Chapter 150: Not a Trace Left

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Not far from the island, a Marine warship lay anchored. Marines lined the shore and crowded the ship's deck, all eyes fixed on the distant battlefield. As the roaring and explosions subsided, they swallowed hard and exchanged uneasy glances.

"Is it finally over?"

"If that had gone on much longer, the whole of Sabaody Archipelago would have been shattered!"

Even the Marine Rear Admiral on the warship wore an expression of awe. As expected of a Marine Admiral, one of the strongest fighters in the world.

They assumed that the Supernovas, having provoked Admiral Kizaru into personally taking action, were likely either dead or severely injured. Regardless, it was their duty to retrieve them; they couldn't expect an Admiral to carry them back.

"Quickly, let's head over there!"

The Rear Admiral barked orders, and a squad of Marines prepared to rush towards the battlefield. However, before they could move, a flash of light stopped them in their tracks.

After several rapid blinks, Kizaru, accompanied by Sentomaru, appeared before them.

"Admiral Borsalino!"

The Rear Admiral and the other Marines showed no surprise. Or rather, they dismissed the last vestiges of doubt in their hearts, thinking to themselves, as expected of rookies who haven't even entered the New World.

They had been dealt with so quickly!

"You're back, Admiral. How are the criminals? Are they dead? We'll go and clean up the mess." The Rear Admiral saluted Kizaru respectfully. At this question, a strange expression flickered across Kizaru's face.

"There's no need to go," Kizaru said, suppressing his frustration, offering a helpless shake of his head.

"I see... You were quite thorough, Admiral. Even using Yasakani no Magatama. Not even a trace left, huh?" The Rear Admiral's voice was filled with awe.

Kizaru almost choked on his own saliva.

'Not a trace left, my ass!' He thought, feeling a surge of irritation.

He couldn't exactly explain the truth. Could he admit that he not only failed to defeat Ian, but had actually been on the losing end, with no hope of victory?

If he uttered such words, he would lose all face. Meanwhile, the Rear Admiral, misinterpreting Kizaru's expression, assumed he had obliterated the Supernovas so completely that nothing remained. With a sincere tone, he said,

"While you may have gone a bit overboard, they were vile pirates. Executing them on the spot is justifiable. Besides, you've saved us a lot of work.!"

With that, the Rear Admiral signaled to the other Marines, preparing to return to the ship.

When facing Ian, Kizaru had indeed been cautious. Even Akainu, Aokiji, Sengoku, Whitebeard, Garp, or Shanks posed little threat to him.

However, Ian was an enigma, his allegiances unknown. This uncertainty unnerved Kizaru. He had no idea if Ian's attacks were imbued with Haki. There was no telling if this unpredictable, violence-prone individual would suddenly unleash another devastating attack, sending him to an early grave.

He wasn't ready to die yet.

Faced with someone who could threaten his life, a dangerous and unpredictable opponent, Kizaru was naturally cautious. However, his perpetually lecherous expression and ingrained mannerisms betrayed none of his inner turmoil.

The Rear Admiral froze, staring at Kizaru with a mixture of shock and disbelief. He even rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things.

Was this... caution? Kizaru was always lackadaisical, even towards the Fleet Admiral. With the Glint-Glint Fruit, he was practically untouchable. Even if he couldn't win a fight, no one could threaten him.

But just now, he had clearly detected a hint of caution in Kizaru's demeanor. He, a Rear Admiral, was no fool. Stationed at Marine Headquarters, he interacted with Vice Admirals and Admirals daily. Reading between the lines was a necessary skill.

This made the Rear Admiral deeply suspicious, a scary thought forming in his mind, one he dared not entertain.

Could it be… that Admiral Kizaru just now… The thought was so frightening that he swallowed hard and forced it down.

"Admiral Borsalino," he began, "since I didn't know how long this would take, I brought some fine tea from Headquarters. It might not compare to what's served in the World Government, but it's the finest in the world."

Meanwhile, Kizaru pondered his conversation with Sengoku.

Almost no one in the Marines held any affection for the Celestial Dragons. They treated the Marines like their personal guard dogs. Who would have any fondness for such people? If it weren't for the World Government's overwhelming power, the Marines would have been the first to rebel.

But even if they joined forces with Whitebeard, it wouldn't change the outcome. The World Government possessed twice their strength and the Scary power of the Ancient Weapons. Only by uniting all the forces of the sea could they stand a chance..

...

Rayleigh praised Ian. He had witnessed the entire battle between Ian and Kizaru. He had clearly seen how Kizaru, an Admiral powerful enough to suppress even him, was forced to flee in panic before Ian's relentless pursuit.

It wasn't a battle of equals.

It was more like a cat playing with a mouse. The young man before him had grown even stronger.

The last time they met, Ian possessed the strength of a Warlord. Now, he was a force that shook the World Government.

