"Haha, isn't this Kuina? It's been a long time since we last met!"
"I can't believe so many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you've all grown up!"
Ivankov gazed at the five young boys and girls before him, and the scene from a certain summer flashed before his eyes.
For him, Kōta and the others were unforgettable memories. And the encounter and battles with the youths were also an indelible part of his life over the past few decades!
"Oh, right."
After sighing with emotion, Ivankov glanced at Garp and the other two standing to the side, then asked, "Are we really leaving like this?"
"Of course."
Kōta nodded, raised his wine gourd, took a big gulp, and then tossed it to Ivankov. "Have a drink. This is some good wine I've collected."
"Hmm!"
Although he still had many doubts, Ivankov knew it wasn't the time to ask.
He looked deeply at Kōta, took the wine gourd, raised it, and continuously poured the never-ending wine from the gourd into his large mouth.
Gulp gulp gulp!!
For a moment, the sound of Ivankov's throat working echoed from the city gates.
It had indeed been a long time since he had drunk like this.
Even though Level 5.5 was easy to manage, only the King of the Newkama Land could truly understand the pressure.
After all, Impel Down was Magellan's turf.
The terror of that guy, if he discovered the underground tunnels, could wipe out the entire Newkama Land in minutes.
"Ha! Wonderful~"
Ivankov lowered his hand, let out a huge burp, and then looked at the wine gourd in his hand, his eyes burning with desire, like a hound that hadn't seen meat in ages.
"Infinite wine."
"Of course not!"
Kōta beckoned, and the wine gourd in Ivankov's hand instantly disappeared, reappearing in the youth's hand. He shook the gourd and chuckled, "Your capacity is as insatiable as ever. This wine that can last me for a long time, you might finish in a few sips."
Saying this, Kōta shook his head. "You should drink something else!"
"Hahaha!!"
"Stingy."
Ivankov stared at Kōta's wine gourd, licked his lips, then seemed to recall something. He turned and glanced at the void channel behind him, his smiling face vanishing, replaced by a serious look at Kōta.
"Little Kōta, I, I, behind me..."
Although he was in Impel Down and hadn't seen him for so many years, he knew from countless news articles about the youth that the boy before him harbored a strong killing intent towards pirates.
Ivankov didn't know what Kōta had experienced over the years to make him so bloodthirsty towards pirates, but he couldn't bear to abandon the Newkama Land behind him, or rather, his citizens, the people of the Newkama Kingdom.
"Are there many evildoers?"
Kōta naturally knew what Ivankov wanted to say, so he directly asked the question that concerned him most.
"Not many, not many. They are all little darlings who were accidentally imprisoned here."
Hearing Kōta's question, Ivankov quickly said, "Most of them are small-time thugs. Even if they had the intention to do evil, they didn't have the guts. Many were forced to go out to sea, and unfortunately, they encountered the Marines as soon as they set sail."
"I have already transformed them all into Newkamas, members of the Okama Kingdom."
Removing his sunglasses and reverting to his male form, Emporio Ivankov, now regained his usual elegance. He held his wine glass, took a gentle sip, and continued explaining to Kōta, picking up where Ivankov left off.
"After being transformed by Lord Ivankov, ordinary pirates have completely lost their will to do evil."
"As for the great pirates, we never accept them, especially the wicked ones."
"Therefore, please rest assured, Little Kōta. The current Newkama Land is entirely composed of commoners, commoners harmless to the world."
"Commoners?"
Kōta nodded noncommittally, then his eyes swept over Ivankov and the other two, his gaze landing on the rift behind them.
His spiritual power spread out, instantly covering the entire hall on the other side of the rift and the countless tunnels connected to it.
He didn't believe in repentance by laying down one's weapons.
If that were possible, who would bother being a good person??
Regardless of whether they committed evil in the future, at least some of them had done evil, harmed people, and killed people, and more than one.
Even if they had been completely transformed by Ivankov, and even if Ivankov might fall out with him because of it, he still had his own principles.
That is...
"Selection complete."
Staring at the rift, a cold glint flashed in Kōta's azure eyes. Then he raised his hand, his white fingers moving in the void as if playing a piano, and lightly flicked.
He would not deal with the other prisoners in Impel Down, for that was Magellan's job, and the job of the future rulers of this world.
But these people, transformed by Ivankov and wanting to leave with him, he had to screen thoroughly.
"Little Kōta, no."
Seeing the cold glint in Kōta's eyes, Ivankov tried to reach out and stop him, but it was too late.
With Kōta's flick, the void silently rippled, and then the ripples spread outwards like waves on water.
They passed over Ivankov, over the Marines, over the entire Impel Down, but without causing any harm, like a gentle breeze.
However, when the ripples passed through the rift behind Ivankov and the other, and into the vast underground cavern of Level 5.5.
The sound of "噗呲" and several thuds, accompanied by the stench of blood, instantly permeated the entire cavern and countless tunnels.
"This, this, this..."
Looking at companions who were perfectly fine moments ago, and suddenly, they were cut in half by something, the Newkama Land fell into complete chaos.
Evildoers were indeed few, as Ivankov had said, but not nonexistent. Compared to the vast number of people in the Newkama Land, Kōta didn't kill many.
Giving Ivankov some face, Kōta only killed those he deemed deserving of death. He ignored minor offenses.
Hearing the commotion from behind, Ivankov clenched his fist. He looked at Kōta, opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn't say a word.
He knew that he and Emporio Ivankov couldn't possibly keep all evildoers out, but the youth's killing intent still left Ivankov with some unwillingness and dissatisfaction.
After all, in his opinion, these Newkamas, after being transformed by him, were completely different from their past selves.
But as things stood, he couldn't afford to fall out with Kōta, as he had come specifically to rescue them.
After a moment of silence, Ivankov said in a deep voice, "Give me half an hour. I need to handle some matters in the Newkama Land."
"Mhm!"
Kōta nodded. Only after Ivankov and Emporio Ivankov turned and disappeared into the rift did he quietly let out a sigh of relief.
To firmly execute what one believes to be right, especially in front of friends, is sometimes not easy.
After all, people are different. Their thoughts, their ideals, their convictions...
All differ.