"Wait, wait, wait!"
Vegapunk frantically waved both hands. "There are things I must take with me!"
"So troublesome."
A gigantic face surfaced from the ceiling, its voice booming. "Then hurry up and lead the way!"
Vegapunk turned, glancing at Ian.
Ian gave a slight nod. "Go."
At once, Vegapunk hurried down a corridor.
Just then, a figure came rushing out from within.
"Doc? What's going on here?!"
Sentomaru, carrying a massive axe, stared in confusion.
"Out of the way!"
Before he could even react, Bullet's huge hand grabbed him like a toy.
Sentomaru instinctively tried to resist.
His Haki, personally taught by Kizaru, was indeed formidable.
But before Bullet, it was nothing short of fragile. He couldn't even make that giant hand budge. If anything, he looked moments away from being crushed.
"Wait! Don't hurt him!"
Vegapunk shouted anxiously. "Sentomaru is a child I've raised since he was young!"
"Hmph."
Bullet snorted and casually hurled the large man in his grasp toward the direction of Kizaru.
"W-woah!"
Sentomaru screamed as he flew like a kicked ball, slamming into a wall. After a long moment, he staggered out, dizzy and rubbing his head.
"S-So what exactly is happening right now…?"
He still looked utterly lost.
"Sentomaru…"
Kizaru trembled, voice filled with despair. "The doctor has defected—he's joined the Beasts Pirates."
"Ah?"
Sentomaru sprang to his feet, staring at Vegapunk as the scientist — with that comically oversized head of his — rushed into the corridor.
He couldn't hold back his shout. "Doctor! What is going on?!"
Vegapunk's cheek twitched slightly, but he said nothing.
Sentomaru had always wanted to become a Marine since he was young.
Asking him to leave with him now… that was impossible.
So it would be better not to drag that child into this any further. It would only bring trouble for him.
Vegapunk believed that even if things turned violent, Ian wouldn't hurt Sentomaru — he had said it himself, the boy was someone he raised.
With that thought, Vegapunk lowered his head and hurried down the passage. There was still much to pack before leaving.
"Doctor…"
Sentomaru watched the man's back grow smaller, his face gradually losing color.
Then, from the corner of his eye, he noticed another figure.
"Ian!!"
The big, shirtless man bellowed, belly hanging over his apron-like cloth. "You bastard! This is your doing, isn't it?!"
He couldn't understand why this man was here — why the Doctor was involved with him at all.
But one thing became clear in Sentomaru's mind: everything had to be connected to this troublemaker!
"No need to look at me like I ruined your entire life."
Ian casually pulled a chair and sat down, voice calm. "This was Dr. Vegapunk's decision. Think about it — as the World Government's prized genius, how could I possibly force him into anything?"
Sentomaru opened his mouth, yet no rebuttal came out.
Right… Without the Doctor's initiative, Ian wouldn't even have been able to contact him in the first place.
"Speaking of which," Ian's gaze shifted toward him. "Since you were raised by the Doctor, you're practically half one of us already. How about it? Want to join my side?"
"Like hell!"
Sentomaru spat in disdain. "I'm gonna be the greatest Marine in the world! No way am I siding with pirates!"
Ian nodded lightly, not particularly bothered.
Whether Sentomaru joined or not hardly mattered to him. The offer was made mostly for Vegapunk's sake. Being refused wasn't a loss.
His eyes moved toward the man standing beside them — Admiral Kizaru.
"Admiral Kizaru."
Ian invited him again, stopping the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki entirely for this moment. "What about you? Interested in working somewhere else instead?"
No longer restrained by the Conqueror's Haki, Kizaru finally let out a breath and forced a laugh. "Haha, this is quite an honor."
He paused for a moment. "But, unfortunately, I'm not thinking along those lines for now."
"I see."
Ian shook his head with a hint of regret. "In that case, I guess I'll have to take you out here."
Since they had already crossed paths, why not weaken the World Government a little before the fight? Saturn was unkillable, but Kizaru was another matter entirely.
Now, Ian could suppress him directly with Conqueror's Haki, so escape wasn't even an option for this guy.
Kizaru clearly noticed this as well, his expression growing increasingly sour.
But at that moment, Saturn suddenly let out a cold laugh beside him. "Ian! Do you think you can act however you like?"
"Oh?"
Ian's interest was piqued by the words. "So, you're not going to pull out some act of summoning your four colleagues, right? Four more punching bags are still just punching bags."
The sneer on Saturn's face froze for a moment before turning into visible anger.
Yet he had to admit, even if he called those four comrades of his, they wouldn't stand a chance against Ian.
Back then, countless people had fallen to Ian as if they were dogs; now, the gap would only be greater. But this time… it would be different!
"Be proud, Ian!"
Saturn suddenly raised his voice, almost chanting in a melodic tone. "The King of Gods is about to descend!"
Ian froze.
The King of Gods? Does that mean…
Kizaru froze as well.
God… that must mean the Celestial Dragons. So, the King of Gods…
The ground suddenly began to quake, and a massive black magic circle appeared before Saturn.
Time shifted back to a little earlier.
In New Mary Geoise, deep within a secluded room.
The four Gorosei, having received a telepathic call from Saturn, hurriedly arrived and knelt before the supreme being.
"Lord Imu!"
Warcury's head slammed against the floor. "If we lose Vegapunk and the energy source he developed, things will go terribly! That would mean we'd have no choice but to resort to the final measure! We must stop that Ian guy at all costs!"
The figure cloaked in a black robe slowly rose.
"Let Saturn summon me."
"Yes!"
Time returned to the present, at the Marine Science Corps base.
Ian raised an eyebrow, his eyes showing a trace of surprise as he looked at the slender figure emerging in the center of the slowly forming magic circle.
A crown tall enough to appear almost sharp, a jet-black robe, a slender and elongated frame.
There could be no mistake.
"Lord Imu!"
Saturn immediately dropped to his knees.
Kizaru and Sentomaru were utterly stunned.
The Gorosei… had knelt?
"You are…"
A voice echoed from beneath the black hood, as if two voices—male and female—were layered together, chaotic and impossible to distinguish clearly.
"The Pirate Emperor?"
**********
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