A Chance Encounter with the Straw Hat Pirates
Bathed in the warm midday sun of the Grand Line, the Orange sailed swiftly forward.
At that moment, on the deck of the Orange, Ivan leaned against the railing, having removed his upper garments, his fair skin gleaming in the sunlight.
"Nami, come quick, I'm dying of heat!" he urged from behind.
"Coming, coming!" Nami walked over carrying a bottle of sunscreen. The girl, dressed in a refreshing short tank top, said coquettishly, "Ivan, lie still and don't move. I'll apply the sunscreen for you."
Ivan narrowed his eyes slightly and turned his body slightly to the side, letting Nami do as she pleased.
The girl dabbed a suitable amount of sunscreen oil with her fingertips, and with a slightly cool touch, gently applied it to his back, spreading it slowly.
Ivan was enjoying the girl's services, but as she applied the ointment, the atmosphere between them gradually became strange.
At some point, Nami's skin began to press more and more against Ivan's, and he could clearly feel the girl's soft skin and the damp sweat on it.
He could even clearly perceive the two snow-capped mountains.
He bowed slightly to avoid Nami noticing anything amiss; Nami had been becoming increasingly audacious lately.
Two days ago, Ivan escaped from Big Mom's tea party and then took on a mission assigned by Marine Headquarters.
Once the mission was over, he did not return to the Rainbase, but instead headed towards the Little Garden.
That day, he received the Big Mom 'Elbaph Spear - Ikoku Sovereignty and truly felt the terrifying power of that move.
That explosive power, capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart, filled him with sincere admiration.
Therefore, a strong desire arose in his heart to learn this Elbaph Spear technique.
But he knew that it was almost impossible to learn the Elbaph Spear from the Big Mom, so he decided to find another way rather than waste his efforts.
Coincidentally, the original storyline contains clues about the Elbaph Spear.
In the Little Garden of the Grand Line lived two giants, the former captains of the Giant Warrior Pirates, Blue Ogre Dorry and Red Ogre Brogy.
These two giants, from Elbaf, the homeland of the Giants, are not only incredibly strong, but also possess a technique even more powerful than the Elbaph Spear Ikoku Sovereignty:
Elbaph Spear - Hakoku Sovereignty!
If he could find Dorry and Brogy, he might be able to learn this move from them, which would further enhance his already formidable explosive power!
"Okay, you should turn over now. I need to apply the cream to your front too."
Nami's urging voice pulled Ivan back to reality.
Ivan dared not let Nami apply the product to her front, and quickly waved his hand. "No need, I'm not going to show my front, just apply it to the back."
Nami glanced at Ivan regretfully, then didn't press the matter further. "Oh, just let me know when you need it."
"Okay~"
A moment later, Ivan, having sunbathed enough, got up from the deck.
He looked up into the distance, where a lush, verdant landscape could be faintly seen at the horizon.
We're almost at the Little Garden!
The sea breeze continued to blow gently, and under Ivan's control, the Orange sped towards the Little Garden.
The Orange slowly approached the Little Garden.
The closer you get to this ancient island of Little Garden, the stronger the earthy scent of the ancient forest becomes in the air.
Although it's called Little Garden, it's actually quite Little Garden; it's just that for the creatures living on this enormous island, it's no different from Little Garden.
Soon, the Orange arrived near Little Garden. Just as the marines were preparing to dock the Orange, Smoker suddenly pointed to the shore not far away. "Wait, look there's a ship over there, it's the Straw Hat Pirates' Going Merry!"
Everyone looked in the direction he pointed and saw a uniquely shaped sloop moored on the shallows by the shore.
The bow of this ship is carved with an adorable goat's head; it is the Going Merry that Straw Hat Luffy and his crew travel on.
At this moment, the Going Merry was quietly docked there, and it was clear that the Straw Hat Pirates had already boarded the Little Garden.
Knowing the Straw Hat Pirates was nearby, Smoker instantly perked up. "Great! I didn't expect the Straw Hat Pirates to be here too. We absolutely can't let them get away this time. We can just arrest them on the way!"
He had barely finished speaking when he hurriedly found Ivan and told him about his discovery.
With Ivan's order and the help of Nami and Tashigi, he will definitely be able to capture the Straw Hat Pirates.
However, Ivan's reaction was unexpected.
Ivan was completely unconcerned about the Straw Hat Pirates's whereabouts.
He leaned against the deck railing, his gaze sweeping casually over the distant Going Merry, and said nonchalantly, "It's alright, you can do as you see fit, no need to ask me."
These words stunned Smoker instantly; the excitement on his face vanished, replaced by utter bewilderment.
He stepped forward, his brow furrowed, and asked urgently, "Ivan, what do you mean by that? The Straw Hat Pirates are pirates. Don't you want to capture them?"
Ivan slowly turned his head and calmly looked at Smoker: "They are not just ordinary pirates. They are more like a group of sea adventurers who sail with pure beliefs, without burning, killing, or plundering, and without harming the innocent."
For this vast ocean, it is better to let them live than to let them die.
Smoker froze on the spot, Ivan's words exploding in his mind like a thunderclap.
He subconsciously recalled the scene not long ago when Onigumo recklessly opened fire on the civilians on the shore in order to capture pirates.
At that moment, the sense of justice he held dear was completely shaken.
Yes.
Although the Straw Hat Pirates acted flamboyantly, they never harmed innocent civilians.
Everything they did was to pursue their dreams, which is fundamentally different from those pirates who burned, killed, and looted.
With this thought in mind, Smoker's tense body gradually relaxed.
He lowered his eyes and remained silent for a long time before making a decision.
His sense of justice never allowed him to harm the innocent, nor did it allow him to conflate well-intentioned adventurers with wicked pirates.
Finally, Smoker slowly raised his head and said calmly, "I understand."
The Orange slowly docked at the shore, its hull scraping against the fine sofa with a slight rubbing sound.
Ivan led Nami, Smoker, and the others ashore and ventured into the jungle along a path worn by wild animals.
As they ventured deeper into the jungle, the trees grew denser and the light dimmed, with only the chirping of insects, the calls of birds, and the faint roars of beasts in the distance.
But they hadn't gone far when a familiar commotion suddenly came from ahead, mixed with Luffy's signature shouts and Usopp's mutterings.
The next second, the two groups collided head-on on the narrow forest path.
The moment the two groups met, the Straw Hat Pirates froze simultaneously.
The Luffy saw Ivan, his muscles tensed instantly, his finger pointed directly at Ivan, and his voice rose several octaves. "It's that terrifying Marine!"
In Loguetown, he had witnessed White Dove's attack; her strength was far beyond what he could currently withstand!