At night, under a sky full of stars, Vic was trying to suppress his wild and untamed aura.
After nearly half a month of training, Vic's Haki has increased significantly, and he can use Ryuo much more freely.
They might not be as strong Akainu yet, but they won't deliver a fatal blow right away. Although there's a gap between a Yonko's vice-captain level and Admiral's level, they can still hold their own.
In the latter half of the night, Vic had completely concealed his aura. He opened his eyes, looked up at the starry sky, and murmured to himself.
" Sakazuki, would you really do that?"
Early in the morning, Vic and Rebecca arrived at the small square of the Recruit Camp, Wendy greeted them as they approached.
There are far fewer people here today, only about a hundred. Each year, only about thirty people can enter the Elite Camp, and they are all trained to become officers. Two batches a year is not a small number.
Andrew had arrived, his expression serious, glancing at Vic every now and then.
Vic knew the worst was coming, but he had done his best to prepare.
What's coming will come. Vic had no other emotions; he was now filled with fighting spirit. Marine Admiral? Who would know how strong he was unless he fought him himself!
A future Fleet Admiral? This time, it might not be you. Just wait and see.
Vic closed his eyes, slowly gathering his strength.
Soon, Akainu arrived with Onigumo and several officers of colonel rank or higher.
"Isn't that Onigumo? Why is he here?"
"Who's that Onigumo? He looks so imposing!"
"That's Vice Admiral Sakazuki, the monster from the Elite Camp!"
"He's giving us an assessment? Who could possibly pass that? Does that mean none of us from this batch will make it into the Elite Camp?"
" Vic will definitely get in!"
"Even Vic can't beat him now, right?"
"Everyone, please be quiet. Today is graduation day from Recruit Camp. You are all ambitious young people who want to enter the Elite Camp. These people next to me are your seniors and your examiners today. You don't need to defeat them. We will judge based on the course of the battle. Just do your best in the fight!"
"The battle will be conducted simultaneously in four areas. We'll draw lots to determine the order now. Vic, you go first!" Andrew glanced at Akainu and then quickly said.
"Wait a minute! With combat strength like Vic's, who can test him? Just send him straight to the Elite Camp!" Sure enough, Akainu spoke up.
Andrew glanced at Vic, his expression complicated; he had just tried to get away with it.
"I also came from the Elite Camp, and I'm very happy to see such promising juniors. Since they can't let you go all out, then I'll do it. Let everyone see just how powerful this year's Elite Camp geniuses really are!" Akainu said very nicely.
"He was here to test Vic! That scared me to death!"
"Testing with Vic won't work either. Vic is too young; how could he possibly be a match for him!"
"What kind of test is this? Isn't he just someone Onigumo sent to get revenge on Vic?"
"I never imagined something like this could happen in the Navy. It's unbelievable!"
"That's exactly what Onigumo last time, wasn't it? He wanted to cause trouble for Vic last time, but he just couldn't win!"
" Vic is really in danger this time. Vice Admiral Sakazuki was known as a monster back in the day, and he even has Logia Fruit ability!"
Vic opened his eyes and looked at Akainu opposite him. His appearance and future were unchanged. He was wearing a red suit, and his three-meter-tall, muscular figure had a flower pinned to his chest and a tattoo on his collarbone. He had his arms crossed, his hands were covered with black gloves, and his large, square face looked very serious.
" Vic, can't you not fight him? You can refuse!" Rebecca said, shaking Vic's arm.
Wendy looked at Vic with concern. They knew more about the inside story. Since Akainu had taken action, it was definitely not child's play. Moreover, they had both heard Aokiji talk about Sakazuki.
"Don't worry, my Haki is not to be underestimated. When paths cross, the brave prevail. If I don't even have the courage to draw my sword, how can I protect you and my comrades on the ship in the future!" Vic said firmly.
" Vice Admiral Sakazuki, I didn't expect you to be so leisurely, having time to come to the Recruit Camp to watch the tests?" Vic mocked.
"New recruits are the future hope of the Navy. As Vice Admiral, it's only natural for you to come and take a look!" Akainu said dismissively.
How could someone skilled in intrigue and scheming be so easily swayed by a single sentence?
"I'm also eager to see just how strong the monsters from the legendary Elite Camp really are!"
"Let's go then, let's show everyone the fighting prowess of these naval rookies!"
Akainu walked towards the center of the plaza first, and Vic patted Rebecca's hand and followed.
