That morning, Vic was having breakfast at Rebecca's house. The table was a lively place, with Vic and Rebecca devouring the food like hungry ghosts unleashed. The old lady was already used to the sight and watched them with a kindly smile.
She had learned the full, accurate story of the pirate incident a few days earlier and was very pleased with the changes in the two children. They could protect themselves better now, which put her at ease.
Just then, someone knocked at the door. "You two keep eating. I'll get it." The old lady had already eaten her fill. At her age, she couldn't eat much.
At the door, the old lady was a little surprised to find Mayor Andre carrying a bag.
"Oh, it's you, Mayor! Please, come in, come in."
"Auntie Maria, I'm here to see Vic and Rebecca," Andre said.
"Oh, they're eating inside. Come on, let's go over. Have you eaten, Mayor? Join us for a bite."
"No need. I ate before I came. I have something to discuss with Vic and Rebecca," Andre said with a gentle smile.
"Oh, all right then." The old lady was a little disappointed she couldn't offer the mayor a meal.
The old lady led Andre to the table, where he was somewhat shocked to see the two of them wolfing down their food. Meat bones covered the table, and Andre knew the old lady couldn't have eaten them, so the two children must have.
He was a little surprised by how much the two children could eat. When Vic and Rebecca saw Mayor Andre approach the table, they stopped eating and stood up.
"What brings you here, Mayor?" Vic asked, though he already knew.
Vic guessed that the mayor had come to deliver the money, and perhaps discuss a few other things. After all, the mayor knew how strong the two of them were, and a responsible mayor would surely want to put that strength to use.
"Well, here's the thing. I took those pirates to the Marine Base in Loguetown that day, and those two really did have bounties on their heads." Andre raised the bag in his hand. "There are eight million Beli here. I brought them to you."
"Oh, how about this, Mayor? Keep half, and divide the rest among the security team members who were there that day," Vic said after thinking it over. He wasn't short of money at the moment; selling beast meat earned him quite a bit.
"Haha, there's no need for that. They caught so many pirates that their bonuses are substantial already. There's no need to give them a share," Andre said with a laugh.
"I see. Then we won't split it. I'll save the money to buy two good swords," Vic replied.
"Yes, yes, exactly! Only good weapons can bring out greater strength," Andre said happily. "I also came to discuss the matter of pirates with you." With that, Andre looked at Vic and said no more.
Vic looked back at him without speaking, waiting for him to continue.
Mayor Andre gathered his thoughts and said, "Vic, Rebecca, here's the situation. There's still no definite word from Loguetown about building a Marine Base. After I came back from Loguetown last time, the town's leaders held a meeting about it. Without Marines stationed here, the security team alone can't fend off pirates." Andre paused, and the old lady handed him a glass of water.
Andre took the opportunity to have a drink, then continued, "I saw what you two could do that day. You're very strong. Ordinary pirates are no match for you, and truly powerful pirates are rare in the East Blue."
"So, after discussing it at the meeting, we decided to hire you two as the town's guardians. What do you think?"
"I'm sorry, Mayor Andre, but we can't be the town's guardians." Vic thought of how they trained every day now and had no time for the job. It would interfere with their cultivation, and once they went to sea in a few years, they would be even less able to do it.
"Vic, don't be so quick to refuse. We'll pay you both a very generous salary," Andre said anxiously.
"You see, Mayor Andre, we're not strong enough yet. We need more time to cultivate, so we don't have time to stand guard over the town."
"How about this? We'll take the title, but we won't hold an actual post, and we won't take a salary. We usually cultivate in the forest, so if anything happens, just send someone to tell us. We're very fast and can get there right away. As townspeople, it's our duty to fight pirates," Vic said seriously.
Andre frowned in thought. To be honest, bringing Vic and Rebecca on board was the quickest and most practical solution. Sending someone to notify them would take longer, and while that was fine if nothing happened, he was worried about an unforeseen emergency.
But seeing how firm Vic was, he knew there was nothing he could do. Vic was strong, and the town still needed him, so he could only compromise.
"All right, then. Let's settle on that for now. The town will post an announcement tomorrow. But you'll still be paid, so don't refuse." Andre still intended to pay the two of them well. After all, people felt obliged to those who gave them things. He hoped that, once they accepted the money, they would put in more effort and not just go through the motions. Otherwise, the town would be in trouble.
