Super Card System
Chapter 481: Route Change

Encountering the wrathful Enel, this pirate crew could be said to have hit rock bottom.

Having expanded to a fleet of five pirate ships and making it this far, this pirate crew actually had the potential to become a renowned pirate crew. If only their captain could raise his own bounty a bit higher, perhaps when they arrived at Sabaody Archipelago, they could even achieve the status of a Supernova or something similar.

However, their greed led them astray. They didn’t encounter a fat lamb but a deadly comet!

“Divine punishment! Divine punishment!”

Enel laughed manically, constantly bombarding them with powerful lightning strikes. One after another, the pirate ships were instantly reduced to pieces, and the pirates on board screamed in agony. Struck by the lightning, they were already paralyzed, falling into the sea along with their shattered vessels.

Reiju and Robin finally understood why Ian was willing to risk the disdain of the Skypieans and bring Enel back. Such a formidable Logia Devil Fruit user had elevated the strength of the Dragon Hunters Pirates to a whole new level.

Ian, Fujitora, and now Enel—the three titans of the Dragon Hunters Pirates had formed their power base.

When Reiju realized this, she couldn’t help but be astonished. Although the Dragon Hunters Pirates’ influence in the New World was still limited, and their numbers were not overwhelming, they were subtly moving towards the level of one of the Four Emperors.

If they continued to develop in this manner, perhaps one day when Ian abandoned his identity as a Shichibukai, he could become a new Yonko!

“Father, your original choice was a mistake!” Reiju thought of her own father, Judge, and silently prayed, “I hope you won’t seek revenge against Ian after cooperating with Big Mom’s Pirate Crew, otherwise…”

One of the reasons Reiju chose to stay in Ian’s pirate crew was to break free from the cold, heartless nature of the Vinsmoke family. Seeing Sanji again, now happy in the Straw Hat Pirates, greatly moved her. Naturally, she didn’t have a good impression of the Vinsmokes, but whenever she thought of her deceased mother’s gentle smile, Reiju found it hard to completely let go. So she found a reason for herself, considering Ian as a partner, which made it seem only logical for her to leave the family and join the Dragon Hunters Pirates.

This feeling was subtle and contradictory, and Ian was well aware of it, but he didn’t point it out. Reiju’s willingness to stay in the pirate crew was a good thing for him.

Just as Reiju was lost in her thoughts, she suddenly saw Ian deliver a flying kick, sending the laughing Enel tumbling across the deck like a rolling gourd.

“What the hell! Didn’t you hear what I said just now?” Ian angrily reproached Enel. “I told you to spare some of them, but you ignored my words!?”

Reiju looked up and saw that all five pirate ships on the sea had been taken down by Enel alone, no wonder Ian lost his temper.

Enel wore a gloomy expression. He had indeed gone too far just now, forgetting Ian’s orders. However, when he saw Ian’s gaze, he couldn’t bring himself to get angry.

More accurately, he didn’t dare to act angry…

“Those pirates are gone, and that’s it!” Enel mumbled as he got up. “As long as the Ark sails on the sea, there will be more pirates!”

“You dare to talk back, huh!?” Ian clenched his fist, ready to step forward and teach the guy a lesson.

Fortunately, at this moment, Reiju intervened and said, “Alright, alright, it was just an accident on Enel’s part. Like he said, there will be other opportunities!”

Ian glared at Enel but refrained from any further action. In fact, the only reason he let Enel spare some of the pirates was just to ask them if they knew the name of the next island.

Because when they left Skypiea aboard the Ark, they didn’t take the same route as the Straw Hat Pirates. Ian was worried that it might cause a change in their route.

The islands on the Grand Line were interconnected by a series of sea routes. However, when approaching the Sabaody Archipelago, some of the routes might converge, and no one could guarantee that these islands wouldn’t experience a magnetic charge that could last for a year or two, which would be a huge inconvenience.

Therefore, Ian was furious with Enel for not following his orders.

Fortunately, the Ark continued sailing forward, and on the following day, they encountered another pirate crew. This time, Enel didn’t dare to act recklessly and left one ship intact.

Reiju flew over and, after questioning them, brought back the terrified helmsman from the enemy ship. To Ian’s surprise, when he asked about their course, he found out that they had indeed deviated from their intended route.

Originally, following the Straw Hat Pirates’ route, the next island would be Long Ring Long Land, and the one after that would be the Capital of Water. But upon further inquiry, Ian discovered that the next island ahead of them was none other than Saint Poplar Island.

Saint Poplar Island, in technical terms, was an industrial island connected to Water 7, the Capital of Water. Water 7 was renowned worldwide for its shipbuilding industry, which required raw materials like wood and steel. Saint Poplar Island was the primary source of top-quality timber transported to Water 7 ever since the Sea Train was operational, making their exchange much more convenient.

After sending the helmsman back to his ship, Ian began to ponder with a frown.

Clearly, if he continued on this way, he could easily reach Water 7, but he had no intention of doing so.

Ian had no plans to interfere with Zoro and the others’ adventure, and more importantly, he knew that CP9 members, including Rob Lucci, were present in Water 7. Though Robin was now part of his own crew, not the Straw Hat Pirates, Ian’s current strength was probably enough to toy with Rob Lucci. However, he still didn’t want to get involved in that mess.

Because it was a critical time, Ian needed to acquire the technology of the Pacifistas from the Marines and the World Government through negotiation. At first, it seemed impossible because the Pacifistas were the most vital weapons of the Marines and were not supposed to fall into the hands of outsiders. When Ian proposed the trade, he had little confidence and simply wanted to give it a try. 

However, something unforeseen must have happened in the process, leading both the Marines and the World Government to surprisingly agree to the exchange (thanks to Vegapunk’s intervention, though Ian was unaware of this). It left Ian with a feeling of having a windfall.

Ian speculated that his Shichibukai status and the availability of Thunderstone on his territory, Travolta Island, likely played a role. With these two factors in place, it might have weakened the Navy’s vigilance towards him, ultimately leading to their reluctant agreement.

Given the circumstances, Ian naturally had to seize the opportunity while his relationship with the Navy and the World Government was still in a honeymoon phase. He was determined to complete the trade without any unnecessary complications at such a crucial moment.

This was one of the reasons he chose not to set sail with Luffy and the crew. He feared any unnecessary incidents involving Robin in Water 7 that could lead to a rift between him and the Navy and the World Government.

With this in mind, Ian considered the route change a blessing. If St. Poplar lay ahead, they wouldn’t need to worry about the Log Pose’s magnetic storage. Relying on the Sea Train, Ian and the crew could reach the Judicial Island, Enies Lobby, much faster than taking the regular route.

Additionally, there was a chance they could arrive at the Marine Headquarters, Marineford, even earlier…

However, there was one concern—Robin. Regardless of Enies Lobby or Marineford, Robin’s identity must not be exposed, or it would cause immense trouble. Ian wasn’t sure whether his Shichibukai status could protect her. If the World Government was determined to capture Robin, they might not consider his position as a Shichibukai.

Furthermore, Admiral Aokiji had already met Robin and knew she was part of his pirate crew, but Ian was unaware of whether Aokiji had informed the Navy or the World Government’s intelligence agencies about it.

perhaps for the sake of insurance, they might consider splitting into two groups later, allowing Reiju and Robin to return to the New World first, while Fujitora comes to meet them.