When he saw Ian appear, his eyes narrowed.
Aokiji felt a bit puzzled. Kizaru had just left, and now Ian was showing up?
Although Aokiji was somewhat alert, he noticed that Ian seemed almost gleeful as he said, "Ah, Admiral Kizaru has left! Great, now he's not so annoying anymore!"
As he spoke, Ian lay down on another chair next to Aokiji, stretching comfortably, and added, "I don't know why, but the air feels much fresher!"
Aokiji was speechless. He could tell that Ian was mocking Kizaru.
But he didn't say anything. Instead, he frowned and warned Ian, "Kizaru has a mission and left temporarily, but he'll be back soon. Ian, don't try anything funny."
"What? Afraid I'll run?" Ian laughed. "Come on, don't be ridiculous. Even if Fleet Admiral Sengoku is here, look at my ship—how could it possibly outrun a Marine warship? But speaking of which, when are you guys going to make a deal with me? I know you want to keep me under house arrest, but at least give me a definite timeline!"
The Ark Maxim only had a makeshift mast and sail. A single-masted ship like that couldn't possibly match the speed of a Marine three-masted vessel. Aokiji thought about it and realized Ian had a point, so he relaxed a bit and said, "Just be patient. It shouldn't take too long."
"Well, I guess I have no choice," Ian sighed theatrically, then shouted, "Matthew! Matthew! How about one of your signature drinks?"
After calling out, Ian turned to Aokiji and said, "Admiral Kuzan, would you like one? My treat!"
Aokiji didn't suspect anything and nodded. Over the past few days, Ian had been doing this regularly, often treating him to drinks that Matthew prepared.
Matthew soon appeared at the doorway, carrying a tray with two glasses of orange-colored pineapple juice. He placed one in front of Ian, who picked it up and started sipping, then handed the other to Aokiji as usual.
As he handed it over, Matthew said, "Ad...miral... Ku...zan..., this... is... yours..."
Matthew's drinks were excellent, but his slow, drawn-out way of speaking drove Aokiji crazy every time he heard it. He couldn't understand how Ian could stand having such a clown as a crew member.
How could he tolerate it!?
So, before Matthew could finish his sentence, Aokiji quickly reached out to take the glass.
But just as Aokiji's hand touched the glass, Matthew suddenly "affectionately" stroked Aokiji's hand!
Aokiji shuddered at the touch, thinking, "You're a grown man, what are you trying to do by touching me like that?" But before he could say anything, a sudden, overwhelming drowsiness washed over him!
"Not... good!" Aokiji realized immediately that he had been careless. He hadn't expected that Ian's unassuming chef was also a Devil Fruit user!
But even as he realized this, it was too late. Even he couldn't resist the intense sleepiness. The glass he was holding slipped from his hand and began to fall.
Ian had been watching Aokiji's movements closely. The moment he saw Aokiji's hand loosen, Ian reached out and caught the glass before it hit the ground. When he looked up, he saw that Aokiji had already fallen asleep, his head lolling to the side!
Sometimes, you had to admit that Devil Fruits were truly mysterious. Matthew might be weak, but when caught off guard, even a Marine Admiral could be put to sleep!
In this world, there was no such thing as resistance. Even for Aokiji, if you were meant to sleep, you slept.
Matthew's Sleep-Kill Flow was just that effective!
Of course, this was also because Matthew had been bringing drinks every day over the past few days, lowering Aokiji's guard. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy to touch him.
Ian straightened Aokiji's head, letting him lean back on the deck chair, then pulled down his eye patch. Since Aokiji often slept in, no one would suspect anything if he looked like he was napping.
As long as no one tried to attack Aokiji, he wouldn't wake up for the next ten minutes. Once everything was done, Enel and Dorry appeared at the doorway at just the right moment.
"Let's go!" Ian waved his hand. "And remember, act natural!"
The four of them then strolled leisurely toward the port, as if they were just out for a walk.
Along the way, Marine soldiers spotted them. They were momentarily stunned, but since Sengoku hadn't told them that Ian and his crew were under house arrest, the consequences of that decision finally became apparent. Although the soldiers were a bit surprised that no Marine Admiral was accompanying Ian this time, they assumed it was because Kizaru had left in a hurry on his mission. So, they thought Ian simply had no escort.
These were two completely different concepts...
And Ian, ever the actor, even smiled and waved at the soldiers, saying, "Hey, how's it going?"
This was hardly the behavior of someone trying to escape!
When they reached the spot where the Ark Maxim was docked, Ian even asked the soldiers guarding it, "So, have you been taking good care of my ship? Let me tell you, you know how valuable this ship is. If anything goes missing, you won't be able to afford to replace it!"
The soldiers naturally denied any wrongdoing and immediately replied, "Rest assured, sir, nothing will happen!"
But Ian shook his head and said, "No, I need to check. Enel, go up and see if any of the gold has been pried off!"
Enel and the others cracked their knuckles and jumped onto the ship, pretending to inspect it.
Ian, meanwhile, ignored the soldiers' angry glares and stood there with his hands behind his back, waiting.
"Captain, everything's fine!" Dorry called out from the ship's railing after a while.
Ian understood that Dorry and the others were ready.
The soldiers, still indignant, said, "See? We told you nothing would happen! How dare you doubt us!"
"Good, nothing's wrong. Then, thank you for your hard work," Ian said. Suddenly, he moved with incredible speed, knocking out the soldiers guarding the ship.
Then, he drew his Thousand Cherry Blossoms and swung it, sending a blade of energy flying to cut the thick mooring ropes holding the Ark Maxim. He leaped onto the ship and shouted, "Activate the Wind Dial!"
Wooosh! A sharp, piercing sound came from the bottom of the Ark Maxim. The seawater beneath the ship was blasted aside by the powerful air currents.
But the noise immediately alerted the Marines on patrol in the base!
When they saw the Ark Maxim being activated at the dock, they panicked, realizing something was wrong. The soldiers on duty immediately pulled out whistles and blew them frantically!
The shrill whistle echoed through the Marine Headquarters. In an instant, the entire base sprang into action. Countless Marines and officers grabbed their weapons and rushed out of their dormitories, converging on the port from all directions.
One soldier pulled out a Den Den Mushi and began dialing, presumably to notify Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
At the same time, an alarm blared from the loudspeakers in the Marine plaza, a sound like an air raid siren that echoed throughout the entire base!
All of this happened in less than half a minute, a testament to how well-trained the Marines at Headquarters were.
"Immediately intercept the Warlord, Black Dragon Ian!" Sengoku ordered upon receiving the report.
To be honest, he hadn't expected Ian to make a move so soon after Kizaru's departure. This was incredibly bold!
Knowing that Aokiji alone might not be able to stop Ian and his crew, Sengoku rushed out of his office and headed for the port.
What he didn't know was that the only person who could stop Ian now was himself. Aokiji... Aokiji was already fast asleep...