One Piece: Invincible from the Start

But to someone on the same level, it was like a flame in the dark—not just bright, but glaring. Unless they deliberately hid it, it was hard to miss.

"What are you doing here?"

Koshiro directed the question at Ivankov's group.

"No need to be so tense, everyone. We're just here to restock and buy some food."

Inazuma stepped out from behind Ivankov. He swirled the red wine in his left hand, raised the glass to his lips, and took a small sip before answering.

"Food? Little Iva, beat me and I'll make sure you get as much as you want." Kuta picked up where Inazuma had left off and looked at Ivankov.

"Hey! Isn't 'Little Iva' a bit too familiar?"

Several people coming down behind Inazuma shouted in protest.

"That's right! It's Lord Ivankov, the Okama King!"

Ivankov's mouth curled into a grin. "Quiet, boys. What you call me is a small matter. Names don't matter at all. You could even call me poop, and I wouldn't mind."

Poop????

An eerie silence fell. Everyone watched him.

Then he spun in place, threw both hands into the air, and roared, "I don't want to be called poop!"

"So he does hate it!"

"He fooled us again!"

The people behind him shouted along on cue.

Kuta trembled slightly, his face darkening. He glared at the group across from him and roared in anger.

"You... Just how little do you think of me to keep acting like I'm not even here?"

He suddenly teleported behind Ivankov and kicked him in the backside before Ivankov could react.

Bang!

Caught off guard, Ivankov's towering body pitched forward into the dirt, sending dust flying.

Kuta let out a long breath. Those people had brushed him off again and again, and it had been getting under his skin.

He landed neatly where Ivankov had stood and called ahead, "Will you take me seriously now?"

"What did you do to Lord Iva, you bastard?"

Yifu and the others glared furiously at Kuta when they saw Ivankov on the ground.

Inazuma, who had been standing beside Ivankov and sipping his wine, seemed to realize something as he watched Kuta appear out of nowhere.

He quickly stepped back. His expression changed, his hands dropped to his sides, and he stared at Kuta on full alert.

He's fast. No, it isn't speed. If it were speed, I would've sensed him, no matter how fast he moved.

"You ate some kind of spatial Devil Fruit."

Kuta ignored Inazuma. He watched Ivankov on the ground with excitement, sensing an aura rising from him. Is he finally getting serious?

"It's fine, Inazuma. Relax."

Ivankov sat up and studied Kuta with a hint of curiosity. "What was that ability you just used?"

"Beat me and you'll find out."

"Very well!"

Ivankov pushed himself up with both hands. He looked around, then settled his gaze on the beach to the left of the harbor.

"We can't fight here. Let's go over there. There's plenty of room."

Then he turned to Inazuma and the others. "Wait here a moment. I'll go with... with..."

He trailed off. After thinking for a moment, he looked down at Kuta. "That's right, little boy. What's your name?"

"Kuta. Ku as in Kuta, ta as in Kuta," Kuta answered solemnly.

Ivankov's mouth twitched. He turned and headed for the beach on the left.

"Hey, Little Iva! Wait for me!"

Kuta hurried after him. Hearing the commotion behind him, Ivankov walked even faster.

Having Seen the Summit, Stride Toward It

On the beach.

The two faced each other. Ivankov looked relaxed, but Kuta was plainly taking this seriously.

Kuta gazed at Ivankov, who stood with his back to the sun, its light haloing his figure. Kuta's pupils suddenly contracted. Faint starlight revolved in his eyes.

Like black holes, they seemed ready to draw the entire starry sky inside—deep, mysterious, and fatally beautiful.

An invisible force radiated outward.

Sensing the change in Kuta, Ivankov grew a little more serious and slowly set aside his contempt.

If Kuta had been a kitten before, he was now a tiger. He had become dozens of times more dangerous.

Ivankov tore off his black robe and raised both hands with a flourish, revealing the strange outfit beneath.

