Tashigi's tone was cautious, filled with confusion.
Normally, Nami, who needed to steer the ship, was one of the earliest risers. But today, she was unusually quiet, not even leaving her room—truly odd.
Hearing this, Ivan smiled and said:
"Don't worry. She was exhausted last night and is still resting in her room. Let her sleep a little longer; there's no need to wake her."
Tashigi nodded as if suddenly understanding:
"So that's how it is. I was too hasty. I'll go set aside Miss Nami's breakfast for when she wakes up."
"Mm, go ahead." Ivan gave a slight nod, his gaze returning to the sea.
Tashigi turned and headed toward the kitchen, but as soon as she rounded the corner of the deck, confirming Ivan was completely out of sight, her expression instantly fell. She crouched on the ground.
Quickly, she pulled out a handkerchief, bit down hard on it, and muttered angrily through gritted teeth:
"Ahhh, that hateful Nami, she actually stole a bite first! This is too much!"
Biting the cloth, she couldn't help but recall Ivan's refreshed appearance moments earlier, fueling her frustration even more.
Usually, she was too reserved, not daring to be as bold and direct as Nami. But this cautiousness had allowed Nami to seize the initiative.
"No, absolutely not!" Tashigi suddenly lifted her head, the shyness in her eyes fading, replaced by determination. "I need to speed up too. I can't stay passive like this anymore!"
No one knew that this seemingly simple girl harbored her own little schemes when it came to things she cared about.
Next time, she wouldn't let Nami get ahead again.
…
In the blink of an eye, a month quietly passed.
During this month, Ivan did not stir up any waves on the sea.
He remained still, quietly biding his time, waiting for the perfect moment that could shake the entire ocean.
Instead, the sea itself was turbulent, with major events erupting one after another.
The most shocking to the world was the achievements of the Straw Hat Crew.
Not long ago, the Straw Hat Pirates invaded Thriller Bark and clashed head-on with Gecko Moria, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
When the final result spread, the world was astounded.
A renowned Warlord was utterly defeated and forced to flee by a group of rookie Supernova Pirates.
For a time, the name Straw Hat Luffy once again resounded across the Grand Line, his fame skyrocketing.
Simultaneously, earth-shattering news emerged from the New World.
Marshall D. Teach killed the captain of his own squad and fled the Whitebeard Pirates.
At this moment, Fire Fist Ace was pursuing Teach alone, chasing him relentlessly, determined to purge the traitor for Whitebeard.
When this intelligence reached Ivan's eyes, his gaze sharpened, and understanding dawned in his heart.
Not long ago, Teach had already defected, but since Teach's name wasn't widely known, it wasn't a major event.
Thus, aside from the Whitebeard Pirates and a few others, very few knew about it.
Now, with the matter being brought up again, Ivan knew someone was exerting influence behind the scenes, quietly spreading the word.
It seemed Teach had already reached an agreement with the Navy's higher-ups, revealing Ace's identity and planning to hand Ace over to the Navy in exchange for a Warlord position.
It's coming!
The Summit War—the conflict that would shake the world and rewrite the era—was now imminent.
It would be the grandest, most brutal, and unrepeatable peak battle of the Great Pirate Era.
The world's strongest man, Whitebeard, would meet his end here.
The lurking Teach would ascend to the heavens through this war, crowned as one of the New Four Emperors.
The Orphan of the Pirate King, Ace, would fall by Akainu's hand.
Monkey D. Luffy would also experience despair, loss, and rebirth here, undergoing a transformation of fate.
A magnificent, blood-and-tear-soaked stage where heroes gathered and eras were overturned.
Such a grand battlefield spanning the Navy, the Four Emperors, pirates, and the world's power structure—Ivan would not be absent.
Not only would he set foot on this battlefield as a Marine Vice Admiral.
He would also appear as a new force, the Shadow Garden, intervening from the sidelines.
But before that, there was one thing he absolutely had to accomplish.
Ivan lowered his head, opening the system panel, focusing on the Uchiha Madara Template and the Misaka Mikoto Template, his gaze steady.
His current stamina was still far from sufficient.
Activating several top-tier Templates simultaneously, deploying multiple Alternate Identities at once—the consumption was terrifyingly extreme.
If his stamina was insufficient and he forced a display, it would only expose his weaknesses, revealing the truth of the Shadow Garden to the world.
Therefore, he could only…
"Continue to accumulate!"
He resolved in his heart.
In the coming days, he would focus on increasing the approval ratings of the major Templates, pushing the limits of his stamina even further.
When the day the Summit War began arrived.
That would be the moment the Shadow Garden made its first collective appearance!
The pulse of the era, the course of the world—ultimately, he would grasp it!
…
Marineford, Marine Headquarters Fleet Admiral's Office.
In the solemn room, documents were piled mountain-high.
Ivan pushed the door open to see Strategist Sengoku bent over his desk handling official business. Beside him, Marine Hero Garp sat with his legs crossed, leisurely munching on senbei.
Hearing footsteps, Garp looked up and immediately burst into loud laughter, greeting him in his rough voice: "Yo, Ivan, you're back?"
Ivan gave a slight nod, his tone calm and steady: "Vice Admiral Garp, I've returned."
He then turned to Sengoku, standing upright, and reported solemnly:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, the Long-Nose Pirate Crew with a bounty of 780 million has been completely eradicated."
Sengoku, who had been plagued by complex military affairs for days, felt his brow relax upon hearing this, finally showing a smile.
"Ivan, you've worked hard." He set down his pen and papers, his gaze full of approval. "If it weren't for reliable young people like you holding the fort, us old-timers might really start to struggle."
Since Ivan revealed his true capabilities, he had been officially designated as an Admiral Candidate.
Nominally, he was still a Vice Admiral, but his status, authority, and influence were already far beyond what they once were.
Along with that came increasingly arduous missions.
For instance, this time, he had been dispatched to eradicate a major pirate crew with a bounty exceeding 700 million.
However, these tasks, immensely difficult for others, were mere trifles for Ivan.
With each perfectly completed mission, Sengoku valued him more, even beginning to think:
When the time was ripe, he would make an exception and promote Ivan to become the fourth Navy Admiral stationed at Headquarters.
Hearing this, Ivan took the opportunity to bow slightly, delivering appropriate and polished words: "It is my duty, not worth mentioning. Adhering to my principles and upholding justice are the only guidelines for my path forward."
These words, neither arrogant nor impatient, loyal and candid, pleased Sengoku even more, making him nod repeatedly.
After a moment of silence, Sengoku's expression turned serious. He pondered briefly before speaking: "Actually, there's an important matter I need you to handle."
"Please speak, Fleet Admiral."
"Currently, that batch of rookie pirates is being called the Worst Generation by the world." Sengoku's gaze was grave:
"They will soon arrive at Sabaody Archipelago.
You are to proceed to Sabaody Archipelago immediately, stabilize the situation, and strictly prevent any major disturbances that might alarm the Celestial Dragons."