Chapter 621: All Parties Arrive
"Huh?! You don't know?" Carina said with some surprise. "The whole Gran Tesoro is in an uproar right now!"
How could Ian possibly know? He had spent the last two days in his room refreshing his card draws. The luxury hotel rooms had excellent soundproofing, so how could he hear what was happening outside?
Moreover, the incident had just occurred. The Dragon Hunter Pirates members outside had probably only just found out themselves and hadn't had a chance to inform Ian yet.
Upon hearing this shocking news from Carina, Ian immediately lost all interest in bickering with her. He quickly pulled out his baby Den Den Mushi and contacted Crocodile.
"It's probably true," Crocodile replied on the other end. "I was wondering earlier why so many of Tesoro's men were appearing on the streets, and among them were World Government agents. I can smell their stench from a mile away. With such a big commotion, something major must have happened."
"Have everyone return immediately!" Ian ordered Crocodile.
"Fine, you're the captain, you call the shots," Crocodile said indifferently before hanging up.
On the rooftop of a building in Gran Tesoro, Crocodile bit down on his cigar as he watched the swarm of black-clad men in the streets below. He sneered, "Looks like things are about to get interesting. Ian is part of the Revolutionary Army, and Dragon, the Revolutionary Army's leader, showing up here and getting exposed, leading to a pursuit... I'd say our captain is about to lose his temper."
R1 stood behind Crocodile with his arms crossed and asked, "So, does that make us part of the Revolutionary Army?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?" Crocodile stood up and said, "Let's go. Notify the others. The vacation is over... what a shame."
All across Gran Tesoro, the scattered members of the Dragon Hunter Pirates had their Den Den Mushi ring one after another. One by one, they began heading back toward the hotel.
On a main street, Sardine, Zeke, Matthew, and Dorry ran past together. Sardine's towering figure was spotted by two people at a corner.
"Brother, that giant looks like he's from the Dragon Hunter Pirates," Katakuri said, arms crossed, watching Sardine's retreating figure as he spoke to Perospero beside him. "I saw the tattoo on his arm."
"It's him, no doubt," Perospero gritted his teeth. "I saw that giant in Dressrosa. Damn it, Tesoro played us! The Dragon Hunter Pirates have been here all along!"
"Should we follow them?" Katakuri asked.
"Of course," Perospero said, licking his candy cane. "I don't know where they're going, but if we follow them, we're sure to find Ian. Let's finish Mama's mission quickly and leave. The air here without that sweet fragrance is really uncomfortable..."
The two of them immediately followed.
Because of the sudden discovery of Dragon's whereabouts, Tesoro was forced to mobilize a large number of his men. He could no longer prevent the Big Mom Pirates and the Dragon Hunter Pirates from crossing paths—it was an unavoidable chain reaction.
If Tesoro had known all this would happen, he would probably regret his decisions deeply. But by now, it was too late to turn back.
In a large meeting hall of the hotel, Ian sat in the main seat with a dark expression. The hotel staff had long since been kicked out, leaving only Carina sitting uneasily beside Ian, unsure of what to say.
The members of the Dragon Hunter Pirates had also returned one by one, gathering in the meeting hall.
On their way back, they had already heard the gist of the situation. Within the Dragon Hunter Pirates, Ian's identity as a Revolutionary was no secret, so everyone guessed what Ian might do. They remained silent, waiting for the others to arrive.
Just then, the meeting hall door opened again. But the ones who entered were not Dragon Hunter Pirates members—it was Aokiji and his group.
Ian wasn't surprised and nodded to Aokiji. Aokiji, however, looked somewhat puzzled as he glanced at Kuina.
They had managed to find the hotel where the Dragon Hunter Pirates were staying because of a small piece of paper in Kuina's hand.
It was the Vivre Card Ian had given Kuina back then. This made Aokiji even more confused about the relationship between Ian and Kuina.
"My apologies, Admiral Kuzan," Ian said with a smile to Aokiji. "I've been hiding some things from you all along. Actually, Kuina is my little sister."
As he spoke, Ian walked over and hugged Kuina.
Smoker's cigar fell to the floor with a thud. He gritted his teeth and said, "Damn it! No wonder you risked your life to save Kuina on the battlefield! I knew something was off back then!"
Tashigi was also staring at Kuina in shock, unable to speak.
Aokiji shook his head and said to Ian, "You've fooled a lot of people."
