In the next moment, that deep blue expanded continuously in Ivan's hand, transforming in an instant into a football-sized azure sphere.
The azure sphere emitted a terrifying gravitational force, distorting the surrounding air.
The bullets tore through the air, speeding toward Ivan, but as they fell not far in front of him, their trajectories instantly changed, forcibly sucked into the azure sphere.
Before anyone knew it, the dense gunfire and the sound of bullets cutting through the air ceased. The pirates watched with pale faces as the azure sphere ahead grew larger and larger.
"What... what is this?"
"A monster! White Pigeon is a monster!"
As pirates of the Weakest Sea, Devil Fruits were nothing more than legends to the vast majority. Even the pirates of the Alvida Pirates had never seen a Devil Fruit in person.
Upon witnessing the incomprehensible azure sphere distorting space and intercepting all the bullets, they realized they stood no chance of harming White Pigeon!
No, this was not an opponent they could defeat. They had to flee!
It was unclear which pirate was the first to flee into the distance, but the rest, who had been snarling moments before, immediately dropped their weapons and ran in sheer panic toward the Alvida Pirates' ship.
Seeing this, Alvida gripped her spiked club tightly and roared in fury:
"Damn it, stop right there! He's just a Devil Fruit user! We can win!"
But as soon as her words fell, she saw Ivan staring coldly at her before swinging his hand.
The terrifying azure sphere accelerated rapidly, hurtling toward her at an astonishing speed.
Alvida's face twisted in fear, but at such close range, she had no way to dodge and could only brace herself to withstand it.
She tightened her grip on the spiked club, her muscles bulging all over, and swung it with a piercing whistle through the air toward the azure sphere.
At the same time, Alvida roared:
"Damn you, Ivan! Who do you think I am? I am Alvida!"
No sooner had she spoken than the spiked club collided with the azure sphere. This moment captured everyone's attention—pirates and marines alike stared intently at the scene.
For the outcome of this battle hinged on the result of this collision.
But what happened next drew gasps of disbelief from everyone.
Alvida's spiked club, capable of smashing through a warship's deck, shattered instantly upon contact with the azure sphere.
The entire club disintegrated into fragments of steel, absorbed by the azure sphere, causing it to grow even larger.
In the next moment, the azure sphere crushed Alvida's arm and body, propelling backward amidst a burst of blood mist.
It pulverized the deck and pirates in its path until it pierced through the Alvida Pirates' ship and finally plunged into the sea.
After a brief silence, the deep blue in the water erupted completely. A terrifying gravitational force distorted everything around it, and the nearby Alvida Pirates' ship was once again drawn into the vortex.
After an unknowable length of time, everything came to an end.
Looking ahead, a fissure tore through the deck, and at the end of the crack, the Alvida Pirates' ship had been severed in half, slowly sinking!
Whether they were pirates or marines, everyone stood frozen in place, staring in disbelief at the scene before them. The world seemed to have fallen silent, leaving only the echoes of thunder and lightning.
Until Ivan cleared his throat helplessly, suddenly raising his voice in a stern shout:
"What are you all waiting for? Hurry up and arrest the remaining pirates! Anyone who resists, kill them on the spot!
We have already won!"
This roar exploded like thunder, jolting the marines awake from their daze. In an instant, they erupted into earth-shaking cheers, raising their rifles and charging toward the remaining pirates.
As for the pirates, their faces turned ashen, and they collapsed on the deck, not daring to move. They obediently allowed the marines to bind them together with coarse ropes.
What a joke!
Now that White Pigeon was a ruthless character who could easily crush Alvida, a pirate with a bounty of five million Berries, how could these lowly underlings dare to resist?
Surrendering obediently at least meant they could keep their lives, but resistance meant certain death.
They had no desire to end up like Captain Alvida—reduced to a disgusting pile of flesh!
In the distance, the pirate ship that had been torn in half sank with the waves and had now completely disappeared. Aside from the broken sails and masts floating on the sea, there was no trace left of Alvida's pirate ship.
On the deck, the soldiers bound the remaining pirates to one side, while on the other side, they piled up the treasures collected by Alvida's pirate crew.
Tashigi excitedly counted the number of captured pirates. After a moment, she approached Ivan, looking at him with admiration:
"Lieutenant Ivan, in this battle, we captured twenty-three pirates from Alvida's crew, seized a total of seven and a half million Berries, and killed thirty pirates, including Alvida. It's a complete victory!"
It was no wonder Tashigi was so excited. Even though Ivan's strength rivaled that of pirates with bounties in the millions, they had previously only managed to capture pirates with bounties of around one million.
A pirate like Alvida, with a bounty of five million, was their first capture of this caliber!
This single achievement alone was enough for Ivan to be promoted by one rank, becoming a lieutenant commander!
And as Ivan's adjutant, Tashigi would also receive a considerable reward.
Looking at the pirates bound together on the deck, Ivan nodded in satisfaction. He turned to face the marines and issued an order:
"All hands, inventory the supplies, lock the prisoners in the lower deck, and prepare to return. We're heading back to Loguetown!"
"Yes, Lieutenant Ivan!" the soldiers responded enthusiastically.
When Ivan returned to the captain's cabin, Tashigi immediately followed him inside. She removed his Justice Cloak and outer coat, placing them on the nearby clothing rack.
Outside, the storm was blocked by the ship's hull, and under the warm yellow light, the room felt cozy.
However, Tashigi's heart was still not at peace. The bespectacled girl gazed at Ivan with admiration, making him feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Ivan asked curiously, "Tashigi, what's wrong? Why are you staring at me?"
Only then did Tashigi snap back to reality. Realizing she had been staring at Ivan, her face flushed slightly.
But those who lived on the sea were never overly concerned with trivialities. She quickly regained her composure and asked curiously:
"Lieutenant Ivan, was that azure-blue sphere earlier a Devil Fruit ability?
Have you become a Devil Fruit user?"
As she spoke, Tashigi looked at Ivan expectantly.
After all, as the Weakest Sea, Devil Fruit users in the East Blue were already incredibly rare.
So, becoming a Devil Fruit user meant one could become a true powerhouse.
Not to mention that Lieutenant Ivan was already a formidable individual. With the addition of a Devil Fruit, he might even possess strength worthy of a bounty in the tens of millions!
Ivan glanced at the system panel.
[Due to your recent performance, the [Gojo Satoru Template] recognition level has increased by 5.]
Feeling the power within him grow slightly stronger than before, Ivan smiled and said:
"That's right, I have indeed become a Devil Fruit user!"