Vic returned to the cabin with the two girls. He was suffering from severe internal injuries and needed to hunt Sea Kings to recover quickly. Of course, Vic wouldn't stay in his injured state, so he had no choice but to ask Sea Kings to sacrifice itself.
The next day was the day of the Recruit Camp assessment, but Vic didn't go. Instead, he sat in meditation in front of the cabin to recover from his injuries.
Rebecca and Wendy both went to the assessment; they don't have Vic's fame and ability.
Vic wasn't worried about whether they could pass. Rebecca was a swordswoman who Awakening Observation Haki, and her strength was comparable to that of a colonel in the headquarters, so the assessment wouldn't be a problem.
After so much training and practice, Wendy's reaction speed has reached the level of Kami-e, so entering the Elite Camp won't be difficult for her.
The two returned in the afternoon. There were only so many people to be assessed, and the assessment was over quickly.
" Vic, you and Sakazuki have both been punished!" Rebecca said.
"Oh, tell me about it, what punishment Admiral Sengoku?" Vic asked curiously.
"Your allowance is gone, and Sakazuki's salary is gone too, until the little square in the Recruit Camp is finished! It was that guy who broke the rules first, why should you be punished?" Rebecca said, annoyed.
"And the buildings you split up also need to be repaired, hehe!" Wendy added.
"So be it, I don't need that stipend anyway!" Vic didn't care about the money; he was the one who raided a pirate crew's treasure trove, how could he be short of cash!
" Andrew said that since we've graduated, we can rest for two days and then go straight to the Elite Camp. You're the acting instructor now!" Rebecca said, looking at Vic.
"Yes, Professor Zephyr mentioned this to me before!" Vic nodded.
"I heard that Sakazuki left the square yesterday and went straight on a warship!" Wendy said.
"Let him go, he can't do anything to me now. I'll only get stronger in the future, and then I'll be the one causing him trouble!" Vic said nonchalantly.
Two days passed quickly, and Vic did not go out; he had recovered from his injuries.
"My body has been tempered by the Void Lightning, making it even more resilient. Combined with the Primal Spirit within the Sea Kings's flesh, this combination is truly superb!" Vic clenched his fist, somewhat impressed.
"Let's go, Rebecca, today is the first day of training at the Elite Camp!"
"Okay, they're here. Let's go!"
The two soon arrived at the Elite Camp. Since it was the first day, everyone was already there, including a few familiar faces. Wendy was there, of course, and surprisingly, Barnett had also come to the Elite Camp.
Then there was Kevin, the lookout at the time, and Vic, the deputy leader of the combat team, as well as many other members of the combat team.
Upon seeing Vic approach, the lively conversation of the crowd quieted down.
Barnett's eyes were shining as he looked at Vic; he had come specifically for Vic, and he had already made up his mind.
But after watching Vic and Sakazuki's fight a few days ago, his resolve only grew stronger.
" Barnett, once you're in the Elite Camp, train hard, and you can come aboard my ship!" Vic walked up to Barnett and patted him on the shoulder.
Vic was also satisfied with the choice of the chief steward. He believed that Barnett could manage the ship well even without Vic on board, and he could just be a decision-maker.
"Really? You're willing to let me sleep in your bed... no, on your boat!" Barnett was very excited; this was something Vic had said himself, and he had lost his usual composure.
"Ahem, of course, but you'd better train hard and get stronger, because my missions in the future won't be easy!" Vic continued.
" Vic, let us aboard your ship too!"
"Yeah yeah!"
We all want to get on your ship!
"Everyone, quiet down. If you want to board my ship, you need to cultivate diligently and train hard. To board my ship, you must master Six Powers. This is the foundation!" Vic pressed down with both hands to quiet everyone down.
"Just like I told Barnett, the missions I'll be undertaking from now on will not be simple; they will be highly dangerous. If you're not strong enough, your life will be in danger. So if you really want to join the ship, you'd better train hard!"
"Oh!!!"
"I will train hard!"
