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"Even the Ancient Weapons don't concern him?"
The words left behind by Ian left Shanks and Whitebeard somewhat stunned; they couldn't help but mutter to themselves.
All the major powers in the world had linked Ian's strength to the Ancient Weapons. As one of the Four Emperors who had even reached Laugh Tale, Red-Haired Shanks thought the same. After all, humans could doesn't possess Invincibility.
His Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit form was unprecedented; consuming souls and wielding powers like flame, thunder, wind, and sand were entirely unheard of, a convergence of many abilities!
Perhaps he had found something that had survived from ancient times, retrieved from some ruins?
So Shanks tried to warn Ian that if he disrupted the world's order, those Ancient Weapons would all appear, hoping to make him back down.
However, even when Shanks mentioned the Ancient Weapons, Ian showed no change. From beginning to end, he remained indifferent, as if even the Ancient Weapons didn't matter to him!
Shanks, who thought he already understood Ian, suddenly felt that he was shrouded in deep mist, making it difficult to see through him!
Moreover, it seemed that uncovering Ian's secrets would be enough to overturn the entire world!
While Shanks was filled with uncertainty and confusion, Whitebeard spoke in a deep voice, "Maybe his power doesn't come from the Ancient Weapons... In any case, you and I have no ability to stop him. I can't see through this man either!"
Shanks shook his head, looking in the direction where Ian had disappeared, his eyes showing wisdom and depth, along with deep apprehension.
"Even you can't see through him?"
Whitebeard took a swig of wine and said, "I don't even know why he held back against you and me... Ian acts entirely based on his own preferences and his sense of justice. If the World Government and the Marine anger him, perhaps he'll immediately attack the Holy Land Mariejois!"
"You're right!"
Shanks recalled the almost World-Piercing, Prideful Conqueror's Haki he felt from Ian earlier, and nodded seriously and solemnly. The sea was not short of reckless people who acted on their whims, but most were newcomers in the first half of the Grand Line!
When they reached the New World in the latter half and crashed head-on into the Four Emperors, they would behave obediently. But Ian was different!
The power he possessed was unimaginably strong, so strong that even Shanks, a powerhouse among the Four Emperors, felt his own insignificance!
Watching Ian's departing figure, Marco and the other division commanders clenched their fists!
"Cough!!" Whitebeard suddenly coughed violently, emitting a very low sound.
"Father! Are you alright?!" Marco and the others finally turned around, crowding around with great concern and anxiety, looking at Whitebeard.
"I'm fine!"
Seeing Ian leave, a complex expression flashed in Whitebeard's eyes. He knew his own physical condition very well. If he fought with Ian, the chance of perishing together was very small; most likely, Ian would live, and he would die!
If he were twenty or thirty years younger and fought Ian to the death, perhaps he could achieve mutual destruction, but now, he couldn't do it!
Seeing Whitebeard wave his hand to indicate he was fine, Marco and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief and called for the ship's doctor.
At the same time, Marco looked at Whitebeard with concern in his eyes and couldn't help but cautiously say, "Father, you..."
Even though Ian hadn't fought Whitebeard or definitively won, and couldn't directly take away the title of the World's Strongest Man, he could at least share the title equally!
The World's Strongest! Whitebeard had held this title for decades, but now it was being taken away!
"Gurararara, I know what you're thinking, Marco..." Whitebeard looked at Marco, who was hesitating to speak, and suddenly laughed, reaching out his big hand to pat Marco's shoulder.
"You silly sons, although outsiders call me a monster, a Devil, I'm ultimately just a human; I can't be the strongest forever!"
"One day, someone will replace me... But I had hoped that the one to replace me would be you all, Marco!"
Whitebeard looked at Marco and the others, his eyes showing a hint of affection. He truly regarded them all as his sons. He knew he would leave one day, so he hoped that someone among them could take his place!
"Father..."
Hearing Whitebeard's words, Marco clenched his fists, biting his lip until it bled!
"It's our fault..."
Beside him, Jozu and others also lowered their heads, showing shame and guilt!
Whitebeard looked at their expressions and grinned, revealing a smile.
"Gurarara, you silly sons! I'm not at that point yet. At least I'm still here now. Instead of feeling ashamed, why not work hard for me!" Even though they held the position of one of the Four Emperors, Marco and the others had a certain conceit, feeling they stood above the other three Emperors!
In fact, with Whitebeard around, they did stand above the other three Emperors!
But this conceit came from their father, Whitebeard. Whitebeard would eventually grow old, and the title of the World's Strongest would be taken away. It's fine to be proud, but they shouldn't be overly complacent!
Originally, Whitebeard wasn't in a hurry. He thought he could continue to protect Marco and the others for a long time.
But Ian's appearance made Whitebeard feel that the world was about to descend into great chaos, and it also awakened Marco and the others!
Whitebeard was no longer invincible!
In this world, someone had appeared who surpassed Whitebeard, the Black-Winged Devil, Ian!
"Father..."
Hearing Whitebeard's words, the division commanders all raised their heads, showing determination and resolve. Marco spoke firmly.
"We won't let you down, Father..."
"That's good, gurararara..."
...
The waves gradually calmed down, but everyone's hearts couldn't settle. When that abyss that almost cut the Grand Line in half appeared, countless forces were shocked, spanning an unknown number of islands!
"Is it over?!"
That scene just now was almost like a dream, unimaginable, as if it were an illusion. Even the officers of the Red Hair and Whitebeard Pirates, and forces like the Seven Warlords of the Sea, as well as the Marine and World Government, were all deeply shaken!
