Although Iceburg was unhappy, Vic did have a reason not to go, leaving him and Franky as the only choices, and since he had been specifically asked to go, he couldn't refuse.
Iceburg quickly stuffed a whole steak into his mouth before getting up and walking towards the door, afraid that Franky would snatch the roast meat from his plate again. Franky wasn't afraid of Iceburg at all; the two were always at odds, never backing down from arguments or fights, and always ready to go at it.
Iceburg was initially somewhat dismissive, thinking he was just a male navy man. Since there was already one here, and another ship's worth of men would be arriving later, one more wouldn't make a difference.
He was stunned the moment he opened the door. A beautiful young woman, a head taller than him, stood gracefully in the doorway. Her beauty was among the best he had ever seen!
What's even more remarkable is Rebecca's aura, cultivated through countless battles and victories, which naturally attracts attention!
Rebecca used her Observation Haki to sense the situation inside from the doorway. After realizing that it wasn't Vic who opened the door, she dropped her sweet smile and became somewhat aloof.
That change in demeanor was so dramatic that it left the already somewhat fearful Iceburg speechless. His heart pounded so hard it almost broke the ribs protecting his heart, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
Rebecca didn't say a word to Iceburg. He was just a little brother to her, so she ignored Iceburg and walked inside, scaring Iceburg into backing away and avoiding any physical contact with the opposite sex.
Rebecca went straight to the spot where Iceburg had been sitting as soon as she entered, and without any hesitation, she pushed away Iceburg's cutlery, took a new set of cutlery and placed it in front of her, before giving Vic a bright smile.
Tom and Kokoro were completely baffled by Rebecca's behavior. If it weren't for the fact that Rebecca also had a cloak of justice on her, they would have wondered if this pretty little girl had something wrong with her head. She was acting way too presumptuous!
Iceburg, who was following behind Rebecca, saw that Rebecca had taken his seat. He didn't dare to say anything or ask anything. He felt so wronged that he could only stand there blankly by the table and silently swallow his saliva!
" Mr. Tom, Kokoro! This is Rebecca. We grew up together, she's my neighbor, and she joined the Navy with me. I spoiled her; she's never faced strangers alone before, and she's been a bit immature. I apologize on her behalf!"
Vic put a piece of steak on Rebecca's plate and gave them a brief introduction of Rebecca.
Vic was surprised that Rebecca, this simpleton, just swaggered in and sat down at the table without any ceremony. Little did he know that he rarely cooked on the warship these days, which made Rebecca a little hungry, and that's why she couldn't wait to sit down at the table.
Hehehe!
Rebecca just gave a sheepish smile and buried herself in her food. Tom didn't seem to mind; he'd always been very easygoing.
Moreover, she's Vic's childhood sweetheart. Judging from her cloak, her rank shouldn't be low, so her abilities are probably not bad either. She might just be a little lacking in interpersonal skills, but who would dare to say anything to a pretty girl like her? Even Iceburg, who's usually quite sharp-tongued, doesn't dare to speak now. That's the privilege of a beautiful woman.
After that, it was a harmonious mealtime, Iceburg moved over a chair again after getting used to it.
Rebecca enjoyed a delicious barbecue, looking completely satisfied. She knew that being with Vic meant she'd get to eat meat.
The people at Tom's Workers hadn't had such a meal in a long time. You see, the meat that Vic kept was always top-notch. Vic was just doing the service, but he didn't care. He just considered it tuition he was paying for Tom.
After the meal, Vic took out some tea leaves and asked Rebecca to make tea for everyone, while he began studying his professional knowledge with Tom.
Tom mainly felt that Vic wouldn't have much time on the island, so he wanted to make sure Vic studied as soon as possible.
Not only because of his changed attitude towards Vic, but also because he was afraid that Vic might not be proficient enough and would later claim that he was the one who taught him, he took Vic, who wanted to have some tea, directly to the studio to start teaching him.
Since Tom wanted to teach Vic now, he wouldn't refuse. He had originally planned to have some tea and chat before boarding the Dog-Head Warship, but he decided against it. Anyway, since he had the power to Life Return, he could absorb and store excess energy, so it didn't matter if he didn't have tea.
Tom didn't directly teach him how to build a ship. Instead, he showed Vic a lot of simple shipbuilding blueprints, explaining the markings on the blueprints and the functions of the components—basic stuff.
However, Vic only glanced at each drawing, and Tom didn't pay much attention, assuming that Vic was just skimming through them. But later, when Tom explained them to Vic, Vic understood them in one go.
Tom had assumed Vic had studied this before, but Vic demonstrated his photographic memory to him. Tom was surprised, but he also understood why Vic had previously claimed to have a strong learning ability.
He wasn't exaggerating; he genuinely had the talent. So Tom changed his teaching plan, switching from bicycle speed to motorcycle speed, and Vic adapted quickly.
Half a day later, Vic received a call from the old man asking where he was. Vic told the old man to use his Observation Haki to find him himself.
The old man grumbled and hung up the Den Den Mushi. What Vic heard was roughly that this kid disrespected his elders and refused to lead the way, actually making an old man like him go find it himself. He said he would guide the kid's cultivation after the tsunami was over.
Tom overheard Vic's phone call and immediately ordered Iceburg and Franky to guard the shipyard's gates. If they saw the Dog-Head Warship, they were to simply open the gates and let it in.
Tom then continued to immerse himself in teaching Vic, he was so engrossed in it, he had never seen such a quick learner and talented person before, and he couldn't wait to teach Vic everything he knew in his life.
Teaching Vic is a bit addictive for him; this is probably what it's like when a good teacher meets a genius student. If he were to encounter someone who just can't learn no matter how he tries, he'd probably be driven crazy.
Vic's few hours of study were equivalent to Iceburg and Franky's year-long study. Tom even admitted that he couldn't match Vic's theoretical knowledge. Now it all depends on his practical skills. But judging from how well he cooks, his practical talent should be excellent as well. Tom is looking forward to the practical exercises after the Aqua Laguna.
Garp sensed Vic and Rebecca's presence and searched around the island. Iceburg and Franky immediately recognized the Dog-Head Warship and laboriously opened the gate.