"It seems that's really the case. We have something to do again. Vic, you have no choice but to go down," Rebecca said happily. She still preferred to be with Vic, and fighting side by side was even better.
Rebecca has now completely immersed herself in the role of a marine. Her first reaction upon seeing pirates is to kill them. Most of the pirates she has encountered recently have been bad, and Rebecca has developed a conditioned reflex to it.
"Full speed ahead, prepare for battle!" Zephyr's booming voice rang out from the warship.
He had clearly spotted the pirate ship as well, and Vic already knew about it through his Observation Haki. Zephyr didn't usually use his Observation Haki when he wasn't fighting, but his first reaction upon seeing the pirate ship was to be on guard.
After the warship docked, everyone noticed that many people were lying haphazardly not far from the pier. Zephyr immediately led everyone over, and when they arrived at the scene, they saw a tall man dressed as a farmer holding a dying man wearing a pirate captain's hat.
"Everyone stop!" Zephyr raised his hand to stop the crowd from moving forward. His expression became much more serious. He stared intently at the tall figure holding someone in his hand. The man also looked at Zephyr with some surprise.
"Teacher! You know him?" Vic was right next to Zephyr and immediately sensed Zephyr's unusual behavior.
Vic looked curiously at the burly man, who was nearly five meters tall. He was dressed as a farmer, his skin was dark, his hair was long to his shoulders, he had thick eyebrows and big eyes, and he also had a full beard. His trousers were rolled up high, and there was still some mud on his calves, as if he had just come out of the fields. Behind him stood several other men dressed as farmers, obviously they had also made their move. There were also quite a few people watching from a distance.
"Dark Mantis, a former member of the Rocks Pirates, while not a high-ranking officer, was of a much higher rank than Kaido's former apprentice."
Moreover, he was about the Kaido, and his bounty was already 700 million at the time. He left the Rocks Pirates before the God Valley Incident and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since.
I never imagined I'd end up holed up on such a tiny island!
Zephyr sighed with emotion, saying that the God Valley Incident was Garp's legendary battle, after which Garp was crowned Hero of the Marines.
Nineteen years have passed since that incident. Mantis has been missing for so long, and his bounty has never increased. It's unknown how strong he has become, which is what worries Zephyr.
If Zephyr hadn't encountered him by chance during his training at sea with the Elite Camp, very few people would have known that Mantis was living in seclusion here. Those who knew him were all quite old, mostly senior officers in the Navy, and people of that rank rarely came to the first half of this area. This is why Mantis hadn't been discovered for almost twenty years.
"Oh, such a big shot! He doesn't look like one at all. Apart from being tall, he looks like a farmer!"
This was Vic's first impression. He didn't sense any hostility from Mantis with his Observation Haki; there was only a peaceful aura, and he didn't feel any particularly powerful aura either.
Vic was quite surprised to hear what Zephyr said. Such a great pirate had the aura of an ordinary person. Vic suspected that he had a strong ability to conceal his presence.
"I wouldn't mistake him. Back then, there was a wanted poster for him on the display board in the conference room."
Although he now has a full beard and long hair, and his physique and height have changed, I won't mistake him for someone else.
Back then, the Rocks Pirates on the seas, a group of powerful outlaws that no one could ignore! Although Zephyr was surprised by the great change in Mantis, he was certain that he was right.
"Oh, a great pirate? I've been a bit free lately, it'll be perfect to get some exercise with him!" Hearing Zephyr's confirmation, Vic's fighting spirit soared. He wouldn't miss the chance to encounter a powerful pirate; fighting was the fastest way to get stronger, and even if he couldn't win, Vic would be there to back Zephyr up.
"Be careful, Mantis has been missing for so many years, who knows how powerful he has become!"
Zephyr didn't stop Vic from fighting. After all, the opponent was a pirate, and it was only natural for the Navy to capture pirates. He just told Vic to be careful. Zephyr knew Vic's strength; even he couldn't defeat Vic in a short time.
"Yes!" Vic certainly wouldn't be careless. Zephyr had told him that this person was about the same age as Kaido, and that his status back then was even higher than Kaido's.
It's important to understand that on the Rocks Pirates ' ship, strength was paramount. To be honest, Mantis was stronger than Kaido at that time. However, Kaido hadn't eaten the Fish-Fish Fruit yet, so we'll have to fight him to find out just how strong Mantis really was.
Vic walked directly towards Mantis. Rebe and the others beside Vic were a little worried. After all, a person's reputation precedes them, and anyone who can be compared to Kaido is definitely not weak.
Mantis watched Vic walk by with some curiosity. He could sense the growing fighting spirit emanating from Vic and knew that this Marine was going to cause him trouble. However, he wasn't afraid. He was quite confident in his own strength. It was just that he was a little worried about Zephyr standing next to him.
Vic stopped ten meters in front of Mantis and said, "My name is Orens Vic, and I'm a Marine. I've heard you're a pirate. Now that I've run into you, I can't let you roam freely on this island."
Vic said calmly. Vic wasn't a thoroughly righteous person like Akainu. He didn't sense any evil or ferocity from Mantis. Perhaps his aura could be completely concealed, but his eyes didn't lie.
Mantis's eyes were clear and bright, not at all like someone who had committed many evil deeds. However, he was a great pirate from the Rocks Pirates. Vic wasn't confident in judging a person's character based on first impressions, but having encountered such a strong opponent, he wanted to fight. The reason he spoke like this was to urge the other party to fight with all his might, or else he would capture him.
" Three-Sword Style?" Mantis looked at the three swords at Vic's waist with some surprise. He had never seen a human use three swords before. Other races had used them, but their swordsmanship was not good. They relied on numbers to win with flashy moves.
"Will the boss win?" Mantis's underlings asked with some concern.
"Yes, those three swords at that navy officer's waist look quite impressive. Just by looking at their style, you can tell they're high-grade, Famous Sword!"
"So powerful! His aura is so sharp; just standing here makes my face feel like it's being cut!"
"Our boss won't lose. Have you ever seen him go all out?"
"Yeah, every time the pirates come to raid, they're easily defeated by the boss. We've never seen the boss fight at full strength!"
"If the boss loses, he'll be arrested. Those damned navy! We're living peacefully here, why are they bothering us?"
Vic is also a swordsman, and the aura he exudes is extremely sharp. If Vic were to go all out, his aura alone could slice through the leaves falling from the trees.
Just like Red-Hair ' Conqueror's Haki, which can cause real damage with its sheer aura, Vic's aura can do the same. Bullet's Conqueror's Haki also very strong, but it's only equivalent to raindrops hitting a person, which is already much stronger than the Conqueror's Haki of others.