Help is here!

The Diávoloi.

Though they were in fact still retaining their minds, they could not speak a single word in this form. But the killing intent coming off of them delivered their intentions perfectly.

In the midst of this helpless situation, however, none of the members of the crew despaired.

They were not kids after all. Death was real, and it would come at unexpected times. So they had already expected such a thing to happen one day.

Not that Ian would let that happen. Ever. Unless it was their own choice when they reached an old enough age.

Even he accepted such a thing also. But this didn't mean that when it came to, they would just surrender themselves to it. You bet they would fight to their last breath. And they would do it while laughing proudly.

Elene used her strongest form from the start, the one she had managed to beat big mom with. Stella also focused hard on what's coming next. As chains started to surround her form.

Bert and Akemi directly used their Sulong forms. Transforming into it in but a short second.

Aokiji was surrounded by fog coming of him. Sanji and Reiju used suits built by their family to jump and float. Sanji got it as a gift from his sister, saying she had made the scientists make it for her.

Don jumped into the sky and landed in the sea, as he also readied himself to fight what could possibly be the strongest fight of his life.

Ian had a plan though. Even when they had taken him by surprise.

He had not been gathering allies in vain all this time… There are of course reasons for that…

And right now it was one of them.

Indeed. Both Elene and Ian sprang into action all of a sudden as they were engulfed in shadows that spread in a circle around them.

And in a second, Garp, Sengoku, Whitebeard, Dragon, and Rayleigh all showed up where the ship was. Teleported from who knows where straight to where the battle was going to start.

With them, on their side, their chances increased…

Thankfully no one was in an awkward situation. Or not wearing any clothes… Ian did expect that from Garp to a certain extent. He was glad he was wrong.

And while he was not naked, Garp was half-asleep and half-awake with his pinky in his nostrils.

"W-What?" He muttered as he shook himself awake and looked at his surroundings.

The first thing he was drawn to was the massive figure in the distance that was starting to move towards them. But since the distance was quite far, it was still a few seconds until it reaches.

Seeing who was around him he started to understand.

Ian had already predicted something like this before. So he had told them all that he might summon them on short notice someday. And they had agreed to that. They knew Ian would do the same for them.

And by the expressions of the rest, it appeared all of them grasped the current situation.

Ian then chose to speak.

"Im has chosen to get rid of me once and for all this time," Ian said this one sentence. His expression is totally serious.

"Indeed." Dragon analyzed their opponents and gave a short nod.

The opponents were clearly felt by him, and he knew that to survive this, much less win, they would have to work together.

He spared his father one glance before he turned back and got ready for the fight. The enemy didn't give them the time for them to talk.

Sengoku, Whitebeard, and Rayleigh only nodded at Ian before they readied themselves for battle.

This would be hard-fought, as they were in the sea.

But everyone there had already reached a far enough level of power to fly with their own ways. Not to mention that Aokiji hurried along to freeze the sea surrounding them in a huge radius enough for them to land on.

Sengoku jumped down and transformed. Getting ready.

He was followed by Rayleigh and Garp who loosened his shirt and rolled his sleeves. An expression of concentration on his face. Perhaps today they were all going to fight their last battle…

Looking at Ian, he changed that thought.

'Who knows what this young man has in store…?' He thought to himself…

All of them who were healed by Ian had become since then younger and younger until they reached the state when they were the strongest.

This fight was obviously going to be hard-fought, and Ian was not about to slack off or take it easy.

As such he prepared to enter his strongest form…

Sounds of electricity started to surround his form when all of a sudden a huge crack in the sky nearby them opened all of a sudden.

The crack was massive in size, but nothing could be seen on the other side as if it was completely blank.

Ian panicked thinking that they were maybe more diávoloi. He even wanted to curse them. After all, he was not even sure they could deal with those here.

But instead of the shadowy humanoid forms that he came to associate with them, what came out instead was a huge animal form.

It was actually a winged lion.

While its size itself was massive, and even passing by their ship flying the shockwaves rocked them around.

And though its size when compared to the strongest diávoloi there was not the same, the strength it packed was definitely closer to it.

Ian immediately had a grin on his face the moment he laid eyes on the beast.

Why?

Because he heard a voice in his head.

"Help is here. Young Ian." It was the familiar voice Ian used to hear back then. It only said this and cut off but it was enough for him.

Ian didn't question it anymore on why it didn't send more of them or any similar question. He knew by now that there was a reason for everything. And he was going to find out about that sooner or later as such he might as well just drop it now.

The lion beast itself was not exactly normal. It had scales on its face. And two horns going from its temple to the back. Its wings were more like dragon wings than birds.

Its claws were also definitely longer than they should be.

The beast roared loudly and it was as if thunder had struck.

Ian seeing this he looked at his allies and crew.

"He's on our side." That's all he said.

Before he abruptly lit up in electricity and started to transform.

His form grew a bit taller but it remained leaner. But instead of flesh this time it was made completely of lightning.

His hair stood up rigidly pointing to the sky defying gravity completely.

His spear was glowing in lightning as he swirled it around his hands.

"Now that the fight is more evened out, let's show these bastards how strong we humans are!" Ian yelled out as he started attacking leading the charge.

Coincidently it was at the same time when the lion-dragon beast had just reached the massive Diávoloi and engaged it by biting its neck.