Rebecca is currently a pure swordsman, much purer than Vic. Vic is an ability user unknown to others; his speed is enhanced by his ability, making him abnormally fast.
Rebecca has one less option to improve her skills, and reaching the pinnacle of swordsmanship is not something that can be achieved in just a few years; she doesn't have the same swordsmanship talent as Mihawk.
Physical prowess and Haki are not innate talents, so if Rebecca wants to reach top-tier combat power, she must take other paths, and a top-tier Devil Fruit is the main choice.
In the original work, why was Momousagi Gion a candidate for Admiral when she first appeared? Did she only become a candidate after Fujitora and Ryokugyu became Admiral? Obviously not.
When Aokiji and Akainu were still Admiral, Momousagi and Chaton were already Admiral candidates. Why did the Navy prefer to Admiral, instead of promoting Momousagi and Chaton to the Admiral?
That's because Momousagi and Chaton aren't strong enough to stand on their own yet. Chaton doesn't know, but Momousagi hasn't shown that she's Devil Fruit User; her introduction only mentions swordsmanship and Haki.
Her talent is strong, but her strength is not enough. Otherwise, she wouldn't be considered a candidate for Admiral. If she really had a strong Devil Fruit ability, the Navy wouldn't need to appoint two outsiders as Admiral. So, when talent doesn't reach the top level, external help is needed, and Devil Fruit are a good choice.
Vic also wanted Rebecca to eat a powerful Devil Fruit, but that would require luck; he could only do that after he became stronger.
Vic also wanted to see if there was any way to strip away the power of Devil Fruit. Since Blackbeard could do it, Vic felt there was no reason why he couldn't. Knowing the principle behind it would make it easier to find a solution.
" Rebecca, don't think about Devil Fruit right now. You're already stronger than your peers. As long as you learn everything your teacher teaches, you can become strong too. Don't be impatient!"
Vic was genuinely afraid that Rebecca might get stuck in a rut, seeing how strong he was and going to extremes, insisting on keeping up with him.
"Yeah, I just feel like the gap between us is widening!" Rebecca said softly.
"I'm just unleashing all my previous gains. There won't be much improvement for a long time to come, but you'll definitely catch up. I believe in you!" Vic encouraged.
"Hmm!" Hearing Vic say that, Rebecca was immediately full of energy.
"Yes, even I, who focused solely on physical combat, became Admiral. And what about Garp? Are you guys afraid you can't get stronger?"
"As long as you work hard, you'll eventually succeed. Vic is right, believe in yourself!" Zephyr encouraged.
Zephyr is the most qualified to speak on this matter. Sengoku is a Devil Fruit user, Garp is an abnormally strong physical combat expert. Zephyr is caught between the two. If he didn't believe in himself, didn't persevere, and gave up on himself, then there wouldn't be Admiral Who Does Not Kill.
Zephyr's talent is definitely high, just not as freakish as Garp's. Talent determines the ceiling, while hard work determines the floor. Talent is hard to change, but hard work can be pulsated according to one's own will.
Zephyr's words gave the group a lot of encouragement because he was a firsthand witness and his words were convincing. Vic's words, on the other hand, were less convincing because he was a cheater.
Vic could only smile helplessly. "I've worked really hard, okay? Talent and hard work go hand in hand. It would be a disservice to others if I weren't strong."
Wendy didn't say anything. She already knew that Vic had set his sights on a Devil Fruit for her, and her main task now was to Awakening her Haki.
She used physical techniques when she fought the Flame Pirates on the island last time, but since there weren't any particularly strong opponents, although she felt a sense of urgency, she didn't gain much in terms of Haki.
Amidst their laughter and conversation, they had already finished lunch. Vic still hadn't left anything behind, even chewing up the bones. Sea Kings bones contain a significant amount of Primal Spirit, making them very nutritious.
The principle of not exercising immediately after eating also applies in this world, so Zephyr did not immediately start training the students. It was free time, and the students gradually came out of the restaurant.
Soon, two days passed, and the warship sailed to an island with a Marine Base. It was impossible to keep the pirates on the warship forever. Solo travelers like Aokiji, who rode a bicycle alone on the sea, would usually choose to kill the pirates they encountered and sink them at sea.
The voyage these past two days hasn't been particularly safe either. The Grand Line truly lives up to its Grand Line; not only is the weather unpredictable, but there are also a lot of pirates.
Vic and his group encountered two groups of pirates in two days, but Vic didn't fight back. They were all relatively weak fighters, and Zephyr was left to the students to deal with. Rebecca and Wendy also joined the battle, with Rebecca fighting the strongest among them.
The trainees brought all the pirates on the warship to the island, including the two pirate crews they later encountered. The large group marched towards the Marine Base.
The pirates all knew their fate. Most of them showed fear, a few looked regretful, and only a handful were indignant, feeling that the Navy had betrayed them by launching a sneak attack.
Vic noticed one person whose behavior was different from the others: Kyle. Unlike his hysteria on the day he was captured, Kyle had been terrified these past two days, as if he were about to die. But today, after getting ashore, Kyle was unusually calm, showing no signs of being a prisoner about to be imprisoned in Impel Down. He seemed like a passerby. Vic found this strange and wondered what kind of mental journey Kyle had gone through.
Kyle was initially worried about being killed to cover his tracks, but now that he's almost being transferred and it's only a matter of time before he's sent to Impel Down, where it will be their territory and getting out will be much easier, he's no longer afraid.
Soon, amidst the curious gazes of the islanders, the group arrived at the Marine Base, whose highest- Marine Base officer was a Commodore.
"Master Zeff, it's you! I received a call earlier saying that a group of pirates were to be delivered to Impel Down. I was wondering who they were. What brings you here to catch pirates?" Commodore Bastet quickly stepped forward to greet him when he saw that it was Zeff leading the group.
Vic recognized this person; he was easily identifiable because he wore a horned mask with holes, had long, flowing dark red hair, and was over two meters tall. Eighteen years later, he would be promoted to Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral and would go to Dressrosa with Fujitora to pursue the alliance between the Straw Hat Pirates and the Heart Pirates. He was a relatively weak Vice Admiral who was instantly killed by Sabo.