If Vic had known what Andre was thinking, he would surely have sprayed meat crumbs all over his face. Vic didn't want the money. If pirates came, he could get some real combat experience and defend the town at the same time, killing two birds with one stone. He would be very eager to help.
Andre left the money and departed. Vic and Rebecca resumed eating, and the old lady put the money away for them.
The next day, the announcement that Vic and Rebecca had become the town's guardians was posted, and many people gathered to see it.
By the afternoon, the news had spread throughout the town. Vic and Rebecca didn't feel much about it, but the old lady was very happy.
And so the days went by. Vic adjusted some of his training exercises to suit himself. Sometimes he went beneath a waterfall to withstand its immense impact; at other times, he dove deep into the sea and used the water pressure to temper his body.
Another six months passed, and construction of a Marine Base finally began on the island, because two more pirate groups had arrived during those six months.
One group came to Yarlin, the town where Vic lived. No one saw them until they had all landed at the docks.
Although Vic and Rebecca rushed over as fast as they could after being notified, several people had still been killed.
In the end, the two of them killed all the pirates, leaving no survivors, but the town remained fearful and subdued.
The other group of pirates landed at a different town. Since there were no powerful fighters like Vic and Rebecca there, the town suffered heavy losses.
Vic and Rebecca only found out when that town's mayor sent someone to Andre to ask for help. By the time they arrived, the pirates had finished looting and retreated to the shore, where they were preparing to board their ship.
The two of them had come in anger and slaughtered the entire pirate crew. Vic even cut their ship in half with a single stroke of his sword. When the town's mayor received the news and rushed to the shore, he threw up at the sight of the mutilated corpses littering the ground. Vic also felt sick at heart after killing people for the first time, but when he thought of how they had burned, killed, and looted, he showed no mercy. There was no chance of him throwing up; he had killed plenty of beasts and seen many bloody scenes.
The town's mayor was awed by what the two had accomplished and thanked them repeatedly.
Vic told the mayor, "Your town is a little far from ours. Send a team to patrol the shore and give them telescopes to keep watch over the sea at all times. If pirates appear, come get us immediately, so a tragedy like this doesn't happen again."
The mayor readily agreed and thanked him profusely, offering him money. Vic refused, telling him to distribute it to the victims' families, along with the things the pirates had stolen.
Because pirates had become more frequent visitors and there had been many bloody incidents, the mayors of the island's towns went together to Loguetown and submitted a joint request to the Marine Base there. That was what led to the construction of the new Marine Base.
An advance party had already arrived, mainly to direct the construction of the Marine Base.
Because it was a Marine Base, the island's residents worked hard and were highly enthusiastic. They finished building it in three months.
News that the Marine Base had been completed reached Marine Headquarters, which sent word back that the troops to be stationed there were still being assigned and were expected to arrive in a week.
The estimate wasn't far off. Eight days later, a warship arrived at the shore. There weren't many Marines aboard, only a little over thirty.
After asking around, the mayor learned that these Marines planned to recruit some islanders into their ranks. With the arrival of the Great Pirate Era, the Marines were stretched thin. After many Marine Bases were built, they chose to recruit local residents as soldiers, training them at the base, giving them practical experience, and then putting them to work.
Those who performed particularly well would be recommended for further training at Marine Headquarters. Andre wanted Vic and Rebecca to join the Marines, but Vic refused.
Vic felt the time wasn't right yet. Given the two of them's current strength, no one at this branch could teach them anything.
Vic didn't believe a branch colonel knew the Six Powers or Haki. If he couldn't learn anything, what was the point of joining the branch now? The basic training at the branch base was far too simple. It would be a complete waste of time.
Vic believed that in a few more years, when he was stronger, he could go to Foosha Village and lie in wait for old man Garp. He was sure that once Garp saw his strength, he would take him to Marine Headquarters and train him well.
Hadn't Koby learned two or three of the Six Powers in only about half a year after Garp took him to Marine Headquarters? Although the manga had been updating for a long time, only a few months passed in the story between Koby joining the Marines and Garp taking the two of them to Water 7. It was definitely less than a year, because Luffy was still seventeen. With Vic's talent, learning all of the Six Powers in that much time would be no problem. If he got the chance, even getting started with Haki wasn't out of the question.
The island's Marine Base was Vic's last resort if he really couldn't find old man Garp. So for now, he would pay it no mind and simply focus on cultivating.