Luffy suddenly turned his head, his gaze passing through the thicket to land squarely on Ivan standing in the center of the clearing.
The playful grin on his face instantly froze, his pupils contracting sharply.
But before he could fully process the situation, Ivan's power had already reached its peak!
All the energy within his body was gathered, concentrated at the tip of Snowfall.
Then, Ivan swung the blade forward with a fierce roar:
"Elbaf Spear — Hakoku Sovereignty!"
In the next moment, the long-accumulated power erupted in an instant!
A terrifying Flying Slash howled forth from the blade's edge, sweeping across the sea ahead.
Wherever it passed, the sea surface was forcibly split open into a bottomless chasm. Several massive Sea Kings in the distance were sliced cleanly in half by the shockwave before they could even react, their blood staining the ocean red.
The power of this strike was in no way inferior to that of Dorry and Brogy—it was even greater!
Witnessing this, Luffy, Roronoa Zoro, and Sanji froze on the spot, every expression on their faces solidifying into sheer, utter shock.
Luffy's jaw hung open, unable to utter a sound for a long moment. His usual cheeky grin had vanished without a trace, replaced by utter disbelief.
Zoro's hand holding his sword trembled slightly, his eyes filled with awe.
A year ago, he had witnessed Ivan's slash—back then, Ivan could only cut through a stretch of sea.
But now, he could split the vast, endless ocean before them in two, even tearing a bottomless trench into the seabed beneath the waves.
The Ivan of today was not just several times stronger than he was a year ago—this was no mere increase in strength, but power capable of shaking heaven and earth!
Sanji's fingers, holding his cigarette, paused mid-air; he didn't even notice as the cigarette slipped from his grasp.
He recalled his first meeting with Ivan—an unpleasant experience.
Thinking back on it now, he couldn't help but feel a chill.
How brave he had been back then, daring to provoke such a monster!
After Ivan successfully executed the Elbaf Spear — Hakoku Sovereignty, not only the still-inexperienced Straw Hat Crew, but even Dorry and Brogy stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they had just seen.
This… this was an utterly terrifying talent!
He had only watched it twice, and succeeded on his first attempt!
Moreover, its power far exceeded their expectations. This slash, which so effortlessly tore through the sea, was unmistakably the true might of the Elbaf Spear — Hakoku Sovereignty!
Just as everyone was still reeling from the terrifying power of that Hakoku Sovereignty, Ivan's body suddenly shuddered violently.
In the next second, a thick mist of blood exploded from within him.
The recoil force from executing Hakoku Sovereignty instantly tore through the skin and muscles across his entire body, causing blood to gush wildly from countless wounds. It streamed down his form, instantly dyeing the ground beneath his feet crimson.
The difference in size between a human and a giant was like heaven and earth. For the same technique, Dorry and Brogy could evenly distribute that world-shattering recoil pressure across their massive frames.
But the compression and impact Ivan endured was at least a hundred times greater than theirs!
It felt as if an entire towering mountain had crashed down upon Ivan. Even though he had fused with Homelander's Steel Body, making his physique far surpass that of an ordinary person, he was still severely wounded by this irresistible, colossal force!
"Ivan!" Nami's face turned as pale as paper at the sight, her voice trembling. "What's wrong? Don't scare me!"
In response to Nami's concern, Ivan gave a slight shake of his head, indicating he was fine.
Immediately after, a faint white mist enveloped his body as that heaven-defying regenerative ability erupted at full force once more.
The blood splattered in the air began to slowly flow backward. Torn muscles visibly stitched themselves back together at a rapid pace. Shattered skin smoothed over bit by bit, leaving not a single trace of a scar.
In just a few breaths, he had completely recovered, as if the grievously wounded state from moments ago had been nothing but an illusion to everyone present.
Even Dorry, accustomed to the robust physiques of the giant race, couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment:
"What… what astonishing regenerative ability!"
Brogy nodded repeatedly, his tone full of praise and amazement:
"With such a terrifying self-healing power, you truly have the qualification to master the Elbaf Spear — Hakoku Sovereignty!"
After expending a great deal of stamina to recover from his severe injuries, Ivan gently moved his neck and wrists, then turned to thank the two giants:
"Thank you, gentlemen, for imparting this technique without reservation. I will remember this kindness."
Then, he turned to look at the Straw Hat Crew, who were still standing dumbfounded, not yet recovered from their shock:
"Straw Hat Crew, since you're all here, come join us for drinks and meat."
Dorry and Brogy immediately burst into hearty laughter, pounding their chests and shouting:
"Good! Drinking is most enjoyable with a crowd!"
Luffy finally snapped out of his shock. Scratching his head, he looked at Ivan with a puzzled expression:
"Hey, White Dove, aren't you going to capture us?"
Ivan gave a faint smile: "What I uphold is Burning Justice. This justice has never harmed good people.
Though you bear the title of pirates, you have never pillaged, plundered, or harmed the innocent. You have always pursued your dreams. To ones like you, I will not raise a hand."
Luffy immediately pointed at Smoker indignantly, loudly retorting:
"But that white-haired Marine just attacked us earlier! He chased us relentlessly!"
Hearing this, a flicker of amusement passed through Ivan's eyes as he said lightly:
"That was merely to train you, and incidentally, to see just how far your strength has come."
"So that's how it is!" Luffy slapped his own head, suddenly enlightened.
However, unlike the simple-minded Luffy, Zoro and Sanji knew it wasn't that straightforward.
The corners of their mouths twitched, their faces darkening as they gritted their teeth, inwardly cursing.
This guy, he's as nasty as ever!
Clearly just deliberately messing with people, yet he makes it sound so righteous!
After fully mastering the Elbaf Spear — Hakoku Sovereignty, Ivan bid farewell to Dorry and Brogy.
Though the two giants were reluctant to part with this friend, they understood that all feasts must eventually end. They simply urged him to be sure to come drink with them again if he ever passed through Little Garden in the future:
"Take care, mighty human warrior. If there's a chance, you must come drink with us again."
"Don't worry, I will!" Ivan nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to call everyone to board the ship.
The Orange Ship raised its sails, slowly departing from the beach, gradually leaving the primitive island behind on the horizon.
He did not choose to return to Rainbase, nor did he head back to Marine Headquarters. Instead, he ordered a direct course for the waters near Alabasta.
Though Smoker had his doubts, he did not ask further.
Aboard the Orange Ship, Ivan stood on the deck, gazing at the churning sea of clouds ahead, making calculations in his mind.
According to his estimations, the Knock Up Stream near Jaya was due for another major eruption in the near future.
That terrifying current, capable of launching ships ten thousand meters into the sky, was precisely the best passage for him to reach Skypiea.
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