Shanks didn't know was that Vic's height and build were actually much larger than he had seen. After another year of growth, Vic was already close to three meters tall.
He was just not used to his tall stature, so he used his Life Return to compress his body to the extreme, and even then he was still over two meters tall.
While height can be compressed, weight cannot. Coupled with Vic's powerful bone and muscle density, he weighs over a ton, capable of shattering the ground with a single stomp. He's essentially a tank-like figure, far surpassing Shanks ' strength. In comparison, Shanks is currently quite thin.
After a dozen or so moves, Shanks suddenly appeared in everyone's sight. He had been knocked back by Vic's move and was now kneeling on one knee, sliding backward while leaning on Gryphon. Sweat was beading on his forehead and his chest was heaving rapidly. Clearly, using speed and strength at full power was quite taxing.
In contrast, Vic also appeared in the air, but without showing any signs of strain; this was the greatest benefit that his physical proficiency brought him.
As long as you train your body, your strength and stamina will increase, and they won't decrease due to laziness. Vic had put in a lot of hard work training his body before, and he only stopped after eating the Rumble-Rumble Fruit because he could no longer go to the deep sea. But this still made Vic's foundation incredibly solid.
"You really are a monster. Your strength and speed are so abnormal. I already saw some signs of it when we fought last time, but this time you're even more outrageous. You've improved so much in such a short time. You're a monster among monsters!"
After Shanks stopped retreating, he exclaimed with even greater admiration, his eyes shining as he looked at Vic as if he were a rare treasure.
He had always thought his talent was already extraordinary, but today he saw someone even more extraordinary, whose progress was faster than his own, and whose physical abilities were superior in every way. Indeed, there's no such thing as a false reputation, and the newspapers weren't all just making things up.
"I simply used the time you spent hosting banquets to cultivate; it's not that I'm really a monster. Your talent is equally astonishing; I just value my time more, that's all!"
Vic shook his head and said that Shanks and Luffy are indeed very talented, but both of them are the type to slack off when there is no pressure and become stronger when there is pressure.
Vic's talent, on the other hand, is to grow stronger steadily and gradually. It's rare for him to grasp the essence and become a level stronger in just a few days. To put it bluntly, Vic's talent requires time to develop; the longer he has time, the stronger he becomes.
"Again!"
Shanks listened to Vic's words thoughtfully. He had been frustrated in the New World and had no choice but to return to the first half of the Grand Line to train with Rayleigh to become stronger. He had learned Ryuo in a short time.
And each time he encountered a threat, he would temporarily strengthen his defenses, which was generally enough. He spent most of his time adventuring and hosting banquets. However, Vic, who had been defeated by him last time, was constantly improving. A year later, he finally caught up with and surpassed him. This was something he should think about deeply.
After saying that, Shanks vanished again in an instant. After a soft hum of swords, Vic was sent flying as if he had been hit by something.
Shanks was the one who knocked Vic away, but the sudden strike was blocked by Vic's twin swords; Vic's flight was merely a result of the force dissipating.
On the surface, Shanks seemed to be about to unleash his power; his underlings were already cheering and throwing punches, while the executives looked grave.
Although Vic flew out like a bullet, he quickly flew back at an even faster speed. Before, he had been using two swords at the same time, which, apart from having more strength, did not have the advantage of using two swords at once. Now that Vic was really preparing to use two swords at once, two swords against one sword, Shanks would not have it as easy as before.
Without pausing, Vic charged straight at Shanks. Only those activating Observation Haki could see him; all that could be heard were the crackling of air and lingering white mist. This greatly disappointed the underlings who were eager to see the fight—they couldn't see him! They couldn't see him at all; the exchange was too fast, both employing the light and agile sword style.
With Allen's left hand blocked by Gryphon, Vic's right hand, Blood Wither, instantly swung towards Shanks ' waist, only to be blocked by Shanks' Armament Haki. However, the immense force still sent Shanks flying.
Vic instantly gave chase, his body parallel to the ground, his long sword pointed directly at Shanks ' throat.
Although Shanks was sent flying by the powerful blow, he was unharmed thanks to his Armament Haki. Seeing Vic's fierce attack that tore through the air, Shanks dared not be careless. Vic's speed was too fast for him to think, so he could only move aside and block Gryphon's path.
bite
Vic's blade pierced Gryphon's blade. Shanks blocked the blow, but his body was still propelled backward.
Shanks' feet plowed two furrows into the ground, slowing their immense speed. The two figures quickly appeared in everyone's sight, their movements stunning, both graceful and sharp.
But just as everyone witnessed this scene, the two disappeared again. Vic swung his other sword and unleashed a gust of Wind Conception that struck Shanks in the chest. Despite being protected by Armament Haki, Shanks was sent flying at lightning speed, and Vic vanished without a trace.
The two exchanged blows for over a dozen more times. Shanks was like a volleyball, being tossed around by Vic. With their speed and Observation Haki being roughly equal, the advantage of the two swords was that significant. Although Shanks could use his hands to block the swords, it was merely a block and he couldn't launch an attack, putting him at a disadvantage as well.
Fortunately, Shanks ' Armament Haki was timely, covering the areas where he was about to be stabbed each time. Even though he flew around like a ball, his body remained unharmed.
However, going all out still takes a lot of energy. Reaching maximum speed requires a lot of his stamina. Speed doesn't come from nowhere; it's achieved by expending stamina.
Continuous high speed will double the energy consumption, and each of Vic's strikes is imbued with the aura of Ryuo, which also greatly diminishes his Armament Haki.
He could block ordinary Armament Haki attacks from the outside, but Ryuo directly invaded his body, and without using his own Armament Haki to consume it, he would suffer internal injuries.
Vic's consumption is much less. His Geppo is an advanced version that maximizes the utilization of leg strength. With the addition of Wind Conception, the consumption is even lower.
After slicing Shanks away once more, Vic's speed increased even further, instantly appearing in front of Shanks and slicing Gryphon aside with a single strike, his right hand, Blood Wither, swinging downwards in the process.
The intense Ryuo on this strike was exceptionally strong, shattering the Armament Haki Hardening covering Shanks' chest. This was Vic's charged attack.