" Vic is probably a level above me! Although I've become much stronger, I still can't defeat the Golden Lion."
I witnessed firsthand how strong the Golden Lion was back then; his strength was comparable to Captain Roger's.
Our two pirate crews have fought many times, and I know firsthand how powerful Golden Lion is. Even now, though he's older and has lost his legs, his fighting strength is still not to be underestimated.
Although we're now on opposite sides, meeting doesn't necessarily mean fighting. I have a good impression of Vic, and we haven't seen each other in a long time. I really want to drink and have a party with him!
Shanks held a newspaper in one hand and a wine glass in the other, taking small sips with a faint smile on his face, glancing at the newspaper from time to time.
He wasn't worried because Vic was a Marine and had become so powerful. Vic wasn't the person Captain Roger was waiting for either; he was more likely a witness like himself, and they would have many interactions in the future.
"We've only met once, right? You trust him that much?"
Beckman was still quite rational. After all, they were on opposite sides. They were pirates, which gave them a lot of freedom and allowed them to do whatever they wanted.
However, Vic isn't the head of the Navy; he has many superiors who are keeping him in check. He has to follow orders. What if his superiors ordered him to hunt down his own pirate crew?
After all, they had only met once, and neither side knew each other that well. Although Shanks trusted the Marine, he still needed to be cautious and offer reminders, as he was always a calm person.
"Once is enough. You can tell what kind of person someone is after just one meeting. It's an indescribable feeling, but it gives you a sense of closeness. Regardless of our allegiance, it doesn't affect our personal relationship."
He knew we were pirates when he looked for us in Sabaody; he saw our pirate ship. He knew we were pirates, so why did he still ask us for help? The Navy asking pirates for help like that?
That's very risky. The fact that he trusted us so much on our first meeting suggests he probably had the same intuition as me!
You can learn more about his style of doing things. Aside from being constrained, it's very similar to ours. Because of his position, he might even do better than us!
After Shanks finished speaking, he looked up at the battlefield that hadn't been cleaned up yet. Although they were pirates, what they did wasn't bad. They were just a bit capricious and didn't behave as well as the Navy. But they were still a breath of fresh air among pirates.
"That's really what I don't understand. Vic was indeed a Marine at that time, but because he was a new recruit, no one knew his identity."
But he knew who we were, so there was naturally no problem. A naive young man seeking help, and we chose to help him because he was interesting—putting aside our identities, this was indeed quite normal.
But now that I know his identity, and thinking back on what happened, it really seems very illogical. It's not that there was any conspiracy or trickery involved, it's just that he seemed to trust us a lot.
The only explanation that makes sense is what you call intuition. Do all highly talented people have such strong intuition?
Beckman is highly intelligent, but he couldn't figure it out either. He could only conclude that highly talented people can have a strong resonance. Little did he know that Vic only knew some plot details and had some understanding of Shanks, which was driven by a strong subjective consciousness. As for whether he had intuition, it's hard to say. If he did, it would probably be overshadowed by his subjective consciousness.
"Hahaha! Intuition is a really hard thing to explain. When I first saw Uta, I actually saw Captain Roger opening the box and finding me!"
That was my first meeting with Captain Roger. Seeing Uta, a figure that seemed strangely familiar, must have stirred up deep-seated memories within me. Perhaps it was an intuition, an instinct to raise Uta.
There's no need to think too much about Vic. My gut tells me we'll meet again in the New World, and I definitely want to spar with him again then!
When Shanks mentioned Uta, he looked up from the newspaper and smiled as he gazed at the small figure in the arena. Uta was singing while standing on a wooden box among her companions.
Marine Headquarters Marineford
Inside the Fleet Admiral's Office at the Marine Headquarters, Kong sat behind his desk, exuding a resolute and capable aura. His gaze was slightly lowered as he looked at the newspaper on his desk, which was the front-page headline about Vic killing Golden Lion. The current sole Admiral, Sengoku, sat on the sofa to the left of the desk, with a small white lamb chewing on something at its feet.
"What exactly is Garp trying to do? Wasn't taking down Golden Lion a great thing? Why didn't he report this crucial news? If it weren't for that Morgans reporting it, we'd still be completely unaware! He's still acting so recklessly!"
Kong a little frustrated. He had always known that Garp didn't really follow orders and liked to do things his own way, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't fight him, and he couldn't bear to kick him out of the Navy.
This time it doesn't really involve Garp, so why is he hiding it? Kong just can't figure it out.
Suppressing Vic? Is that even possible? Vic was someone he brought to the Navy and protected multiple times; he's a junior he values highly. Besides, this matter can't be suppressed; the person involved can't just pretend nothing happened, right?
Did the two plan this beforehand? But what's their purpose? Do they want to avoid being too high-profile, conceal their strength, and prepare to target a specific person or group, exploiting an information gap? Are they about to clash with a powerful pirate from the New World? They can't do these things right now! It could easily trigger a chain reaction, and things could get very difficult to handle later. Kong the Kong is somewhat worried!
"I guess Garp has high expectations for Vic. He knows about Vic's promotion to Marine Admiral and wants Vic to get a place in this promotion as well!"
The information from Golden Lion's side was inaccurate; it was provided by a pirate, and we couldn't verify its authenticity. We won't take action against pirates of that caliber or with uncertain information.
But Garp insisted on going, and even wanted to take Vic and his group of recent recruits with him, claiming that even if they didn't encounter the Golden Lion, they could at least see their grandson.
I thought he was just using the excuse of wanting to go back to East Blue to see his grandson, and that he would come back afterward. I even handed over the remaining tasks to him so he wouldn't have to make a special trip back to headquarters.
I never imagined this guy's real goal was the Golden Lion; showing off his grandson was just a pretense. He knows me too well; he's got me completely figured out!