"Let's go." After a brief exchange with Rayleigh, Ian led the way towards Grove 13. Rayleigh, followed by a distraught Luffy, quickly caught up.

Soon, the four of them returned to the Shakky Bar. Rayleigh guided a despondent Luffy inside and sat him down.

"Luffy, what's wrong? What happened? Where are your crewmates?"

Seeing the usually cheerful and optimistic Luffy in such a state, Shakky covered her mouth in concern. Rayleigh didn't hold back, recounting the events that transpired on Grove 12, including the arrival of Bartholomew Kuma and the separation of the Straw Hat Pirates.

After listening to Rayleigh's tale, Shakky remained silent for a long moment, then embraced Luffy and Robin with a comforting hug.

"However, Luffy!" Rayleigh suddenly changed his tone, his face turning serious.

"Old man..."

A dazed Luffy turned his head slightly.

"I can't guarantee it, but your crewmates are most likely still alive."

Rayleigh spoke with conviction.

"Rayleigh... what do you mean?" Shakky asked.

"Before Ian arrived, even I wouldn't have been able to prevent your capture, Luffy. But then Bartholomew Kuma appeared. He sent each of you flying with his Devil Fruit ability. This wasn't an attempt to kill you, but to send you away from the island where an Admiral was present. He said he was acting on someone's orders."

"By now, you should understand..." Rayleigh paused, taking a sip of his drink.

"Warlord Kuma wasn't there to capture us, but to save us?" Robin's eyes widened in shock.

"That's likely the case. Kuma mentioned his intentions during my fight with Kizaru," Rayleigh confirmed, nodding.

"But why? Why would Warlord Kuma risk losing his title to save Luffy and his crew?"

Shakky posed the crucial question. Rayleigh frowned and shook his head silently.

A moment later, the answer was revealed.

It was Ian who spoke.

"Because Kuma is a Revolutionary." Ian took a sip of his drink, a knowing smile playing on his lips. Robin, Rayleigh, Shakky – all eyes were fixed on Ian.

"A Revolutionary?"

"How do you know, Ian?"

Rayleigh's voice was filled with doubt.

"Could it be..."

Before Ian could elaborate, Robin gasped, her eyes widening as if a realization had dawned upon her. Rayleigh and Shakky, the intelligence expert, also seemed to grasp the implication.

Over a month ago...

The Enies Lobby incident had occurred, followed shortly by a seemingly minor event that should have shaken the world: the revelation of Dragon's family ties. 

While attempting to capture his grandson, Luffy, in Water 7, Garp had accidentally let slip that Dragon, the leader of the Revolutionary Army, was his son and Luffy's father.

While Marine Headquarters had tried to suppress the news, Shakky, with her vast intelligence network, had learned the truth. Luffy was the son of the Revolutionary leader. Kuma was a Revolutionary. Connecting the dots, their motives became clear.

"Shakky, what's going on? Tell us!" Rayleigh urged impatiently. Shakky didn't hesitate, explaining the situation succinctly.

"Luffy is the son of the Revolutionary Army's Leader." Rayleigh's eyes widened in understanding.

"So that's it. Then, back at Thriller Bark... Kuma wasn't really trying to harm Luffy. Anyone else would have been sent straight to Impel Down." Robin nodded, confirming their deductions.

Understanding dawning, a look of immense relief and joy spread across her face.

"Luffy, it's alright... Nami, Zoro, they're all safe... Kuma simply sent them to different locations."

Robin and Shakky offered words of comfort.

"Really? Nami, Zoro, Sanji, Usopp... everyone's okay?" Luffy bit his lip, fighting back tears, his heart filled with joy.

"Of course. Miss Shakky, Rayleigh, and Mr. Ian all said so. It must be true." Robin nodded reassuringly.

"There, there, Luffy. As long as they're alive, there's hope. You need to rest now. You need to be strong to find your crewmates."

Shakky offered gentle words of comfort.

"Back in Loguetown," Ian added, "you actually encountered your father. That gust of wind was his ability. He was the one who blew away Smoker's smoke. And this entire situation was orchestrated by your father. He wanted you to experience the harsh realities of the Grand Line."

"To temper your spirits and send your crew to different islands, where they'll encounter different people and train individually."

Ian dropped another bombshell, drawing everyone's attention once more.

"Don't worry, I've met your father. He told me about his plans for you... Both he and your grandfather are very proud of you."

Ian recounted his encounter with Dragon in Foosha Village, leaving Luffy stunned.

He hadn't realized that Zoro, the first crewmate he had met, was from the same village, practically a neighbor.

Rayleigh and Shakky were also taken aback. Not only was Luffy's father the leader of the Revolutionary Army, but Zoro's Teacher was a swordsman on par with Mihawk.

He had initially thought it was a story of underdogs rising to the top, but it turned out to be a group of privileged individuals on a world-spanning adventure.

...

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