You There, Orange-Haired Girl, Come Here!

The system had no guaranteed reward for ten consecutive draws, so the moment Ivan received a chance to draw, he used it with a thought.

Light raced across the panel as countless character templates flashed past, moving so fast they became a blur.

In an instant, the light abruptly stopped, and the image froze.

It showed a middle-aged man in a ninja flak jacket, with a vacant gaze and a less-than-intelligent look.

[Congratulations! You have obtained the template: Yamato!]

[Congratulations! You have obtained the skill: Wood Release!]

[Wood Release: A top-tier Kekkei Genkai from Naruto, capable of growing and controlling trees!]

Yamato?

Yamato was an elite Jonin of Konoha, possessing both the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai and top-tier Sealing Jutsu. He was no weakling.

Ivan was pleased with the result. Although Yamato's Wood Release was a nerfed version, it was still Wood Release, and he could use it to cosplay the Woods-Woods Fruit to some extent.

Unfortunately, he hadn't struck gold on the first draw and gotten Hashirama Senju's character panel.

Otherwise, that single template would have sent him straight to the top, giving him combat strength comparable to a Marine Admiral's!

With a thought, Ivan extended his index finger.

A faint light flashed at its tip, and a slender branch emerged through his skin, its twigs unfurling.

But a closer look would reveal that the branch had sparse foliage and was as dry as deadwood, lacking vitality.

Ivan knew exactly why.

This was the most fundamental difference between Yamato's Wood Release and Hashirama Senju's.

He lacked the life force that came from the Sage Body and the God Tree, so his Wood Release lacked vitality and likewise couldn't fully absorb Chakra.

Ivan retracted the branch that had emerged from his index finger, then left the captain's cabin and went up to the deck.

His current Wood Release was already sufficient for the East Blue. At the very least, it gave him a way to attack groups.

When Ivan reached the deck, he saw a short fellow pounding a sandbag with all his might.

Ivan smiled faintly and walked over to him. "Koby, are you getting used to life in the Marines?"

Koby shuddered all over. He turned to Ivan excitedly, stood at attention, and answered loudly:

"Second Lieutenant Ivan... no, Major Ivan! It's truly an immense honor to join the Marines. I'll train with everything I've got and do my best to be of help to you, Major!"

Not far away, Barton, who had a bow and arrows on his back, glanced at Koby in amusement and teased him:

"With your current strength, it'll be hard to help the boss. You'd have to be at least a hundred times stronger than you are now!"

Koby's face flushed, but he refused to back down. "I'll work hard!"

Barton shook his head, unconvinced, and continued drawing designs for new types of arrows.

Everyone wanted to grow stronger, but how many monsters were there on the seas?

With Koby's physique, it would be far too difficult for him to help the boss!

If Ivan hadn't known the story, he would probably have thought Koby was a scrawny, talentless fellow too. But knowing the story, he also knew what heights this future "Marine hero" could reach.

Ivan patted Koby on the shoulder and encouraged him:

"I believe in you. As long as you work two hundred times harder than ordinary people, you'll become a powerhouse beyond anything they can imagine!"

"Yes, boss!" Koby was so excited he nearly fainted.

Barton smiled and said nothing to contradict him.

The boss was still too kind. He didn't realize that if he didn't tell this young man the truth, Koby would suffer even more in the future.

At that thought, Barton's eyes darkened a little. He seemed to have recalled some unpleasant experiences.

The Conomi Islands were Ivan's destination on this trip and also Nami's home. They were currently occupied by the Arlong Pirates.

They weren't far from Loguetown, and two days later, a warship much larger than an ordinary one appeared in those waters.

"Reporting in!" Tashigi pushed open the captain's cabin door and said energetically, "We'll arrive near the Conomi Islands in another two hours. We'll run into Fish-Man scouts then."

Ivan's expression remained unchanged as he issued his order. "Pass it on: full speed ahead. Today, we'll settle everything between us and Arlong once and for all!"

Tashigi nodded firmly and answered in a clear voice, "Yes, sir!"

Having seen some of Ivan's strength, she had complete confidence in him!

Just then, someone knocked on the cabin door again.

With Ivan's permission, Barton pushed the door open and entered. A peculiar smile hung on his face as he said with undisguised schadenfreude:

"Boss, we've run into a band of pirates looting a merchant ship up ahead. Looks like we'll be delayed for a bit."

"Pirates?" A teasing glint flashed in Tashigi's eyes, and her expression grew subtle.

Those pirates really had terrible luck.

If they'd run into other Marines, they might have had a chance of survival. But running into Ivan meant they were as good as dead!

Ivan paid the minor matter no mind and had no intention of acting personally. He simply left the military credit to his subordinates:

"You handle it. Make it quick. Oh, and don't hurt any innocents!"

Avoiding harm to civilians whenever possible was the most fundamental difference between the Burning Justice he believed in and Akainu's ruthless Absolute Justice.

He was no hidebound fool. If the situation became critical, he would sacrifice the interests of a few to save more people.

But he would never serve the World Government like Akainu and slaughter civilians at will.

Blazing flames could burn away the most heinous sins in the world, but they could also become a warm current that warmed people's hearts.

That was Burning Justice!

Before long, the sounds of fighting died away completely.

Tashigi pushed the door open and entered. Specks of blood dotted her uniform, and her eyes were sharper than ever, the fierce edge from the battle not yet fully faded:

"Major Ivan, those pirates were the Black Scar Pirates. They've all been dealt with. But the merchant ship had already sustained heavy damage and has sunk completely.

"We've settled the surviving members of the merchant party on the foredeck. Also, their leader wants to thank you in person and hopes to meet you."

Ivan thought for a moment and didn't refuse. "Let's go meet them."

The merchant party's leader was a kindly old man. Although he had lost a great deal of cargo, he didn't give in to self-pity and instead thanked Ivan from the bottom of his heart.

Ivan offered a few words of comfort, then brought out some tents from the cabin so they could stay on the deck for the time being. After that, he prepared to return to the captain's cabin.

But just then, he caught a glimpse of a striking flash of orange out of the corner of his eye.

Ivan turned sharply and saw an orange-haired girl huddled among the refugees, peeking out and secretly studying him, her lively eyes full of curiosity.

Ivan's eyes lit up. He had searched high and low, only to find her without any effort at all!

Who else could that be but Nami?!

Almost at the same time, Nami noticed his gaze. Her expression changed slightly, and she hurriedly tried to retreat behind the crowd, but it was already too late.

Ivan raised the scabbard at his waist, pointed it in her direction from a distance, and called out:

"Young lady with the orange hair over there, stop hiding. I'm talking to you. Come here!"