Ivan's gaze subtly shifted toward Garp at his side.
That single glance instantly set Garp off.
He slammed down the senbei and glared, shouting, "What are you looking at, kid?"
"Nothing." Ivan calmly averted his eyes.
But Garp knew exactly what Ivan was worried about and immediately warned in a low voice:
"I'm warning you—if you run into that brat Luffy, don't hold back. Teach him a good lesson for me!"
Ivan rolled his eyes inwardly.
Teach him a lesson?
If I actually laid a hand on Luffy, you'd be the first one to lose it!
Outwardly, Ivan's expression remained unchanged as he respectfully replied:
"Understood. I will fulfill my duties and complete the mission."
…
Several days later, under a clear, cloudless sky, sea breezes carrying the faint scent of resin swept across the ocean.
The Orange Ship sailed at full speed until, on the distant horizon, the fantastical archipelago enveloped in layers of transparent bubbles came into view.
It was the gateway to the New World—Sabaody Archipelago!
Before long, the Orange Ship slowly entered the harbor, gently docking and anchoring securely at Grove 66.
This was the location of the Sabaody Archipelago Marine branch base, where Ivan would be stationed for the foreseeable future.
He would remain here until every member of the Worst Generation had either left or been successfully captured.
Dressed in his crisp Marine Vice Admiral uniform, Ivan stepped ashore, followed by a group of well-trained subordinates, and headed toward the nearby Marine base.
However, along the way, he keenly noticed something off about the way the surrounding residents looked at them.
There was no trace of reverence for the Marines in their gazes—instead, they held hints of mockery and schadenfreude, as if watching a good show about to unfold.
Something was wrong. Had something happened at the Sabaody Archipelago Marine base?
Sure enough, as soon as he approached the base's perimeter, the sight before him made his temples throb and his expression darken.
What kind of proper Marine branch was this?
Before him stood only a few dilapidated wooden shacks, without even a proper wall, rundown like ruins.
Inside the shacks, a few frail-looking Marines huddled in corners, trembling with fear and helplessness.
Meanwhile, in the open space before the shacks, a burly, bearded pirate, clutching a jug of liquor, was loudly taunting the shack:
"Hahaha! You useless Marines, always yapping about capturing me!
Now that I've come to you myself, why are you all hiding inside, too scared to come out?"
A cold glint flashed in Ivan's eyes as understanding dawned on him.
Ever since the Sabaody Archipelago Marine base was completely destroyed by Shadow Garden, the Marines' control over the archipelago had plummeted.
More importantly, aside from low-ranking Marines with no connections, no one with any influence was willing to take up a post in this troubled place, deterred by Shadow Garden's reputation.
Months had passed, yet the Marine presence here remained feeble and ineffective, little more than a facade.
Pirates had long since figured this out, and those with deep-seated grudges against the Marines seized the opportunity to run wild at the base, freely venting their pent-up rage.
The bearded pirate before them was one such individual.
Lost in his own arrogance, he remained completely oblivious to Ivan's arrival, continuing to roar at the top of his lungs:
"Hahaha, you cowardly weaklings, get out here! Today, I'll show you the might of Bearded!"
Still caught up in his excitement, Bearded failed to notice Ivan and the others approaching.
But his subordinates nearby caught sight of Ivan's group in the distance.
At first, the pirates weren't overly alarmed.
Confident in their own strength, they believed ordinary marines couldn't handle them—even if they couldn't win, they could easily escape.
Yet when their eyes fell upon Ivan at the forefront, they froze in place, their arrogance instantly fading, replaced by disbelief and terror.
They scrutinized Ivan again and again, confirming his identity until their faces turned ashen and their bodies began to tremble.
One subordinate could no longer hold back, frantically tugging at Bearded's collar as he stammered:
"B-Boss... marines... marines are here! We... we should go!"
"Get lost, don't bother me!"
Interrupted in the heat of the moment, Bearded irritably swatted away his subordinate's hand, his tone fierce, completely unaware of the panic around him.
The subordinate tried to speak again, but at that moment, a sharp white slash tore through the air, instantly passing through his body.
Without a sound, the pirate was cleanly split in two, blood gushing out and splattering across Bearded's face.
Warm blood trickled down his cheeks, and Bearded's laughter abruptly ceased. He snapped back to reality, a bone-chilling cold shooting up from his feet to the top of his head.
That slash had just grazed his cheek—he could clearly feel its devastating power.
Had it struck him head-on, he wouldn't have had a chance to react, ending up just like his subordinate.
"Oh, Bearded, is it?" A calm voice slowly drifted over as Ivan stepped forward, his gaze indifferent. "You were saying something about teaching the marines a lesson?"
Bearded shuddered, quickly scanning his surroundings. Only then did he realize that all the subordinates he'd brought lay dead in pools of blood, leaving him utterly alone.
When his eyes fell upon Ivan's face again, his pupils contracted sharply, and he stammered in terror:
"W-White Dove... you're Vice Admiral White Dove!"
His legs gave way, and Bearded dropped to his knees without hesitation, kowtowing repeatedly as he begged incoherently:
"Vice Admiral White Dove, spare me! I... I drank too much, lost my senses, that's why I dared to spout nonsense here!
I've always admired the marines the most, respected you above all others! Please spare my life, I'll never dare again!"
Ivan glanced at him, his tone indifferent.
"How dull."
As soon as the words left his lips, Ivan raised his hand and unleashed another sharp Flying Slash, piercing straight through Bearded's chest.
The fear in Bearded's eyes froze, and his body slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Only after Bearded's corpse fell did the marines hiding in the corner of the wooden hut dare to cautiously peek out. Seeing the scene before them, they stared in stunned silence for a moment before erupting into excited exclamations.
"It's Vice Admiral White Dove! Long live Vice Admiral White Dove! Long live Vice Admiral White Dove!"
Ivan gave a slight nod, his gaze sweeping over the dilapidated base and the thin, weak marines. He sighed helplessly. It was he who had destroyed the Sabaody Archipelago base back then, and now he had to clean up this mess.
Truly, fate was unpredictable.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, Ivan snapped his fingers.
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