As Ivan's physical constitution strengthened, it became difficult for him to completely exhaust all his stamina in one go. However, after unleashing the Sky-Cleaving Sword, he still fell into a state of utter exhaustion.
Landing back on the deck, Ivan staggered, nearly falling, but was fortunately caught by Tashigi who rushed over.
"Ivan, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just a bit drained."
Taking the cola Nami handed him, Ivan gulped it down, then headed straight to the kitchen to grab some roasted meat. After wolfing down a large amount, his stamina gradually returned to normal.
Just as he stepped out of the kitchen onto the deck, he suddenly froze.
On the distant sea, a duck was rapidly skimming across the water, running straight towards the Orange Ship.
This scene felt familiar to Ivan, as if he'd seen it somewhere before. When he spotted the blue-haired girl riding the duck, the memory surfaced in his mind.
The duck was called Black Duck, the mount of Princess Vivi of Alabasta.
Princess Vivi should have only joined Baroque Works about a year ago. Why was she here?
Moments later, Vivi stood on the deck of the Orange Ship, her heart filled with anxiety.
In the past, she and her father had reported the actions of Baroque Works to the Marines. But even Marines known for their upright conduct had turned a blind eye, plunging Alabasta into utter despair.
It was precisely because of this that Vivi had no choice but to infiltrate Baroque Works as a spy, trying to uncover the mastermind behind the drought plaguing the Kingdom of Alabasta and save her country.
Upon seeing the orange trees, she knew the owner of this ship was the Marine Supernova, White Dove Ivan.
But she didn't know if Ivan would be like the other Marines, if he would also ignore Alabasta's tragic plight.
Vivi didn't hold out much hope, for greater expectations only led to greater disappointment.
She feared that after disappointment, she would never again muster the courage to save her country.
"Are you... Princess Vivi?" Ivan asked, feigning confusion as Vivi approached him.
"Hello, I am Nefertari Vivi, princess of the Kingdom of Alabasta." After introducing herself, Vivi gritted her teeth and suddenly bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. "Rear Admiral Ivan, I beg you, please help me, save Alabasta!"
After uttering these words, Vivi's heart raced as she awaited Ivan's judgment.
But to her surprise, the attitude of Ivan and the others was far better than she had anticipated, completely different from the Marines she had encountered before.
They were too enthusiastic, even making her feel somewhat uncomfortable.
Nami patted her ample chest. "Princess Vivi, don't worry, speak slowly. As righteous Marines, we will definitely help you!"
Tashigi gripped her long sword and nodded firmly.
Ivan, who knew everything, was even more decisive. "Rest assured, Princess Vivi. Justice will burn away all evil!"
Realizing she had finally encountered proper Marines, Vivi was overjoyed.
After a lengthy explanation, Nami and the others finally understood what was happening in Alabasta.
"This Crocodile is too despicable, using such underhanded methods! Don't worry, Vivi, Ivan will defeat him!" Nami hugged Vivi, comforting her.
"Thank you, thank you all so much!" Vivi cried tears of joy.
Afterwards, Vivi temporarily stayed with Nami. Once Ivan completed his patrol mission, they would all take leave together and head to Alabasta to defeat Crocodile.
However, before that, Ivan had one important matter to handle.
A Wood Clone had finally discovered traces of the Celestial Gold!
...
In the Grand Line, due to the special magnetic fields, many extreme weather phenomena often occurred.
Some islands were perpetually located within such extreme weather, causing them to remain in a single season year-round.
The winter island, the Kingdom of Drum, was such an island.
In the waters surrounding the Kingdom of Drum, a figure clad in a black cloak and wearing a Tanuki mask walked across the undulating sea surface.
The sea was turbulent, but this man walked steadily, as if treading on solid ground.
This person was Ivan himself. Using the Flying Thunder God Technique, he had swapped places with a Wood Clone and arrived at the Kingdom of Drum in person.
According to the intelligence gathered by the Wood Clone, the warship transporting the Celestial Gold would soon dock near the Kingdom of Drum for resupply.
He only needed to wait here.
Reaching the shore, Ivan was about to find a town and wait in an inn for the Celestial Gold transport ship's arrival when he suddenly spotted a fleeting figure by the roadside.
His eyes lit up, and he called out to the blue-nosed reindeer, "Hey, you there, the deer! Stop, I need to talk to you!"
The blue-nosed reindeer seemed not to hear Ivan, continuing to scramble up the snowy mountain, even picking up speed.
Ivan sighed and instantly teleported, blocking the blue-nosed reindeer's path.
With a person suddenly appearing ahead, the reindeer's antlers nearly collided with Ivan, but Ivan easily stopped the impact with one hand.
He looked at the wary Chopper before him and smiled gently. "Hello, you must be Doctor Chopper. I've heard you are an exceptionally kind person. Could you help a traveler like me who's in a predicament?"
Hearing Ivan's words, Chopper instantly transformed into his human form, his limbs wriggling awkwardly. "Hahaha! You damn bastard! Even if you praise me for being kind, I won't help you!"
"What if I add that I can help you get revenge? You really want to kill Wapol, don't you?"
At these words, Chopper froze for a moment, his previously shy demeanor vanishing instantly.
He retreated several steps, staring intently at Ivan, adopting a defensive stance. "Who are you? How do you know these things?!"
Ivan pulled a wanted poster from his pocket and handed it to Chopper, pointing proudly at the Tanuki mask on his face.
"Haha, you've probably heard of me. I'm Tanuki, the fastest man on the seas!
By the way, I'm a tanuki, you're a tanuki... we're practically family."
"Bastard! I'm not a tanuki, I'm a reindeer!" Chopper instantly bristled.
But then he snapped back to reality, staring at Ivan in horror, his body retreating further. "You... you're that great pirate with a 390 million Berries bounty!"
"That's right. So, what do you think? Just let me stay with you for a few days, and when I leave, I can conveniently take care of Wapol for you!"
Realizing Ivan's identity, Chopper's face twisted with conflict. He looked up, utterly torn. "I... I can let you stay for a few days, but I need Dr. Kureha's permission."
Chopper wanted revenge for his father so badly that he was willing to risk it, even knowing Tanuki was a huge trouble.
Ivan wasn't surprised by this outcome. He extended his fist, bumping it with Chopper's. "Alright then, it's a deal!"
A short while later, Ivan appeared at the summit of the towering snowy mountain, standing before a castle that stood there.
Just then, perhaps sensing Chopper's return, an elderly but still vigorous woman rushed out from inside the castle, shouting,
"Chopper! Where have you been, taking so long!"