"Let me treat you. Vic prepared the last banquet, and everyone had a great time!" Makino said, blushing as Vic approached.
"No way! I'll treat you! I'll treat Vic to juice, and in return, Vic will treat me to meat!" Luffy stood on the stool, looking at Vic with excitement. The little guy was even trying to get something for nothing.
" Luffy! Let me treat him. I'm paid. You can't just give me an IOU like this. Makino, bring out the meat. There's plenty. Let's see how much he can eat!" Vic said with a smile as he sat down next to Luffy. He had plenty of money; treating the future Sun God to some meat was a piece of cake.
"Alright! Vic will treat you then! Bring on the meat! Bring on the meat..." Luffy excitedly banged on the bar with his knife and fork, thinking, "I can get something for free again, this feels great."
After Luffy around with Vic in the bar for a while, Vic's Observation Haki detected a familiar presence— the Dog-Head Warship had returned to Foosha Village.
The warship needs to be repaired and replenished here, which is a win-win situation for the old man. He can visit his grandson and bring income to the Foosha Village at the same time.
Vic couldn't understand why the Hero of the Marines wanted to stay in the East Blue. Was it really just to deal with those insignificant small-time pirates? There were countless great pirates waiting to be captured in the New World, and Vic wanted to go and show off his skills and continue to improve himself.
" Luffy! Let's go, your grandpa's back, let's go find him!" Vic stood up and said to Luffy, who had finished eating and drinking.
"Huh? My grandpa's back? How did you know? Uh..." Luffy asked, puzzled, then let out a burp, clearly having finished his meal.
"You'll find out later. Let's go!" Vic said and walked out, not Luffy followed or not.
When Vic arrived at the dock, the Dog-Head Warship had just docked. Luffy, who was following behind Vic, looked at Vic's back with a look of amazement. This guy is really amazing. He can even know that his grandfather is coming back soon while he is in the tavern.
After Vic and the old man reunited, they learned that they had wiped out many newly formed pirate crews in the past few days, only to be killed by the old man before they even left the starting village.
Vic felt sorry for the pirates in the East Blue. The boss was too strong, and they could only sneak to the Grand Line after the old man was gone. But the time was too short for them to develop, and most of them would be wiped out if they went to the Grand Line. This made Vic sigh and think that the people of the East Blue should be in the Navy!
But privately, Rebecca told Vic that the old man seemed to be searching for something in the East Blue, having traveled to many places. The pirates were just something he did on the side. As for what he was looking for, the old man didn't say, and they didn't ask. They just followed behind and watched the old man perform his cannonball display. They didn't have a chance to intervene at all.
For the next month, it was the same thing: the Dog-Head Warship just wandered aimlessly in the East Blue, firing cannons at any pirates it saw, except this time it was two people who were targeted.
Vic also joined this brutal activity. Due to his proficiency, Vic's cannonballs were almost always accurate, and he could sink a pirate ship with just a few shots.
In this respect, even the old man can't compare. Vic's attack is precise, while the old man's is all-out firepower. You could say they each have their own strengths, since it's always the pirates who get hurt anyway.
For the past month, Vic has spent most of his time cultivating. With the old man on the warship, he basically doesn't need to lift a finger, only occasionally stretching his limbs when he feels like it.
He can't even beat the old man right now, so what right does he have to slack off? Only after he beats the old man can he sleep all day like Aokiji. However, given Vic's personality, even if he could beat the old man, he wouldn't stop training. After all, his physical talent doesn't allow him to stop.
Occasionally when he returns to Foosha Village, Vic will visit the bandit stronghold of Dadan, bringing them some game he has hunted along the way, and also teaching Ace some methods and techniques for physical training.
The old man had already told him that he couldn't just ignore him. Although the old man would also teach him, there was no conflict. Vic taught him methods to improve his physical fitness, while the old man trained his ability to withstand blows and adapt to situations. The combination of the two was invincible. Vic believed that Ace's future achievements would be even greater.
As for Luffy, Vic had no intention of interfering. As the protagonist destined for greatness, he had plenty of teachers and didn't need another one. Besides, he was still too young and it was the time for him to unleash his true nature. Giving him enough meat was all that mattered, and Vic could manage that. That's why Luffy was overjoyed whenever he saw Vic, because it meant his meal ticket had arrived, and he could eat as much meat as he wanted.
One month later, Vic was Luffy meat at the tavern. Rebecca and the others were also there; they didn't have any sailing missions that day, so they had come to relax.
Just as Vic was having a fun time teasing Luffy, a Marine suddenly ran over to report that the old man had urgently summoned them to set sail; there was a mission and everyone had to go.
Vic realized that what the old man was looking for might have appeared. Before, not everyone was required to go on the voyage; staying in Foosha Village to wait for orders was also an option.
But this time the order was different. The old man was about to make a big move. Vic immediately got excited. He had been in the East Blue for too long and felt like his body was rusting. The old man hadn't sparred with him for a while, and Vic felt uneasy if he didn't get beaten up every day!
Vic immediately abandoned Luffy and disappeared from the spot. Rebecca and the others also used the Six Powers Shave to quickly leave the tavern. Makino's eyes widened at the sight.
When they were together naturally, Vic and the others didn't show anything unusual, except for the Thunder Drum floating behind Vic, which was quite conspicuous. But as soon as a mission came, they all became extraordinary, disappearing in an instant, almost ridiculously fast!
She now realized just how strong Vic and his group were; they could kill Lord of the Coast a dozen times over in a matter of minutes. Luffy was also stunned. The tavern, which had been bustling just moments before, was now deserted. How did they all leave? The meat in his mouth no longer tasted so good.
"Grandpa! What's going on? What important mission is it? Even you can't handle it? When did East Blue have someone like this?"
Vic bombarded him with questions, genuinely curious about what kind of mission East Blue required the old man's personal involvement, and why the old man would need to involve him as well.
The crew on the Dog-Head Warship is capable of taking on the Big Mom Pirates. The old man should have no problem fighting Charlotte Linlin, and he should be able to Katakuri himself. Even if Katakuri can Future Sight, it won't help; if he sees it, he can't dodge and will still get beaten. Big Mom's other Sweet Commander' children are still young and haven't reached their prime yet, so they might not be able to defeat Rebecca and the others. But if they encounter them, they'll still have a chance.
"Don't ask so many questions. We only have a few clues now; it doesn't necessarily mean he's coming!"
Garp said with a serious expression. This time, he wasn't joking around. Clearly, his opponent was no ordinary person and deserved Garp's full attention.
However, there are quite a few powerful elders in this ocean. Those who did not appear in the original work, or who were captured by Garp and his group before the story began, are not to be underestimated. Vic couldn't guess which one it was.
Aside from Vic and Rebecca, who liked to wander around, the other marines on the Dog-Head Warship didn't stray too far from the ship. So by the time Rebecca and the others returned, everyone was already there. Garp immediately announced the departure. The supplies on the Dog-Head Warship were already prepared and ready to set sail at any moment.