Chapter 723: An Idiot
The flag of the Big Mom Pirates was very conspicuous, and their ships had been equally eye-catching. But the problem was that since Big Mom's death, the effects of the Soul-Soul Fruit had vanished, and their ships had lost their personalities, no longer singing.
Setting that aside, the Big Mom Pirates ship that Ian saw was now in a miserable state.
The mast at the stern had snapped. The massive sail on the center mast was riddled with holes torn by cannonball impacts. The smiling flower statue at the bow had been blasted away, leaving only a wrecked half. The deck, cabins, and both sides of the hull were either burning or damaged. Even from a distance, Ian could see people on board scrambling to put out fires.
All of this was caused by a large-scale bombardment. Over thirty ships from different pirate crews had surrounded the Big Mom Pirates vessel in a crescent formation, trying to corner them. Although only the bow cannons could fire, dozens of cannons across so many ships unleashed a dense barrage of shells with each volley. The cannonballs rained down around the Big Mom Pirates ship, sending up towering waves. Some struck true, tearing off chunks of the vessel or exploding into roaring flames.
"Heh heh!" Marco chuckled, understanding the situation. "Looks like the Big Mom Pirates' enemies have come knocking!"
Marco's guess was spot on. What was unfolding before Ian and the others was a classic tale of a falling wall being pushed over by everyone.
Back when Big Mom was alive, she had rampaged through the New World with her ideal of "everyone living together peacefully." But her method of promoting this ideal was brutal suppression. Anyone who didn't submit died. Since the founding of Totto Land, countless nations had been ravaged by the Big Mom Pirates, and the number of pirates they had killed was beyond counting.
Some of the dead could no longer seek revenge, but others still lived. These grudges had been suppressed while the Big Mom Pirates were still an Emperor crew, festering and growing with each passing day.
Then came the news that Ian had killed Big Mom and ascended to the position of Emperor. While people were shocked, they also immediately realized that the time for revenge had finally arrived.
In their eyes, Big Mom was dead. Most of her powerful children had been killed by Ian, the new Emperor. Those who remained were nothing more than stray dogs.
And so, a large coalition of pirate crews with grudges against the Big Mom Pirates banded together, scouring the seas for the remnants of Big Mom's crew.
Just as Ian had said earlier, the first thing Big Mom's children and crew members, whom he had let go, had to face wasn't how to avenge their defeat and reclaim their honor. It was the endless wave of revenge from their enemies.
When the Big Mom Pirates were the rulers of the sea, they could take whatever they wanted from these weaker crews. But now, the tables had turned. They were being hunted down and forced to flee in disgrace.
Given the depth of hatred these enemies held, if the remaining Big Mom children fell into their hands, death would be the only outcome.
Ian didn't know how many of Big Mom's children were on that ship, but he knew it wasn't as many as when they had left Whole Cake Island. The crew had never been united, and it was likely that many had gone their separate ways after leaving.
Those who chose to leave were destined to live in hiding, changing their names to survive. But those who still dared to fly the Big Mom Pirates flag were probably the ones unwilling to give up, hoping to restore the glory of the Big Mom Pirates.
With that thought, Ian snorted coldly and said to Marco and Bonney, "I'm going to check it out."
With that, he launched himself into the air, flying toward the Big Mom Pirates ship.
Neither the pursuers nor the fleeing ship had a course heading toward the deserted island where Ian and his group were. They seemed to be passing by on the side. So, no one had noticed the island until Ian suddenly took to the sky. His signature black flame wings glinted in the sunlight, catching the eye of some lookouts, sparking chaos among the pursuing pirate coalition.
Word spread quickly. As pirates saw Ian one after another, they all gasped in shock.
"Th-That's Black Dragon Ian!"
"H-How did he suddenly appear here!?"
"Is he chasing the Big Mom Pirates ship!?"
"D-Damn! Is he going to get angry? We're stealing his prey here!"
"Quick! Stop the ship! Halt!"
"Don't fire the cannons! Anyone who fires, don't blame me for being rude! I'm not dying with you!"
"Right! What if a stray shot accidentally hits him in the air? That would be..."
The thirty-plus pursuing pirate ships fell into chaos. Some stopped, while others, trembling with fear, tried to turn around and flee. The coalition's earlier momentum vanished in an instant, turning them into a ragtag mob.
Technically, the Big Mom Pirates were enemies of the Dragon Hunter Pirates. By hunting down the remnants of Big Mom's crew, these pirates were on the same side as the Dragon Hunter Pirates. But as one pirate had said, what if this was the new Emperor Ian's prey?
No one could guess Ian's intentions for being there. The reputation of the new Emperor was so fearsome that they didn't even dare to breathe loudly. They could only stare at Ian in the sky, waiting for his judgment.
Ian, however, had no idea what these pirates were thinking. He hovered in midair, observing the people on the Big Mom Pirates ship.
Perhaps they had also spotted Ian. The Big Mom Pirates crew gathered on the deck, staring up at him with despair in their eyes.
This made it easy for Ian to see who was left.
He spotted Compote, Big Mom's eldest daughter. As the one who resembled Big Mom the most, she seemed to be the leader of the remaining group. There was also the third son, Charlotte Daifuku, the fifth son, Charlotte Opera, the twenty-sixth son, Charlotte Babalua, and the "Ghost Lady" Amande. But Galette and Mont-d'Or, who had left Whole Cake Island with them, weren't on the ship. Nor did Ian see Smoothie.
There were also some former combatants of the Big Mom Pirates, like Bobbin, Randolph, and Diesel. However, Baron Tamago and Pekoms were absent.
As expected, the Big Mom Pirates had split.
Amande and Daifuku, though filled with despair at the sight of Ian, couldn't help but harbor a sliver of hope. After all, Ian had let them leave Whole Cake Island before. Maybe he would do the same this time?
But then, to their shock, a man stepped forward from the crowd. It was Snack, one of the Sweet Commanders, whom Ian hadn't seen before.
"Is it you!?" Snack pointed his rapier at Ian in the sky, shouting angrily. "Are you the one who tore the Big Mom Pirates apart!?"
Hearing Snack's roar, Daifuku and Amande's hearts sank. Damn it, Snack, do you have any idea what you're doing!?
But there was no helping it. Snack had been out on a mission and had never seen Ian before. He had no concept of how strong Ian was. He had just finished his mission and was heading back when he inexplicably saw the news that the Big Mom Pirates had been destroyed!
He was one of the Sweet Commanders! How could he swallow this humiliation? After meeting up with Compote and Daifuku at sea, he had been silently fuming, itching to fight his way back to Whole Cake Island.
Daifuku and the others' descriptions had given Snack a mistaken impression. He believed that Big Mom had been caught in a bout of hunger pangs and was ambushed by Ian.
Those still on the same ship were undoubtedly unwilling to give up. But before they could even discuss how to reclaim Whole Cake Island, their enemies had found them first.
Snack was furious at their humiliating situation. What he hadn't expected was to encounter Ian, their greatest enemy, during their escape.
So, he couldn't wait to jump out and take Ian down.
But not only did Daifuku and the others find his actions terrifying, even Ian was baffled. Who was this guy? An idiot?