After her defeat, Hina couldn't help but feel dejected. She collapsed to the ground, gazing at Ivan with a complicated expression.
"It's truly enviable, Captain Ivan. To possess such terrifying strength at only eighteen years old."
Ivan shook his head seriously.
"Age is never a reason to limit the strong!
You only see my strength but overlook the effort I've put in behind the scenes."
These words stunned Hina for a moment.
That's right! For Ivan to possess such power, he must have worked incredibly hard in the background!
Thinking this, Hina's gaze toward Ivan softened considerably.
Indeed, to have such terrifying strength, Captain Ivan must have sacrificed a great deal behind the scenes!
At the same time, Ivan was moved by his own words.
That's right! He had come this far entirely through his own talent and hard work!
System, do you think I can make it to the other side?
Boom!
At that moment, several figures suddenly shot into the air from the central area of Marineford, landing on the training ground with astonishing momentum.
The leading golden figure roared, "How dare you! Who dares to cause trouble in Marineford!"
The moment these three figures appeared, the training ground fell into complete silence.
For they were Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the Hero Garp, and Admiral Aokiji—the Marine's strongest combat power stationed at Marineford!
After landing, the three scanned their surroundings but saw no sign of any intruders.
Sengoku looked toward Ivan and Hina in the center of the training ground and asked in confusion, "What happened here? Where are the intruders?"
Hina and Ivan exchanged glances, then explained what had just occurred, clarifying that there were no intruders.
Upon learning the full story, several veins instantly bulged on Sengoku's temples, throbbing visibly. The air pressure around him dropped to a frighteningly low level.
He had been working in his office when his Observation Haki suddenly sensed an intense battle erupting at the edge of Marineford.
His heart tightened, his first thought being that a top-tier pirate like Golden Lion had launched another attack. He immediately rushed to the scene with Garp and Aokiji.
Who could have imagined it was just two Headquarters Captains sparring?
If you're going to spar, at least do it in the training grounds designated for high-ranking officers! Why use an ordinary training field?
Even sparring in an ordinary training field wouldn't be a big deal, but why cause such severe destruction, completely demolishing one?
Furious, Sengoku shot Ivan a glare before turning to leave. "Aokiji, I leave the rest to you. Make sure these two pay for the reconstruction costs of this training field and get them out on assignment immediately. I don't want to see them around here anytime soon!"
Aokiji smiled wryly. "Yes, Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
After Sengoku left, Garp followed. But before departing, he gave Ivan's shoulder a heavy slap, driving Ivan knee-deep into the rocky ground.
"Hahaha! Well done! Young people should be passionate! Otherwise, they'll end up like us old folks who can't board the ship of the new era!"
With that, without waiting for Ivan's response, Garp caught up with Sengoku, and the two old comrades left amidst their usual bickering.
Soon, only Aokiji remained of the three.
Despite his lazy demeanor, Aokiji was, after all, an admiral, and his efficiency in handling matters was exceptional. He decisively delivered the verdict.
For the incident involving the destruction of the training ground, Ivan bore primary responsibility and was fined two million Berries, while Hina was fined one and a half million Berries.
However, after the judgment, Aokiji did not leave. Instead, he stared at Ivan with keen interest, making Ivan feel quite uncomfortable.
Ivan crossed his arms, eyeing Aokiji warily, and quipped, "Admiral Aokiji, stop staring at me. Even if you stare, I still prefer pretty girls."
Aokiji was amused by Ivan's remark. He shook his head and laughed heartily, "Hahaha, what an interesting kid."
After a pause, he casually remarked, "I heard you firmly believe in Burning Justice?"
Within the Marines today, most of the younger generation believed Admiral Aokiji had always been this lazy and laid-back.
But only a few seasoned veterans knew that Admiral Aokiji had not always been this way.
He had once been more driven than Akainu, advocating for Burning Justice, actively carrying out Marine missions, and firmly believing that maintaining order through forceful means was justice.
Unlike Akainu, however, he also cared deeply for civilians and would never disregard their lives to complete a mission.
At that time, Aokiji was more suited than anyone to inherit the position of the next Fleet Admiral.
But everything changed after the Buster Call incident over a decade ago. He came to recognize the cruelty of the World Government, plunging into a prolonged struggle with his beliefs. His steadfast justice shifted to what he now called "Lazy Justice."
Now, discovering a talented junior who still clung to Burning Justice, Aokiji couldn't help but feel a desire to protect this flickering flame, to let justice continue burning.
"Yes, Admiral Aokiji. My justice will surely burn away all impurities!" Ivan declared firmly.
"Excellent!" Aokiji patted Ivan on the shoulder, his touch far gentler than Garp's. "After paying the fine, report to the G-2 Branch for duty today. Here's my Den Den Mushi number. Call me if you run into any trouble."
At that moment, Aokiji seemed to return to his former self from over a decade ago—his justice still fiery, blazing intensely.
Now, that fiery passion seemed to have been passed on, not extinguished, but transferred from one person to another.
Watching Aokiji leave, Ivan couldn't help but sigh: Admiral Aokiji truly is a very kind person.
The warmest of souls, yet he consumed the coldest of Devil Fruits. Was this Oda's twisted sense of humor?
...
On the Orange Ship, Ivan clasped his hands together and softly chanted, "Wood Release: Warship Expansion Technique!"
Countless sturdy wooden planks sprouted from the hull of the Orange Ship, causing the already larger-than-average warship to grow even more massive.
From a distance, the Orange Ship now resembled a small castle floating on the sea. It looked less like a warship and more like a giant, albeit undecorated, cruise liner.
On the top deck, Ivan carefully examined the Orange Ship's current appearance and nodded in satisfaction.
Beside him, Tashigi hesitated before speaking, "Colonel Ivan, the Orange Ship is a warship. Isn't it a bit inappropriate to design it into such a bulky shape?"
Nami, standing nearby, interjected with sparkling eyes, "Tashigi, what's inappropriate about it? This is amazing!"
Back when she was a petty thief, Nami loved visiting luxurious places. Now, having a ship more extravagant than any luxury merchant vessel delighted her immensely.
Ivan smiled and explained, "Don't worry, it's nothing. After all, in future naval battles, victory is truly determined by the strong, not by external things like warships."
Tashigi thought this made sense and stopped trying to persuade him.
Several hours later, the Orange Ship arrived in the G-2 Branch area and slowly docked shortly after.
But what Ivan didn't expect was that when he disembarked and stepped onto land, he suddenly noticed many people watching him from the side, slowly walking toward him.
Among them, the leader was a tall middle-aged man with two long swords at his waist—none other than Kumil, the highest-ranking officer of the G-2 Branch.
What were they doing standing at the edge of the port? Could they be here to welcome him?
Ivan was somewhat puzzled.
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