Vic didn't give up and kept trying to break through the invisible barrier, but all his attacks—slashes, lightning, lasers, Railgun, and Haki— were ineffective. Vic could only watch helplessly as Katakuri's pirate ship disappeared from sight.
The man in black remained calm and composed, hovering in the air and ignoring all of Vic's movements. The other party had forced Vic to use his trump card with just one move, and it had no effect whatsoever.
This was beyond Vic's comprehension; the person before him felt far stronger than even Whitebeard and other Emperor of the Sea!
Whitebeard and his crew were strong, but Vic could still see the gap between them. However, the black-robed figure in front of him made it impossible for him to see any depth!
This person even reminded him of the mysterious expert Bullet had mentioned before. He was also dressed in a black robe, exactly the same as the person in front of him. Could it be the same person? Bullet wouldn't usually submit to such a person!
Is the goal to cultivate potential pirates? Why doesn't someone this strong show their true face? Are they afraid of that king of the World Government?
Before Vic could think, the Sword Gang he unleashed flew ten meters away and landed on the distant sea, creating a huge wave.
Vic's brow relaxed, knowing that the black-robed man's invisible power had disappeared. He didn't know if the man had retreated on his own after seeing the pirate ship leave, or if he had been too exhausted to hold on. However, since he could no longer hold him, Vic still wanted to rely on his speed to catch up with the pirate ship and kill Katakuri and the others.
Freed from his restraints Vic transformed into lightning and vanished from his spot. He then sped through the clouds in his elemental form.
However, he suddenly felt a pang of heart palpitation and immediately transformed into human form, stopping abruptly in the clouds. Then he heard a soft murmur, and the cloud he was in was split in two, drifting in different directions!
The split point was right in front of Vic. If he hadn't stopped, Vic suspected that even in his elemental form, he would have been hit and injured!
Vic swallowed hard and slowly turned to look at the man in black robes. The man in black robes was still standing in the same position and was not looking in his direction. The only difference was that the man's arm was raised and the hand hidden under the black glove was like a knife!
Vic knew that this black-robed man could unleash powerful Sword Qi with just a hand chop, and could pinpoint his location precisely, even with his elementalized, high-speed movement.
It's possible that the black-robed man's invisible energy wasn't exhausted, but rather that he felt he had other means to keep Vic in place even if he withdrew, so that Vic would completely give up.
What exactly do you want to do?
Vic didn't chase after the pirate ship anymore; he knew that with such a bottomless figure blocking his way, it was impossible for him to succeed.
Vic flew back and hovered opposite the man in black robes, questioning him. This man in black robes helped Katakuri escape, clearly indicating that he was on the side of the pirates.
But why wouldn't someone so powerful kill Marine Vice Admiral like him? Vic was very curious about what this man in black was thinking.
Could it be that he's intended to use him as a whetstone to hone the skills of pirates? Like before, to teach Katakuri Observation Haki the Future Sight? Vic couldn't fathom this man's thoughts.
The man in black robes didn't speak, but the hand that had just delivered the chop was rotated, its five fingers spreading out and then clenching into a fist.
Vic felt as if his body was instantly sealed tightly inside by two sheets of cling film, with no gaps whatsoever.
Of course, there was no plastic wrap, and the plastic wrap couldn't trap Vic. It was the invisible force from before that squeezed Vic so tightly that he couldn't move, and there wasn't even any air around him!
Fortunately, Vic's ability to hold his breath was remarkable, and he wouldn't suffocate for a while, but the pressure was getting stronger and stronger.
Fortunately, Vic's physical strength is also exceptional, and he can still hold on, but being squeezed there and unable to move makes Vic very ashamed and indignant!
Having been in this world for so long, Vic has never felt so powerless. Last time he encountered Kaido, he was able to draw his sword and fight back. Although he was severely injured and on the verge of death, he was still able to escape.
He chose to fight head-on just to protect Rebecca and the others. This time, he couldn't escape even if he wanted to. He was at the mercy of others. As the saying goes, it's not easy to kill a strong person, but it's even harder to capture them alive!
As time went on, the invisible force pressing down on Vic grew stronger, and he felt his physical strength increasing under the influence of his proficiency talent.
However, this increase in strength couldn't keep up with the pressure, and Vic's body was already struggling to cope. His bones were starting to creak and groan from the compression. If this continued, Vic felt he would be crushed to a bloody pulp.
So Vic released his Armament Haki Armament Haki, covering his entire body with it, which alleviated the misfortune of being crushed.
Vic's Armament Haki is also very strong, with reserves comparable to some veteran powerhouses. Thus, the two remained locked in a stalemate, like a still, frozen scene.
An hour later, the pressure had become unimaginable; even rare metals would be compressed into thin paper inside. However, Vic, covered in Armament Haki, was able to withstand it.
His Armament Haki was also repeatedly squeezed and tempered by an invisible force, allowing Vic to further improve his control over Armament Haki. However, he didn't know whether the invisible force of the black-robed man or his Armament Haki would be exhausted first!
Just when Vic thought he could endure this much longer, the invisible force around him suddenly disappeared, and he regained his mobility. The man in black robes lowered his clenched hands.
Vic didn't think this was the black-robed man's limit, but he didn't know why the other party had stopped. Vic remained wary, knowing that the other party's methods were far more than this, and that he hadn't shown any extra moves before.
The man in black robes merely turned his head and glanced at Vic. It should be said that he glanced at him, because although his face was completely black, Vic could feel that the other man was looking at him.
After glancing at Vic, the man in black robes left only a cryptic name before disappearing into the horizon in a few flashes.
" Nika "
Nika?
Vic murmured. Although the black-robed man's voice was low and hoarse, Vic could still hear it clearly. This was the second time the black-robed man had spoken.
The name puzzled Vic. Why would the man in black leave this name before departing? Was Nika referring to the previous Sun God Joy Boy? Or the next Sun God, Straw Hat Boy? Or perhaps he was referring to the yet-to-be-seen Devil Fruit?
But what does all this have to do with Katakuri? The only connection is that Straw Hat Boy learned to Future Sight from Katakuri?