He wore a skin-tight, plunging one-piece, a mesh cape, and stockings. A large skull was tattooed across his abs, and his deep-purple afro was enormous. He pointed a finger at Kuta.

"Come on, little Kuta."

"Yee-haw!"

He threw back his head and laughed.

On the dock, Inazuma had put on glasses at some point while watching the fight. He had become a man.

In a low voice, he murmured,

"Getting serious, Lady Iva? That kid's completely different from before, too."

Ahua stared at Ivankov's fully revealed makeup and outfit.

Realization dawned, and he cried out in surprise.

"Whoa...!"

"So an okama is just a pervert!"

Ever since they had boarded the ship, he had been wondering what an okama was.

"Shut up."

Yifu turned and glared at Ahua, snarling at him.

"How dare a brat like you be so rude to Lord Iva?"

He knew most okama were perverts, but Ivankov was different.

Ivankov was not only the Okama King, but also one of the leaders of the Revolutionary Army whom they respected.

"What? Want a fight?" Ahua shouted, emboldened by the people at his back.

"Yeah! What, we're not allowed to call a pervert a pervert?" A-Luo chimed in.

"Come on, then."

Yifu rolled up his sleeves, flexed his muscles, and cockily beckoned at Ahua and the others.

"All of you at once. I'll take on ten."

Inazuma and Koshiro had heard enough. They spoke at the same time.

"Be quiet."

The two sides exchanged a look, then turned away and snorted in unison.

"Hmph!"

Silence returned.

Kuina and Zoro stood among the crowd without speaking, their eyes fixed on Kuta.

Their bodies were tense, their attention unwavering.

Kuta tucked his hands into his sleeves and shrugged. His shirt slid off, revealing a lean, powerful torso and eight-pack abs.

It was hard to believe that body belonged to an eleven-year-old.

He leaned forward and gripped his sword hilt tight.

He looked up at Ivankov. Starlight flashed in his eyes.

An invisible space silently expanded outward.

Pressure reduction and Shave activated together.

Whoosh!

He vanished from where he stood.

Why hadn't he simply teleported? Because teleportation gave him no acceleration, of course, and his strength alone was too low.

Against someone far stronger than him, teleporting straight in might not even let him break through their defenses.

Watching Kuta rush toward him at tremendous speed, Ivankov stepped back and winked his left eye.

Hell Wink!

Just as the shock wave was about to strike Kuta head-on, his charging body vanished.

Teleportation!

Kuta passed the shock wave and appeared directly in front of Ivankov.

Before Ivankov could react, Kuta expanded his spatial domain. In an instant, it enveloped Ivankov's entire body.

Pressure increase.

Iai Slash!

The moves flowed together in one breath.

A red gleam flashed in Ivankov's eyes. He had reacted the moment Kuta appeared.

But as he tried to raise his right hand and throw a punch,

A wave of pressure struck, making him falter.

He broke free in an instant, but that brief pause was enough for Kuta to swing his blade.

Staring at the cold gleam of the sharp edge before him, Ivankov barely had time to coat his chest with a layer of Haki.

Clang!

A terrifying force slammed through the blade.

The clash lasted only an instant before the power of the slash drove him rapidly backward.

His feet plowed two trenches more than ten meters long through the sand.

Feeling a faint ache in his chest, he glanced down.

He

had a thin, blood-red cut across his chest, with beads of blood seeping out.

He had not had time to muster all his Haki, but for someone that age to cut through it and wound him was ridiculous!

If he had reacted any slower and brought up his Haki even a moment later, the humiliation would have been unbearable.

Who knew how Dragon would mock him then?

He raised his head and stared at Kuta floating in the air. His pupils contracted slightly, and his expression grew grave.

He can fly, too?

Kuta stood in midair and looked down at Zankū. Haki had once again wrapped around the blade, and a satisfied smile spread across his face.

As expected, fighting the strong is the best way to refine Haki.

It could not increase the amount, but it could improve the quality.