The next moment, everyone present looked at Ivan with expressions identical to Hina's—all equally strange and inexplicable.
Was this guy really someone with the potential to become an admiral in the future?
It had to be understood that admirals were the Navy's highest combat force, with only three in the entire world.
This statement carried immense weight!
If anyone else had said it, they might not have taken it seriously, but these words came from none other than the Navy's hero, Vice Admiral Garp!
Vice Admiral Garp was one of the rare powerhouses on the seas, with an exceptionally sharp eye. His words undoubtedly carried great authority.
This meant that White Dove truly possessed the talent to become an admiral!
That was why everyone's gazes turned peculiar, and they all looked at Ivan with curiosity.
Was this guy also a monster?
Ivan's mouth twitched at that moment. He hadn't expected Smoker to be so talkative, actually telling Hina about Garp's evaluation.
Sighing, Ivan felt somewhat helpless, but he didn't blame Smoker.
After all, for someone as outstanding as him, staying low-key was too difficult!
Ivan looked at Hina, the highly popular beauty within the Navy. "Captain Hina, did Smoker say anything else?"
Hina shook her head. "No, that's all. But Hina has something to discuss with you herself."
Ivan: "…"
Hina's hands suddenly transformed rapidly, turning into sharp Black Spears.
She stared intently at Ivan, her exquisite eyes filled with fighting spirit:
"Hina wants to grow stronger. Hina also wants to become an admiral. Since Vice Admiral Garp believes you have the potential to become one, Hina wants to challenge you to see just how big the gap is between Hina and a true monster!"
Ivan glanced around at the many Navy soldiers glaring fiercely at him, each with expressions that said, "If you dare hurt Hina, we'll beat you up." He sighed helplessly, "Can I refuse?"
Hina looked disappointed. "Of course you can. Hina won't force you."
At that, Ivan actually didn't want to refuse anymore. Hina was Smoker's friend, so she was naturally his friend too. He might as well give Smoker some face.
He nodded. "Alright then, let's have a friendly match!"
After Ivan agreed, Hina's previously dejected face instantly lit up with radiance.
She reminded him, "Thank you, Ivan. But you'd better be careful. Although Hina only holds the rank of captain, her strength has already reached the level of a rear admiral. You must go all out and not hold back."
With Hina's warning, Ivan didn't dare take it lightly.
He had originally planned to use only thirty percent of his strength, but now it seemed he'd need to use seventy percent.
So, as Hina prepared herself, gathering more and more Black Spears, Ivan also took a deep breath, mobilized the power within his body, and shouted lightly:
"One-Sword Style: Scarlet Void-Slash!"
Hina also cried out, "Take this, Black Spear Formation!"
The next moment, countless Black Spears collided with a massive Flying Slash, and a terrifying explosion erupted from the training ground!
But the moment they collided, the situation changed in a way no one expected.
The Flying Slash, with overwhelming force, easily shattered countless Black Spears and surged toward Hina with unstoppable momentum!
Everyone could see at a glance that Hina, who claimed to have rear admiral-level strength, was no match for Ivan at all!
"Hiss…" Everyone collectively drew in a sharp breath.
So this was the monster personally acknowledged by Vice Admiral Garp? At just eighteen years old, he already possessed such terrifying strength.
Despite Hina's youthful appearance, she was actually thirty-two years old. Even though she was fourteen years older than Ivan, she still couldn't defeat him!
The moment she clashed with Ivan, Hina felt overwhelming pressure.
This feeling was nothing like fighting a Headquarters Captain; it was more like facing a vice admiral!
Faced with this reality, Hina didn't feel discouraged. Instead, her fighting spirit burned even more fiercely.
Indeed, only by constantly chasing after such monsters could she possibly advance further!
Hina's goal had never been to surpass others. She wanted to surpass herself and become the first female admiral in history!
Hina spread her arms wide. Her arms transformed into Black Barriers, and under her control, a layer of dark Armament Haki covered them. They flew into the air, turning into countless thin iron strips that formed a cage.
After completing this, Hina leaned on her knees, panting slightly. A thin layer of sweat beaded on her forehead, dampening a few strands of her pink hair. She reminded him in a soft voice:
"Ivan, you really are a monster. But Hina won't give up. Watch my strongest move!
Thousand Barriers: Prison Net - Bone-Crushing Corridor!"
The moment her shout fell, a sharp metallic whistling sound suddenly echoed through the air.
Thousands of pitch-black iron barriers plummeted from the clouds, crashing toward the ground with immense force. In the blink of an eye, they completely enveloped the surrounding area of several hundred meters.
They intertwined and wove together, swiftly forming an airtight, giant iron prison.
Before anyone could recover from the shock, an even more terrifying scene followed.
From the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cage, countless Black Barriers, sharpened to a blade-like edge, suddenly shot out.
Dense as a rain of arrows blotting out the sky, the Black Barriers descended toward Ivan at the center of the cage with a shriek that tore through the air!
The Black Barriers, dark as storm clouds, left everyone in awe. Even Ivan didn't dare take it lightly.
Having fought to this point, he finally got serious. Drawing Snowfall, he coated it with a layer of azure blue:
"A powerful move, Captain Hina. You're much stronger than Smoker!
But this still isn't enough to defeat me! One Sword Style: Azure Water Breathing - Second Form: Water Wheel!"
The Water Wheel technique originally required leaping into the air and swinging a circular slash perpendicular to the ground. But Ivan's physical prowess far surpassed Giyu Tomioka's, so he could unleash this move continuously!
Water separated from the sea and air, coiling around the blade. Continuous circular slashes enveloped Ivan, forming a spherical water cage.
Once the spherical water cage fully formed, it suddenly expanded. The seemingly fragile water currents were astonishingly resilient. When the Black Barriers struck the water, they shattered instantly, then were crushed and pulverized by the flexible water flow!
Boom!
A deafening roar exploded across the training ground once more. Countless water currents rapidly expanded in all directions, instantly engulfing the nearby Navy spectators.
However, Ivan's control was remarkable. Just as these water currents were about to sweep over the surrounding Navy soldiers, they immediately split apart to avoid harming them.
But for the buildings farther away, Ivan couldn't do anything.
So, after this move, countless rubble shot into the sky, and peculiar sword marks—cut by the water slashes—covered the entire training ground.
After this attack, Hina finally lost the strength to resist and was knocked to the ground by the water currents.
Ivan won the match, but as a result, this seaside training ground was completely destroyed.
When the mist on the training ground cleared, Ivan saw the devastation and couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
It seemed… he might have gone a little overboard!