Foosha Village, shrouded in night, was exceptionally quiet.
Inside Makino's house, Ian, who had just arrived, suddenly looked up, then threw Makino, who had long since surrendered, onto the bed.
He quickly dressed and flashed into the living room, a hint of excitement he couldn't hide in his voice: "Gunko!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Gunko pushed the door open immediately, standing respectfully in front of Ian.
"Dragon is here!"
Ian fastened his last button and got straight to the point: "Go prepare immediately! This time, no matter what, we must capture Dragon, this revolutionary army leader!"
With that, before Gunko could acknowledge the order, Ian's figure flashed and disappeared.
In front of the ruined party bar, because of Ian's prior command, the Foosha Village villagers dared not leave on their own.
Under the watch of the Marine soldiers led by Tina, they all sat on the ground, awaiting an unknown future.
Tina sat in front of the ruined party bar, a lady's cigarette between her fingers, her brows slightly furrowed as she looked at the innocent villagers opposite her, lost in thought.
Beside her, the accompanying Marine doctor had finished bandaging Garp; because he had four holes pierced by arrows, he now looked like a living mummy, wrapped entirely in bandages, his expression unusually grave.
Swish—
Suddenly, a sound of rushing air burst forth.
Immediately after, Ian flashed into view, standing in front of Tina and Garp.
"Saint Ian!"
Almost simultaneously, Tina and her accompanying adjutant reacted quickly, rising to salute.
Although Garp was very unwilling, he knew in his heart that Ian, This Young Master of the Nerona Family, was different from other Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land.
Dragging his severely injured body, he also stood up immediately.
"Prepare to welcome our distinguished guest!"
Ian wasted no words, walking directly to Tina's chair, sitting down, and crossing his legs, a gentle smile on his face, tinged with the satisfaction of having just experienced a passionate encounter.
"Whoosh whoosh whoosh ~"
Before Tina and Garp could react, a hurricane suddenly swept across the sea.
As dust rose from the direction of the beach, the hurricane sweeping in from the sea had already arrived, mixed with drizzling rain, instantly engulfing the entire Foosha Village.
Immediately after, Dragon, clad in a green cloak, descended from the sky.
"Saint Ian, I'm here!"
As soon as he landed opposite Ian, Dragon raised his hand to remove his hat, revealing a ferocious and terrifying face, his gaze sharp as he looked at Ian, his aura completely unmasked, no weaker than Ian, who was born with the qualifications of a king.
No sooner had Dragon finished speaking than Belo Betty also flashed into view, standing neatly behind Dragon with ten East Army Members who arrived shortly after, watching Ian and Gunko as if facing a formidable enemy.
"As expected of the revolutionary army leader!"
Ian, who had already captured the scene of Dragon arriving at Foosha Village through Observation Haki, did not hesitate to give a thumbs-up, "To risk coming to see This Young Master for the sake of the Foosha Village villagers, should I call you great, or praise you as a hero who faces death unflinchingly?"
"However, didn't your father make it clear? The one This Young Master truly wants to capture is not you, but the precious son of that man who constantly clamors about becoming the Pirate King!"
"Hm?" Dragon's pupils contracted slightly, and he said in a deep voice: "Aren't you capturing Luffy just to force me to appear?"
"Do you really think so?" Ian raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
Gunko, who had appeared behind him at some point, immediately stepped forward, simultaneously presenting a pre-prepared glass of red wine to Ian with both hands.
Ian took the wine glass and gently swirled it, then elegantly raised it and took a small sip, smiling warmly: "It seems neither you nor your old father Garp know just how great Luffy's potential truly is!"
"But it doesn't matter; it's clearly not easy for you, as his father, to hand Luffy over so readily.
As long as you can be arrested, it will be a great cause for celebration for the World Government!"
Pausing slightly, Ian's tone suddenly shifted, and he said in a deep voice: "Will you surrender, exchanging your life for the Foosha Village villagers, or will you gamble with the lives of all the Foosha Village villagers?"
"You know, I don't care either way; killing one is still killing, and killing a group is also killing.
Whether it's the lives of the Foosha Village villagers or the head of the revolutionary army leader, it's all the same to This Young Master!"
Before Dragon could respond, Belo Betty, the East Army Members' captain standing behind him, suddenly stepped forward, holding a large flag, and said in a deep voice: "Saint Ian, before asking our leader to surrender, shouldn't you first clearly see the situation!"
"The advantage is with me now!"
"Do you know the ultimate goal of the Revolutionary Army? It is to overthrow the World Government ruled by you Celestial Dragons and create a free, equal, and harmonious New World!"
"In our eyes, the so-called descendants of the creators are nothing but trash and scum.
One day we will invade the Holy Land and double the evil deeds the Celestial Dragons have committed over the years back to you—"
"Arrogant!"
Before Belo Betty could finish speaking, Tina, standing to Ian's left, suddenly looked up, "The advantage is with you? How dare you disregard the existence of the Marine.
Tina is very angry!"
Before her words faded, her unique Cage-Cage Fruit ability was released without reservation, and a fence made of iron branches immediately trapped Belo Betty.
Seeing the iron branches about to close, Belo Betty, who had been ready for battle, reacted with lightning speed and dodged away, raising the large flag in her hand, and her Inspire-Inspire Fruit ability quietly released and spread.
While releasing her Inspire-Inspire Fruit ability, Belo Betty decisively raised her voice and shouted loudly: "All you Foosha Village villagers listen to me!
Instead of placing your hopes on others, stand up and fight bravely!
I am with you!"
Under the influence of Belo Betty's Devil Fruit ability, the Foosha Village villagers, who had been sitting on the ground, stood up one after another, as if they had taken stimulants.
Some had fierce looks in their eyes, others suddenly erupted with astonishing auras, completely changing their previous timid image, glaring menacingly at the Marine soldiers guarding around them.
"Good, good, good!"
Seeing that a battle was about to begin, Ian, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, and after saying 'good' three times, his tone turned cold: "Using the Inspire-Inspire Fruit ability to incite the Foosha Village villagers to participate in battle, is this your plan for coming here?
Dragon, it seems you, the revolutionary army leader, are nothing more than this!"
"Although I don't know what other tricks you have up your sleeve, it's clear that you have made your choice!"
"Since that's the case, This Young Master will satisfy you!"
Before his words faded, Ian's figure had disappeared from his original spot.
As he brushed past a Marine soldier, the saber at that Marine soldier's waist was already in his hand.
"Swish—"
A dazzling blade aura burst forth in response, carrying the terrifying power to cut through everything, instantly enveloping Belo Betty, who was holding the large flag and using her Inspire-Inspire Fruit ability to awaken the Foosha Village villagers' resistance and fighting spirit.
This scene happened too quickly, so fast that even someone as powerful as Dragon didn't notice it at all.
By the time he reacted, Ian, who had charged out fiercely, was already standing behind Belo Betty, holding the severed head of the instantly killed Belo Betty.
"How is that possible!"
Completely unexpected that Ian would instantly kill Belo Betty, the East Army Members' captain, Dragon and Garp both stared with disbelieving wide eyes.
Tina also hadn't expected Ian's strength to be so formidable, and her mind went blank for a brief moment.
"Colonel Tina!"
Ian, who had instantly killed Belo Betty with one strike, did not pause at all.
After tossing the head away, he turned to Tina and said in a deep voice: "The ones standing before you are no longer ordinary villagers!"
"Leave none alive, kill!"
—
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