Chapter 111: An Unwanted Follower?
The four of them surrounded Ian, their faces a mixture of shock and confusion. From any normal person's perspective, a scientific death island blockaded by the World Government was the last place anyone should voluntarily go.
"There's absolutely no reason to take such a risk!" T-Bone insisted, his brow furrowed with concern.
"Don't be nervous," Ian said with a dismissive wave. "Maybe the island isn't as scary as the rumors say. Anyone who's too scared can stay on the ship. It's decided. Nami, adjust the course. No more arguments."
He bared his teeth in a grin, deliberately fostering a tense, adventurous atmosphere.
"Warship!"
Skylark's voice called out from the rear of the deck, a telescope pressed to her eye. "Lieutenant General Ian, the warship behind us is definitely following us. When we left Red Harbor, I thought it was just another vessel on a different route. But it's maintaining our exact course and speed. Are there other colleagues assigned to us that we don't know about?"
Her report drew everyone's attention. Looking back, they could indeed see a warship of considerable specifications trailing them. Only a Colonel or Commodore would be qualified to command such a ship.
"Little Skylark, I hadn't even noticed," Ian admitted, standing up from his lounge chair and peering at the seemingly calm sea. "They're really following us? Well, we'll know soon enough. Someone's coming!"
Soon, the roar of an engine cut through the air.
Buzz! Buzz!
A speedboat shot out from behind the trailing warship, cutting powerfully through the water towards Ian's flagship. It circled from the stern to the side, and a dark shadow flashed onto the main deck with surprising agility.
Whoosh!
A fierce gust of wind accompanied the figure's arrival, the powerful aura immediately putting Ian's subordinates on edge. Was this an attack? Were they not friendly?
"Soul Blast!"
A female Marine officer with short hair, a Justice cloak billowing from her shoulders, leaped high into the air. Her voice was resolute and sharp. A series of Armament Haki-hardened fists flew towards Ian, each strike carrying enough force to create concussive bursts of air.
Ian didn't dodge. He simply raised a single finger, infusing it with his own Haki, and calmly deflected more than a dozen punches in succession without taking a single step back. The female officer, however, was forced back several meters by the recoil, her boots skidding across the deck.
Once she steadied herself, everyone got a clear look at her. She had long eyelashes and short hair with bangs, wore a black top under her jacket, and a spiked collar around her neck. The most striking features were the purple flower tattoo on her arm and a figure that suggested considerable physical prowess.
"This is... Doll?" Peacock recognized her and called out her name.
Hearing this, Skylark stepped forward for a closer look. "It really is Commodore Doll! Why is Sister Doll here? And... why did she attack Lieutenant General Ian?"
Ian, now hearing the name, quickly placed her. Doll. Currently a Commodore at Marine Headquarters. In a couple of years, like T-Bone, she'd be promoted to Vice Admiral. She was a rising star, young and talented. She didn't rely on a Devil Fruit but was a master of physical combat and Haki. It was rare for someone of her generation to reach the rank of Vice Admiral through Haki prowess alone.
But... why was Doll here? And why had she attacked him so fiercely, with no hint of holding back?
"Everyone, catch up later," Doll declared, her eyes locked on Ian with burning intensity. "Let me first give this bastard, this scumbag Jock Ian, a piece of my mind!"
Peacock's eyes went wide. "Huh? Scumbag? Lieutenant General Ian, what is she talking about?"
Skylark covered her ears, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. "Can... can we listen to the rest of this story?"
Nami smirked. "Hehe, Vice Admiral Ian, you really are something else."
T-Bone looked up at the sky, whistling innocently. "The weather seems nice today, huh."
Speed trembled. "Lieutenant General Ian... has your taste always been this... unique? This is so very you, Lieutenant General Ian!"
Only Ian himself was utterly lost. "???"
While he would never claim to be a pure and innocent boy, he wasn't so forgetful that he'd fail to remember a woman he'd been involved with. He could tell the twin sisters from the Sabaody Archipelago apart even with his eyes closed! How could he possibly have forgotten a short-haired beauty like this from within the Marines?
He had never been a scumbag to her!
"Who are you, big sister?" Ian retorted, pointing an angry finger at her. "Do I know you? This is the first time I've seen someone slander me to my face! You look like a colleague, so I didn't hit back. You'd better explain yourself immediately!"
Hiss... Puff.
Doll lit a cigarette and took a long drag, right there on the deck.
"Does the new Lieutenant General, Jock Ian, still dare to claim he's not a scumbag?" she shot back, smoke curling from her lips. "I'm asking you, what did I do wrong? Or do you think I'm too weak...? Fleet Admiral Sengoku assigned me to your team, and you refused? I got his permission to come to the New World, to catch up with you and demand an explanation! I, Commodore Doll, am not qualified to serve under you, Lieutenant General Jock Ian? How dare you, you scumbag, look down on me! Give me a reason! You're the biggest... scumbag at Marine Headquarters!!"
Her words were sharp and forceful, dripping with genuine anger and a deep sense of injustice. But... they made absolutely no sense to Ian.
Peacock: "..."
Skylark: "..."
Nami: "..."
Speed: "…"
Ian simply stared, utterly baffled. "Do you even hear what you're saying?"
Doll blinked, finally taking in the utterly confused and subtle expressions on everyone's faces around her. A flicker of doubt crossed her own.
"No... it doesn't count?" she asked, her confident anger faltering for the first time.
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