Chapter 52: Clash of the Titans
The Marine soldiers on the scene were struggling to hold their ground. With their level of firepower, they were utterly incapable of harming the ancient creature before them. All they could do was use their own flesh and blood as a distraction, drawing the mammoth's attention to cover the retreat of the civilians as much as possible.
Under Ian's leadership these past weeks, the Marines' reputation on the island had improved unprecedentedly. It wasn't just Ian who was respected and admired; the Marines under his command also felt a profound sense of pride. The sense of justice, long buried and forgotten in their hearts, was gradually being reawakened.
"Damn those bastards... How dare you shoot at me!" Jack's voice boomed, thick with rage. "You're asking for death!"
The Marines who had been firing recklessly, disregarding their own safety, had successfully drawn Jack's fury. The mammoth, which had been about to charge into a group of fleeing civilians, shifted its massive head, its gaze locking onto the Marines not far away.
"W-What?!"
"He... he's looking right at us!"
"Captain... are we... are we going to die?"
"Such a strong killing intent... my legs... I can't move them!"
The murderous aura emanating from Jack instantly paralyzed the Marines with fear. The leading Marine captain gritted his teeth, his pupils constricting in despair. "Damn it... the gap in strength is too vast... In the end, we couldn't accomplish anything..."
The mammoth's trunk, whipping through the air with hurricane force, swept down toward the heads of the trapped Marines. There was no time to retreat, no space to run.
BOOM!
WHOOSH!
Just as the trunk was about to crush them, a figure blurred into existence in front of the soldiers. With a body of seemingly ordinary proportions, he met the charging trunk with a powerful kick. The collision of forces created a visible shockwave, kicking up a cloud of dust and debris.
The Marines stared in stunned disbelief at the familiar figure who now stood between them and certain death. The feeling of having narrowly escaped death was so overwhelming that some nearly broke down in tears. In times of crisis, this figure always appeared just in time, standing as an unbreakable shield...
"Major General Ian!"
"MAJOR GENERAL IAN!!"
The cries erupted from the Marines in a unified, emotional shout.
"Well done, my men," Ian said, his voice calm but firm, not turning to look at them. "Thanks to you, you bought precious time. You have saved many innocent residents. Now, continue your mission. Protect the people around you and retreat. I'll deal with this damned filth!"
"Yes, Major General Ian! We promise to complete the mission!"
"Yes, Major General Ian!"
Led by the captain, the Marines quickly began their retreat. In that moment, these fearless soldiers had demonstrated the ultimate heroism of ordinary people.
Ian's gaze swept across the surroundings. Just yesterday during his patrol, this area had been bustling and full of life. Now, it was a horrifying landscape of ruins. He didn't know how long it would take to rebuild this once prosperous district. But for pirates who wielded destructive power without a shred of restraint, it took only a moment to reduce it all to rubble.
All of this... just to force Ian to show himself.
"Jock Ian! It's definitely him, Boss Jack! He looks just like the portrait!" one of the Gifters shouted.
"Finally, you showed up! I thought you'd keep hiding like a rat!"
"Boss Jack, let me take him out! He looks like a little brat!"
"Hahaha, kill him!"
The members of the Beast Pirates behind Jack laughed and mocked upon seeing Ian appear. They were all eager, itching to rush forward and tear him apart.
"You little brat, you finally showed your face," Jack rumbled, looking down at Ian with utter contempt. "Are you ready to die? We can make an exception today. If you die, no one else on this island will have to be buried with you!"
Judging by the way he had just saved his subordinates, Jack acknowledged that Ian had some strength. But no matter how strong, he was still just a kid. Jack truly didn't understand why he, one of the Three Disasters, had to be the one to deal with such a person.
"Doflamingo didn't dare to come himself, so he sent a pack of thugs?" Ian retorted, his voice cold and sharp, not holding back in the slightest. "Are you the Joker's reinforcements? As a member of the Beasts Pirates, you're willing to be someone else's attack dog? Does Kaido just have a bunch of idiots who go around picking fights for others?"
Today's conflict would not end until one side was completely defeated. But before the fight, he was going to get his verbal shots in. He was furious.
"Damn you, you little shit!"
WHOOSH!
Jack initiated the attack, his trunk lashing out with terrifying speed and force once again. The incredible speed, combined with the massive area of attack, made it nearly impossible to dodge.
However...
Ian never had any intention of dodging!
BOOM!
In the split second between the trunk's movement and its impact, Ian's hands shot forward, catching the mammoth's trunk firmly as it swung toward him. Then, using the momentum, he leaped, pulling himself through the air and landing squarely on Jack's back.
A contest of pure strength?
At Marine Headquarters, even Garp and Aokiji had found themselves outmatched by him in raw power!
Who did this overgrown mammoth think he was?!
"This... this brat...!" Jack grunted, trying to use his immense brute force to shake Ian off after having his trunk grabbed. But to his shock, he found the sudden, explosive power radiating from Ian's frame was no less than his own!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!...
Accompanied by a series of thunderous crashes, Jack's colossal body was physically lifted from the ground. After being spun through the air in a wide arc, he was slammed down with devastating force into the space directly behind him.
"How is this possible?! Where does this little devil get such terrifying power?!"
"Hey! Get out of the way! He's coming right at us!"
Behind Jack were the subordinates he had brought with him. The Gifters reacted quickly, scrambling out of the danger zone. But the ordinary pirate grunts, who had been clustered together, found it impossible to clear out all at once. It was too late.
They had never, in their wildest nightmares, imagined a scene like this could unfold!