"Wait!"
Just as Ivan turned to leave, Zoro called out to stop him.
Leaning on his sword, Zoro struggled to stand upright. He looked up at Ivan, his voice tinged with confusion. "Why didn't you kill me?"
Johnny and Yosaku, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, were instantly terrified upon hearing this. They rushed forward, trying to cover Zoro's mouth, shouting anxiously, "Boss Zoro, please stop talking!"
But neither of the two in the center paid any attention to their cries.
Ivan turned back, a frivolous smile on his face. "Sorry, but with your current strength, you're not even worth me killing you."
The moment his words fell, the familiar prompt echoed in Ivan's mind.
[Due to your recent performance, the [Gojo Satoru Template] approval rating has increased by 7%]
[Template: Gojo Satoru · Reverberation (Approval Rating: 52%)]
[Congratulations! You have acquired the skill: Cursed Technique Reversal: Red!]
[Cursed Technique Reversal: Red: Causes destruction by compressing repulsive force at a single point, with maximum output power reaching positive infinity.]
In the next moment, a flood of information surged into Ivan's mind, clearly outlining the operation method, force application techniques, and control details of Cursed Technique Reversal: Red.
Simultaneously, a warm, gentle current flowed out, coursing through his entire body.
This power quietly transformed his physique, making his bones more resilient, his muscles more explosive, and rapidly enhancing the functions of his internal organs.
More importantly, it allowed Ivan's body to adapt to the power of Red, enabling him to activate it at will without a second thought.
Finally, the Gojo Satoru Template's approval rating had broken through 50%, and Ivan had gained a new skill.
After everything settled, Ivan focused his attention on Cursed Technique Reversal: Red, analyzing the differences between Red and Blue.
Compared to Blue, with the same consumption, Red's output power was stronger!
However, Red was not perfect—its biggest weakness was its far inferior flexibility compared to Blue.
Red's ability form was extremely pure; it could only be released outward from the user as the center.
Blue, on the other hand, could create stable gravity points and be placed in any surrounding area.
In terms of instantaneous destructive power, Red undoubtedly dealt greater damage. But when it came to potential, Blue's possibilities were clearly superior.
For instance, Planetary Devastation and Celestial Obstruction Shock Star from Naruto were perfect examples of pushing gravitational abilities to their limits, fully demonstrating Blue's infinite potential.
Despite Red's many shortcomings, for Ivan, it only needed one advantage to overshadow all its flaws.
Extreme numerical power could crush everything!
Wait...
Ivan suddenly recalled the principle of Red in Jujutsu Kaisen—undoubtedly, it involved using Reverse Cursed Technique to invert Cursed Energy, then activating Red in the same way as Blue.
Logically speaking, mastering Cursed Technique Reversal: Red meant mastering Reverse Cursed Technique.
At this thought, he grew excited.
Could he master Reverse Cursed Technique?
After a brief attempt to sense it, Ivan gave up.
Due to the differences between worlds, he now used techniques not by consuming Cursed Energy but by expending physical stamina.
And physical stamina had no distinction between positive and negative!
Countless thoughts flashed through Ivan's mind, but in reality, only a few seconds had passed.
Once again looked down upon by Ivan, Roronoa Zoro had no strength left to fight and could only rasp out, "Bastard!"
Ivan ignored him and instead instructed Patton beside him, "Patton, take them below and find them an empty room to rest properly."
Patton nodded. "Yes, Major Ivan!"
Only after their figures disappeared from view did Ivan turn and walk toward the top deck of the warship.
He stopped beside a few orange trees, his form half-hidden in the cool shade, with scattered spots of light filtering through the branches and leaves to fall upon his shoulders.
Before him stretched the endless blue ocean. The sea breeze, carrying a salty dampness, swept past as Ivan slowly raised his right hand and extended his index finger.
In the next moment, a halo of intertwined black and red quietly coalesced at his fingertip, gradually shrinking into a sphere the size of a pigeon egg.
Even before launching the small sphere, Ivan could sense the terrifying power contained within it.
"With the same expenditure, the power unleashed is at least twice that of Blue. Extreme values, I like it!"
Ivan lightly lifted his fingertip, moving the black-red sphere to hover in the air before him, then flicked it with his finger!
The moment his fingertip touched the sphere, the suppressed power within abruptly broke free of its restraints and erupted completely!
The black-red sphere instantly transformed into a blurred afterimage, breaking through the limits of visual perception in an instant, crossing hundreds of meters, and smashing violently onto the sea's surface!
Boom!
A deafening roar exploded, and terrifying force swept across the sea.
Seawater dozens of meters high was violently pushed aside by the repulsive force, leaving a massive depression on the ocean's surface.
The churning water, compressed by the force, formed several towering waves that surged wildly in all directions.
Even though the waves had lost most of their force by the time they reached the warship, buffered by the seawater, they still caused the vessel to rock violently. Ropes on the deck rattled loudly, and the marines shouted in alarm.
This scene was also witnessed by Tashigi and Nami, who stood behind Ivan.
Tashigi's pretty face flushed red as she stared unblinkingly at Ivan, screaming inwardly, "Wow, wow, wow, so cool! Is this a new move Major Ivan developed?"
Nami, however, was somewhat puzzled.
She stepped to Ivan's side, her gaze still fixed on the unsettled ripples on the sea, and asked curiously:
"I remember you said the Devil Fruit you ate was the Gravity Fruit. How does this move resemble the effects of gravity at all?"
Hearing this, Ivan shook his slender index finger and gently corrected her:
"Nami, you still underestimate Devil Fruits too much.
There are no weak Devil Fruits in this world, only users who don't know how to develop them.
On the Grand Line, some have developed the String-String Fruit to manipulate people and fly through the air.
Others have pushed Paramecia-type Fruits to their limits, achieving feats comparable to the elementalization of Logia-types.
There are even those who, with the Shadow-Shadow Fruit, created a massive Zombie Army.
Compared to them, my little tricks are nothing.
Besides, fundamentally, it's all about the application of force. Gravity and repulsive force are merely different manifestations of the same ability, just in a different form."
Nami still seemed unconvinced and asked skeptically, "Really?"
Ivan looked into Nami's exquisite eyes, gazing at her seriously:
"That's right. Believe me, no one understands Devil Fruits better than I do!"
Nami fell into thoughtful silence, seemingly accepting Ivan's explanation.
Yet the girl's sharp sixth sense inexplicably stirred a trace of doubt in her heart.
She always felt that things probably weren't that simple.
Attraction and repulsion, though both are forces, their fundamental difference is as vast as fire and ice!
One contracts inward, the other bursts outward—how could both appear in the same person?
Shaking her head, Nami stopped dwelling on it.
Perhaps Ivan was right; this was normal. After all, she truly didn't understand Devil Fruits.
The voyage itself wasn't interesting—on the contrary, it was quite dull. But lately, the days hadn't felt tedious to the marines.
Because...
A few days later, at daybreak, a loud shout roused the silent warship.
"White Dove, I challenge you!" Roronoa Zoro shouted toward the captain's quarters.