Once back on the warship, Vic returned to his quarters and meditated. He wanted to consolidate his breakthrough and make this level of strength a regular occurrence before the next battle, which would be considered true progress.
The others in the Elite Camp weren't as calm as Vic; they were all talking about what had just happened. A battle of this level was something you might not see for years.
Before their strength grows, we may not see battles like this; those kinds of battles mostly happen in the New World.
After graduating from the Elite Camp, it's not a matter of just a few years before you can go to the New World. This batch of students, who were in the same cohort as Vic, have already seen it several times, but such opportunities are rare. Knowing the gap between themselves and the strong will prevent them from becoming complacent.
Rebecca and the others were used to Vic returning to his cultivation practice and didn't disturb him. Ain wanted to go and sit down with them, but Rebecca stopped him.
Because Vic was emanating a strong Sword Qi, Rebecca was afraid that Ain would be injured by it. Vic was not practicing Observation Haki Sword Qi right now, and getting too close might result in indiscriminate attacks.
After a while, the people who had gathered on the island dispersed. They already knew that Mantis was alright; the recovery ability of Zoan was indeed very strong. Now, only his few underlings were taking care of Mantis.
After the civilians dispersed, Zephyr sent people to the island to make purchases. Many students went with them, and Barnett took Frodeku to get glasses. Wendy also went with them.
When Vic woke up, it was already dark, and not far from him were Rebecca and Ain sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed.
A smile appeared on Vic's lips. He didn't need to strengthen willpower anymore. It was like digging a tunnel in the mountains. Wherever you dug the tunnel, that was the end point. You could always get back to that point and keep digging forward. Of course, something big might happen in the outside world and destroy the tunnel, and that person might become depressed!
Kendo is different; it's something that requires personal understanding, just like learning. When you first start learning, you might think you've mastered it all, but you might forget it as soon as you turn around.
Kendo is a state of being, a realization, that is fleeting. If you don't grasp the realization when it comes, it may take a long time to try to grasp it again, and you may not even have that realization again. Kendo is something more profound than knowledge; it's not something that's placed there for you to observe at any time.
Therefore, Vic's main task is to allow himself to linger at the level he has just grasped, to integrate and master it, until he can do it effortlessly.
At the very least, one should know what level that is and where to enter it next time. Of course, this applies to those who cannot consolidate their understanding in one go.
Vic doesn't need to go through all that trouble. He has already reached that level completely. If he fights Mantis again, he won't be as powerless as he was at the beginning. Back then, Vic's twin swords did no damage to Mantis at all; they couldn't even break his skin.
" Rebecca, what time is it?" A voice rang in Rebecca's mind as Vic woke Rebecca up.
"It's still early, it's only just gotten dark!" Rebecca opened her eyes immediately upon hearing Vic's voice, a smile still on her face. Rebecca wasn't completely immersed in her cultivation, and she would occasionally open her eyes to check on Vic's condition.
Rebecca's voice woke Ain up, and when Ain saw that Vic was awake, she immediately got up and rushed into Vic's arms.
Rebecca was speechless. It wasn't like they had experienced a life-or-death separation, why were they being so clingy!
" Vic! I was so worried about you, I'm so glad you're okay!" Ain was just using this as an excuse; she was probably the person with the most confidence in Vic out of everyone, and never thought Vic would lose.
"Yes, I'm fine now, and my injuries are all healed!" Vic comforted Ain, patting her little head. The little one hadn't suffered for nothing!
" Rebecca, go and prepare two bottles of good wine for me, I need them!" Vic instructed Rebecca again.
"Oh!" Rebecca replied somewhat reluctantly, looking at Ain in Vic's arms.
Mantis remained silent after Vic left, his feelings complicated. Even before the fight began, he had noticed that Vic was different from the other marines—not in terms of his powerful aura, but in a different kind of aura emanating from him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but it was something that made someone like him feel a sense of goodwill. It was a strange feeling.
He didn't think about why he lost or which of his techniques were lacking. He kept thinking about what kind of person Vic was. His behavior and actions were not what one would expect from someone his age. He let go of such a great pirate so easily.
He knew why, of course, because if he were captured, the other civilians on the islands would be harmed by pirates.
After all, this is a must-pass place on one of the seven sea routes, and there are countless pirates. This is not a country. Everyone here makes a living by farming and has no money to pay the Heavenly Tribute. They are not under the protection of the Navy at all. So the young Navy man stayed behind to protect the civilians on the island. They were not related to him. What kind of magnanimity is that!
"Oh, it's all bandaged up. Actually, it didn't need to be. He recovers very quickly; it won't be long before there's no scar left. This is really unnecessary!"
A faint voice echoed in the room, and the henchmen's faces changed drastically, cold sweat breaking out on their backs. They recognized that voice very well; they had heard it during the day, and it had almost killed their boss.
Mantis's pupils contracted for a moment before returning to normal. His underlings turned around with some difficulty and saw the memorable figure from earlier that day standing at the door.
They thought the young navy officer had changed his mind and was now trying to arrest their leader again, so they rushed over and formed a human wall in front of their leader's bed.
"Oh! Is this how you treat your guests? Looks like I'll have to draw my sword and greet you."
Vic continued speaking casually, but his eyes revealed his appreciation for his underlings. They had all witnessed how strong their opponents were; one hand could wipe them all out. Yet, they had resolutely stood in front of their boss. That took immense courage!
"Get out of the way, he's not here to cause trouble," Mantis said. He knew that even a hundred times more people wouldn't be able to stop him if he really wanted to, and he was confident that the other party wouldn't actually fight. He just hadn't expected that the fight would end so soon.
The underlings looked at Vic warily, but still stepped aside and returned to a distance to watch Vic.
Vic found it somewhat amusing. A lackey is a lackey; although he was determined to die for his boss, his judgment was far too poor.