Dorry and Brogy exchanged a knowing smile, a glint of understanding flashing in their eyes.
They hadn't expected this Marine Vice Admiral to want to witness the power of the Elbaf Spear.
Although performing the Elbaf Spear was extremely taxing on their stamina, giants were always generous to their friends.
So Dorry stood up, patted his chest, and declared heartily:
"Since you've treated us to so much fine wine, we'll let you witness the power of the Elbaf Spear—Hakoku Sovereignty!"
With that, the two walked side-by-side towards the seaside, with Ivan following closely behind.
Upon reaching the shore, Dorry and Brogy stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their entire bodies tensed. The aura they radiated was even more immense than during their previous duel.
Clearly, that earlier duel hadn't showcased their full strength!
Standing firm on the shore, they both tightly gripped their weapons, pouring all their strength into them, and shouted in unison:
"Elbaf Spear—Hakoku Sovereignty!"
As their voices fell, they simultaneously swung their weapons. Two terrifyingly powerful shockwaves erupted, intertwining as they slashed fiercely towards the open sea ahead.
Where the shockwaves passed, the once-calm sea was forcibly split open, creating a massive chasm. Seawater surged to either side, revealing the rocky seabed below.
Directly in the path of the shockwaves, a Sea King the size of an island couldn't dodge in time. It was instantly cleaved in two by the force, its body severed. Blood stained the sea red as it lost all signs of life.
The destructive power of this single strike was far more terrifying than Big Mom's Ikoku Sovereignty!
Ivan stood on the shore, taking it all in. Just as he thought, the Elbaf Spear—Hakoku Sovereignty was far more powerful than Ikoku Sovereignty!
The next moment, he stood in mid-air before the giants, his tone level as he inquired:
"Gentlemen giants, this is Hakoku Sovereignty? It's incredibly powerful! May I ask, could you teach me this technique?"
Dorry and Brogy turned around, looked at each other, and understanding dawned on their faces.
When they heard Ivan wanted to witness Hakoku Sovereignty, they had guessed his purpose.
The giant race was never stingy about teaching their martial arts to friends, but the Elbaf Spear—Hakoku Sovereignty was different.
From ancient times to the present, aside from giants and those naturally massive monsters, it was nearly impossible for anyone else to learn the Elbaf Spear—Hakoku Sovereignty!
Brogy patted Ivan's shoulder, solemnly reminding him:
"Ivan, you must think carefully. Hakoku Sovereignty is the unique secret technique of us Elbaf giants. It requires the robust physique of the giant race to practice.
The human physique is far inferior to that of giants. Forcing yourself to learn it won't allow you to master the technique; instead, the power of the technique will backlash. At best, you'll suffer severe injuries; at worst, you'll lose your life. Are you sure you want to learn it?"
Ivan's gaze was firm, without a hint of hesitation. He nodded and said:
"Thank you both for the warning. I understand the risks. My physique is special, strong enough to withstand the power of Hakoku Sovereignty!"
Seeing Ivan's confidence, Dorry and Brogy exchanged another smile and no longer refused.
Dorry laughed heartily:
"Good! That's bold! Since you're so insistent, we'll teach you!
Let's see if you, a Marine Vice Admiral, can master the secret technique of our Elbaf!"
Since Dorry and Brogy agreed to teach Ivan, they held nothing back, imparting all the techniques of the Elbaf Spear—Hakoku Sovereignty to him without reservation.
Dorry swung his giant axe, demonstrating the trajectory of force application, his tone serious:
"The core of Hakoku Sovereignty has never been merely stacking raw power. It's about concentrating all the Haki and physical strength of your entire body into the tip of your weapon, then releasing it explosively in an instant to form a world-destroying shockwave.
But this explosive force generates an incredibly terrifying recoil pressure, like thousands of boulders pressing down on your body. That's why only we giants can practice Hakoku Sovereignty."
Brogy added, his tone carrying a note of gravity:
"We giants are tall and possess formidable physiques. That recoil pressure can be evenly distributed across our entire bodies, allowing us to withstand the impact when the technique erupts.
But ordinary humans are too small in stature, and their physical strength is far from sufficient. Even the most powerful experts in your Marines, like that monster called Garp, would be severely injured by this immense force if they tried to force themselves to learn it. They simply couldn't endure it."
Ivan listened quietly, and everything suddenly became clear in his mind.
He finally understood why non-giants couldn't learn Hakoku Sovereignty.
The key to this technique was never just about controlling power and Haki; it was also about whether one could withstand the recoil pressure when the technique erupted.
The higher the Output Power, the greater the recoil pressure, and the more severe the test on one's physique. The smaller the body, the more concentrated the pressure, and the more terrifying the backlash. Ordinary humans, no matter how strong, simply couldn't bear this cost.
But Ivan didn't retreat in the slightest. Instead, an even more fervent light ignited in his eyes.
He was different from ordinary people. On one hand, he possessed heaven-defying regenerative abilities. Even if severely wounded by Hakoku Sovereignty's recoil pressure, he could heal rapidly in a short time.
On the other hand, he had also fused with Homelander's steel-like body, giving him a physical strength far surpassing normal humans—enough to bear most of the recoil pressure from Hakoku Sovereignty's eruption.
"Thank you both for your guidance. I understand," Ivan nodded slightly. He didn't attempt it immediately but instead said to the two giants, "Could I trouble you both to perform Hakoku Sovereignty once more in its entirety? I'd like to observe the details of the force application more carefully."
"Alright!" Dorry agreed heartily.
Just as the two prepared to demonstrate, Ivan's pupils subtly changed. Crimson patterns unfolded within them, forming an eerie yet magnificent Mangekyō pattern.
He had quietly activated his Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Sharingan's superhuman perceptive ability could capture the most minute movement trajectories.
Whether it was the contraction of their muscles when applying force, the path of Haki flow, or the angle of their weapon swings—everything was clearly recorded in his mind.
After the demonstration ended, the two put away their weapons and looked at Ivan: "Did you see it clearly?"
Ivan slowly closed his eyes, replaying every detail he had captured moments earlier in his mind.
After a moment, he slowly opened his eyes, a smile appearing on his face. "I saw it clearly. Now, I'll give it a try."
With that, Ivan walked to the center of the open area and drew Snowfall from his waist.
He took a deep breath, the aura around him gradually rising. Armament Haki flowed to cover Snowfall, finally converging with all his physical strength at the blade's tip.
Just as Ivan was gathering his power, a chaotic cacophony of footsteps came from the distant forest.
After a hard-fought battle, the Straw Hat Crew had finally shaken off Smoker and came running in this direction.
Luffy was at the front, running while looking back, sticking out his tongue and making faces at Smoker chasing behind him, shouting triumphantly:
"Can't catch me, can't catch me!"
Zoro followed behind. Suddenly spotting Ivan on the shore, his expression changed drastically, and he shouted a warning:
"Luffy, White Dove is ahead! Be careful!"