After hearing Smoker out, Vic thought it made sense. Not everyone was like him, training their body into something monstrous in their early teens, attaining some proficiency in swordsmanship, and awakening Observation Haki.
In the original story, Smoker had been assigned elsewhere for years without awakening Haki. It was only later, after he went after the Straw Hat Pirates and headed to the New World following the Paramount War, that he awakened it.
By then, Smoker counted among the Marines' fourth tier of top fighters, but he was already thirty-six. Above him were veteran Vice Admirals, Admirals, and a few white-haired men, all of them well on in years.
The youngest were Momousagi and Chaton, and they were definitely older than Smoker. Both were considered very talented: they were a generation younger than the veteran Vice Admirals, yet stronger than them.
Aokiji was also very talented, becoming an Admiral before he turned forty-six. He was younger than most veteran Vice Admirals. So Marines who could use Haki tended to be older. Someone like Koby had only learned it because Garp had beaten him half to death in training. Very few people could use Haki at a young age.
In the original story, when they were holding back the Birdcage in Dressrosa, practically every Marine there could use Haki. That was a little exaggerated, though those men had come aboard Fujitora's warship. An Admiral had to have a proper showing, right?
Besides, only those who could use Haki could go up against it. Those who couldn't were better off doing something else; going up would have been suicide.
So the men aboard an Admiral's ship were of a high caliber. Perhaps all the Marines who could use Haki had been assigned to the ships of those senior officers.
Or perhaps the people assigned to officers' ships encountered fights involving Haki more often, making it easier for them to awaken it. That was possible too.
In any case, the people holding back the Birdcage were all fairly old. The recruits in the recruit training camp and the elite training camp were not very old, so it was no surprise they couldn't awaken Haki. Haki required tempering and the baptism of battle.
Vic felt he could skip the Elite Camp and graduate right now. Of course, he would have to learn how to awaken Armament Haki first.
But the Marines probably wouldn't agree. Just give him a post straightaway? They hadn't even assessed him yet. How loyal was he? What if he sailed a warship out and sold it? He had to be educated before he could take up a post.
Still, knowing the instructor was Zephyr was enough. Zephyr hadn't lost his arm yet, so he was more than capable of teaching Vic. Out of respect for Zephyr alone, Vic had to spend some time in the Elite Camp. His Armament Haki was in Zephyr's hands, and he could seek Zephyr out to learn ahead of time.
While Vic and the others were eating and drinking their fill, a subordinate entered Andrew's office. Andrew was curious what business he had at such a late hour.
"Colonel, there's something I need to report."
"Hmm? Go ahead."
"It's the trainee dormitory area. A lot of trainees complained tonight that the newcomer, Vic, was cooking in his room. They said it smelled too good, and he wouldn't give them any, which seriously disrupted their rest."
"I checked, and it already violates the recruit area's regulations. Colonel, how would you like to handle it?"
"Well, he only just arrived, and there are a lot of rules he doesn't know. Give him a talking-to tomorrow and punish him lightly in front of the other recruits. That should be enough," Andrew replied after thinking it over.
"Yes, Colonel. I'll head back, then. Get some rest."
"Go on."
Vic learned a lot about the basics of the recruit training area, then drank and ate with the other two. By the time the gathering broke up, everyone was satisfied, and all three had flushed faces.
Vic went straight to bed. Rebecca cleared the table, while Smoker and Hina left with their arms around each other's shoulders. Hina kept slurring drunken nonsense.
The night passed uneventfully. The next morning, Rebecca woke Vic. By the time they reached the square, quite a few people were already there. Andre checked the time on his pocket watch, then looked at the trainees arriving for assembly. As soon as it struck five, he blew his whistle.
"Those of you who are here, line up! Latecomers, stand off to the side. You're not to rejoin the ranks without orders!" Andre shouted, then had the assistant instructors keep an eye on the latecomers.
Once everyone had arrived, Andrew began his address.
"Everyone, start running laps around the recruit area. Twenty laps each. Latecomers will run five extra laps. Vic cooked in the dormitory last night and broke the rules, so he'll run ten extra laps. Follow the assistant instructor and start running. Remember the route yourselves. The other assistants will keep track of those who have extra laps."
Andrew pointed to an assistant instructor as he spoke.
"Huh? The recruit area? How big is that? One lap has to be ten kilometers, right?"
"They're making us do this on the first day? Isn't that a bit harsh?"
"They're going to run us to death. Oh, my God..."
"Quiet! No talking! Follow the assistant instructor! Now, start running at once! Move!" Andrew roared.
At that moment, Vic stepped out of the ranks and walked almost all the way up to Andrew. He looked at him without speaking, as though to say he wasn't running and the others could go without him.
The other trainees were stunned. Was he already going to defy orders on the first day? This guy was fearless. Andrew's expression changed too. If he was embarrassed the very first time he gave an order, how could he manage the recruit camp afterward?
