Chapter 650: Companions and Companions
After cutting down Van Oka and confirming he could no longer run, Ian sheathed Thousand Cherry Blossoms, crouched down, and slapped his face vigorously, saying, "How dare you try to steal a kill from me? Don't you know I hate kill-stealers the most!?"
Van Oka's face was slapped red and sore by Ian, and the long-range sighting scope on his left eye was knocked askew.
However, this guy was tough. Clutching the wound on his chest, he panted heavily and said, "Now that I've fallen into your hands, what else is there to say? If you want to kill me, then kill me. Don't expect me to reveal the captain's whereabouts!"
"Oh, I see. You're quite loyal to Teach, aren't you?" Ian sneered. "It's a pity that Burgess said the same thing just now, but in the end, he was about to change his tune. I wonder how long you can hold out?"
"It's useless! I'm different from Burgess!" Van Oka said expressionlessly. "Meeting you is fate! But likewise, meeting Captain Teach is also fate!"
As soon as he finished speaking, before Ian could react to what he meant, Van Oka suddenly pulled a pistol from his waist!
The pistol wasn't aimed at Ian for an attack; instead, as soon as it was drawn, Van Oka pressed the muzzle against his own chin, a fierce look on his face, and his finger was about to pull the trigger.
Ian was startled, but he was fast. With a flash of white light, Thousand Cherry Blossoms was unsheathed again in an instant, cutting Van Oka's pistol in half.
At the same time, Van Oka had just pulled the trigger, but because the gun barrel was broken, the gun backfired directly, exploding with a bang.
Van Oka failed to commit suicide, but was covered in gunpowder smoke from the backfire. Ian kicked his propped-up body to the ground, stepped on his chest, and said with some surprise, "You're really not afraid of death?"
"I told you, this is fate!" Van Oka said, a trace of blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but he stared straight into Ian's eyes without flinching.
"Tch!" Ian was extremely annoyed now. This guy's death-defying behavior made it seem like *he* was the villain!
In fact, he didn't realize that Teach was even more frustrated than him right now! From the perspective of Teach and his Blackbeard Pirates, Ian was already like a final boss. Teach's ambitions were constantly thwarted by Ian, constantly suppressed. This man, originally gifted with the unique ability to harbor multiple Demon Fruits and bearing the hidden name of D, a figure who could stir the entire world, was now reduced to sneaking around, avoiding everyone who wanted to capture him. Could "frustrated" even begin to describe it?
"What's so good about that guy Teach that makes you want to follow him?" Ian asked with some confusion.
"Only those with similar temperaments can become companions!" Van Oka panted. "You have your own pirate crew too; you should understand this. I follow Captain Teach simply because I believe he can lead us toward our goals. That's enough..."
Ian fell silent, because Van Oka's words struck a chord with him.
From setting sail alone to now having his own pirate crew and his own territory, Ian seemed to have gradually gotten used to it all, but he had never thought about what would happen if he lost his crewmates one day.
It wasn't just pirates; on this endless sea, the word "companion" held extraordinary meaning for any voyager.
And companions weren't limited to members of the same pirate crew; they also included friends, family, and so on. In fact, thinking back, Ian had been striving to protect his companions ever since he set sail. At first, it was to save his sister Kuina, then to save Ace, and later, after forming his own crew, to protect his own members. Ian had initially understood why he worked so hard, but now, hearing Van Oka mention this word, he felt he had figured it out.
Perhaps it was the innate loneliness of a time traveler, being out of place with the entire world. Under such circumstances, Ian craved a sense of belonging deep down, and that sense of belonging could only come from companions, family, and friends...
In this regard, Ian's mindset was actually quite similar to Whitebeard Old Man's.
Ian also killed people, so he didn't consider himself a good person. But it was this mindset of striving to protect his companions that earned him the friendship of many. Even though the World Government constantly slandered him, in the eyes of his companions and friends, Ian was a trustworthy person. They willingly called him Captain and fought alongside him.
Perhaps, in Van Oka's eyes, Teach was also someone like Ian, which was why he worked so hard to protect him.
Understanding Van Oka's mindset, Ian withdrew his foot from him, let him go, and rare praised him, saying, "You... are a good companion. If Teach heard these words, he would be proud of you."
"Maybe!" Van Oka struggled to stand up and said coldly, "But unfortunately, I've fallen into the hands of someone with a different stance. This is fate..."
"Do you have any message you want me to pass on to Teach?" Ian asked him. "I can deliver it for you."
"No need!" Van Oka wiped the blood from his mouth and shook his head. "Because I'd rather you never meet Captain Teach again!"
Ian nodded in understanding and said, "Then, goodbye!"
After saying this, Ian's figure instantly appeared behind Van Oka. He ended his iai slashing stance, straightened up, and said, "You're different from Burgess, so I'll give you a quick death."
"Thank you... very much..." After Van Oka said this, a thin red line appeared from his forehead to his chest, and then a large amount of blood gushed out, hissing.
With a thud, Van Oka fell to the ground...
Ian didn't look back at him again. He activated his Sky Dance technique, gently floated up, then turned his head and flew toward the port.
As he passed by Burgess's small boat on the sea, Ian swung his hand and sent a huge sword slash, cutting both the boat and Burgess in half.
Worried about any more trouble, Ian gave Burgess a finishing blow, ensuring he was dead beyond a doubt.
Only after watching the boat sink into the sea for a while did Ian leave with peace of mind.
Van Oka's loyalty to Teach made Ian feel that he was indeed a good companion, but as Van Oka himself said, their stances were different. Ian and Teach were already irreconcilable enemies, and letting an enemy go could very well lead to harm for his own companions and friends.
Teach, if you want revenge, come at me. I'll be waiting!...
Returning to the small shop where he had bought the glassware earlier, Ian picked up his purchases, left enough money for the shop owner, then flew back into the sky, activated supersonic speed, and sped forward.
Although he hadn't learned Teach's hiding place from Burgess and Van Oka, Ian didn't give up. He planned to search along the direction Burgess had come from.
After Ian flew away, quite some time passed before the residents of Glass gradually woke up.
When they woke up, they were completely bewildered, because before they passed out, they didn't even know what had happened. Looking at the neighbors waking up one after another on the street, they realized that they must have been the same.
After their confusion, they remembered the arrival of Black Dragon Ian on the island and hurriedly ran to the palace.
After an investigation by the Glass military, they discovered that after Black Dragon Ian appeared on the island, the entire country's 150,000 citizens had, for some unknown reason, all fainted at the same time!
This was a terrifying event, but strangely, no one in the entire country died from it. Even if many people felt unwell after waking up, they recovered over time.
The only ones who died in this incident were two pirates: one found split in half on the street, and the other fished out of the sea. After investigation, it was discovered that they were pirates from the Blackbeard Pirates!
Thus, people understood Ian's intention in coming here and were no longer so panicked.
However, to kill two members of the Blackbeard Pirates, he had knocked out over a hundred thousand residents of the entire country... This Black Dragon Ian was even more terrifying than the World Government's propaganda suggested!
People talked about this incident endlessly, and at the same time, the news of Ian killing two members of the Blackbeard Pirates spread through news reports...