Chapter 434: Showing Off Like the Wind

Because Luffy was facing Ian head-on at this moment, he felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on him, causing him to “anticipate” the consequences of his upcoming attack. In a split-second decision, he hit the brakes…

Meanwhile, Zoro, attacking from the side, also felt the imposing aura from Ian’s body. Before the sword even touched Ian, Zoro had broken out in a cold sweat. But he gritted his teeth and swung all three of his swords against Ian.

With a sharp clang, Ian lifted the scabbard of his sword, the Senbonzakura, with his left hand and placed it on the point of impact of Zoro’s three swords. This immediately stopped Zoro’s attack. Then, with his right hand, Ian drew his sword from the scabbard and moved it in the direction of his own head!

Sanji, coming in with an axe-kick, slammed his heel directly onto the hilt of Ian’s sword. But instead of shattering the weapon, the force of the impact sent Sanji flying backwards, while Ian stood firm.

It may seem slow to describe, but this whole scene happened in an instant. After intimidating Luffy and knocking back Sanji, Ian swiftly spun his sword in a bright arc, aiming straight for Zoro.

“Oh Shit…!” Zoro saw the blade coming and quickly used his two swords to parry it. But as one of his swords was just a cheap, ordinary blade that he bought for a couple of thousands from a weapon shop in Loguetown, they will shatter immediately upon contact with Ian’s sword.

Realizing his mistake, Zoro attempted to withdraw his other sword, but it was already too late. With a strike accompanied by Haki, Ian sliced through both of Zoro’s swords, leaving him defenseless.

“Gomu Gomu no Gatling Gun!”

Zoro stepped back as Luffy launched yet another attack. His fists were pounding out a flurry of blows that seemed to multiply in number with every second.

But just because Luffy looked like he had multiple hands didn’t mean he actually did. Ian’s En Field allowed him to perceive every punch trajectory with crystal clarity, he could sense every move Luffy made and avoid his hits with ease. He just sidestepped and ducked, and despite Luffy’s relentless onslaught, not a single blow landed.

While Ian danced around, Sanji got back up and rejoined the fray, launching a storm of kicks at Ian just like Luffy. And just like Luffy, Sanji couldn’t hit Ian, who glided effortlessly through the two attackers’ vicious pincer blows.

Then, from behind, came a roar…

“Ittoryu (One Sword Style): Sand Pattern!”

Zoro gripped his sword in reverse and swung it down at Ian’s back.

After Ian had sliced through Zoro’s other two swords, he had no choice but to rely on his remaining weapon, the Sandai Kitetsu, and his one-sword style. But even this attack was detected by Ian’s En field, which enabled him to sense Zoro’s every move and evade the blow with ease.

Ian’s field allowed him to perceive any attack from any direction, so Zoro’s sneak attack from behind was just as ineffective as Luffy and Sanji’s frontal assaults.

Ian had no intention of fighting the three of them seriously, and he mostly dodged their attacks, but even so, the three fighters became increasingly anxious as they failed to land a single hit.

Especially Zoro… Ian was like a substitute for Hawkeye, giving Zoro a glimpse of what true swordsmanship at the level of the Shichibukai looked like. He couldn’t fathom how Ian’s casual swing had shattered his two swords…

On board, Usopp and Vivi were in shock. Three against one, and they couldn’t even lay a scratch on Ian. Vivi couldn’t help but look desperate, knowing that Ian was also one of the Shichibukai. If Crocodile had this kind of power, how could Luffy and his crew hope to defeat him?

Actually, Vivi was worrying too much. The Seven Warlords varied in strength, and while Ian was undoubtedly one of the strongest, Crocodile was on the lower end of the spectrum.

Experience is the best teacher, and mastering Haki was no exception. Strictly speaking, although Luffy and his crew have set foot on the Grand Line, they were still considered rookies. Without the use of Armament Haki, Ian could easily crush them. Even the mere use of Observation Haki was enough to make it impossible for the three crewmates to land a single hit on him, leaving them exhausted.

Ace and Robin watched the fight with smiles on their faces, forming a sharp contrast with Usopp and Vivi’s expressions.

After fighting Ian for a while, Zoro couldn’t bear it anymore and jumped out of the battle circle, pointing his Sandai Kitetsu at Ian in frustration, “Hey! Ian! Are you just going to mess with us!?”

At this point, Luffy and Sanji also stopped. They were breathing heavily.

Ian, on the other hand, looked relaxed and asked, “Oh!? How am I messing with you?”

“Why are you just dodging!?” Zoro said indignantly. “You’re not even taking us seriously!”

Ian shook his head and said, “I admit that I haven’t been taking you seriously. But if I did, do you still want to keep that sword?” he asked, gesturing at the Sandai Kitetsu in Zoro’s hand.

“Uh…” Zoro was taken aback by Ian’s words. Despite his heartache at Yubashiri’s destruction, he knew that if even Sandai Kitetsu were destroyed, he would be pushed to his limits and might even resort to fighting Ian to the death.

Yet, Zoro couldn’t shake the feeling of being underestimated by Ian. He hadn’t seen the full extent of Ian’s strength, and that made him all the more determined to prove himself.

Ian could see the fire in Zoro’s eyes and shook his head. He had intended to play with the three of them, but it seemed that things were getting out of hand. If he continued to underestimate Zoro, it would only lead to trouble.

So, Ian decided to show a little more.

The next second, the air began to tremble on the area around them. Ian’s aura was more powerful than ever before, and even the small stones on the ground also began to shake with the outbreak of his Nen.

Ian focused his gaze on Zoro and his two companions, and an invisible shockwave rushed towards them, emanating from his Conqueror’s Haki. It was a power that Ian had honed over the years, and he could now target specific individuals with it.

The entire area was engulfed in Ian’s aura, causing the ground and surroundings to tremble. Ian’s Conqueror’s Haki was like a tsunami, overwhelming their senses and leaving them reeling. Zoro, Luffy, and Sanji suddenly felt a strong dizziness overcome them. They couldn’t help but feel their legs give out as they nearly fell to the ground.

However, they didn’t faint. Ian had purposely adjusted his Conqueror’s Haki to reduce its impact on them. But even with that, the immense mental pressure was like a series of waves crashing onto their bodies.

In just a moment, the three were already drenched in sweat, struggling to hold up under the overwhelming force of Ian’s Haki.

It wasn’t until this moment that they finally understood the true extent of the gap in their abilities compared to Ian’s.

Although they didn’t know what kind of power it was, their bodies’ reactions told them that they couldn’t withstand it for long.

Only Nami and Robin on the ship didn’t understand what was happening. Ian’s Haki hadn’t reached the ship, so they could only watch the three struggle in confusion.

Ace understood what was happening, but he couldn’t help feeling envious. “I never thought Ian’s Conqueror’s Haki would be so powerful, he has it under perfect control…”

Reiju also knew about Haki, but hearing Ace’s words left her extremely surprised. Ian had Conqueror’s Haki, and now Ace did too!? In the New World, only the most powerful and notorious individuals possessed such an ability, and yet here were two in front of her.

She was at a loss for words.

Meanwhile, as Zoro and the others were likely reaching their limits, Ian finally withdrew his Haki.

As the pressure lifted, Zoro, Luffy, and Sanji collapsed as if they were completely drained. They lay on the ground, breathing heavily, trying to recover from the ordeal.