The moment Fox finished speaking, everyone present immediately sensed something was wrong.
"Shadow Garden—that's not his name, is it? It must be an organization's name?"
"Indeed, it's not his name. Look at the mask on his face—he must be that Fox!"
"Wait, is now the time to think about this? Didn't you hear what he said? He wants to kill a god!"
Everyone stared intently at Ivan, including Crocodile and the Lizard King Hanafuda.
At that moment, the same thought flashed through their minds: "No, we must stop this guy. We can't let him act!"
If a Celestial Dragon were injured, the Marine Headquarters would directly dispatch an Admiral, or even launch a Buster Call.
And if a Celestial Dragon were to die, the consequences would be even more terrifying!
Even the Seven Warlords of the Sea wouldn't dare face the wrath of an enraged World Government!
As if by tacit agreement, everyone charged toward Fox, burying him under a barrage of terrifying attacks.
Boom!
In an instant, most of the auction hall collapsed, and the upper floors nearly caved in. If not for the Golden Emperor Tesoro using gold as support, the Gold King Hotel would have been reduced to ruins!
Yet, despite the sheer terror of this assault, no one present showed any sign of relief. Instead, they roared in fury and lunged toward Saint Roswald's direction:
"No!"
Unnoticed by anyone, Fox had vanished from his original spot and reappeared beside Saint Roswald.
Now, he gripped Saint Roswald by the neck, lifting him into the air.
This sight filled everyone with dread, freezing them in place.
One of the CP0 agents hurriedly warned, "Fox, release Saint Roswald, or you will face the wrath of the World Government!"
Hanafuda's eyes nearly burst with rage, wishing he could grind Fox to dust.
It was over now. The Celestial Dragon had been attacked, and an Admiral would arrive soon.
Facing an Admiral would plunge even him into immense trouble!
Ignoring everyone, Ivan lightly tapped the ground. A stone platform rapidly formed, lifting him into the air. He gazed down from above and declared solemnly:
"I am Shadow Garden. We walk the narrow seams of order, pulling the strings of desire.
The ambitions of pirates, the hypocrisy of the Marines, and the corruption of the World Government—all are under our watch.
So-called order, so-called rules, are nothing but self-deceiving farces. Only power and chaos are the true themes of this sea!
Now, we emerge from the darkness, making our formal declaration to the world!
We shall eradicate all darkness. We are sworn to fulfill this duty unto death. We are Shadow Garden!"
After his proclamation, Ivan exerted a slight force.
In the next moment, countless stone spears erupted from within Saint Roswald's body, blossoming into a dazzling, bloody Other Shore Flower!
Amid the splattering blood, Ivan did not evade. His body was soon stained crimson.
Looking down at the utterly stunned, disbelieving faces of the many powerful figures below—as if questioning their very existence—he smiled elegantly:
"Hahaha, so it turns out even so-called gods bleed!"
With a flick of his arm, Ivan hurled the pulverized remains of Saint Roswald, smashing them against the wall.
Afterwards, he placed a hand over his chest and bowed gracefully. "Shadow Garden greets you."
With those words, Ivan's figure vanished like an illusion, reappearing beside the Mythical Zoan fruit, only to disappear once more and emerge outside the auction house. He then continued to teleport repeatedly, fleeing toward the outskirts of Gran Tesoro.
The plan had gone smoothly. The Mythical Zoan was in his hands, Saint Roswald was dead, and he had left the world with a perfect performance, making everyone understand that gods were not untouchable—they could bleed too!
In any case, this trip had been worth it!
After Ivan vanished, the auction house fell into a deathly silence. The brief suppression gave way to an explosive outburst as everyone shouted in disbelief, their voices filled with terror.
"Ahhhh, damn it! How dare he? He actually killed a noble Celestial Dragon!"
"No, we must flee! A Marine Admiral will arrive soon. He will surely launch a Buster Call. I don't want to die!"
Thus, the various influential figures each fled in their own ways. In moments like these, there was no discernible difference between the Seven Warlords of the Sea and ordinary pirates.
Compared to Fox, they were merely supporting characters on the stage—unfortunate souls caught up in the chaos.
Of course, the one who suffered even more misfortune was the Golden Emperor Tesoro. Due to Ivan's swift actions, Tesoro only arrived at the auction after Ivan had already killed the Celestial Dragon.
Tesoro stared intently at the Celestial Dragon's body, his expression a complex mix of emotions.
There was anger, excitement, grief, gratitude… Countless feelings intertwined within him, ultimately giving rise to an unprecedented thought.
So, gods really could bleed!
But were gods who could bleed still truly gods?
Tesoro took a deep breath and made a decision.
He, too, would find a way to slay a god and avenge the woman he loved!
…
Meanwhile, Ivan swiftly returned to the Orange Ship. Without anyone noticing, he dispelled his Wood Clone and returned to his original position.
At the same time, he immediately consumed the Zoan-Type Mythical Beast Unicorn Fruit, earning himself a lottery draw.
As he drew the lottery, countless character panels flashed before Ivan's eyes.
Unicorn bloodline, Voldemort's Remnant Soul, Unicorn Magic, Ultraman Tiga, Arya, Paimon, Superman Remnant…
Finally, the image settled on a figure performing Getsuga Tenshō under the moonlight.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Template: Homelander!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained the Skill: Steel Body!]
[Template: Homelander (Approval Rating: 1%)]
[Steel Body: Greatly enhances vitality, increases strength, speed, agility, and defense attributes, improves resistance to all negative effects, and accelerates self-healing.]
In the next moment, Ivan felt a warm current envelop his body, and every cell within him underwent a transformation under its influence.
His physique grew stronger, his life essence was elevated, and even his strength, speed, and other attributes saw varying degrees of improvement.
Once the changes subsided, Ivan's power had increased significantly. He now firmly believed that even without relying on his various special abilities, he could defeat a formidable Navy Vice Admiral with his fists alone.
However, when he saw the template he had obtained this time, he couldn't help but feel surprised. Why had the Unicorn Fruit drawn the Homelander template?
That guy was so evil—what did he have to do with a unicorn?
Now, Ivan didn't know whether to be happy or worried.
Homelander is undoubtedly a powerful character. If one could achieve 100% Approval Rating with him, his strength would definitely reach the level of the Four Emperors.
However, Homelander's Approval Rating is difficult to increase. He is someone who enjoys being worshipped and dominating others.
Ivan might be able to gain some approval by boosting his own fame, but he doesn't believe he can easily earn others' admiration.
Moreover, even if he gains admiration, it would never reach 100% approval—it would also require control and domination over others.
But Ivan sees the character Template as a tool, not the other way around.
So he won't do things that go against his will!
Still, aside from dominating others, there might be other ways to gain their approval.
Ivan's expression grew even stranger. Could it be that he would have to go drink milk too?
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