The system had no habit of guaranteeing a ten-pull pity, so the moment he obtained the draw opportunity, Ivan willed it and drew immediately.
Streams of light swirled rapidly on the panel, densely packed character templates flashing by so fast they became a blur.
In an instant, the light suddenly solidified, and the image froze.
It was a middle-aged man wearing a ninja vest, his gaze vacant, looking not very intelligent.
[Congratulations, you have obtained the template: Yamato!]
[Congratulations, you have obtained the skill: Wood Release!]
[Wood Release: A top-tier Kekkei Genkai in Naruto, possessing the ability to generate and control trees!]
Yamato?
Yamato was an elite Jonin of Konoha, possessing both the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai and top-tier sealing techniques, with considerable strength.
Ivan was quite satisfied with this draw result. Although Yamato's Wood Release was a watered-down version, it was still Wood Release, allowing him to somewhat cosplay the Mori Mori no Mi.
Unfortunately, he didn't hit the jackpot and draw Hashirama Senju's character template.
Otherwise, with just that one template, he could ascend to the heavens in a single step, directly possessing combat power comparable to a Navy Admiral!
Ivan focused his mind and extended his index finger.
A faint glow flickered at his fingertip, and a slender branch sprouted from it, unfurling its twigs.
But upon closer inspection, one would notice that this branch was sparse with leaves, dry like a withered twig, lacking vitality.
Ivan was well aware of this.
This was precisely the most fundamental difference between Yamato's and Hashirama Senju's Wood Release.
He lacked the life force derived from the Sage Body and the Divine Tree, so his Wood Release was devoid of vitality and similarly unable to fully absorb Chakra.
Retracting the branch that had sprung from his index finger, Ivan left the captain's cabin and walked onto the deck.
For now, Wood Release was sufficient in the East Blue, at least granting him the ability for area-of-effect attacks.
When Ivan reached the deck, he saw a shorty vigorously punching a sandbag in front of him.
Ivan smiled faintly and walked over to the shorty, asking, "Koby, how are you adjusting to life as a Marine?"
Koby trembled all over, turning around excitedly to look at Ivan, standing at attention and answering loudly:
"Ensign Ivan... no, Lieutenant Commander Ivan! It is truly an immense honor to join the Marines. I will train desperately, striving to be of help to you, Lieutenant Commander!"
Not far away, Patton, who was carrying a bow, glanced at Koby with amusement and teased:
"With your current strength, it's going to be tough to help the boss. You'd need to be at least a hundred times stronger than you are now!"
Koby's face flushed red, but he still refused to back down: "I'll work hard!"
Patton shook his head dismissively and continued drawing blueprints for new arrow designs.
Who wouldn't want to get stronger? But how many monsters are there on the seas?
With Koby's physique, wanting to help the boss was far too difficult!
If Ivan didn't know the plot, he'd probably also think Koby was a weak, untalented guy. But knowing the story, he was aware of the heights this future 'Hero of the Marines' could reach.
Ivan patted Koby on the shoulder and encouraged him:
"I believe in you. As long as you put in two hundred times the effort of an ordinary person, you will definitely become a strong warrior beyond anyone's imagination!"
"Yes, boss!" Koby was so excited he nearly fainted.
Patton smiled but didn't argue.
The boss was still too kind-hearted, unaware that if this young man wasn't told the truth now, he would suffer even more in the future.
Thinking of this, Patton's eyes darkened slightly, likely recalling some unpleasant experiences.
…
The Conomi Islands were Ivan's destination on this journey and Nami's hometown, now occupied by the Arlong Pirates.
Located not far from Loguetown, two days later, a warship far larger than the usual naval vessel appeared in these waters.
"Report!" Tashigi pushed open the door to the captain's cabin, full of energy as she announced, "We will reach the vicinity of the Conomi Islands in two hours. At that time, we will likely encounter mermaid scouts."
Ivan's expression remained unchanged as he issued the order: "Pass down the command: full speed ahead. Today, we will settle all scores with Arlong once and for all!"
Tashigi nodded firmly and responded loudly, "Yes!"
Knowing a portion of Ivan's strength, she had complete confidence in him!
Just then, the cabin door was knocked again.
With Ivan's permission, Patton pushed the door open, a strange, almost gleeful smile on his face as he said:
"Boss, we've run into a group of pirates looting a merchant ship up ahead. Looks like we might be delayed for a moment."
"Pirates?" Hearing this, a flicker of amusement passed through Tashigi's eyes, and her expression turned subtle.
This group of pirates' luck was truly terrible.
If they had encountered other marines, they might have had a chance to escape, but running into Ivan meant they were practically doomed!
Ivan didn't pay much attention to such a minor matter and had no intention of handling it personally. Instead, he decided to let his subordinates earn the credit:
"You handle it. Make it quick. And remember, don't harm the innocent!"
Minimizing harm to civilians was a core tenet of the Burning Justice he believed in, fundamentally different from Akainu's ruthless Absolute Justice.
He wasn't rigid; in critical situations, he would sacrifice the interests of a few to save many if necessary.
But he would never serve the World Government like Akainu, casually slaughtering civilians.
Blazing flames could incinerate the most heinous sins in the world, yet they could also transform into warmth to comfort people's hearts.
This was Burning Justice!
In just a short while, the sounds of battle completely subsided.
Tashigi pushed the door open, her uniform splattered with specks of blood, her eyes sharper than ever, the intensity of the recent fight not yet fully faded:
"Major Ivan, the pirates were the Black Scar Pirates. They have been completely eliminated. However, the merchant ship was severely damaged earlier and has already sunk.
We've placed the surviving merchant crew members on the foredeck. Additionally, the leader of the merchant group wishes to thank you personally and hopes to meet you."
Ivan thought for a moment and didn't refuse: "Let's go meet them."
The merchant leader was a kindly old man. Despite suffering heavy losses to his cargo, he didn't wallow in self-pity. Instead, he sincerely expressed his gratitude to Ivan.
After offering a few words of comfort, Ivan retrieved some tents from the ship's hold for them to stay temporarily on the deck and prepared to return to the captain's cabin.
But just then, a flash of striking orange caught the corner of his eye.
Ivan abruptly turned to look and saw, among the group of refugees, a girl with orange hair shrinking back, peeking out and secretly observing him, her lively eyes filled with curiosity.
Ivan's eyes lit up—after searching high and low, here she was, right in front of him!
Who else could that be but Nami?!
Almost at the same moment, Nami also noticed his gaze. Her expression shifted slightly as she hurriedly tried to retreat into the crowd, but it was already too late.
Ivan raised the scabbard at his waist, pointing it toward her direction, and called out clearly:
"Orange-haired lady over there, don't hide—I'm talking to you. Come here!"