Chapter 781: The Truth of the Ancient Weapons (Part 1)
Ian was unaware of the incident that occurred during the banquet, as he was currently drinking with Whitebeard and Red-Haired Shanks.
These three were no ordinary men, so their drinking vessels were also unconventional—specially made oversized sake bowls from Whitebeard's ship, each capable of holding at least ten catties of liquor!
Even Ian, upon first seeing such bowls, felt his eyes go wide!
He had always considered himself a decent drinker, but now, faced with these bowls, he realized that his alcohol tolerance was utterly pathetic compared to Whitebeard and Red-Haired Shanks. As soon as the banquet began, the three of them, at Whitebeard's suggestion, clinked bowls and downed three in a row. Whitebeard and Shanks were completely unfazed, while Ian felt like his stomach was about to burst.
Seeing that the two wanted to continue their drinking contest, Ian quickly called a halt, intending to take a breather.
Whitebeard Old Man immediately looked down on him, curling his lip and saying, "Ian, you brat, you're good at everything except your drinking capacity!"
Then, glaring at Shanks, he said, "Red-Haired brat, what do you say?"
Shanks was straightforward, replying, "I'll see it through to the end!" So the two clinked bowls and downed another two...
Whitebeard's relationship with Red-Haired Shanks hadn't been particularly good before, and although they were now drinking together, they were still silently competing.
Fortunately, despite the drinking contest, they remembered the important matters. After a while, Whitebeard wiped the liquor stains from his chin and spoke to Ian, "Ian, you've just returned, so you might not know. During this time, the Whitebeard Pirates and the Red Hair Pirates have together taken over quite a bit of territory from the Beast Pirates!"
"As revenge for the Soul Fruit incident?" Ian asked.
Shanks nodded and said, "Yes. When that bastard Teach appeared with Shiki, I felt something was off. So this time, joining forces with the Whitebeard Pirates, we tried to force them out for a decisive battle. But... strangely enough, although many of the Beast Pirates were taken down and their territory seized, they didn't seem to care at all. Teach and Shiki weren't forced out, and the Beast Pirates kept pulling back, as if they had no intention of reclaiming those territories."
"That seems normal, doesn't it?" Ian said. "With two Emperors joining forces against them, they'd naturally hole up if they think they can't win."
"No, actually, both Whitebeard Old Man and I estimated that if it were just the two of us, Kaido's side would still have the advantage—they'd definitely have a fighting chance!" Shanks shook his head. "Given Kaido's personality, he'd probably welcome such a large-scale battle!"
"Could it be Doflamingo's persuasion?" Ian asked. "That guy loves scheming."
"But holing up makes no sense!" Whitebeard interjected. "Waiting only puts them at a greater disadvantage. If Doflamingo were smart, he'd realize the sooner they fight us, the better. Now that you're back, their advantage is even smaller..."
Ian clinked his sake bowl twice, lost in thought, and said, "So it seems they really do intend to make a move on the Marines."
"Exactly!" Shanks tilted his head back, draining his bowl to the last drop, then let out a satisfied sigh. "Your killing of Akainu had too great an impact—it might be the trigger for their action. Intelligence suggests that a few days ago, shortly after the news of you killing Akainu spread, personnel from the Beast Pirates scattered across various seas began a large-scale withdrawal, seemingly gathering at the Beast Pirates' main base."
Ian said, "I handed Queen the Plague over to the Marines initially to provoke the Beast Pirates into clashing with them first, hoping to weaken both sides. But from the start, I considered whether Kaido might try to rescue Queen the Plague—after all, judging by her attitude, she herself doubted that. Now that Akainu is dead by my hand, Kaido and the others have finally made up their minds, right?"
"Indeed!" Shanks nodded. "But before you returned, I had already discussed this with Whitebeard Old Man. We both believe that Kaido and his group might not only attack Marine Headquarters but also Mary Geoise! We waited for you to return to discuss whether we should intercept them when they act... We're hesitating ourselves, because going to war with the Beast Pirates, the Blackbeard Pirates, and the Golden Lion Pirates could result in heavy losses. If war breaks out, it could severely weaken all the Emperor factions, leaving the World Government and the Marines as the sole beneficiaries."
"..." Ian was silent for a moment, then said, "They snatched the Soul Fruit before, and after much thought, the only reason I can see is their coveting of the Celestial Dragons' national treasure. If they want it, let them go get it!"
"But what if they actually get their hands on the Celestial Dragons' national treasure?" Whitebeard interjected. "Then we might not just be facing three pirate crews, but an Ancient Weapon as well! That would be far too dangerous."
However, Ian smiled and said, "I think that's unlikely!"