Even if these people weren't members of the Four Emperors' crews, they had more or less interacted with the Four Emperors.
They all knew what the Four Emperors represented and what kind of power they possessed.
The power that Ian had previously displayed, whether it was defeating the Big Mom Pirates alone or killing Kaido of the Beasts, was horrifying but still within the domain of understanding.
To the Marine, the Seven Warlords, and other pirates, Ian's strength was just that of a stronger Four Emperor, capable of rivaling a Four Emperor's pirate crew on his own!
But the terror of that one sword stroke was beyond what the Four Emperors could achieve. It spanned nearly half of the Grand Line.
"In the world, there's such swordsmanship... His strength has probably reached a level we can't hope to attain. I wonder about the one called the World's Strongest Man, who supposedly possesses the power to destroy the world, Whitebeard. It's a pity that in several battles among the Four Emperors, only Whitebeard, the strongest, was absent!"
"Whitebeard, that monster is indeed strong, but... twenty years have passed. Who knows if he can still display the power he had back then!" Many people showed expressions of awe, their eyes still filled with disbelief!
The title of the World's Strongest had been held by Whitebeard for twenty years, and even newcomers like Red-Haired Shanks, Kaido of the Beasts, and Big Mom hadn't been able to shake it!
But now, Whitebeard's title was clearly tottering. Many who had seen Whitebeard's power felt that Ian might easily claim the title of the World's Strongest!
With one sword, he unleashed an almost unbelievable slash, cutting nearly half of the Grand Line!
This scary power was something even Whitebeard at his peak might not have been able to achieve, let alone after twenty years. No one knew how much strength the now-aged Whitebeard still possessed!
The title of the World's Strongest Is it finally about to change hands?
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World Government!
"This formidable power, even the Ancient Weapons we know of... might be no more than this. How can someone like this appear in the world? Can a human body contend with the Ancient Weapons? Or is he himself an Ancient Weapon?"
The Five Elders, upon seeing Ian nearly cut the Grand Line in half, were scared, their eyes showing shock, and cold sweat forming on their foreheads!
Even though they held the highest authority of the World Government, ruling the entire world, they felt fear and even trembling in the face of This power!
"He didn't kill Red Hair. He could have easily killed him but didn't, and even joined forces with Whitebeard to kill Kaido and Charlotte Linlin. Do we need to consult Imu-sama? What should we do!"
For a moment, the conference hall symbolizing the highest authority fell into silence. After a long time, someone slowly spoke in a deep voice, "He represents only one person but poses a greater threat. I think we should find a way to eliminate him if possible?"
"Yes, and he previously joined the Marine. Although we don't know his purpose, he hasn't shown hostility after all. So... let's continue with the original plan. Once that thing matures, none of this will be a problem, agreed?"
"After all, even the Ancient Weapons are part of this world, but what Imu-sama anticipates is the power at the source of this world!"
"I second that. Before Imu-sama emerges, it's not a good idea to become hostile with him. After all, the entire world is ours; we can destroy and create as we wish afterward!"
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
After witnessing Ian's feats, none of the Five Elders wanted to oppose him, and they didn't even care about his goals anymore.
The World Government could establish systems like the Seven Warlords of the Sea, legalizing pirates, and tolerate their existence. Faced with someone like Ian, who possessed power almost capable of destroying the world, even the Five Elders, as the rulers of the World Government, didn't want to be his enemy!
But only for now... They wouldn't tolerate an existence they couldn't control, even if he posed no immediate danger!
"How can we allow others to sleep beside our bed..."
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Marine Headquarters!
Fleet Admiral Sengoku looked at the image of the abyss that spanned and even extended, nearly cutting the Grand Line in half, and was silent for a long time!
His mind was blank; he didn't even know what to say, filled only with disbelief. Even the Pirate King Roger didn't possess This Strength; it's almost beyond human capability!
"Ian... Could it be that you've obtained some unknown or ancient special powers? Or is the Devil Fruit you now possess a heritage?... No wonder there's no record of this Devil Fruit!"
"Sigh.. this is beyond what I can handle. I suppose those above are already considering how to deal with this. I just hope you don't become an enemy of the world!" Sengoku shook his head.
In his eyes, regardless of his purpose, Ian had defeated two pirate crews and Yonko, Kaido and Big Mom. Even if he didn't belong to the Marine, he was a force for justice.
But he also knew that the World Government wouldn't allow This person to exist. Recalling the incidents with Zephyr and Dragon, perhaps it's time to give this world a new master...
At first, when Ian defeated the Big Mom Pirates and then killed Kaido of the Beasts, many were only shocked by his strength and didn't think about the source of his power.
But when Ian nearly cut half of the Grand Line in half, countless people were not only shocked but also began to ponder the source of his power. His strength didn't seem like something a human could possess!
Even Devil Fruits couldn't grant That kind of power. No Swordsman could unleash 'THAT' slash. This led countless people to associate his power with the legendary three Ancient Weapons!
Uranus, Poseidon, Pluton!
The three Ancient Weapons were said to possess the power to destroy the world, beyond human resistance. Many were speculating whether his power was related to the legendary Ancient Weapons!
The world began to stir with undercurrents!
After the news spread across the sea, it didn't cause an uproar as before. Instead, it made the world eerily quiet. The world stopped shaking; everyone fell silent!
It's not that they didn't want to say something; they just didn't know what to say. Almost everyone felt this way. After an unknown period of silence, they finally looked up at the vast, boundless sky, reaching into the universe, and said deeply:
"This era... belongs to him!"
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