Wano Country.
In these six years, this nation had changed quite a lot.
While every country in the New World had seen some form of development, none had advanced as quickly as this one.
The influx of vast amounts of wealth and resources brought Wano an era of unprecedented prosperity.
Everyone across the seas knew that the land once called the Country of Gold was now richer than ever — maybe not literally paved with gold, but certainly not far from it.
And yet, despite its wealth, not a single fool dared to stir up trouble here.
After all, this was the home base of the Beasts Pirates, the domain of the Emperor — Ian.
However, while the whole of Wano was booming, the true headquarters of the Beasts Pirates — Onigashima — hadn't changed much in six years.
After all, the island itself wasn't that large to begin with, and there was only so much that could be built upon it.
At this moment, high above the enormous skull-shaped island, a fierce battle was taking place.
"Brat!!"
Kaido, already in his Human-Beast Form, roared as he swung his kanabo wrapped in the dual colors of Haki, smashing it down mercilessly toward the man before him.
"Thunder Bagua!!"
A strike powerful enough to shatter an island ripped through the air.
The sound didn't even have time to spread a single centimeter before the massive club was about to crash into its target.
But—
The one being attacked, Ian, simply raised his right hand.
Hum!!
His Haki surged!
An invisible barrier expanded outward, blocking the terrifying blow of the iron club.
Dark lightning from the overflowing Haki crackled, blasting deep pits into the hardened ground beneath them.
"Ian!!"
Another furious roar came from behind as a colossal robot advanced, each step shaking the earth.
Bullet, in his giant form, swung his enormous fist downward.
Ian chuckled, Haki flowing through his palm as he met the attack head-on, forcing Kaido back through sheer strength.
Ian raised his right hand even higher.
Boom!!
Onigashima shook violently.
At the same time, the giant robot's massive right arm was flung upward, its enormous body staggering backward uncontrollably.
"Damn it!"
Inside the robot, Bullet roared in frustration, "How the hell is your Haki this strong!?"
Ian smiled calmly. Now twenty-three years old, he had grown taller—over two and a half meters—and his face had matured greatly. "What do you think?" he replied with a smirk.
"Wororororo! Heat Breath!"
A blazing stream of fire came roaring straight toward him.
Ian merely raised his right hand again, and the wall of his Haki deflected the flames completely.
"Ice Fang Slash!"
A white blur shot toward him from behind.
A wolf-tooth club wrapped in freezing mist came crashing down toward Ian's back.
Ian turned slightly, reached out with his left hand, and caught the white iron club mid-swing.
The instant he grabbed it, an intense wave of cold surged through his arm.
The freezing energy, infused with internal destruction, tried to pierce Ian's defense and invade his body.
But before it could break through, the Haki surging from his left hand completely erased the cold energy.
"Still not enough, Yamato."
With a casual flick, he hurled his childhood friend aside without mercy.
"Waaah! Divine Ice Fang!"
Even as she spun through the air, Yamato released another icy breath.
Under the power of Life Return, a beam of condensed frost, sharp as a laser, shot straight toward Ian.
But the next instant, it shattered against the barrier of his Haki, scattering in every direction.
The peak of Onigashima was instantly covered in a field of ice.
"Ultimate Grand Cannon!"
Bullet steadied his massive form, his giant right arm surging with Haki as he unleashed his strongest punch.
At the same moment—
"Thunderous Eight Trigrams!!"
The soaring Kaido-sensei came crashing down with his most powerful strike.
"Oi, oi, oi… you're already going all out? If that's the case, I can't exactly take it easy either."
Ian sighed softly.
In the next instant, the ground beneath his feet shattered.
Kaido's eyes widened sharply.
This brat—so fast!
Did he just channel Haki beneath his feet to boost his speed?
The roaring iron staff suddenly froze midair, colliding with something impossibly solid.
Kaido felt his arms tremble violently—the terrifying power traveling up through the staff almost made him lose his grip.
"Guhahahahaha!!"
He roared, "Brat!!"
The shockwave exploded outward, sending Kaido staggering back as his feet carved deep trenches into the ground.
After sending Kaido flying back with a single kick, Ian used the recoil to launch himself upward.
His clenched right fist crackled with thick bolts of black lightning infused with Haki.
"Hah!!"
The giant's colossal fist met the young man's smaller one head-on.
After a brief clash, Ian's fist pressed deeper—embedding itself into Bullet's enormous hand.
Cracks spread rapidly from the point of impact, crawling up and across the giant's arm.
"Urgh!!"
Inside the giant, Bullet grunted in pain as his massive body staggered backward.
"So strong! Ian—you've gotten ridiculously powerful!"
A hearty laugh rang out from above. "Extreme Ice — Eight Trigrams!!"
The temperature around them plummeted in an instant, chilling the air to a bone-freezing degree.
Ian simply took a single step back, and a crystal-clear iron staff crashed perfectly in front of him.
Then he extended his right hand, effortlessly catching the falling girl into his arms.
"You're still far behind, though."
Ian lightly tapped his childhood friend's forehead and smiled.
Yamato now was far stronger than she had been six years ago.
But even so, she still hadn't fully stepped into the realm of the Emperors — she was still just a step away.
Just like Ian, what she lacked was an awakening.
"Damn it!"
Yamato struggled, her expression full of frustration. "Why does it feel like the gap in strength has gotten even bigger!?"
"Because this guy has already reached a level of power that's simply unbelievable!"
Bullet snorted coldly. Even without using his Devil Fruit ability, Ian was able to fight on par with him, Kaido, and Yamato at the same time!
That kind of strength was simply terrifying to think about.
Even six years ago, when Ian had relied on his ability, he probably wouldn't have been able to reach this level—unless he entered his Phoenix Mode.
Bullet clenched his fists in frustration. "His Armament Haki isn't even that outrageous… but his Conqueror's Haki is on a level that defies reason!"
Just as Yamato said — the gap had only widened.
"That's because," Ian smiled lightly, "I was already strong to begin with."
The strength of one's Conqueror's Haki grew in proportion to the user's willpower and overall power.
When Ian used his ability and fought at full power, his strength had already reached absurd heights — so naturally, his Conqueror's Haki rose to a terrifying level as well.
Even without using his ability now, he was still unmatched.
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24