Rebecca and Wendy had deep worries in their eyes. They knew that Akainu was a cold-blooded person who would even kill his own people.
The cadets and officers quickly gathered around the battlefield, and many new recruits from other areas also came to watch the spectacle.
"Is Vic really going to fight Vice Admiral Sakazuki?"
"Why is Vic so tough? His opponent is a former monster!"
"It would be good enough if Vic could escape unscathed; winning is almost impossible!"
"Hmph, Vic is doomed to lose, don't hold any illusions!" Akainu's men also stood outside the battle circle.
"Impossible, Vic is someone who can create miracles!" This was said by a classmate who had gone to sea with Vic.
"Haha, you have no idea how powerful Vice Admiral Sakazuki is. You'll see soon enough!"
" Vic will be alright, Rebecca, you don't need to worry. Think about how good Vic has always been!"
"Yes, I believe him!"
" Sakazuki, you're not allowed to use your Devil Fruit powers, and Vic, you're not allowed to use a knife either. Don't damage this place, or you'll definitely be punished!"
A majestic voice rang out, silencing all the noise. Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Admiral Sengoku wearing a hat with a seagull standing on it.
Sengoku also came over. He was still worried about the two of them. Akainu's Magma-Magma Magma-Magma Fruit and Vic's slashes were both terrifying attacks that could easily sever a person's body. If anything happened to the two of them, it would be a huge loss to the Navy. However, if it was just a contest of physical skills and Haki, then it would be much easier to deal with. So he still came over.
Everyone around was saluting Sengoku, except for Akainu and Vic; they were building up their own imposing presence.
Akainu didn't look at Sengoku, but just nodded slightly. When Vic saw Akainu nod, he drew the three swords from his waist and threw them to Rebecca.
"We're all colleagues, so stop while you're ahead and don't go too far!"
Sengoku saw that the two had agreed to his request, said a few words, and left. He didn't want to stand there. If something happened to Vic, would he save him or not? If he saved him, he would offend Akainu; if he didn't, he might also have a conflict with Garp. So leaving was the best option. Anyway, he had already given his instructions.
After the Sengoku ended, the area around the battlefield became lively again.
This time, Vic didn't fully cover his body with Haki. He had to take fighting someone of Akainu's caliber seriously. Now that he had also learned Ryuo, he couldn't afford to waste Haki.
Vic only covered his forearms and fists with his Haki; for the rest, he had to improvise.
Akainu stood still, but Vic ignored him and vanished instantly.
When the people around saw Vic again, Vic had already appeared diagonally above Akainu, his fist covered in Haki already thrown out, but it was blocked by Sakazuki's forearm that appeared out of nowhere. The two of them were too fast!
The surrounding ground instantly shattered and scattered, forming a large crater around the two people.
Akainu's forearm was also covered in Haki, and his back was slightly hunched, indicating that he was not being careless.
Akainu also dared not underestimate Vic; he could belittle him verbally, but he still had to take him seriously in action.
Although their attack methods were restricted, the clash of pure Haki was still quite destructive.
" Akainu's Haki is indeed formidable; a guy who can become Admiral is truly terrifying! My Haki still has a long way to go!"
Vic did a backflip and returned to his original position; that was just a probing attack.
"As expected of someone who survived Kaido's attacks, to have such a strong Haki at such a young age is truly terrifying!" Akainu was also surprised by Vic's Haki, which seemed completely out of character for someone his age.
Although Vic's Haki quantity and strength are not as good as Akainu's, he now knows Ryuo, so he can use Haki from other parts of his body to fight. As long as he doesn't exhaust his Haki, he won't be defeated immediately.
Akainu no longer dared to be careless, so he chose to take the initiative and used Shave to attack Vic.
Not to be outdone, Vic struck first despite being behind, their fists clashing violently in the center of the battlefield. The ground collapsed, and the wind pressure generated by the collision sent the onlookers staggering about.
Many of these people are still new recruits, and even more are not in the combat ranks but are civilian personnel.
"Is this what battles between monsters are like?"
"It's terrifying! Just standing next to it makes my skin sting."
"No, look, Vic is injured!"
"So, I still can't beat them after all?"
"I told you guys long ago, how could a rookie possibly beat a monster Vice Admiral? Hahaha!"
Yes, Vic was injured. Under Akainu's full-force attack, Vic suffered internal injuries, and a line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.