Super Card System

The initial shock passed, but once everyone recovered, they looked at Arest with expressions that were… peculiar.

“A Navy Admiral, infiltrating the heart of our Big Mom Pirates. Father Arest… no, Admiral Arest, do you understand what this means?” Katakuri stepped forward, pointing to the ground, his gaze cold and menacing.

“Of course I do!” Arest grinned, saying, “It means… war?”

“Since you know, how dare you reveal your identity!?” Perospero’s eyes widened in disbelief.

But Arest simply shrugged and said, “Even if it means war… will you really make a move?”

“Uh…” Perospero was stunned, unable to respond.

The truth was, it wasn’t that the Big Mom Pirates were afraid to start a war with the Navy. With the power of a Four Emperors crew, they could certainly wage a full-scale battle with the Navy if they wanted to. But the key issue was… what benefit would it bring?

The Navy isn’t some soft target to be easily crushed. Starting a war with the Navy would mean accepting a mutual destruction scenario. Without enough to gain, no one would recklessly trigger a conflict that would come with such heavy losses.

Especially considering the recent history— the war between the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates had just passed. Anyone who witnessed that entire conflict would understand that if not for Ian’s unexpected intervention, whether the Whitebeard Pirates could have won was still up in the air.

Currently, the Big Mom Pirates have no major figures captured by the Navy, and there has been no assassination attempt on Big Mom herself. The situation is completely different from when the Whitebeard Pirates declared war on the Navy.

So, talk of sparking a war is really just that—talk. No one would rush into battle unless it was absolutely necessary. This reluctance applies not just to the Big Mom Pirates, but also to the Navy itself.

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly realized why Arest had revealed his identity.

The truth is, if he hadn’t mentioned his status as a Navy Admiral, the Big Mom Pirates might have treated him just like Stussy, assuming he was another intelligence agent from the World Government. As one of the Four Emperors, Big Mom wouldn’t bat an eye at killing a mere spy, but handling a Navy Admiral is a different story altogether.

It’s like diplomatic immunity—the rank of Navy Admiral serves as a protective shield. Before anyone makes a move against him, they must first consider the consequences.

However, revealing his identity was a last resort. Arest was deeply alarmed when Ian suddenly attacked Stussy, causing her to be exposed. He couldn’t figure out how Ian had discovered Stussy’s true identity. Even Caesar, who was directly involved, didn’t know, yet Ian had immediately targeted the right person.

Faced with this situation, Arest knew that Ian would likely expose him as well. Given Ian’s accurate identification of Stussy, whatever accusation he made next would not be doubted by the Big Mom Pirates. Big Mom would, without hesitation, treat him as part of CP and kill him as mercilessly as she did Stussy, leaving him to die without anyone knowing the truth.

This was Cake Island, Big Mom’s stronghold. If the Big Mom Pirates wanted him dead, he would be in serious trouble. Even though Arest was a Navy Admiral, challenging the entire Big Mom Pirates by himself would be foolish. Thus, he had no choice but to reveal his identity.

Of course, while Arest kept his tone confident, he knew he couldn’t push the Big Mom Pirates too far. So, he quickly added, “I admit that Stussy is indeed part of CP, but I only learned this after arriving on Cake Island. The theft from the treasure room was entirely her plan; I merely lent her a small helping hand. My true purpose here has nothing to do with your Big Mom Pirates.”

“Then why are you here?!” Big Mom furrowed her brows, still fuming with anger.

Arest turned his head to look at Ian, a sinister grin suddenly appearing on his face. “Black Dragon Ian, I’m actually here looking for you.”

“looking for me?!” Ian was completely confused, scratching his head. “Wait, did I do something to you?”

“No, you didn’t,” Arest shook his head.

“Then are you following orders from Akainu to get revenge for him?” Ian asked again.

“Also no,” Arest shook his head once more.

Ian spread his hands. “Well, that’s odd. Out of all the Navy Admirals, the only ones I have issues with are Akainu and Kizaru. I’ve never even seen you before, since you were only recently recruited as an admiral. So why would you ambush me?”

But suddenly, Arest adopted a devout expression, kissing the cross that hung around his neck, and solemnly said, “This is for the glory of my Lord!”

“Huh!!??”

Not just Ian, but even the surrounding guests and members of the Big Mom Pirates were left completely dumbfounded by his explanation.

However, before anyone could react, Arest suddenly sprang into action, charging straight at Ian with incredible speed. In his hand, he wielded a dagger seemingly made of coagulated blood, thrusting it directly toward Ian’s throat!

Ian quickly tilted his head back, dodging Arest’s strike. As he leaned back, he followed through with a swift roundhouse kick. Arest raised his left hand, hardened with Armament Haki, to block Ian’s kick, while his right hand continuously stabbed at Ian’s vital points with the dagger.

