"Oh..."
Foxy's pirate crew was also very self-aware; before he could even finish speaking, his underlings had already rushed out, showing how skilled they were at their job.
Wendy and Barnett inwardly cursed when they saw Vic get hit. Although Vic was incredibly fast, he was now facing an unreasonable power like Devil Fruit!
They didn't think Vic could resist such an ability after being hit. If he had used extreme speed to dodge from the beginning, he might have had a chance to win. This was mainly because they had never seen Vic at full speed, and they probably couldn't even see him, as he was already beyond their sight.
For them, the Noro Noro Beam froze them in place. Thinking about this, Vic would probably be frozen in place as well, unable to use any of his moves.
However, the essence of Noro Noro Beam is not to directly freeze the person or object being illuminated, but to reduce the speed of the person or object being illuminated to a certain limit, or to slow it down by a certain factor.
Because that speed was really slow, it looked like they were standing still, but these are two different concepts. They were too inexperienced and misunderstood. If they were illuminated by light at the speed of the Six Powers "Shave", there would definitely be no situation like standing still. At most, they would only be at the speed of an ordinary person walking. However, because they were ambushed, they didn't have time to use fast moves to dodge.
The henchmen moved quickly; as soon as Foxy finished speaking, they were on either side of Vic, holding chains and waiting for the Noro Noro Beam to disappear.
The Noro Noro Beam takes effect as soon as it shines on them. They don't rush directly into the light; in the past, quite a few people have been immobilized by doing so. However, after working together for a long time, they have learned their lesson and their coordination is now seamless.
Once Foxy's Noro Noro Beam completely disappeared, his underlings swarmed forward, ready to bind the young navy man tightly.
This time, however, something seemed to have gone wrong. The person illuminated by the Noro Noro Beam was still walking at the same speed as before, without any difference in their condition. But they didn't think much of it. Vic's walking speed was just so-so, and they could still easily grab him.
If nothing unexpected happened, then something unexpected did happen. The navy officer in front of them had somehow produced a short staff with an ancient pattern, and as they approached, he was hit on the head.
Moreover, everyone who approached felt as if they had been struck at the same time; the henchmen all fell backward simultaneously, the chains in their hands rattling. They didn't feel how much force Vic had used, but a strong sense of dizziness and numbness spread throughout their bodies, and then they lost consciousness.
Wendy and Barnett breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that Vic was completely unaffected by the light. Vic was indeed the Vic they knew, never fighting a battle he wasn't sure of winning.
"You, you, you..."
Foxy thought he had victory in his grasp, but to his surprise, all his underlings fell in a single exchange, and the young navy man was steadily walking towards him at a leisurely pace, putting him under immense pressure.
Vic was the first person who could stroll leisurely under his Noro Noro Beam. This suddenly appearing Marine seemed to be quite extraordinary. Although his subordinates were not particularly strong, they were all people who had been strictly selected by him, but they were no match for this Marine.
However, Foxy did not give up the fight. The Noro Noro Beam continued to shoot at Vic, Vic stopped in his tracks and even closed his eyes when he was hit by the beam again.
Seeing that Vic had finally stopped, Foxy withdrew his finger that had been releasing the beam of light, wiped non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, and was relieved that his ability was still working. If his ability hadn't worked, he really wouldn't know how he would have defeated Vic.
He had been watching Vic's move closely, but he hadn't understood it. That was the biggest problem; not using his abilities would just be a waste of time.
Before Foxy could even catch his breath after the Noro Noro Beam stopped, he noticed the young navy man approaching him again. His steps were still steady, but each step felt like it was pounding on his heart, making his chest feel like it was about to explode.
He quickly continued firing the Noro Noro Beam at Vic, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he realized the young navy man was standing still and unable to move.
The thought that the Noro Noro Beam couldn't stop was infuriating; it would drain him completely. But if the Noro Noro Beam didn't stop, he wouldn't be able to get close to the navy officer.
He couldn't win even if he stopped, what should he do? Foxy was at his wits' end, regretting his decision today to bring in such a troublesome opponent, and starting to doubt his own abilities.
Vic closed his eyes again. He wasn't actually frozen in place, but because Foxy's ability was completely opposite to his own, he wanted to experience it properly, hoping it might provide some inspiration for developing the Speed-Speed Fruit.
Stopping to remain still was also to lull Foxy into a false sense of security, to make him keep using his abilities. If he appeared too strong, he was afraid Foxy would give up and resist, but he couldn't appear too weak and get captured, otherwise there would be no continuous Noro Noro Beam. So, maintaining this stalemate was the best option.
" The Noro Noro Beam doesn't directly stop my body, but rather it slows down the flow of time within the space illuminated by the light."
Although on the surface only the speed of people and objects appears to have slowed down, the air and dust within this space are all affected.
That's truly a God Level Fruit! If developed properly, it could directly grant abilities in both time and space. It's a pity I can no longer eat Devil Fruit.
Foxy actually managed to turn such a God Level Fruit into a comedic ability! Should I try to get this fruit? But even ordinary people would have a hard time developing such a powerful ability!
After a moment of contemplation, Vic finally gained a general understanding of the Slow-Slow Fruit, which was quite different from his Speed-Speed Fruit.
His Speed-Speed Fruit ability is more targeted, truly applied to people and objects. However, he rarely uses his ability on external objects now, which can be considered as hiding his true strength. It might have a surprising effect when he's off-limits.
The Slow-Slow Fruit's power operates in space and manifests in time, making it a range-based ability. Relatively speaking, the Slow-Slow Fruit has higher potential and prestige, but it also consumes more resources. If it is fully developed, its effects won't last as long, so it has both advantages and disadvantages.
Perhaps Foxy in the future isn't unwilling to further develop it, but simply unable to due to his own limitations. He might even be dragged down by his ability. This Devil Fruit indeed very suitable for Vic, this tanky beast, but unfortunately, once it's gone, it's gone!