When Vic heard this, a strange sadness welled up in his heart, and he remained silent.
When Rebecca brought the food over, he ate in silence as well.
Rebecca found it a little strange. Sensing that something was wrong with the atmosphere, she looked at her grandmother and then at Vic, a puzzled expression on her little face.
"Little Vic, rest for a while and let your food digest. I'll take you to see your parents later."
After they had finished eating, the old woman washed the dishes, then returned to the table and sat down.
"Vic, now that your parents are gone, what are your plans for the future?"
Vic answered at once, "I'm going to join the Marines, kill pirates, and avenge my parents!"
What the fuck? That wasn't what Vic had been thinking, so why had it slipped out? Could the original owner's soul still be there, or was it some lingering obsession? His expression changed slightly.
The old woman didn't notice the change in Vic's expression. She nodded and said, "Joining the Marines is fine, but you must be careful.
"Rebecca's parents were Marines too. Her mother in particular served aboard the ship of an important figure in the Marines..."
The old woman knew that Vic had heard about Rebecca's parents dying in the line of duty as Marines.
Vic talked with them for a while longer, then went with the old woman and Rebecca to the town cemetery.
There were many gravestones here, including many newly erected ones. Rebecca's parents were buried here too.
Leaving Vic alone in front of his parents' graves, the old woman took Rebecca to her daughter and son-in-law's graves and spoke in a low voice.
Vic sat before the graves without speaking, silently shedding tears.
Vic was certain now that the original owner's soul existed inside his body alongside his own.
It was simply very weak and no longer had a consciousness of its own. Vic was in absolute control of the body, and only when something the original owner cared deeply about came up could the soul passively influence it.
Though Vic sympathized with the couple, he didn't have much affection for them. His tears were the passive influence of the other soul.
Although Vic didn't speak aloud, he said silently in his heart, Ann, I don't know if you were the one who summoned me here, but I did hear your voice.
Now I've taken over your son's body. Although his soul is so weak that he couldn't control it even if I gave it back, and he could only live on in a daze,
I'll live on in his name from now on and grow stronger. I'll do my utmost to become so strong that no one can ever decide whether he lives or dies again, and make this world... This is my promise to you.
Joining the Marines was the fastest way to grow stronger for now. The original owner's obsession didn't conflict with Vic's path to greater strength.
The Marines' training methods were more systematic and easier to understand. They had operated on the seas for so long that no one could match their experience in training, except the organization above them.
Both children had lost their parents. They were a snapshot of the era.
Ordinary people had no way to control their own fate. To escape the chopping block and live freely, they needed strength to back them up!
Once the two families had each paid their respects to their loved ones, they headed back together.
No one spoke on the way. All three were silent and downcast. By the time evening came, the old woman took Rebecca home to make dinner.
Vic returned home and used his memories to find some money. For an ordinary person, it would probably have been enough to live on for several years.
The pirates had probably seen that the people in the house had already been killed and assumed the money was probably gone too, so they hadn't searched the place.
For a ten-year-old, this money was enough to provide a living. Vic had no intention of eating and drinking at the old woman's home for free. His soul was that of an adult, after all.
Once dinner was ready, the old woman sent Rebecca to call him over. She had made plenty of food, probably because she had seen how much Vic ate at lunch.
In the end, Vic still ate every last bit. It was as though his body had increased its capacity to digest and absorb food. To Vic, that was a good sign. In the world of pirates, eating a lot was a sign of strength.
After dinner, the old woman comforted Vic some more, telling him not to think about anything, to live without worry, and to grow up well.
But how could Vic not think about it? He was someone from another world, and he was living in a disaster-ridden world like the world of pirates.
People here could be powerful enough to rival natural disasters. Life really was fragile, and an ordinary person was lucky just to be alive.
After returning home and washing up, Vic lay in bed and began to think.
Life in this world was truly difficult. Whether an ordinary person could survive depended on luck, but luck was elusive. Only strength could keep him alive.
Our island has no powerful force to protect it. When pirates come, we're at their mercy.
It's unrealistic to count on someone else to rescue us. Only our own strength can provide the greatest security.
There are many ways to become stronger in this world:
physical techniques, swordsmanship, Devil Fruits, the Marines' Six Powers, Haki, as well as the rarer Fish-Man Karate from Fish-Man Island and Hasshoken from Flower Country.
But getting a Devil Fruit depends on luck. Although I know the whereabouts of a few Devil Fruits, I have no strength at all right now. Going after them would be suicide.
The Marines' Six Powers aren't easy to learn either. They require a powerful physique to support them. I can only learn them after I join the Marines.
Without a teacher, I can't master Armament Haki until I reach a certain level. Its physical requirements are even higher than those of the Marines' Six Powers.
I can only look for a chance to learn it once I'm in the Marines. I can't count on it right now.
Observation Haki is even more elusive. There's no telling when it might awaken.
Some people are born with it, while others can awaken it through a shock.
Still others master it through years of training. People really are different! All I can do is spend more time trying to sense it.
There's even less point thinking about Fish-Man Karate and Hasshoken. They're too rare, and there's no need to learn them anyway. After all, they've never produced any top-tier powerhouses.
After turning it over, Vic decided that for now he could only train his body first, lay a solid foundation for everything he would learn in the future, and practice some martial arts from his previous life.
After all, when he made videos in his previous life, many of his commentaries had required knowledge in that area, so he had learned quite a bit.
Those martial arts hadn't been very powerful in the world of his previous life, but their intricacy and ingenious ideas would surely shine in this world.
Most physical techniques in this world emphasized sweeping, forceful movements and relied on strength and Haki to win. They were much less refined in terms of technique, though a small number of people still followed the path of skill.
I definitely have to learn swordsmanship. It's highly developed in this world, and some people can become top-tier powerhouses through swordsmanship alone. I want to try it too.
Besides, fighting someone without a weapon feels like a bit of a disadvantage!
The difference might not be obvious early on, but in top-level battles, there was a huge difference between having a weapon and not having one (excluding that remarkable old man Garp, of course).
Just look at Luffy's great battle with Kaido of the Four Emperors. Kaido could hit him with his club several times before he could barely land a single punch in return. His attack distance and range put him at far too much of a disadvantage.
And which of the original Four Emperors didn't have a weapon?
Whitebeard had Murakumogiri, Kaido had his spiked club, Big Mom had Napoleon, and Red-Haired Shanks had his saber, Gryphon.
Even Pirate King Roger had the saber Ace in his hand, and his vice captain, Dark King Rayleigh, had a sword too. That said a lot.
I have to learn swordsmanship, even if there's no one to teach me at this stage.
Basic swordsmanship and what I learned in my previous life can still help me grow stronger little by little.
As for the path ahead, now that I have a rough plan, the right course is to adjust it as I put it into practice.
Having worked out a rough plan, Vic fell into a deep sleep.