All the while, Arest’s face was filled with crazed intensity. His veins bulged across his forehead, and he bared sharp fangs, shouting at Ian, “Come on! Show your true form! Today, I will deliver the final judgment on you, demon!”

“Shut up!” Ian snapped, his patience gone. What was this madness? This guy had to be insane, spouting nothing but nonsense!

Ian spun around, drawing his sword, Senbonzakura, and swung it at Arest. However, Arest didn’t dodge or evade, raising his dagger to block the strike directly.

In Ian’s experience, a blade should clash against another weapon. But as soon as his sword connected, Ian realized his mistake. Arest’s dagger wasn’t a normal weapon. When Ian’s sword struck it, it cut through the dagger as easily as slicing through tofu!

The dagger, after being split apart by Ian’s blade, immediately reformed, and Arest gripped it tightly, viciously stabbing it into Ian’s shoulder!

Of course, this attack had consequences for Arest as well, as Ian’s sword slashed into him at the same time!

Sizzle! Arest’s dagger broke through Ian’s Armament Haki defense, piercing into the muscle of his shoulder. Simultaneously, Ian’s blade sliced through Arest’s flesh, cutting deep into his shoulder blade.

It was a mutually destructive fighting style, and Ian was completely caught off guard by the fact that a Marine Admiral like Arest would adopt such a reckless tactic!

“What the hell!” Ian shouted as he kicked Arest in the abdomen. As Arest was sent flying backward, his left hand clawed at Ian’s lower leg.

Despite being knocked back several steps by Ian’s kick, Arest managed to leave scratch marks on Ian’s calf.

At this point, Ian finally understood. Arest had concentrated most of his Armament Haki on offense, completely disregarding his own defense, focusing solely on causing Ian as much damage as possible!

This guy is crazy. He truly gave off the vibe of a madman.

In the next moment, Arest lunged at Ian again. Initially, Ian thought he was about to engage in another mutually destructive exchange. Narrowing his eyes with cold determination, Ian prepared to teach him a painful lesson.

“So, you don’t care about defense? Fine. I’ll cripple you with one strike!”

However, just as Ian was about to deal a heavy blow, Arest suddenly extended his hand and clenched it tightly in Ian’s direction.

An indescribable pain surged through Ian’s body, and he suddenly felt as though all the blood vessels in his body were swelling up, stretching his skin to the point where it felt like it might tear apart!

In that brief moment of distraction, Arest closed the distance. With a swift motion, he slashed his left hand across Ian’s face, leaving four claw marks that caused blood to gush from the wounds. At the same time, he twisted his body and thrust his dagger toward Ian’s eye!

In a split second, Ian jerked his head to the side, causing Arest’s dagger to graze his brow. Immediately, he felt warm blood trickle from the cut above his right eyebrow.

There was no time to assess his injury. Ian slashed diagonally upward with his blade, aiming for Arest’s left side. Arest tried to twist away from the strike, but Ian’s sword erupted with a burst of fiery sword energy, which caught him off guard. The attack tore through Arest’s priestly robes, leaving a bloody gash in its wake.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Ian retreated a few steps, but he was still baffled by the strange sensation he’d just experienced. He knew that Arest must be a Devil Fruit user, but he couldn’t quite grasp the nature of his ability.

When Ian first heard that Arest had been recruited as a Marine Admiral through the World Conscription Program, he had already been quite surprised. He knew this was the consequence of having “stolen” Fujitora away from the Marines. Since Fujitora hadn’t taken up the position, it was now this “White Wolf” Arest standing before him instead.

This man was completely absent from Ian’s past knowledge, so Ian knew nothing about him.

Yet, Arest charged at Ian again, like a ravenous wolf chasing its prey. He showed no sign of relenting. As he attacked Ian, his voice continued to ring out with fanatical fervor: “Where is your fire!? Where are your demon wings!? I am the most loyal servant of the Lord, but if I kill you just like this, there will be no satisfaction!”

“A zealot!?”

At this moment, not only Ian but even the spectators on the sidelines instantly understood what was happening!

But what followed was a collective headache, as everyone knew that dealing with fanatics like this was the worst.

“Damn, does this guy really think I’m some sort of evil creature?” Ian thought to himself, growing more furious. After all, anyone would be angry if they were inexplicably treated as an outcast or monster.

How did the Navy end up selecting this kind of guy as an admiral? Did he really think he was part of some Inquisition?

After deflecting Arest’s dagger with one swing of his sword, Ian flexed his arms, and in the next moment, his black flaming wings burst into existence, burning fiercely.

“As you wish!” Ian floated in midair, staring coldly down at Arest from above.

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