Chapter 20 : Akazaya Nine's Attack!!

"No, Impossible!" Queen said, baffled. "Yamato's fine—she's inherited the bloodline of Kaido's boss, but does that kid really have the Conqueror's Haki?"

Down below, on the ground, Queen, who had been staring up at the sky, was stunned. The cigar in his mouth had fallen to the ground, and he couldn't even close his gaping mouth. "It's obvious that every time something happens, he tries to back out immediately."

He couldn't make sense of it.

"Is that so surprising?"

King, arms crossed, spoke matter-of-factly. "The so-called Conqueror's Haki can only manifest in critical moments. What you say and think in your heart doesn't always match what your body does."

"How many people in the world can face Boss Kaido from a young age like Ian? No matter what he says, he never flinches, even if he's beaten dozens of times and almost killed."

King remained silent.

Ian's bravery in facing Kaido was undeniable, and there was an inexplicable willpower and arrogance in him.

As Queen pointed out, the kid might have seemed ready to back down when trouble arose, but King had never seen fear in his eyes.

It was as if he was born with an inherent sense of superiority over everything in this world, and it remained unshaken.

"But how did they end up here?"

After a moment of reflection, Queen rubbed his chin. "Boss Kaido explicitly forbade them from coming near."

"Probably after completing their mission, they accidentally came close to the battlefield on their way back," King suggested. "This is on the route from Oden Castle to Onigashima."

"Ian did well this time," King added, noting Ian's performance.

He saw it clearly.

Kaido underestimated that guy, Kozuki Oden.

He almost got hit just now!

The power of those two slashes was terrifying from a distance, and even his Lunarians's defenses would struggle to withstand them.

If Kaido had been hit, it would have been a serious blow.

Thinking of something, King suddenly spread its wings and transformed into a massive, toothless pteranodon, soaring into the sky.

"Momonosuke!!"

On the nearby battlefield, Kozuki Oden leapt into the air like a cannonball.

The Conqueror's Haki emanating from Ian's body began to wane, and with his Conqueror's Haki awakening, his previously dazed head, affected by Kozuki Oden's Haki, was now completely clear.

Without hesitation, Ian flapped his wings and ascended higher into the sky.

Facing the enraged Kozuki Oden recklessly would certainly mean his end.

Fortunately, Kozuki Oden wasn't using the Moonwalk technique. Despite his powerful leaps reaching hundreds of meters, he couldn't catch up with Ian's flight.

"Where do you think you're going? Tatsumaki Kaifu!"

A roar echoed from below.

The green dragon tilted his head and twisted his body, releasing countless massive wind blades that surged towards Kozuki Oden like a storm.

At that moment, Kozuki Oden looked up in surprise, "Perfect timing! Kaido!"

The pitch-black Armament Haki instantly enveloped him, and Kozuki Oden was engulfed by the storm in an instant.

The sharp wind blades were difficult to fully resist even with Armament Haki, and Kozuki Oden was soon covered in numerous wounds.

However, even as he was injured, the ferocious storm began lifting Kozuki Oden upwards rapidly.

"Huh?"

Ian, who was trying to steady himself, suddenly changed his expression.

"Kaido-sensei, are you my enemy?"

"Return Momonosuke to me!"

With a gust of wind, Kozuki Oden had swiftly closed the distance to Ian.

"Oden!!"

Shimotsuki Yasuie, who was caught in Ian's grasp, shouted with excitement.

"Brother Yasuie!"

Kozuki Oden's expression grew darker.

As expected, Oden Castle had been attacked, and now even the elder brother Yasuie had been taken prisoner!

"Lady Toki and Hiyori weren't captured!"

Yasuie quickly informed Oden, "They managed to escape!"

Kozuki Oden let out a sigh of relief.

Indeed, Toki's Devil Fruit abilities made her nearly impossible to capture, as long as she chose not to be caught.

Now it was simply a matter of rescuing Momonosuke and Yasuie!

Kozuki Oden's expression hardened with determination.

Ian, on the other hand, was grim-faced.

"Ian!"

Yamato, who was perched on Ian's head, exclaimed in alarm.

She had witnessed Kozuki Oden's strength and understood the gravity of their situation.

Ian remained silent, but flames surged from his wings and joints, forming fiery plumes that propelled him upward at an accelerating speed.

Despite claiming to Yamato that he was moving at full speed, he could indeed go faster.

As he picked up speed, Ian opened his mouth wide.

"Blaze Cannon!"

The intense flames converged into fiery pillars, aimed directly at Kozuki Oden.

Kozuki Oden responded by swinging his sword. The twin blades, enveloped in pitch-black lightning, cut through the flames, splitting Ian's attack in mid-air and sending it shooting upward, still potent.

Just then, a dark shadow appeared in the sky.

Pteranodon, with flames flickering behind its head, darted forward like lightning, meeting the incoming slash head-on.

