While the G-2 Branch was holding an emergency meeting, other forces across the seas also turned their attention to the auction scheduled a week later.
Grand Line, Paradise, waters near Thriller Bark.
On a large ship adorned with a Tyrannosaurus figurehead at its bow, a five-meter-tall giant stood, patting out the lingering flames on his clothes as he stared intently at the distant ship sailing away.
Hana-Fuda's mood was heavy. By now, he had been pursuing Fire Fist Ace for a long time.
At first, he could easily defeat Fire Fist Ace, but as time passed, Ace grew stronger at a visible rate and could now harm him.
This made him worry: the next time they met, would he still be able to defeat Fire Fist Ace… or would he be defeated by him?
Buru buru—Buru buru—
The Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang. Hana-Fuda answered, and Kaido's voice came from the other end: "Wororororo, my brother! I've got good news for you!"
Hearing his elder brother Kaido's voice, Hana-Fuda's heavy heart finally eased a little. "Oh, Brother Kaido, what's the good news?"
"A week from now, an Animal Series: Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit will be auctioned on Gran Tesoro! My good brother, go and snatch that fruit for me! I want it!"
"A Mythical Zoan!" Hana-Fuda was shocked but agreed without hesitation. "Don't worry, Brother Kaido. That fruit can only belong to our Beast Pirates!"
Just as Rayleigh firmly believed in Roger, Hana-Fuda firmly believed that his elder brother Kaido would become the Pirate King!
Therefore, he would risk his life to complete any task Brother Kaido entrusted to him.
…
A week later, on the sea not far from the coast of the Alabasta Kingdom, an enormous ship was docked—Gran Tesoro.
Gran Tesoro was ten kilometers in length. Rather than a ship, it was more like a city floating on the ocean.
It was the world's largest entertainment venue and an independent country recognized by the World Government.
All of this relied on the unparalleled wealth of Gran Tesoro's master, the Golden Emperor Tesoro.
It was said that this ship alone controlled 20% of the world's Berries!
The Orange Ship was far from Gran Tesoro, cruising around it at a distance.
From such a remote range, even a giant warship would appear as a mere speck, yet Gran Tesoro still occupied most of Nami's field of view. Its dazzling golden glow made her eyes sparkle.
When Nami snapped back to reality, she immediately trotted over to Ivan, hugged his arm, and shook it as she pleaded:
"Hey, Ivan, let's go take a stroll on Gran Tesoro too! It's the world's largest entertainment venue—wouldn't it be a shame not to check it out?"
Ivan shook his head in refusal. "No, today we have to ensure Saint Roswald's safety. Gran Tesoro will be docked in these waters for a week. We can go explore tomorrow."
Nami pouted, clearly displeased. Hugging her arms, she grumbled:
"Why bother protecting those despicable Celestial Dragons? We should take the chance to visit Gran Tesoro instead! Ivan, you've changed. I remember you didn't like the Celestial Dragons!"
Ivan smiled without answering.
He hadn't changed, but whereas before he had only talked about it, this time he intended to take action himself!
By now, his true self should have infiltrated Gran Tesoro, right?
...
There were three ways to enter Gran Tesoro: by airship landing, via the pier, or by boat.
However, Ivan chose none of these three methods—he opted for a fourth!
Every time Gran Tesoro docked, before officially opening for business, it would put on a song and dance performance to liven up the atmosphere.
Listening to the commotion ahead, the performance had already begun.
Ivan's progress was somewhat slow, but he didn't care, leisurely walking on the river water mixed with gold dust, passing through the tunnel meant for boats, and slowly making his way into Gran Tesoro.
His objective was clear, and the opening performance was not part of it.
Since Gran Tesoro had just opened, boats frequently passed through the tunnel.
Ivan's unusual act of walking on the water also attracted the attention of many.
Of course, the ability to walk on water was seen by others as that of a Devil Fruit user.
Devil Fruit users held considerable intimidation in the first half of the Grand Line, and most boats avoided Ivan, not daring to approach for fear of angering him.
However, among pirates, there was never a shortage of reckless fools. A burly man with a full beard, upon seeing Ivan, grumbled in annoyance:
"Damn it, this guy can actually walk on water. I won't allow anyone to show off more than me! Aim the cannons at him, I want him dead!"
Beside him was a short dwarf, who timidly said, "But boss, this guy can walk on water—he must be a Devil Fruit user. Are we really going to provoke him?"
The bearded man suddenly reached out, grabbed the dwarf's head, lifted him up, and sneered, "Damn it, don't make me say it again!"
The dwarf was terrified and immediately ordered his underlings to aim the cannons at Ivan.
This scene was witnessed by many, including numerous pirates.
Unlike the merchant ships, these pirates showed no fear. Instead, they egged him on:
"Bearded guy, go on, kill him! If you don't, I'll look down on you!"
"That's right, he's just a Devil Fruit user. Aren't you one too?"
Their words made the bearded man throw his head back and laugh. He loved the feeling of being the center of attention. "Fire, men!"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Continuous cannon fire erupted as over a dozen cannonballs struck the water around Ivan. Massive waves surged, sweeping everything nearby into the sea.
Seeing this, the bearded man nodded in satisfaction. "Hahaha! As a Devil Fruit user falling into the sea, even if he wasn't killed by the cannonballs, he'll surely drown!"
But suddenly, he heard his dwarf assistant trembling as he said, "Boss... above!"
"What's above?" The bearded man looked up and saw the man wearing the fox mask descending from the sky like a falling meteor.
His fist was wrapped in black light as he shouted:
"Fist Bone: Heaven-Falling Meteor!"
The figure plummeted with immense force, like a meteor from the heavens crashing into the river.
The bearded man directly below Ivan didn't even have time to scream before his body shattered into pieces under the overwhelming force.
The dwarf pirate beside him and the other lackeys were swept away like foam in a gale, instantly turning into bloody mist.
With a deafening roar, the entire pirate ship was torn into splinters of wood, mingled with fragments of flesh, scattering across the shimmering golden river.
The turbulent waters, stirred by this immense force, suddenly surged into towering waves dozens of feet high, roaring as they swept toward the surrounding pirate ships. The pirates, who had been shouting and jeering moments before, were now terrified out of their wits.
In an instant, the once-boisterous golden river fell into a deathly silence.
Only when Ivan's figure reappeared, hovering above the river, did the pirates dare to breathe again. Not a single one dared to challenge him, not even daring to make a sound.
After what felt like an eternity, a pirate with a bounty of 120 million suddenly cried out in terror:
"Ahhh! I remember now! He's that most-wanted criminal, the pirate Supernova Fox!"
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