Chapter 577: An Old Tiger Still Has His Might
Upon hearing Ian's question, Marco was stunned for a moment, but quickly caught on. Ever since Ace had returned last time, Marco and the others had heard from Ace about Ian's healing abilities, and immediately realized that Ian might be planning to go back and treat the Old Man first.
So Marco immediately whispered a few words into Ian's ear.
"Understood!" Ian nodded, glanced over at Akainu, and said to Marco, "Hold him off for another ten minutes for me! Any problems?"
"No problem!" Marco agreed at once, and immediately charged toward Akainu, replacing Ian and continuing the fight with him.
Although Akainu wanted to attack Ian, the problem was that Marco was also a force to be reckoned with, so he had no choice. Facing Marco's relentless assaults, he could only deal with the immediate threat.
As for Ian, the moment Marco charged forward, he immediately spread his Flame Wings and flew toward the cluster of islands behind them.
Although Sengoku was tangled up with Ivankov and Crocodile, he had been keeping an eye on Ian's movements. Seeing him take flight, he immediately guessed that Ian might be going to find Whitebeard. Ignoring Crocodile's attack, he directly struck out a palm toward Ian's direction!
A burst of golden light flared, and a powerful shockwave shot out from Sengoku's palm, rapidly closing in on Ian, who was flying midair.
But at that moment, a burly figure suddenly leaped up, blocking the shockwave's path in midair!
It was Diamond Jozu!
Though he looked like a brute, Jozu was actually a very calm person. Earlier, when he saw Ian attack Akainu, he suspected Ian might be planning something. Sure enough, he then saw Ian and Marco muttering to each other before Ian took off.
So he immediately realized that Ian might be heading to find the Old Man.
When Sengoku launched his attack at Ian, Jozu didn't hesitate to jump up and take the hit for Ian.
Even though he blocked it with his diamond body, Sengoku's attack power was formidable. Jozu's body was sent flying by the shockwave, spinning dozens of times in the air before crashing heavily into the ground.
Ian also saw Jozu blocking the attack for him, but he had no time to thank him and sped up his flight.
The only one left who could intercept him now was Kizaru, but Kizaru was locked in a fierce battle with Enel and couldn't spare any attention for this.
Sengoku watched Ian disappear into the distance, a wave of irritation washing over him. He naturally understood that Ian was definitely going to find Whitebeard. However, in his view, even if Ian went to see a severely injured Whitebeard, it wouldn't make much difference. If Ian was planning to take Whitebeard and break out together, that would be even better—then the Marines would have their chance!
Logically, Ian leaving should be a good thing, but for some reason, Sengoku couldn't shake this nagging sense of unease.
"Could it be that he still has some other trump card?" Sengoku wondered.
………………………………
Following the direction and location Marco had given him, Ian flew while carefully observing. After passing dozens of large and small reefs, he finally spotted a relatively large island.
The reefs in the Edd War sea area were mostly barren of vegetation, as the tides could rise at any time, submerging some islands. So the rocky surfaces usually only showed some moss or barnacles and other aquatic life.
But on this island, Ian saw a dark, gaping cave.
Realizing this was Whitebeard's hiding place, Ian immediately descended and ran toward the cave.
However, just as he entered the cave, a loud roar came from inside: "Who's there!?"
Following that was a burst of blazing white flames!
Ian quickly dropped to the ground, dodging the flames, and shouted, "It's me, Ace!"
"Ian!!?" Ace's delighted voice came back. "You're finally here! Quick, quick, come see the Old Man!"
Ian rushed in and saw a group of people inside the cave.
Whitebeard Pirates' ship doctor, the team of beautiful nurses who always followed Whitebeard, the Eighth Division Commander, the fish-man Namur, and Ace—all of them were gathered around a stone bed. On that bed lay a tall, imposing man.
Needless to say, this tall man was naturally Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.
Beside the stone bed hung an IV drip. Whitebeard lay on the bed, his chest wrapped in thick bandages, but blood was seeping heavily from the area around his heart. He seemed to be struggling to sit up, but Ace and Namur were desperately holding him down.
Seeing this, Ian immediately understood. Whitebeard was probably worried about the battle between his sons and the Marines and wanted to force himself to join the fight, but everyone was strongly dissuading him.
