"Ian!!"
The white-haired Yamato was the first to rush forward, throwing her arms around Ian's neck and shouting with uncontainable excitement. "Have all the Road Poneglyph been gathered? Does this mean we can head to the Final Island next?"
Hancock was equally eager, sliding forward to grab Ian's right arm. "Are we leaving now?"
"Well… the last Road Poneglyph hasn't actually been acquired yet," Ian said.
"What?"
Kaido, whose face was also alight with excitement, frowned upon hearing Ian's words. "You're not joking, Ian, are you?
You're not telling me that Whitebeard made things impossible for you, are you?"
Knowing Ian's true strength, he couldn't imagine that the old man Whitebeard could actually stop him.
"That's not the case," Ian said with a smile. "I've already reduced Whitebeard to ashes. I struck a deal with him: I would allow the Whitebeard Pirates to continue existing, and in return, he revealed the whereabouts of the last Road Poneglyph."
"So, before heading to the Final Island, we need to retrieve the last Road Poneglyph first."
"Perfect!!"
Yamato immediately cheered. "Ian, you're going to become the Pirate King!"
"Of course! It can only be Brother Ian!"
Jack's face was also full of excitement.
Besides Ian, who else in the world could possibly deserve that title?
"That's right!"
Sanji laughed and agreed. "If Ian can't become the Pirate King, then this world shouldn't have a Pirate King at all!"
Aunt Linlin, Redfield, and Kaido all wore slightly complicated expressions.
They had once all roamed the seas chasing the dream of becoming Pirate King.
Kaido was fine—after all, Ian was the disciple he had personally trained.
But for Aunt Linlin and Redfield, their feelings were more complicated.
Perhaps this was what people meant by the legendary front-facing NTR.
Thankfully, Ian would take them all to the Final Island together.
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, Ian!!"
Ace shouted impatiently. "Let's retrieve the last Road Poneglyph quickly, and then head to the Final Island!"
Shanks couldn't help but glance at him.
This kid might be more impatient than anyone else.
He probably wanted more than anyone to see what his father had witnessed back then.
"The ship is ready!"
Jack, the younger brother, called out loudly. "Brother Ian, we can set off anytime!"
Ian glanced at his companions. Almost everyone's face was filled with anticipation.
There was nothing left to say.
"Then let's go."
After several years, the Winged Dragon set sail once more.
Over the past six years, this massive warship had undergone a series of improvements. Almost every time a new technology related to the sea was developed, it was applied to this ship immediately.
But Ian didn't pay it much attention.
After all, his time spent at sea had steadily decreased, and the ship hadn't been deployed even once in these six years.
Even if it were to sail again, Ian thought its greatest role would only be as a floating fortress—or maybe as a plaything for Bullet to combine with.
The enormous ship set out without raising its sails, cutting through the waves as it headed directly for the latter part of the New World.
Not long after departure, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky, hitting the wide deck of the ship.
"Yo! Enel!"
Ian, playing cards with Shanks and Mihawk, raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Back so soon, huh?"
"So, I can finally find out what happened to my ancestors when they first arrived in this world?"
Six years had passed, but Enel hadn't changed much. He still wore his familiar outfit: bare-chested with wide-legged pants tucked in at the ankles.
However, there was one difference from six years ago.
Shanks and Mihawk looked at him with surprise.
Such strong energy.
It wasn't much weaker than an admiral at Marine Headquarters.
Given his abilities, it was almost fair to consider him a combat force at an admiral's level.
Unlike the two men, Aunt Linlin's gaze toward Enel was very peculiar.
Even though she had lived in the North Blue for the past six years, she knew the situation well.
After Ian sent her to the North Blue, the territory she once held, Totto Land became an important base under the Beast Pirates.
And during these years, the person in charge of that base was none other than the man standing before her.
"As long as we find the final island, we should be able to uncover the truth of everything."
Ian said casually.
"Good!"
Enel's lips curved into a smile.
Even now, he still held some obsession with the infinite land where his ancestors once lived.
This made him all the more curious: what had happened to the ancestors who abandoned their homeland and came to this world?
The Winged Dragon sailed on, but it didn't head straight for Sphinx.
First, it made a stop at the Giant Kingdom.
"Yo! Ian! Long time no see!"
At the coast of the Giant Kingdom, old friends were finally reunited.
Dorry and Brogy stood on the shore, waving enthusiastically at Ian.
"How about it? Want to come with us?"
Ian smiled.
"Ha ha ha ha! I think we'll pass! After all, we're not members of your Beasts Pirates!"
Dorry laughed heartily. "Then let Solem and Himir represent us Giants!"
"Hee hee hee hee! Boss! Whatever we see over there, we'll tell them when we get back!"
Waiting for Ian to pick him up, Solem winked at him. "It's supposed to be a secret, but I guess it's not something that can't be shared, right?"
"It's something that will be revealed to the whole world sooner or later," Ian said. "As long as it's not spread widely, it's fine."
"Hee hee hee hee hee! Then there's no problem!"
Solem laughed freely.
"Ian, you're really not joking, are you?"
On the shore, besides the Giants, there was also a human—a beautiful human woman.
Nico Robin couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes. "Are we really going to the final island next?"
"Why don't we go see for ourselves?"
Ian said. "Let's go. It's time to set off."
"Mm!"
The last survivor of Ohara nodded firmly.
Finally, the moment had come. Finally, she could fulfill Ohara's wish and uncover the world's ultimate secret!
And so, in the Giant Kingdom, Nico Robin, Solem, and Himir boarded the ship.
Soon, they would be able to head directly to Sphinx without any obstacles.
Sphinx was slightly farther back than the Giant Kingdom, but not by much.
It didn't take long before the enormous warship was anchored off the northern coast of Sphinx.
"That should be it, right?"
Ian shaded his eyes and gazed at the towering cliff on the coast. There, quietly standing, was a lighthouse.
According to what Whitebeard had said, the final Road Poneglyph was buried beneath that lighthouse.
**********
Support me on my patreon and read upto 20 early chapters.
patreon.com/PirateKing24