Golden Lion was quite surprised to see the Ryuo on Vic's twin swords. He could naturally also Ryuo, but he learned it much older than Vic, a power he only encountered after going to the New World.
It was precisely because he possessed the power of Haki and the ability of the Float-Float Fruit Rocks valued him and took him under his wing. Vic's swordsmanship, Devil Fruit, and Haki, displayed at such a young age, all exceeded Rocks' expectations.
He seemed to see Garp and Roger in their youth. Although Garp didn't know swordsmanship, all three of them grew up in an extremely wild way. They were the epitome of exceptional talent, and their future achievements were limitless.
He recalled what happened at God Valley that day. Captain Rocks, who could easily suppress him, was defeated by two rising stars working together. Later, one of them traveled around the world and became the Pirate King, while the other became a Marine legend and earned the title of Hero of the Marines. What kind of role will Vic become in the future? Golden Lion fell into deep thought!
"Boy! What's your name? Become my right-hand man, and together we'll surely become the King of the World! Hehehehe!"
What future is there in the navy? At best, you can only become Fleet Admiral who takes orders from others. A man born between heaven and earth should not live a life of mediocrity and subservience!
Wouldn't it be wonderful if we could share this world together? I'm already quite old; by then, won't this world belong to you alone?
The Golden Lion, impressed by Vic's talent, used Ryuo to block Vic attack and said that he saw Roger's shadow in Vic, but Vic was younger and had a lot of room to grow.
Most importantly, Vic is now a Marine. If he could win him over, it would be a slap in the face to the Marines, which would be perfect. He didn't care whether Garp on the sea below could hear him or not; he was an old rival, so it didn't matter.
"You old scoundrel! Don't try to demoralize my troops! I didn't join the Navy for status. Your ambition is too narrow; all you think about is ruling the world, never about changing it?"
Golden Lion has big ambitions, but he can't achieve them on his own. Vic knows some things about the future, so he can't be trusted easily. The old man is still down there, and if he says anything inappropriate, the old man might just kill him. He can't beat the old man right now.
While Vic was talking, his hands didn't stop moving at all. He immediately unleashed a powerful attack on Golden Lion. Golden Lion had no choice but to go all out. Although Vic's Haki wasn't at its peak yet, Golden Lion Haki no longer at its peak due to his physical condition and age. He was struggling against Vic's attack and could only barely defend himself. However, Vic's Haki still managed to penetrate his body.
Seeing Vic's resolute attack, the Golden Lion said nothing more. Even if he were to speak, it would be after defeating Vic, since he was currently outmatched by Vic's offensive power. The two flashed through the air, creating a mist that danced with the brilliant colors of flowing Ryuo. Vic's attacks were fierce and sharp, while the Golden Lion fought and retreated, defending himself.
As the saying goes, prolonged defense inevitably leads to defeat. Although Golden Lion is a veteran powerhouse, Vic has considerable experience fighting against such veterans, and the Great Grade Sword has already struck Golden Lion several times.
Although Golden Lion sensed the attack in advance with his Observation Haki and used Armament Haki to Hardening and defend himself, he was still injured internally.
Finally, when Vic cleaved the Golden Lion in the chest, he reached his limit and his body could no longer bear it. Although the Golden Lion was unharmed, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Golden Lion's internal injuries had accumulated to a certain point and he could no longer hold them in. After vomiting blood, he retreated far away from Vic. Vic did not pursue him when he saw Golden Lion vomiting blood. He still did not know whether Golden Lion was acting or if there was some conspiracy waiting for him. After all, Golden Lion was an old and powerful figure.
After getting away from Vic, Golden Lion looked at Vic with surprise, his chest heaving and panting heavily. Although he had developed the Float-Float Fruit ability to a very high level and it consumed very little energy, Vic's attack was too fierce, and he needed to fight with all his might and complete concentration!
He was exhausted both physically and mentally after the battle. He had never seen such a young man in all his years at sea. Perhaps the young Rocks also had such talent, but he had never seen him before.
Even Roger and Garp were just rookies at sea when Vic was that age; they grew stronger through countless battles.
But Vic appeared out of nowhere, seemingly out of nowhere, and was incredibly powerful. His growth process was far too short; the human physique couldn't possibly allow for such savage development, which was something he simply couldn't comprehend.
Vic posed a life-threatening threat to this veteran powerhouse, but what Golden Lion didn't know was that Vic had already touched upon the origin of Haki. Whether it was the Awakening, growth, or application of Haki, he was directly addressing the essence of Haki.
Instead of blindly and passively using Haki, the difference between them is enormous and cannot be made up for by diligence alone. Moreover, Koby anyone else and has been guided and battled with strong figures like Zephyr and Garp. It would be unreasonable for him not to be strong.
"Hey kid! Where did you come from, you little monster? Did Garp find you in the New World?"
Golden Lion believed that Vic's fighting prowess at such a young age was largely due to his birthplace; the environment truly has a significant impact on a person's development.
Based on his experience and knowledge, Golden Lion didn't believe that Vic was born in the first half of Four Blues Grand Line or the Four Seas. The foundation of those positions couldn't support Vic's growth. Only a dog-eat-dog world like the New World could enable someone with exceptional talent to grow rapidly. He still wanted to bring the image of the person in front of him back to the world he was familiar with, so that his dreams and ambitions wouldn't be shattered.
"I was born in the East Blue and only joined the Navy in the last two years. If you had found me sooner, maybe I would have become a pirate with you, hahaha!"
What a pity! The first one to find me was Hero of the Marines! To avoid being killed by him, I had no choice but to join the navy!
Vic spoke with a tone of remark, explaining that he had originally approached Garp himself, wanting to join the Navy, essentially offering his own services. He was saying this to provoke Golden Lion.
Ever since the Golden Lion stuck a ship's wheel on his head, he sometimes exhibits symptoms of mental illness, imagining himself as a rooster. This unpredictable onset of symptoms is his weakness and vulnerability. It's still necessary to do this when the Golden Lion's strength is uncertain. Among the strong, even the slightest flaw can lead to defeat and death. Vic hopes that the Golden Lion is the one who will show weakness.