When Ian entered, the anger on Whitebeard's face hadn't even faded yet…
"Old Man, what are you trying to do?" Ian said with a smile, waving to Ace and Namur.
"Brat, are you here to laugh at me too?" Whitebeard was momentarily stunned when he saw Ian appear, then scowled and said this.
However, despite the displeased expression on his face, Ian could see a hint of barely concealed joy in his eyes.
Clearly, Ian's arrival made Whitebeard feel very gratified…
"You're so badly injured, and you still want to fight the Marines?" Ian couldn't help but laugh. "Are you worried your sons are having too easy a time fighting?"
"Shut up! Who do you think I am?" Whitebeard snorted coldly. "I am Whitebeard! A little injury like this, I can still handle it!"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Ian said as he walked toward him, responding, "Everyone knows you're the strongest man in the world…"
But when he heard those words from Ian, Whitebeard couldn't help but feel a pang of gloom.
Earlier, when the forty-three allied crews under the Whitebeard Pirates came to support them, Whitebeard had wanted to force himself out to fight the Marines. But worried about his injuries and condition, Marco and the others had practically begged him, pressing him down in the cave to keep him from going out.
Everyone knew that the Marines' target was the Old Man's head. If he went into battle wounded, the Marines would attack him relentlessly to kill him. Marco and the others didn't dare take that risk, so they strongly dissuaded him, then charged out with the others to engage the Marines.
According to Marco's plan, while everyone distracted the Marines, they would see if they could first send the Old Man away.
Though called the strongest man in the world, Whitebeard also understood that he was still just a man. He could get hurt, he could die. Now, watching Marco and the others fighting and dying against the Marines while he lay here wounded and gasping for breath, how could his pride and dignity accept that!?
Especially when he sensed that the battle was growing fiercer, and even Ace had been knocked into the water, nearly drowning before being rescued by Namur, he couldn't hold back anymore and wanted to get out of bed to fight.
If Ian hadn't suddenly appeared, Ace and the others might not have been able to hold Whitebeard down.
"How is it? What's the Old Man's condition? Someone tell me!" Ian walked over, glanced at the blood seeping from Whitebeard's chest, and spoke.
"Not good!" One of the Whitebeard Pirates' ship doctors, wearing glasses, adjusted them and cursed with a frown. "That bastard Teach smeared poison on his weapon…"
That was the real reason Whitebeard's injuries were so severe!
When Teach ambushed Whitebeard, the knife he used had been coated with poison concocted by Doc Q himself!
This was an extremely despicable act. In fact, among pirates, coating weapons with poison was a method widely scorned. Many pirates, though they committed all kinds of evil, still believed in fair fights. If they were defeated by an opponent's strength, they had no complaints. Sometimes, they might even join that opponent's crew out of admiration for their skill.
But if they were killed by such underhanded means as poisoned weapons, no one would accept it.
Unlike pure poison use, coating weapons with poison was too insidious. In history, there had been a few pirate crews that used poisoned weapons as an attack method. They might win one or two victories, but once word got out, they often became the first target for other pirates to annihilate. They never ended well.
When Whitebeard was first stabbed, no one had thought Teach would coat his weapon with poison. By the time they noticed something was wrong, the poison had already invaded Whitebeard's body.
Without knowing the poison's formula, no one knew what toxin it was. Just like snake venom requires specific antivenom, the Whitebeard Pirates' ship doctors naturally couldn't find an antidote for the toxin.
From the time Teach stabbed Whitebeard and fled, to the Whitebeard Pirates being surrounded by the Marines, everything happened in quick succession. Whitebeard never received truly effective treatment, and it had dragged on until now…
So even though he could still talk and move, it was all just him forcing himself. His condition was very critical, and he could fall unconscious at any moment due to his injuries and the poison.
Under such circumstances, how could any of his sons feel safe letting him go to the battlefield?
That wasn't going to fight; that was going to deliver himself to the enemy!
After hearing the ship doctor's explanation, Ian understood what was going on and couldn't help shaking his head. "Really… Old Man, you need to know when to stop pushing yourself…"
"Since when do you get to lecture me too!?" Whitebeard glared at Ian. "I'm already a man about to die, but even if I die, I want to die on the battlefield! Not in this damp cave, on this damp stone bed!"