This Guy's a Monster!
The next moment, the blue light in Ivan's hand expanded rapidly, becoming a blue sphere the size of a soccer ball in an instant.
The blue sphere radiated a terrifying gravitational pull, distorting the air around it.
The bullets tore through the air toward Ivan, but when they came within a short distance of him, their paths changed instantly, and they were forcibly sucked into the blue sphere.
At some point, the barrage of gunfire and the sound of bullets ripping through the air had stopped. The pirates stared at the ever-growing blue sphere ahead of them, their faces drained of color.
"W-what... what is that?"
"Monster! White Dove's a monster!"
As pirates from the Weakest Sea, the vast majority of them knew Devil Fruits only as legends. Even the members of the Alvida Pirates had never seen one.
When they saw the incomprehensible blue sphere ahead of them warp space and stop every bullet, they understood that none of them could possibly hurt White Dove!
No, there was no beating this opponent. They had to run!
No one knew which pirate was the first to flee, but the others, whose faces had been twisted with ferocity moments ago, immediately threw down their weapons and ran toward the Alvida Pirates' ship in a panic.
Seeing this, Alvida tightened her grip on her spiked club and roared in fury:
"Damn you bastards, stop right now! He's just a Devil Fruit User! We can win!"
But as soon as she finished speaking, she saw Ivan looking coldly at her. Then he swung his hand.
The terrifying blue sphere rapidly accelerated, hurtling toward her at astonishing speed.
Fear flashed across Alvida's face, but at this distance, she could no longer dodge. She had no choice but to take it head-on.
She gripped her spiked club tightly, muscles bunching all over her body, and swung it at the blue sphere with a piercing whistle.
At the same time, Alvida roared:
"Damn you, Ivan! Who the hell do you think I am? I'm Alvida!"
As soon as the words left her mouth, the spiked club collided with the blue sphere. The sight drew everyone's attention; pirates and marines alike stared fixedly at it.
The collision would decide the outcome of the battle.
But what happened next drew incredulous cries from everyone.
The moment Alvida's spiked club, capable of smashing through a warship's deck, touched the blue sphere, it shattered.
The entire club broke into steel fragments that were absorbed by the blue sphere, making it even larger.
The next moment, the blue sphere crushed Alvida's arm and body, pressing onward through a blooming mist of blood.
It crushed the deck and pirates in its path, until it bored straight through the Alvida Pirates' ship and finally plunged into the sea.
After a brief silence, the blue light in the water erupted with full force. Its terrifying gravitational pull distorted everything around it, and the nearby Alvida Pirates' ship was caught up in it once again.
No one knew how much time passed before it was all over.
A fissure tore across the deck ahead, and at its end, the Alvida Pirates' ship had been severed in two and was slowly sinking!
Pirates and marines alike stood frozen in place, staring at the scene in disbelief. Only the thunder and lightning still echoed through the world.
At last, Ivan cleared his throat helplessly, then abruptly raised his voice and sternly shouted:
"What are you waiting for? Round up the remaining pirates! Kill anyone who dares resist!
We've won!"
The angry shout rang out like a thunderclap, and the marines finally woke as if from a dream. They erupted in a ground-shaking cheer and charged at the remaining pirates with their rifles raised.
The pirates, their faces ashen, collapsed on the deck and did not dare move, meekly allowing the marines to tie them together with thick hemp rope.
What a joke!
White Dove was now a ruthless fighter who could easily crush even Alvida, who had a bounty of five million Beli. How could small fry like them still have the courage to resist?
If they surrendered obediently, they could at least keep their lives, but resistance meant certain death.
They didn't want to end up as a disgusting pile of mashed flesh like Boss Alvida!
In the distance, the pirate ship torn in two had sunk beneath the waves. Now it had disappeared completely, and apart from the broken sails and masts floating on the surface, there was no trace of the Alvida Pirates' ship.
On the deck, the soldiers tied up the remaining pirates on one side, while the treasure collected by the Alvida Pirates was piled on the other.
Tashigi excitedly counted the captured pirates. A moment later, she came over to Ivan and looked at him with admiration:
"Ensign Ivan, in this battle we captured twenty-three members of the Alvida Pirates alive and seized a total of 7.5 million Beli. We also killed thirty pirates, including Alvida. It was a complete victory!"
It was no wonder Tashigi was so excited. Although Ivan's strength was comparable to that of pirates with bounties of several million, in the past they had only ever captured pirates with bounties of a little over a million.
This was their first time capturing a pirate like Alvida, who had a bounty of five million!
This single achievement was enough to earn Ivan a promotion to lieutenant!
And as Ivan's adjutant, Tashigi would also receive a substantial reward.
Looking at the pirates tied together on the deck, Ivan nodded in satisfaction. He turned to face the marines and gave an order:
"All hands, take inventory and lock the prisoners in the lower hold. We're heading back to Loguetown!"
"Yes, Ensign Ivan!" the soldiers answered enthusiastically.
When Ivan returned to the captain's cabin, Tashigi immediately came up behind him, took off his Justice cloak and coat, and placed them on the clothes rack to one side.
The cabin shut out the storm outside, and under the warm yellow light, the room was cozy.
Tashigi's heart, however, had yet to settle down. The bespectacled girl gazed at Ivan with admiration, making him rather uncomfortable.
Ivan asked in confusion, "Tashigi, what is it? Why do you keep looking at me?"
Only then did Tashigi come to her senses. Realizing she had been staring at Ivan, she blushed slightly.
But people of the sea were never ones to stand on ceremony. She quickly returned to normal and asked curiously:
"Ensign Ivan, was that blue sphere just now a Devil Fruit ability?
Have you become a Devil Fruit User?"
As she spoke, Tashigi looked at Ivan expectantly.
As the Weakest Sea, the East Blue had an absurdly small number of Devil Fruit Users to begin with.
So anyone who became a Devil Fruit User could become a powerful fighter.
And Ensign Ivan was already powerful. With a Devil Fruit on top of that, he might even have strength worthy of a bounty in the tens of millions!
Ivan glanced at the system panel.
[Because of your performance just now, Satoru Gojo Template recognition +5]
Feeling the power inside him, which had grown a little stronger than before, Ivan smiled and said:
"That's right. I really have become a Devil Fruit User!"