Chapter 509: The Package Has Arrived (Extra Chapter for Alliance Leader Di Mo)
As Ian spotted Luffy and his crew, they spotted him too—after all, Ian's pair of black Flame Wings were incredibly eye-catching and flashy.
"Ah, look ahead!" Usopp, with the sharpest eyes, was the first to see Ian. He immediately started running and shouting, "It's Big Brother Ian! It's Big Brother Ian!"
At that, Nami, Chopper, and the others grew excited, frantically waving toward Ian.
If Ian hadn't shown up, the Straw Hat Pirates—Luffy and his crew—would have been Kizaru's primary target, since they were the culprits who had beaten up a Celestial Dragon. But because Ian had also escaped Marineford and arrived at Sabaody Archipelago, he ended up intercepting Kizaru.
And since Kizaru hadn't gone after Luffy and his crew, the Straw Hat Pirates hadn't been pushed to the brink. With Trafalgar Law's Heart Pirates tagging along, they had managed to escape calmly when Sentomaru cornered them with two Pacifistas.
But… but why were you all fleeing here?!
Ian was now covered in black lines. Wasn't the situation here complicated enough already?
Seeing Nami and the others excitedly calling out Ian's name, Trafalgar Law, who was running, paused and looked ahead. After spotting Ian, a faint smile crept onto his face. "As I thought, it's Ian-ya!"
Trafalgar Law hadn't been wrong—by following Luffy and his crew, he had indeed found Ian smoothly.
However, when Trafalgar Law clearly saw the two people confronting Ian, he suddenly slammed on the brakes!
"Stop! Halt!" Trafalgar Law couldn't help shouting.
"What's wrong, Tora-o?" Luffy asked, puzzled.
"Don't go over there! That's a Marine Admiral!" Trafalgar Law said. "And two of them! Kizaru and Aokiji!"
Hearing this, Nami and the others were terrified and immediately stopped in their tracks. Zoro gritted his teeth, drew his swords, and turned to face Sentomaru and the two Pacifistas closing in from behind. "He's right. We can't lead those three over there, or Ian might have bigger trouble. We can't add to his burden—we'll have to deal with the ones behind us ourselves!"
Sanji also stopped, turned around, pulled out a cigarette, lit it, took a drag, and said, "We can't handle a Marine Admiral. We'll just have to deal with the guys behind us…"
Bon Clay, the okama, spun around in a ballet pirouette and asked curiously, "But who is Big Brother Ian?"
He had indeed never met Ian.
But when Nami answered that he was a Warlord of the Sea, just like Crocodile, Bon Clay was stunned.
As Luffy and his crew prepared for battle, Sentomaru, who had arrived, also saw the situation ahead. When he noticed Kizaru and Aokiji confronting Ian, his pupils contracted.
"No wonder the Den Den Mushi couldn't get through earlier…" Sentomaru thought to himself. "Looks like Kizaru-san is in trouble too. It's that guy from Salamis Island…"
Moreover, Sentomaru noticed that Kizaru's clothes were stained with large patches of blood, suggesting he had already taken a hit in their clash.
After a moment's thought, Sentomaru quickly made a decision. He knew Kizaru-san might not be able to break away, so the task of capturing the Straw Hat Pirates fell to him. He immediately ordered, "PX-1, PX-2, full firepower open fire! Arrest everyone from the Straw Hat Pirates and the Heart Pirates!"
BEEP! BEEP! Two soft sounds rang out as the two Pacifistas opened their mouths, firing two laser beams at the Straw Hat Pirates.
Luffy and his crew quickly dodged, and then they engaged the Pacifistas in battle.
The fighting over there naturally affected Ian's side as well. Kizaru, having heard Nami and the others call out Ian's name, spoke up, "Well, well. So the Straw Hat Pirates know you. Could it be that you ordered them to assault the World Nobles?"
Ian sneered, "If I had ordered it, it wouldn't have stopped at just a beating."