"Why?" Whitebeard and Shanks both looked at Ian in confusion, asking, "Where does your confidence come from?"
Ian turned his head and looked toward a spot not far to his right and rear. Whitebeard and Shanks followed his gaze and saw that Ian was looking at Marine Vice Admiral Garp.
Garp was also present at the banquet. Although it was strange to have a Marine Vice Admiral inserted into a gathering of pirate crews, Garp showed no sign of awkwardness, with Ace accompanying him nearby.
"Speaking of which, why did that old man Garp come with you to Whole Cake Island?" Whitebeard asked, puzzled.
"He said he retired and wanted to see Ace and the others!" Ian replied with a smile. "But honestly, I think Vice Admiral Garp sneaked in to monitor the movements of our three crews. However, Garp and I, as well as Ace, have deep ties, so in reality, he also conveyed information to us!"
"Oh?" Whitebeard's mustache twitched as he asked, "What kind of information?"
"Earlier, when I met Luffy and his crew, they had the heir of the Kozuki Family on board. At that time, they mentioned the possibility of Kaido attacking Marine Headquarters!" Ian recalled. "But Vice Admiral Garp suddenly blurted out that if Kaido and his group went to Marine Headquarters, they would definitely regret it!"
Ian looked at the two and said, "I think Vice Admiral Garp's words were deliberately meant for me to hear. He knew that the Red Hair Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates had allied with the Dragon Hunter Pirates, so he was conveying the same message to all three of us: that the World Government and Marine Headquarters are likely prepared for Kaido's possible attack on Marine Headquarters!"
"Are they about to reveal their trump card?" Shanks said thoughtfully. "It seems the World Government and the Celestial Dragons are truly cornered. They might be forced to use the national treasure, the Ancient Weapon! This means we three factions indeed cannot act rashly. Kaido and his group might end up with a bloody nose, but we need to clean up the mess. If the Celestial Dragons lose control, the world could face the danger of destruction. At such a time, someone must be able to deter them!"
"...Roger's plan from over twenty years ago likely anticipated this possible scenario!" Whitebeard said gravely. "Indeed, the more critical this moment, the more we must preserve our strength!"
The information in their words was overwhelming, leaving Ian somewhat bewildered. He quickly asked, "Wait, wait! Why are you making it sound so serious? I know a bit about the Ancient Weapons. Even if the Celestial Dragons' national treasure is Uranus, the foremost of the three Ancient Weapons, it shouldn't be capable of destroying the world, right?"
Shanks glanced at Ian and said, "That's because you might not know what Uranus really is... Indeed, take the Ancient Weapon Pluton, for example. Though it's called the most fearsome battleship in the world, capable of destroying an island with a single blow, such power can also be achieved by Emperor-level fighters going all out. But what I'm saying is that both Pluton and Poseidon pale in comparison to Uranus!"
Ian asked Shanks, "You followed Captain Roger to Laugh Tale and know the truth of history. So can you tell me what Uranus really is?"
Shanks smiled but didn't answer Ian directly. Instead, he said, "You met Senior Scopper Gaban in Wano Country, didn't you?"
"Yes, I did!" Ian nodded. "By the way, he said he wanted to show me something he brought back from Laugh Tale..."
"He can't come for now!" Shanks said. "But he gave the item to me to pass on to you. Wait a moment—I'll go fetch it from the ship!"
With that, Shanks got up and left on his own, leaving Ian and Whitebeard staring at each other. Whitebeard Old Man simply picked up his sake bowl and, with a clang, forced another bowl on Ian.
Fortunately, Shanks returned quickly. Before long, he appeared back at the banquet, holding a massive object high in one hand.
It was... an incredibly huge fang!
This fang had a curved arc, roughly estimated to be at least five meters in length. At its thickest point, near the root, it was much larger than a person's waist!
The moment Shanks appeared holding this fang, it immediately drew the attention of most people at the banquet. Everyone stared wide-eyed at the fang in his hand.
With a casual toss, the fang landed in front of Ian with a thunderous crash.
Ian stared at the fang in astonishment. He couldn't imagine what kind of creature could have such a massive tooth!
Just as he was about to step closer for a better look, Shanks warned, "Careful, don't get too close. This fang carries a strange power—prolonged contact can cause inexplicable death!"
Ian was startled and said, "That exaggerated!?"
"Exactly, it's not an exaggeration!" Shanks nodded. "By the way, Senior Scopper Gaban told me earlier that you obtained three Poneglyph rubbings from Queen the Plague, right?"
"Yeah, but they seem to be fakes!" Ian replied.
"No, they're real!" Shanks said. "Bring them out. Nico Robin is on your crew—let her decipher them, and you'll understand everything!"