Garp: Ivan Has What It Takes to Be an Admiral!

In fact, Garp had recognized Ivan and the others long before he reached Ivan's warship.

After all, his Observation Haki could cover an entire island, so he could easily detect the Marines aboard those warships.

But when Garp saw Ivan flying toward him using Geppo, he pretended not to know who he was, intending to test the mettle of the much-talked-about Major White Dove.

The kid had only just turned eighteen, yet he had already defeated a pirate of Arlong's caliber. With further training, perhaps he could become a Vice Admiral and serve as a pillar of the new generation of Marines.

That was why he had casually thrown an ordinary punch. He was afraid he might kill Ivan with it.

But who could have guessed what happened next?

Garp looked at the Heaven-Suspended Waterfall descending from the sky, the swordsman-exclusive Flying Slash covering it, and the strange distorted field around it. His eyes lit up, and he involuntarily put a little more strength into his punch.

This kid was even better than he had imagined. Perhaps he had what it took to become an Admiral!

In an instant, the black-and-red Haki on Garp's fist began to flow, even giving off a searing red glow!

Both men moved with incredible speed. The next moment, the iron fist collided with the Heaven-Suspended Waterfall!

Boom!

A deafening boom erupted over the sea as the two terrifying forces collided, locked together and crushing against each other!

A vast expanse of sea was forced down by the immense power, forming a massive semicircle!

For a moment, faint traces of black-and-red lightning burst through the air, almost tangible!

On one side, the vast amount of seawater contained within the Heaven-Suspended Waterfall was forcibly blasted apart by the terrifying force. Countless droplets rained down like sharp arrows, piercing the bellies of some unlucky fish below and killing them instantly.

After holding out for a moment, the Heaven-Suspended Waterfall finally gave way to the iron fist. When its last trace of seawater dispersed, the force behind the punch had also been completely exhausted.

Garp stepped through the seawater pouring down like torrential rain with Geppo, laughing heartily. "Hahaha, what an interesting brat! Kid, you've got what it takes to be an Admiral!"

But when he finished speaking, he received no answer. Just as he was wondering why, his Observation Haki suddenly sensed a figure in a floral shirt falling along with the seawater.

Garp was shocked. "You little brat, how did you pass out?"

When Ivan opened his eyes again, he found himself lying in the infirmary at the Loguetown branch.

He sat up, feeling sore from head to toe. It was a side effect of pushing himself beyond his limits to unleash his strongest sword strike.

After all, bringing all his abilities together in a single instant and exhausting every last bit of his stamina had put him under tremendous strain. Even with his current physique, Ivan could barely withstand it.

But the strong in the world of pirates were naturally blessed with tenacious vitality, and Ivan was no exception now.

Once he got up and began moving around, he immediately felt the soreness in his body rapidly fading.

But the price of that relief was that his stomach churned and growled loudly. He felt hungrier than ever before.

Ignoring the nurse's attempts to stop him, he hurried out to the dining hall and gorged himself on fish and meat for half an hour. Only then did his hunger vanish, and his stamina return to its peak.

Ivan rubbed his belly, swollen as though he were eight months pregnant, and said helplessly, "Looks like I need to keep practicing the Six Powers. If I can master Life Return, I'll be able to digest the food in my stomach right away."

Even without Life Return, Ivan's current physique allowed his swollen belly to return to normal before long. He then set off for Smoker's office.

If he was right, Vice Admiral Garp was waiting for him there.

He knocked and pushed the door open.

Sure enough, Smoker was sitting on a stool below, while Vice Admiral Garp lounged in a chair with his feet on the desk, picking his nose.

Garp's eyes lit up when he saw Ivan. He immediately stood, came over, and sized him up. "Good lad! That strength, that explosive power, that recovery—you have a boundless future ahead of you!"

Smoker stared at the enthusiastic Garp in astonishment. During the past few days they had spent together, Vice Admiral Garp had never once treated him kindly.

What on earth had Ivan done to make Vice Admiral Garp like him so much?

And what had Vice Admiral Garp meant by that? Could it be... he thought Ivan could become at least a Vice Admiral someday?

Surely only that would count as a boundless future in Vice Admiral Garp's eyes!

Seeing Garp's enthusiasm, Ivan somehow seemed to detect a hint of guilt beneath its false warmth.

Ivan fixed Garp with a long stare, his voice tinged with resentment:

"Vice Admiral Garp, I don't know what the future holds. I only know that your punch nearly killed me yesterday."

"Hahaha, a misunderstanding, a complete misunderstanding!" Garp gave a few awkward laughs, his shameless nature on full display as he tried to bluff his way through. "Didn't I think you were that Don Krieg fellow? And you weren't wearing a Marine uniform, either. Dressed in all those flashy clothes, how was I supposed to recognize you at a glance?"

"Heh." Ivan's lips twitched, his eyes full of disbelief and his voice cool. "Vice Admiral Garp, stop pretending. I know a thing or two about Haki. How could your top-notch Observation Haki not have seen through my identity beforehand?"

Even Garp was a little embarrassed now.

Come to think of it, he really had only himself to blame.

At first, he had no intention of getting serious. He had only wanted to casually test the kid's strength, using very little force, purely intending to give Ivan a few pointers.

But after seeing Ivan's Heaven-Suspended Waterfall, he had unconsciously added a little more strength, instinctively using Ryuo and even a trace of Conqueror's Coating.

A punch like that was still too much for a colonel like Ivan.

Even so, Garp was somewhat surprised by Ivan's strength.

In particular, Ivan's explosive power was astonishing.

Most of the strong on the seas had vitality far greater than their attack power. That was also why those monsters could fight one another for three days and still maintain considerable fighting strength.

Yet Ivan could exhaust all his stamina in a single instant. That was astonishing talent!

If Ivan had as much stamina as Garp did now and could still expend it all in an instant, Garp believed that strike would absolutely crush an Admiral!

At that thought, Garp looked at Ivan with even greater fervor.

What a promising talent, truly a promising talent!

Seeing that Ivan showed no respect for his elders and still wanted to dwell on what had just happened, Garp immediately changed the subject:

"Come on, Ivan. We'll set off at once. Once I've made a trip back to my hometown, you'll come with me to take up a post at headquarters."

Garp's hometown?

Foosha Village!

Ivan felt he should be able to meet Luffy on Windmill Island. To be honest, since transmigrating, Ivan had yet to meet the protagonist, Luffy.

Seeing him this time would fulfill a wish.

He nodded. "Yes, Vice Admiral Garp!"