"Mom! Can you please stop bringing this up? Vic almost killed me and Smoothie, and Cracker too. Now that he's a pirate, he has no more scruples. Who can conquer him?"
Mom! He's so strong and young, and he keeps getting stronger. What makes him our father? Strength?
You can beat him now, but you can't stop him from leaving if he wants to. We're all pirates now, so the best thing to do is to leave each other alone. If you anger him, even Whole Cake Island won't be peaceful!
Katakuri's toes nearly dug out a three-bedroom apartment. Luckily, most of those present were family. But his mother's thoughts were terrifying. Someone like Vic would be disgusted to hear that his mother was thinking about him. He would probably use his speed to wreak havoc on Whole Cake Island the next day. Who could stop him?
His mother was indeed very strong, but if Vic didn't fight him, there was nothing he could do. Every time he killed one of his children, he would see if he still dared to think about it. He was genuinely a little afraid of Vic and had some psychological trauma. He was afraid that his mother's words would get out, which would definitely enrage Vic.
On Onigashima in Wano Country, Kaido had just returned to his residence from the cave Yamato was imprisoned. Yamato lay there, covered in wounds and motionless. However, Kaido ignored her and went back while drinking the sake from his gourd. The newspaper on the table caught Kaido's attention. He picked it up and glanced at it briefly, but soon frowned and began to read it carefully.
"I knew you were different from the other marines a long time ago. You're completely out of place. Someone like you should be a pirate. I saw in the news that you were betrayed by them, right? Good! Saves me the trouble of looking for you. But this bounty is a bit low. You're worth more than that!"
Kaido put down the newspaper and the bounty poster and started drinking again. He was very happy today. He had beaten up Yamato, and the boy he had his eye on had become a pirate as he wished. So Kaido got drunk and went on a drunken rampage. He transformed into a giant dragon and flew to Orochi's mansion, where he also beat up Orochi. Orochi was furious but dared not say a word!
In a certain sea area of New World, the Red Force is sailing on the calm waters. After a year, Shanks has returned to the New World with his companions, ready to continue New World adventures and conquests!
Shanks was holding a newspaper, reading the news. He felt conflicted, but considering Vic's personality, he wasn't surprised that something like this had happened. However, he still couldn't believe that Vic had killed so many civilians.
"That's not bad either. It'll be much easier to get you for drinks in the future. It's just that you might be facing endless pursuit from now on!"
"Alright! I'll help you out, Beckman! We need to be more high-profile lately, attracting as much naval force as possible!"
Shanks put down his newspaper and said to Ben Beckman, who was smoking beside him, that he had no intention of keeping a low profile since returning to the New World; he was here to get his revenge.
But since the incident with Vic happened, he planned to make a big scene to attract more navy personnel to watch the spectacle. This way, there would definitely be fewer powerful figures chasing Vic. After all, with his and Vic's strength, no matter how many lowly soldiers came, it wouldn't matter. The more powerful figures they could restrain, the better.
"I don't think Vic needs any of this. He's strong enough that even Marine Admiral couldn't handle him now. But since you've made up your mind, let's do it this way."
Beckman and Vic had met twice, but Vic had changed so much between the two meetings, and it hadn't been that long!
Shanks was already at a disadvantage when they last met, which shows that Vic's strength has increased dramatically in a short period of time. Now, more than a year has passed since they last met. How strong is Vic now? He felt that Vic was now strong enough to deal with the pursuit of the World Government and the Navy.
"Hahaha! Don't underestimate the World Government. That dead Celestial Dragons must have been no ordinary person. Vic's enemy this time won't be weak!" Shanks clearly knew something, but he didn't elaborate.
It wasn't just pirates like Whitebeard Shanks reading the newspapers; almost every pirate with the means was paying attention to this news—it was absolutely explosive!
The main reason is the contrast brought about by Vic's identity. If a pirate like Whitebeard did such a thing, although it would also shock the pirate world, the effect would be less significant. Pirates would think, "Isn't this something a great pirate like Whitebeard would do?"
It's perfectly acceptable for pirates to kill civilians and government agents. Killing even one Celestial Dragons would be more effective than killing two. But if the protagonist were a righteous Marine, the effect would more than double. If that Marine were someone about to become Marine Admiral, the effect would be elevated to another level. The effects are all relative.
What changes will a Marine turning into a pirate bring to the world of One Piece?
Where pirates rejoice, pirates grieve. Given Vic's past as a Marine, the pirates he encountered rarely fared well. But now that Vic is a pirate, some pirates believe he won't be as ruthless as before. After all, their identities are different now, and as long as he doesn't harbor hostility, it shouldn't be a big problem.
However, some pirates don't think so. Pirates go to sea to find the One Piece, so they are all competitors. Few pirates who meet up can escape unscathed.
Now that Vic is no longer bound by naval policies, he can do whatever he wants. Before, he had a chance to survive and go to Impel Down to work on the sewing machine, but now he might just be thrown into the sea to feed the fish. It's convenient and saves trouble. That's how they've always done it.
So they weren't exactly thrilled about Vic's arrival. But as the weather was unpleasant, Vic didn't need their permission to become a pirate; the sea was all about who had the bigger fist. They could only pray they didn't run into Vic's crew.
Of course, there can't only be these two opinions among pirates. There are many eccentric people among them, and they all have their own thoughts when they see the news in the newspaper.
Some were unconvinced and wanted to test their skills, some sneered, some had their eyes darting around with wicked ideas, some doubted Vic's strength, and some thought Vic wouldn't survive the Navy's pursuit.
Some people think that great pirates like Whitebeard and Big Mom would teach Vic a lesson, and so on and so forth. There are all sorts of people in a hundred, and even more strange and wonderful people in ten thousand. There are countless pirates in this world!
Moreover, this world isn't just about the navy and pirates; ordinary people make up the majority, as do the Underworld, royal families from various countries, and so on. They all saw Vic's news as well.
Most ordinary people are vehemently criticizing Vic; they are the most easily swayed by public opinion, basically believing whatever the newspapers say. Only a small number of people with independent thinking hold a skeptical attitude.