At the moment of impact, the flames behind its head reignited. King's wings, wrapped in pitch-black Armament Haki, swiftly shielded its body. The attack enveloped it entirely in an instant.

Rumble!!

The mighty slash collided with King's wings, and the forceful impact forced it backward, leaving cracks in its otherwise resilient wings.

"Uhhhhhh!"

King roared in pain, its body shifting slightly. It used its wings to deflect the trajectory of the dark slash just enough to send it soaring into the sky.

Whew—

King sighed with relief. 

He had managed to block the attack just in time.

"Uncle King!"

Ian couldn't hide his concern.

"Save your life, Uncle King! Uncle King's wings are still bleeding!"

King, however, did not turn back. Instead, he focused on Kozuki Oden, who was still ascending and preparing to strike again.

This man was indeed formidable, but King didn't need to concern himself with him at the moment.

"Where do you think you're going?"

A thunderous roar came from below. "Great Will——!"

Flame-like clouds formed beneath his feet as Kaido-sensei, now in his Human-Beast Form, propelled himself upward like a rocket. His speed was astonishing, and within moments, he was nearing Kozuki Oden.

The mace he wielded trailed a long streak of black lightning, extending from the sky to the ground. The thick lightning struck the earth, carving deep furrows, while the overlord's haki had fully materialized.

"Thunder Bagua!!"

Kozuki Oden gritted his teeth and turned to face the challenge.

"Paradise Totsuka!!"

Rumble!!

The pitch-black lightning, suffused with the Conqueror's Haki, suddenly erupted, swirling wildly across the night sky!

The clouds were ripped apart as the fierce wind roared down, accompanied by thick, ominous lightning that caused thunderous explosions upon hitting the ground below.

Ian struggled to keep his balance, flapping his wings amid the clash of the two giants.

The impact alone created a storm of epic proportions in the sky.

"Ian! Look!"

Yamato tilted her head in astonishment, "The sky's splitting open!"

Ian noticed a sudden brightness around him. He looked up to see a chasm forming in the center of the dark clouds. The clouds were rapidly being pushed aside, and the moonlight began to illuminate the sky.

"Hmmmmm, I have to admit it! I definitely underestimated him before!"

The roar of the monster echoed across the sky, "If it weren't for my brats stirring things up, you would have dealt a serious blow to me. For that, I apologize!"

"As compensation, let's have a good time!! Hmmmmm"

Kaido ascended into the sky, swinging his club downward, "Kosanze Ragnaraku!"

With a loud crash!!

The Conqueror's Haki lightning exploded once more. Kozuki Oden blocked the blow, but with no support in the air, he was still knocked down.

"Brats!"

Kaido-sensei looked up suddenly, "Get out of the way! I'll settle accounts with you later!"

Ian's mouth twitched.

Kaido-sensei, let me remind you that if it weren't for me, you would have been struck down just now.

"Let's go,"

King flapped his wings and flew over, "Stay away from here; the real battle is about to begin."

Ian nodded slightly.

Both Jack and Black Maria were stunned. It was no longer wise for them to stay on their backs.

Soon, Ian followed King to the edge of the battlefield and landed on the hill where Queen was.

As soon as they landed, thunder erupted on the battlefield nearby. The fierce clash of domineering energy turned into massive, sweeping dragons, devastating the entire forest and sending large trees hurtling into the sky.

It's quite an exaggeration.

Ian maintained his dragon form, silently observing the two distant figures as they clashed repeatedly, each impact seeming to shake the very heavens.

The forest had been reduced to a barren white expanse initially, and then the plain had erupted into a flat wasteland.

"That's incredible!"

Yamato's eyes sparkled with excitement as she patted Ian's forehead repeatedly. "Ian! We're going to be so strong in the future!"

"Of course."

Ian responded confidently. "We're going to be stronger than them!"

Kaido-sensei may have lost to Nika, but Ian, the sun god, believed he wouldn't be outdone by that pesky rubber band who couldn't even match the sun.

Regardless of everything else, his conviction to grow stronger remained unshakable.

In this world, only the strong can steer their own fate.

Ian had never doubted that he could surpass anyone, be it Kaido, Whitebeard, Shanks, or even Nika.

Such self-confidence is what drives him.

"Well done, little brats!"

Queen chuckled and stepped forward. "But it looks like it's our turn to make a move next."

Ian lowered his gaze.

Down the hill, among the ranks of the Beast Pirates, several figures were swiftly approaching.

"Protect Lord Momonosuke!!"

The nine warriors known as the Akazaya Nine were racing towards them.

They had witnessed the recent events in the sky.

"You stay here."

King unsheathed his long sword. "They won't advance any further while I'm here."

Queen transformed into a massive brachiosaurus.

The true powerhouses of the Beast Pirates had finally been unleashed!

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