"Vic! What do you think you're doing? If you don't want to be a Marine, get out! No one here is going to indulge you." Andrew was furious and no longer cared about showing Vice Admiral Garp respect.
Vic said nothing and continued walking until he stood in front of Andrew. Andrew's heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively took a step back. He was a little scared. Though he was a colonel, his work was mostly administrative, and he wasn't very strong. He was afraid of being beaten.
"Instructor Andrew, here's the thing. The running you described doesn't do anything for me anymore. Could you find me some fairly heavy weights? I'll wear them while I run. It'd be best if you prepared another set for one more person."
Vic spoke calmly, seemingly unconcerned by Andre's anger.
Andrew was a little stunned. Someone was actually asking for extra training? That was rare. Even so, he beckoned to an assistant instructor nearby.
"Go to the equipment room and bring two sets of the weights used for training in the Elite Camp," Andrew ordered, then looked at Vic.
"Instructor Andrew, from now on, will cooking in the dormitory area be punished with extra laps?" Vic asked with a smile.
Andrew thought, You little bastard, you're already planning for future punishments? Wouldn't you break the rules every day? You think I'd agree to that? Are you kidding me?
In the end, Andrew agreed anyway. As for why, Vic had stomped a large hole in the stone pavement.
Smiling, Vic had said he wanted to seek the instructor's guidance in physical combat and have a friendly spar with him. Then Andrew agreed to make running the punishment. Yes, he'd wanted to agree all along. It definitely wasn't because of anything else.
When the assistant instructors brought the weights, Vic tried them and found they wouldn't do. They were too light. Running with them still wouldn't give him any exercise.
"Too light, too light. Are there any heavier ones? I want heavy ones." Vic casually tossed aside the five-hundred-kilogram weights. What a joke. Back in Shimotsuki Village, he'd sprinted around with a small stone hill weighing over ten tons on his back.
Andre's mouth twitched, and he hurriedly ordered the assistant instructors to fetch heavier ones.
Three assistant instructors carried one over. Vic tried it, but it still wouldn't do.
"Too light, too light. Are there any heavier ones?"
"This is still light? The top students in the Elite Camp use this!"
Vic said nothing and lifted it with one finger, leaving the surrounding trainees speechless.
Andrew had no choice but to nod to the assistant instructors, who went off again. This time, six people carried the weights over. Vic tried them, then took them off and dropped them on the ground, cracking the thick stone slabs.
"Too light, too light. Are there any more? Go get them!"
"Vice Admiral Kizaru used these before, and you still think they're too light?"
Vic nodded, leaving them speechless. The trainees were shocked when they saw the cracks in the ground. He still thought those were too light? If they put them on one of them, he could drop dead on the spot!
"Too light!"
"But Vice Admiral Kuzan..."
"I said they're too light!"
"Too light! Who used these?"
"Vice Admiral Sakazuki!"
"Hmm, go get another set."
Hearing one name after another, the trainees nearby were numb. These were legendary figures in the Marines! The weights they'd used had smashed pits in the stone pavement, and he still thought they were too light? Couldn't he act like a human being?
"Hmm, these will barely do, I suppose. Whose were these?"
"These belonged to the former Admiral Zephyr. Surely they're enough now!"
It now took twelve people to carry the weights!
"They're still a little light. Go get another set. Don't waste time; everyone's waiting!"
"You're the one wasting time here, hey!"
Andrew grumbled inwardly.
"Not bad. These are just barely enough for now. You should prepare some heavier ones, though. I'll need them later. Who used these?"
"Vice Admiral Garp!"
Andrew didn't take Vic's words seriously. Who did he think had used these weights? The Marine hero himself had used them. Vic could forget about changing them even after he graduated!
The other trainees had been frightened by Vic. He was already using weights the Marine hero had used, and this was only the beginning. What about later? What would happen then?
Vic paid no attention to the others. He tried the weights; they were made of a special material and were extremely dense. Only after putting them on was he satisfied. He did a few stretches on the spot, then started running. "Rebecca, put on that set of five-hundred-kilogram weights." After saying that, Vic disappeared, still moving at great speed.
Only then did the trainees pick their jaws up off the ground and follow him. Their faces were gloomy, and they felt as though they weren't worthy of coming to Marine Headquarters for special training.
Cold sweat broke out on Andre's forehead. Luckily, he hadn't agreed to spar just now, or he really would have been beaten to a pulp. Where had Vice Admiral Garp found this monster?
Could the two of them be related? This was absurd. He needed weights this heavy just to train. Couldn't he simply ask Vice Admiral Garp to train him? Why make things difficult for a weak man like Andre?
Vic ignored the shocked crowd behind him and ran ahead with light steps. And so, the first day's running drills began in this divided atmosphere. Before long, Rebecca also put on a set of weights and followed behind him.
Although Vic had thirty laps to run, he was the first to finish. Even the weights didn't slow him down. Many trainees failed to finish and passed out by the roadside. Only a few completed the run. All of this had to be recorded as a basis for their future assignments.