"Please forgive me, but believe me, neither Kuina nor I have any ill intentions," Ian said with a smile, glancing at Aokiji. "Because of the incident where she killed a Celestial Dragon, Kuina was worried I might be secretly investigated. That's why she joined the Marines—so she could warn me in time if anything unfavorable happened. She didn't mean to deceive you all."
"You should have told me sooner," Aokiji said to Kuina.
"I'm sorry, Admiral Kuzan," Kuina said, lowering her head. "But Senior Brother Ian is the person who has been kindest to me. If I can help him, I'll do anything."
Seeing the unwavering determination in Kuina's eyes, Aokiji didn't know what else to say. He turned to Ian and said, "Do you know that Akainu would love to tear you apart with his own hands? It's a good thing Kuina was smart enough to leave the Marines with me. If your relationship were exposed, Akainu would definitely go after her."
"Honestly, I didn't expect that either," Ian sighed. "I thought that after I crippled his hands, he wouldn't compete with you for the Fleet Admiral position. If you had become Fleet Admiral, I even considered writing to Kuina to tell her to stay with you in the Marines. But who would have thought..."
Who would have thought that even after you got the position, you'd be dragged down in just a few days?
Ian didn't say the last part out loud, but it still made Aokiji feel frustrated again. He knew exactly what Ian meant, and that suffocating feeling resurfaced in his heart.
Although Aokiji usually seemed lazy, deep down he had his own ideals and ambitions. But the World Government and Akainu had ruthlessly crushed them.
Seeing Aokiji's gloomy expression, Ian changed the subject and asked, "What are your plans now?"
Aokiji glanced back at Smoker and the others and said, "If it were just me, it wouldn't matter. But I didn't expect Smoker and the others to follow me when I left..."
Smoker crossed his arms and said nothing, while Tashigi adjusted her glasses, her expression resolute.
Ian smiled and said, "Have you ever thought about continuing as a Marine?"
"What do you mean?" Aokiji was taken aback.
"A new Marine force," Ian said, counting on his fingers as he explained. "Look, you were originally a Marine Admiral, and you even served as Fleet Admiral for a few days. You have connections and a foundation. Smoker, Kuina, Tashigi, and those Marine officers who left with you—they could be the core of your new Marine force. And with your old subordinates scattered across the world, you have the influence to rally a new Marine power."
"Why would I do that?" Aokiji said coldly. "That's poaching from the Marines, weakening their strength. Do you think I can't see that?"
But Ian shook his head and said, "No, it's not about weakening them—it's about preserving the seeds. You've noticed it yourself, haven't you? The Marines have lost their independence and are gradually becoming a tool for the World Government's rule. Under these circumstances, the Marines' sense of justice has long vanished. If this continues, the Marines will face serious problems. Rather than letting their credibility be completely destroyed later, it's better to gather like-minded people now and preserve some seeds for the Marines. This world still needs the Marines."
"I thought you called me here to recruit me into your pirate crew," Aokiji said expressionlessly. "Instead, you're saying this to me?"
"Of course I'd like to," Ian said with a shrug. "But would you join? If I said that, it would truly be an insult to you."
"..." Aokiji fell silent. He looked deeply at Ian and saw that his expression was sincere—these words came from the heart. For a moment, Aokiji felt a mix of emotions.
He never expected to hear such heartwarming words from someone who had been his enemy time and again.
Shaking his head, Aokiji said, "We'll discuss that later. Ian, I need your help now. Tesoro and the World Government are hunting Revolutionary Dragon. This must be stopped."
Ian was taken aback. He hadn't expected Aokiji to bring up Dragon's matter first. Just as he was about to respond, the meeting hall door opened again.
Perospero and Katakuri walked in.
The moment they saw Aokiji, Perospero and Katakuri were clearly stunned. But then Perospero let out a strange laugh and said, "Aha! I never expected to see the esteemed Admiral Aokiji here, having a heart-to-heart with a pirate!"
"Get out! Who told you to come in?!" Ian snapped coldly.
The Dragon Hunter Pirates members all stood up at Ian's command, glaring at the two newcomers with weapons drawn.
Perospero was about to retort when Katakuri grabbed his arm. Katakuri looked Ian up and down and said, "Don't misunderstand. We didn't mean to intrude. In fact, we're here on behalf of Mama. Sir Ian, this is the tea party invitation Mama instructed us to deliver to you."
With that, Katakuri stepped forward and, under Ian's puzzled gaze, placed an invitation on the table in front of him.