"Alright, I think everyone understands now. I'm temporarily serving as an instructor for the Elite Camp until Professor Zephyr returns. I hope everyone will cooperate well during this time!"
We'll listen to you!
Yes, yes!
"That's right!"
Soon, Vic incorporated some of his own understanding into the training. These students were generally older Vic, all over twenty years old.
Vic and his two friends are considered young, but Vic is already 17 this year, Wendy is also 17, and Rebecca is only 16.
Therefore, all Elite Camp can now learn the Six Powers, so there are no people who are not physically capable enough.
With Vic's understanding of the Six Powers, coupled with corresponding training and practice, he believed that the Six Powers would not be that difficult.
A week later, Vic was still an instructor at the Elite Camp. He didn't teach them the Six Powers directly, but instead did physical training before they learned the Six Powers Six Powers, which made it easier for them to learn.
Meanwhile, Zephyr and the original Elite Camp members who had been sent out for the assessment have returned to headquarters and are landing at the port. These trainees will wait at headquarters for about a week before being assigned to other positions. Where they will go will depend on their performance.
Zephyr dismissed the trainees and other personnel in the front square and headed towards the headquarters building alone.
Not long after, Zephyr arrived at Sengoku's office door, knocked twice, and went inside.
" Zephyr! You're back!"
"Yes, I'm back!"
"Why didn't you go back and rest when you just got back? You can report on your work later!" Sengoku asked with concern, after all, they were old comrades-in-arms.
"It's not their problem, it's Vic's problem!" Zephyr said solemnly.
"Oh, what's wrong with this year's class?" Sengoku asked, puzzled.
"Through this sea trial, I discovered a fatal flaw in the new recruits!" Zephyr said seriously.
"A fatal problem? What problem!" Sengoku also became serious.
"During this assessment, we encountered a group of pirates. I noticed that some recruits were extremely afraid. Even though they were stronger than the pirates, they didn't dare to charge. They were terrified by the pirates' menacing aura! I'm worried about how long these trainees will survive being assigned to other positions. This is a drawback of the headquarters training program—it only involves training, not real combat where life and death are at stake!"
"So what are you planning to do?" Sengoku asked after a moment of contemplation.
"I plan to take this year's Elite Camp directly to the high seas. They'll train and gain experience at the same time. If they encounter pirates, I'll send the students to fight. Anyway, with Vic in this class, we can definitely give it a try and build up their courage. They're reserve officers, after all. If something happens to them after they're sent out, it will be a huge loss. We've spent so much time training them!" Zephyr revealed his plan.
"Once they're at sea, it's okay to be scared once or twice. They'll get used to it after a while, and then they'll be able to pick up weapons and fight. Even people with no prior experience fighting pirates won't be a problem. The more they see, the less scared they'll become!"
Sengoku lowered his head and carefully considered this measure, and he had thought of many things.
Many of the new recruits who came to headquarters had no experience fighting pirates before. Some were Devil Fruit User, some had connections, and some were just naturally talented, so there were indeed problems. Many pirates were ruthless killers with a strong sense of oppression that was frightening to look at.
It would indeed be dangerous to fight pirates without undergoing Elite Camp training, but this year is different. With a monster like Vic on board and Zephyr on the ship, there shouldn't be any major problems. Soldiers who grow through combat have greater potential.
Just like him, Garp, and Sengoku, they all grew up in battle, which speaks volumes.
After figuring all this out, Sengoku also felt that this was a good method. If this method worked well, they could continue to use this model in the future.
"Alright, Zephyr, I'll take this matter seriously. I'll provide you with all the necessary equipment. You can also move to the branches along the way. If this year's recruits are indeed different, we can do it this way from now on!" Sengoku agreed, looking at Zephyr.
"Okay, then I'll go prepare!" Zephyr said and left the office.
Zephyr probably didn't know that his suggestion would sow the seeds of his own downfall, resulting in the loss of one of his hands, leaving him with only two trainees, and ultimately, it was this very suggestion that led to Zephyr's defection from the Navy.
Of course, this is the plot from the original work; whether it will happen in this world is hard to say.