Vic had already walked away. He still needed to buy a few more things, and one store could satisfy his needs.
The shop owner, hearing the noise outside had subsided, sighed inwardly, thinking that the handsome young man had probably met with a terrible fate. Driven by curiosity, he stepped out of the shop to see what was happening outside.
He was startled as soon as he arrived outside the store, clutching his heart and nearly falling to the ground. A group of people were standing silently on the street outside his store.
Were they trying to rob him secretly? Were they seeing that he had just made a profit? But he stood there frozen for a long time, and the pirates didn't make a move, as if they were immobilized, their bodies and expressions completely still.
Seeing that the vicious pirates didn't move, he grew bolder and wandered among them, looking here and there.
However, they still dared not make any excessive moves. These pirates were all watching closely, but for some reason they couldn't move. If they offended them now, they could be in mortal danger if they were retaliated against later.
"Why is there a faint smell of blood? Is the fishmonger cleaning fish again?" the shop owner muttered, just as a pirate who lived on Jaya walked over from the beach.
"Why is everyone gathered here? Is something exciting happening?"
The newcomer approached, patting the shoulder of a pirate standing motionless on the periphery as he spoke, wanting to inquire about some interesting events that had occurred while he was away.
But that one slap caused trouble; the pirate's head was knocked off, shattering into pieces the moment it hit the ground, and a faint chill emanated from it.
Looking at the headless pirate again, the severed neck was as smooth as a mirror, as if it were frozen, reflecting the sunlight and being exceptionally dazzling.
"Ah!..."
Two loud screams rang out simultaneously. The shop owner and the pirate watched as the head fell to the ground and shattered. The scene was too bizarre.
Even in broad daylight, the sight sent chills down their spines. They had all seen heads fall to the ground before, but this was the first time they had ever seen a head shatter upon impact.
Then, something even stranger happened: the headless corpse was slapped and fell to the ground, making a cracking sound like a broken pottery jar.
Like a ceramic jar, it shattered and flew everywhere. These flying fragments struck the bodies of other motionless pirates, as if some kind of switch had been turned on. First, heads fell to the ground and shattered, and then bodies fell to the ground and shattered.
The shop owner was in a complete panic. All the pirates who had been standing outside the shop were now lying flat on the ground, and it was impossible to tell which piece belonged to whom!
The pirate who had patted the man on the shoulder sat frozen on the ground, muttering repeatedly, "It wasn't me!... It wasn't me!" He looked completely insane; the impact had pushed him beyond his limits, and he was practically useless on the open sea!
This is a new sword technique that Vic recently comprehended on Drum Island. Starting with the chilling aura of the Underworld in Mantis, then moving to the giant Iceburg at sea, and finally experiencing the icy landscape of Drum Island, he has finally grasped the essence of the Ice Sword Intent.
It can be considered a branch of Kendo. There are many meanings under Kendo, and swordsmen have different understandings and their power varies. It mainly depends on each person's understanding.
Even those with the same intent can have completely different directions and vastly different powers; the Flower Sword, Fire Sword, and Ice Sword are all techniques that have been mastered by some.
Vic has a high level of understanding of swordsmanship, but this is the first time he has grasped the essence of it, which has some effects beyond just sharpness.
It can be considered a process of humankind perceiving, learning from, and utilizing the power of nature. It is also a progressive process of humankind adapting to, transforming, and enjoying the environment. As we go through these processes, humankind becomes increasingly powerful.
Vic bought a lot of things and spent a lot of money, but this amount was just a drop in the ocean for Vic.
There was also a mountain of gold in the Dimensional Space; he had collected a lot of gold and treasures from the pirates he had wiped out along the way.
His trip to Sky Island wouldn't be in vain. Not to mention the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, the gold in the City of Gold is all lying there waiting for him to collect. That's definitely a huge gold mine, so he won't have to worry about money at all.
At this time, Venbula Kulik had not yet arrived at Jaya, and there were almost no idle people studying the Knock Up Stream. So after buying things, Vic went to the beach and called Xiaobai to wander around the area around Jaya.
Meanwhile, a terrifying legend circulated in Mogu Town on Jaya: a succubus from the Underworld had transformed into a handsome man. It could walk in the sunlight, and anyone who touched it would turn into a human-shaped sculpture that looked alive but would shatter at the slightest touch—truly terrifying!
This legend spread, terrifying the pirates of Mogu Town. As they fled Jaya, the legend reached other places, so much so that handsome men were viewed with suspicion, fearing they might be turned into human statues and die a violent death.
Vic never expected that his casual action would create such a legend. If he knew Vegapunk's explanation of the origin of Devil Fruit, he might wonder if a Mythical Zoan Beast-type Devil Fruit with a succubus form would appear on the seas in the future, and it's quite possible that he would often think of and call out its name.
Vic rode on Xiaobai's back for three days, exploring the area around Jaya. He missed one of the Knock Up Stream, and he didn't go into the forests of Jaya to catch South Bird, which is used for navigation. Vic didn't even know where the Knock Up Stream appeared, so whether or not he had South Bird made no difference.
After missing it once, Vic realized that Xiaobai could sense strong disturbances on the seabed. Just a quarter of an hour before the Knock Up Stream occurred, Xiaobai seemed very uneasy and wanted to get away from there, but Vic restrained him.
Vic was still wondering what had happened when the Knock Up Stream occurred, and Vic realized that he would have to rely on Xiaobai if he wanted to ride Knock Up Stream.
Two days later, Xiaobai started feeling uneasy again. Vic knew his chance had come, so he sent Xiaobai to the nearby sea area that had caused it unease. With Vic's speed, he could catch up with the Knock Up Stream very quickly, so there was no need to get too close.
" Xiaobai, that's enough for now. You're free. Don't worry about gratitude anymore. We'll meet again someday!"
Xiaobai is a big guy that Vic can't take with him. Vic isn't the kind of person who would do something small and always seeks repayment. Back then, it was just a small favor.
Xiaobai could also sense Vic's emotions and roughly knew that it meant they were about to part ways.
It had been with Vic for a while and had developed some affection for him. It was reluctant to part with Vic, but it knew that Vic's will was not something it could sway. It just let out a pitiful cry several times before leaving Vic's boat.
This place is not safe. Before the Knock Up Stream rises, there is a process of water filling the cavity. This process will create a huge whirlpool. Although Xiaobai is very big, it may not be able to escape that huge suction force, so it left here willingly.