On the other side of the island...
"You! Stop right there!"
Yamato was charging at full speed, huffing with frustration. "I'm going to clobber you!"
"Who wants to fight you?!"
Teach didn't even look back.
Kaido's only daughter, Ian's little girlfriend, if she really wanted to take him down, those two bastards wouldn't spare him!
It would be better to deal with that fat guy from earlier.
Teach thought to himself.
For now, he could only trust his Pops.
You can always trust Edward Newgate, the Whitebeard!
Without any hesitation, King soared into action, raising his hand to unleash a ferocious fire dragon.
Ochoku simply shot forward, delivering a powerful punch that shattered King's fire dragon with his overwhelming Armament Haki. "I don't have time to play with you."
He didn't pause, charging straight at Kaido.
King didn't hesitate, speeding in to intercept.
Ian took a deep breath and followed closely. Unlike them, Ochoku had the strength to interfere in a fight between two monsters.
They landed in an instant, blocking Ochoku's path.
"Don't get in the way!"
Ochoku didn't regard Ian and King at all. He raised his fists and smashed them toward the two, shouting, "Get lost!"
"You handle the attack!"
King braced himself, taking the full force of Ochoku's punches with his body.
Ochoku couldn't help but be surprised.
His fists couldn't move this guy?
However, King couldn't help but grunt in pain.
Even with this level of force, it hurt him.
Ian wasted no time, entering his Immortal Phoenix Form, lunging forward and passing through King's body, swinging his right hand.
In that instant, a scarlet flaming sword appeared in his grasp, cleaving down at Ochoku's chest.
Ochoku suddenly leaped back.
He looked down in shock, realizing that his shirt had been torn open— a massive gash!
Even though he hadn't been fully on guard, his Armament Haki was cut through? This kid!
He glared at Ian, especially at the blood-red sword he held with one hand.
No wonder Marco was beaten so badly.
King shot forward once again. "Dragon Bow!!"
The enormous wings sliced toward Ochoku like blades.
Ochoku raised his hand to block, but the immense force pushed him back.
At the same time, on his other side, Ian had transformed into a Sphere Beast Form, propelling himself forward with his sword of destruction aimed at Ochoku.
The strike landed solidly on Ochoku's side.
"Kid! Who do you think you are?!"
With a slight concentration of Armament Haki, this kid's sword was nothing to worry about.
But still, his Armament Haki was continuously being undermined!
What was up with this kid?
Everyone knew that Haki could counteract the powers of Devil Fruits, but what was this kid's ability?
King waved his left hand, and a thick, lava-like fire dragon instantly engulfed Ochoku.
Nice going, Uncle King!
With this, that guy wouldn't be able to concentrate his Armament Haki!
Ian charged straight into the fire dragon.
"Ultimate Technique: Crimson Lotus Phoenix Blade!"
Ian suddenly spun, two crimson sword blades whipping up a storm, transforming into a red tornado that instantly consumed Ochoku.
However, this spinning didn't last long. Ochoku threw a powerful punch, striking Ian in the abdomen and sending him flying.
"Can flames that can burn everything exist?"
In the next moment, Ochoku, completely cloaked in Armament Haki, burst forth from the dragon's head, his gaze fixed on Ian. His expression was grave. "Looks like you've grasped some formidable DF, kid."
His clothes were tattered and burned, with patches of charred skin visible.
Compared to the flames of King, it seemed even his sword couldn't inflict harm on this kid.
He couldn't allow this little brat to continue growing stronger!
He was just a teenager!
If he waited another ten years, who could possibly stand against the Beast Pirates in the new world?
Ochoku's intent to kill was set!
Ian gritted his teeth and stood up.
Fortunately, he was in his ball form. Though it hurt like hell, he hadn't sustained any real injuries.
This was the kind of defensive strength comparable to the Lunarians!
But King must have been hurting pretty badly too, right? It was surprising he still acted as if nothing had happened.
A voice, filled with sorrow, echoed through the air.
He saw a green-haired woman staggering towards them, her eyes nearly in tears as she shouted, "Let's stop the fighting now!"
Whitebeard was taken aback. "What are you doing here?"
Kaido also froze for a moment; he recognized this woman.
The wife of Kozuki Oden?
"Please, let's not fight anymore!"
Kozuki Toki's shoulders trembled. "Everything is my fault, Brother Newgate, it's all my fault!"
What was this woman trying to do?
Ian narrowed his eyes.
"You're not at fault at all!"
Whitebeard shouted, "Oden is my brother! What's wrong with seeking revenge for family?"
"No! It's precisely because he's family that I can't allow my selfishness to lead to their needless sacrifice."
Kozuki Toki was in immense pain. "Perhaps, from the very beginning, I shouldn't have sought you all out."
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates had truly treated her and her daughter as family.
These people were dying one by one.
Whitebeard paused for a moment, then seriously said, "It's no longer just about you or avenging Oden. My beloved child has been killed—how can I just pretend I didn't see it?"
"Because too many have already died,"
Kozuki Toki sobbed, "we mustn't let more lives be lost. Aren't they all our family?"
Whitebeard was taken aback.
Ian was also stunned.
Is there any war without casualties?
"I can't forgive myself."
Kozuki Toki covered her face with her hands. "In the end, everything is my fault."
What started as just the pain and misfortune of the Kozuki family had drawn the Whitebeard Pirates into this turmoil.
"If everything began because of me, then,"
Kozuki Toki said, "let everything end with me."
"Brother Newgate, please grant me this last request."
Whitebeard was deeply moved. "What do you want to do?"
"I entrust Hiyori to you. Please tell her she has an irresponsible mother."
She drew the blade from her waist and slashed it across her neck, blood instantly splattering everywhere.
Ian was left bewildered. What did I just witness?
Wait, which side are you really on?
With Ochoku causing trouble, isn't this a disadvantage for us?
Does the Whitebeard Pirates have their own Koby too?
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