Nami grew anxious. "What do we do? Fish-Men are experts at breaching ship hulls. If we don't stop them and the ship sinks, no matter how many of us there are, we won't stand a chance against them!"
Ivan raised a hand, adjusting the small round sunglasses that had somehow appeared on the bridge of his nose. "Don't worry, relax... because I'm strong!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, Nami felt her vision blur. When she refocused, Ivan had vanished from her side without a trace.
Blue・Shave!
An invisible force of attraction abruptly pulled, and Ivan's figure transformed into a blurry afterimage, streaking across the sea's surface at an astonishing speed.
But when he landed on the water, he showed no sign of sinking at all. Instead, he stood directly upon the sea.
Then, he raised his hand and lightly tapped the water's surface. The vibrations pierced through the waves, drawing the attention of the shadows lurking beneath.
As the shadows gathered and stirred below the surface, Ivan slowly curled the corner of his lips into a slightly ferocious smile. "Surprise, Fish-Men. I'm here to deliver some warmth!"
...
Kissing Fish-Man Chuu stretched his neck, curiously eyeing Ivan standing on the water, his tone wary. "Kuroobi, this guy can actually stand on water. Could he be a Devil Fruit user? Should we wait for Boss Arlong to arrive before dealing with him together?"
Kuroobi dismissed the concern with an impatient wave, signaling for Chuu to relax. "What's there to fear? I recognize this guy. Isn't he that Lieutenant White Dove who came to pick a fight a while back and ended up getting beaten to a pulp? Even if he really ate a Devil Fruit, he's no match for me. Besides, we're in the ocean now—this is the Fish-Men's domain, and a Devil Fruit user's hell!"
Kuroobi looked up, his gaze locking onto Ivan standing on the water, and sneered. "What a fool. As a Devil Fruit user, you dare stand on the sea and face us Fish-Men? Today, I'll make sure you're buried in these waters! Fish-Man Karate·Sea Wave!"
The moment his roar fell, the muscles in Kuroobi's arms bulged, dark veins crawling over them like vines. Using the unique force application technique of the Fish-Men, he swung his arm fiercely, chopping into the seawater.
The powerful force churned the surrounding currents, gathering a massive amount of seawater and shaping it into a watery fist that surged toward Ivan like a cannonball!
This strike possessed the destructive power of artillery. Any Devil Fruit user hit by it would be swallowed by the seawater, completely losing the ability to resist.
Kuroobi, Chuu, and the other Fish-Men watched with ferocious anticipation, eagerly awaiting what would happen next. In their eyes, this guy named White Dove was already as good as dead!
On the sea's surface, Ivan naturally sensed the movements of the Fish-Men below. Admittedly, this was indeed a lethal move. If an ordinary Devil Fruit user were struck head-on by this attack, nine times out of ten, they would lose their ability to fight on the spot.
Unfortunately, they were facing Ivan. Not to mention the terrifying gap in strength between them, Ivan wasn't even a true Devil Fruit user!
A flash of cold light gleamed as a streak of brilliance shot forth. Ivan drew his long sword, plunging most of its blade into the seawater.
Then, a clear azure blue burst forth from Ivan's palm, rapidly spreading along the blade, instantly saturating the entire longsword until it glowed translucent.
He lowered his gaze to the surging wave crashing toward him, his voice icy and solemn:
"One Sword Style·Azure·Water Instant Slash!"
The blade sliced through the water at a speed invisible to the naked eye, the flow guided by the force upon it. A massive sword-shaped torrent of water shot swiftly toward the underwater currents!
Kuroobi's launched gun-wave was instantly torn apart. The water slash crushed it like an insect, its power barely diminished as it swept past the several Fish-Men below.
In the next second, all the Fish-Men, including Kuroobi, stiffened in unison.
Then, neat, uniform cracks bloomed across their waists—their bodies cleanly split in two from the middle!
The sole remaining Fish-Man, Chuu, stared wide-eyed, his heart racing with terror at the sight:
"What the hell is this?!"
Such terrifying swordsmanship—could it truly come from a swordsman of the Weakest Sea, the East Blue?
Why would a monster like this, instead of making a name for himself in the Grand Line, come to the East Blue?!
Chuu didn't dare linger another moment. He spun around abruptly, thrashing his fish tail with all his might, desperate to flee as far as possible.
He had to survive, to report everything that had happened here to Boss Arlong!
But his speed was no match for the water slash.
A condensed, blade-like water slash silently caught up. Chuu's body stiffened abruptly, and in the next instant, a torrent of scalding blood gushed from his back, staining a vast expanse of seawater crimson.
In mere moments, the last Fish-Man fell completely silent.
With everything handled, Ivan's figure vanished from the sea surface, reappearing steadily on the deck.
In Nami's view, he had only been gone for a brief moment.
Unable to hold back, she stepped forward and asked curiously, "Why are you back already? Those Fish-Men aren't dealt with yet, are they?"
"What are you still doing here? Aren't you going to take care of those Fish-Men?"
Ivan stretched lazily, his tone relaxed and carefree. "Don't worry, it's all taken care of."
"Huh?" Nami froze, her face filled with astonishment.
Before she could gather her thoughts, she saw a glaring surge of blood rise from the sea behind the warship.
Soon after, shattered flesh and severed limbs floated to the surface, dyeing a large area of the sea red.
Only then did Nami believe that Ivan had truly dealt with the Fish-Man sentries.
This sight filled her with even more confidence in Ivan.
Perhaps, with Ivan's help, she really could slay Arlong and rescue Cocoyasi Village from hell!
Once the warship was fully docked at the port, Ivan and the others disembarked one by one.
Their arrival quickly drew the attention of Cocoyasi Village's residents.
However, as the villagers looked at these Marines, their faces showed not a hint of joy but were instead filled with disgust and wariness.
After all, in recent years, they had often seen Colonel Nezumi acting like brothers with Arlong.
In their hearts, the Marines were no longer saviors but scoundrels who colluded with pirates to oppress the people!
But when their eyes swept over the crowd and landed on Nami, their pupils suddenly contracted, the disgust on their faces instantly replaced by shock.
Although Nami had been harsh toward the villagers in recent years, often resorting to insults and violence, they all knew the truth.
Nami hadn't truly joined the Arlong Pirates; she was helping the villagers in her own way!
So when the hot-tempered villagers saw Nami standing among the detestable marines, they immediately grabbed their sickles and angrily shouted:
"Damn marines, what have you done to Nami? Give her back right now!"
Hearing this furious roar, Nami froze in shock and looked blankly at the villager who had yelled.
Hadn't they always hated her?
Why were they so worried now?
The doubt flashed through her mind, but Nami had no time to dwell on it. She quickly stepped forward, placing herself between the angry villagers and Ivan, fearing that a real conflict might break out.
Taking a deep breath, she raised her voice and explained to everyone:
"Everyone, calm down! Major White Dove isn't a scoundrel like Nezumi—he's here to help us!"