With Doberman fallen, the remaining Marines were no match for Ivan.
He leaped to the magnetic instrument and shattered it with a single punch, then scattered a large number of Flying Thunder God daggers into the sky.
Wherever the Flying Thunder God daggers landed, so did Ivan. To onlookers, his figure flickered in and out of existence across the port, and each time he appeared, a brilliant crimson flower bloomed in his wake.
The lives of Marine officers were like wild grass, and Ivan was the sharp scythe. Without much effort, a single sweep would harvest all the grass in sight.
In moments, all the officers had been reaped by Ivan. The harvest was so swift that some Marines didn't even realize what had happened before the tide had turned.
When it was over, Ivan's black cloak remained unstained by blood, unchanged save for a few tatters.
He casually tossed the severed head aside and walked toward the retired veteran at the edge of the port.
Ahead, hundreds of Marines still stood, aiming their flintlock guns at Ivan.
Yet their weapons could no longer offer them any sense of security.
Against a monster of the sea, flintlock guns were no different from toys. Even if Ivan stood still and let them fire, they couldn't breach his defenses.
With each step Ivan took forward, the Marines retreated one step back.
Space was limited, and soon they were packed together with nowhere left to go. As Ivan advanced, they scrambled and stumbled, forcibly clearing a path for him.
Under the watchful eyes of the gathered Marines, Ivan approached the retired veteran, who could barely stand, and smiled. "Come with me. Your request will be fulfilled shortly."
The veteran realized what was about to happen, his expression suddenly turning fervent. He followed Ivan as they made their way toward the distant port office.
Inside the port office, Wapol's expression had shifted from initial delight to terror. Seeing Ivan approach, he immediately understood what Ivan intended.
"No, don't kill me!" Wapol smashed through a wall and fled into the distance.
But the moment he turned, he collided with what felt like an indestructible wall. Looking up slowly, he saw the terrifying cloaked man standing right before him.
"Urk…"
Ivan gripped Wapol by the neck and dragged him toward the retired veteran. Along the way, Wapol struggled desperately to break free.
He attacked Ivan, only to have his limbs snapped in response. He threatened that killing a king of a World Government-affiliated nation would bring the full force of the World Government down on him, but Ivan countered that his companion had already slain a Celestial Dragon.
After exhausting every method, Wapol had no more tricks left.
As they drew closer to the retired veteran, crushed by fear, he finally lost his sanity and screamed madly:
"No, I am a king! How can I die because of these lowly commoners?! You madman, let me go! Let me go!"
By then, Ivan had reached the veteran. With a swift hand chop, Wapol's head soared into the air, and a torrent of blood splattered across the retired veteran.
However, the retired veteran showed no fear at all. Instead, he burst into loud, almost maniacal laughter.
After a moment, he finally regained his composure and bowed deeply to Ivan. "Thank you so much, thank you!"
Ivan did not stop the veteran. He scanned the surroundings and said coldly, "Release all the slaves!"
As soon as he spoke, the Marines immediately sprang into action, as if his words carried more weight than Vice Admiral Doberman's.
With the combined efforts of the Marines, all the slaves were soon freed, and the retired veteran was reunited with his granddaughter.
Ivan saw the girl, who was around his age. She was smiling sweetly, and he imagined she must have a gentle personality.
Once all the slaves were freed, Ivan activated the Flying Thunder God Mark and vanished from the spot, reappearing on the warship transporting the Celestial Gold. He moved chests of Berries to a secluded location.
At the same time, he also obtained two Devil Fruits!
After ensuring the rescued slaves were settled, Ivan left the port and reappeared atop the castle on the mountain peak.
As soon as he appeared, he noticed the reindeer and the doctor standing at the edge of the cliff.
He walked over to them, standing side by side, and realized this spot offered a clear view of the port.
With slightly better eyesight, the battle in the harbor would have been fully visible. To Ivan's vision, Wapol's headless corpse lying on the ground seemed as if it were right before his eyes.
"Sniff… sob…"
A choked sob came from beside him, growing louder until Chopper could no longer suppress the emotions surging from deep within. He burst into tears.
He turned and clung tightly to Ivan, mumbling something incoherent—likely about his father and revenge.
After a moment, the sobbing stopped. Chopper looked up, his eyes filled with tears. "Thank you, Tanuki!"
"If you want to thank me, become an outstanding doctor. Perhaps one day in the future, I'll come to you for treatment."
Chopper nodded earnestly, his blue nose glistening in the sunlight. "I promise!"
Next, Ivan used his absolute power to firmly seize control of the Drum Kingdom.
He found Dalton and appointed him as the king of the Drum Kingdom, simultaneously renaming it the Sakura Kingdom.
All of this was originally supposed to happen a year later, but due to Ivan's arrival, it was moved up by a year.
Ivan wondered whether Luffy, when he sailed to Drum Island, would be able to recruit Chopper as his ship's doctor without the shared experiences that would have bonded them.
But these thoughts merely flashed through Ivan's mind before he dismissed them.
If it didn't happen, so be it. Ivan never placed his hopes for saving the world on Luffy.
Not to mention how cruel it would be to burden a young boy with such a responsibility.
He himself would never rely on others for hope. The future of the seas would be shaped by his own hands!
…
News of the incident on Drum Island quickly reached Marine Headquarters Marineford.
Upon learning that the Celestial Gold had been seized, Brannew wasted no time and rushed straight to the Fleet Admiral's office.
He flung the door open, slamming it against the wall with a deafening crash.
Sengoku stopped working and looked up with displeasure, glancing at the panicked Brannew. He said in a dissatisfied tone:
"Brannew, no matter what happens, do not panic. Face it with a calm mind, and you'll find a solution.
Now, tell me what happened that has you so flustered?"
Brannew took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and calmed down:
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I just received a secret report from Drum Island.
Not long ago, Tanuki appeared on Drum Island, killed Vice Admiral Doberman, brutally murdered King Wapol of the Drum Kingdom, and seized the Celestial Gold totaling 11.3 billion Berries, which also included two Devil Fruits!"
"Pfft!" Sengoku choked on his tea, spitting it out in utter shock. "What did you say? The Celestial Gold was stolen by Shadow Garden!"