Kizaru was momentarily at a loss for words. Yes, this Ian had directly killed a Celestial Dragon before…
Aokiji frowned and said, "Ian, I don't know what you're trying to do, but opposing the Marines is unwise. If you come back with us now, Fleet Admiral Sengoku might still let you keep your Warlord title. And since you know the Straw Hat Pirates, even if you can hold us off, they'll still be captured. If you surrender, I can promise to let the Straw Hat Pirates go and escape."
"They're not as weak as you think," Ian shook his head. "Two Pacifistas won't necessarily be able to handle them."
"Maybe two can't, but what about four?" Aokiji chuckled.
"What do you mean?" Ian was startled and quickly turned to look in Zoro's direction.
He saw that, somehow, two more tall figures had appeared on the outskirts of Luffy's group, both with identical faces!
What else could they be but Pacifistas?
Aokiji spread his hands and said, "When Fleet Admiral Sengoku ordered me to come, he requisitioned two more Pacifistas from the Marine Science Unit to prevent any accidents."
Damn it! So there weren't just three Pacifistas on Sabaody, but five?!
Ian's mind raced. If there were only two Pacifistas, with Trafalgar Law's help, Zoro and the others should have been fine. But now, with two more suddenly appearing, things were getting troublesome!
Not just Ian—Luffy and his crew also saw them, and their hearts sank to the bottom.
Just as Ian was thinking about having Hawkins and Drake go help the Straw Hat Pirates, he noticed something!
Among the two newly appeared Pacifistas, one seemed a bit different!
Normally, all Pacifistas looked exactly the same, modeled after Kuma with his bear-ear hat. Their hands should have been empty, just wearing gloves. But Ian noticed that the one on the right, the new arrival, was different—he was holding a book against his chest with his left hand!
Was… was it Kuma? The real Kuma!?
Ian suddenly realized this and felt a surge of excitement.
Sure enough, as the four identical giants surrounded Luffy, Trafalgar Law, and the others, the Pacifista standing next to Kuma raised its palm, ready to fire a laser at Luffy and his crew. But at that moment, Kuma suddenly reached out with his right hand and pushed sideways.
POP! With a soft sound, that Pacifista vanished without a trace!
"Wh… what's going on?" Luffy and the others were stunned.
"Kuma! What are you doing!?" Sentomaru shouted at Bartholomew Kuma as he realized what had happened.
This sudden turn of events even drew the attention of Kizaru and Aokiji. But Kuma didn't stop. He instantly flickered next to another Pacifista, brought his right hand down, and slapped it on the Pacifista's head.
POP! That Pacifista also vanished!
"Stop PX-0 immediately!" Sentomaru roared at the last remaining Pacifista.
PX-0 was Kuma's code name—he was the prototype of the Pacifista project, hence that designation. When Sentomaru's order came down, the remaining Pacifista immediately turned its palm and fired a laser at Kuma's position.
But Kuma had already vanished from that spot, flickering behind this Pacifista. He reached out, swung his hand, and slapped it with a loud SMACK!
All three Pacifistas were gone!
Seeing this, Ian felt like laughing out loud. He hadn't expected Kuma to have infiltrated these Pacifistas and appear just like in the original timeline!
With the Pacifistas gone, the situation on the field had completely reversed!
"I knew it," Kizaru muttered under his breath. "Bartholomew Kuma is very suspicious."
Aokiji's frown deepened even further.
Ian was quite pleased now. With Kuma's appearance, he had sent three Pacifistas flying. Now, Kizaru and Aokiji had no backup. Even if they still had some Marine soldiers with them, those soldiers were busy capturing pirates all over Sabaody. Even if they came here, they wouldn't pose a threat.
But Ian was curious—where had Kuma sent those three Pacifistas?
…………………………
What Ian didn't know was that about an hour later, at their Sky Island base, the Gray Terminal, Fujitora, Reiju, Robin, and the Dragon Hunter Pirates were all staring in bewilderment as three identical Pacifistas flew in one after another and landed on the island.
As the three Pacifistas struggled to get up, Fujitora's gravity field immediately enveloped them. "I guess Ian's package has arrived. Let's sign for it…"