Without Vic's stimulation, his analysis of the global situation, and his thoughtful arrangements, Mantis would never have returned to action, even with Whitebeard's personal invitation.
However, the moment he decided to seek help from his elder brother, he already owed Whitebeard a huge favor. Now that Whitebeard was so earnestly inviting him, he couldn't accept, and naturally, many thoughts arose in his mind.
"Him? This kid can't even protect himself now, he can't even protect the people from your hometown, so what exactly do you see in him?"
Whitebeard actually admired Vic quite a bit, but Vic's current situation was indeed not good. He could tell that those old men in the World Government wouldn't let Vic off easily, and he didn't want his little brother to get into trouble, so he belittled Vic.
"I am impressed by his courage and ambition. Although he can't protect them now, I firmly believe he will be able to protect everyone in the future!"
After spending more than a month together, Mantis gained a completely new understanding of Vic, moving beyond the newspaper's assessment of Vic and the image that formed in his mind after seeing the news.
In combat, Vic is now completely defeated by him, and he is so young, with a promising future and unmatched courage. Although Rocks also wants to overthrow the World Government, he wants to become the King of the World.
Vic's cause was dignity, equality, peace, freedom, and the well-being of future generations; compared to Vic, Rocks was utterly defeated.
Furthermore, Vic has a very clear understanding of the world situation and the future development of the pirate crew. He knows what he is doing and has been working hard towards that goal. There are many other things as well, but these few points alone are enough to make him admire Captain Vic to the extreme.
"Oh! He's actually managed to impress you? I'd like to see what he's capable of. Stop hiding behind Mantis, come out and let me see!"
Although Whitebeard had guessed the relationship between the two, he was still surprised by Mantis's answer. Who was Mantis? He had been forced onto the pirate ship by Rocks, just like the others, none of them truly submitted to Rocks from the bottom of their hearts.
Judging from Mantis's behavior just now, the two people in front of him are clearly not in the same relationship as they are with Rocks. Otherwise, Vic would not have allowed Mantis to send people from his hometown to his territory.
However, for his younger brother's safety, he still wanted to test Vic's abilities. After saying that, he drew the Supreme Great Grade Sword from behind his seat Murakumogiri towards Vic with a cloud-slashing motion.
Vic was also a little confused by what he saw. He hadn't said a word; he had just been standing behind Mantis waiting for the two to talk. Why was he suddenly coming to attack him with a knife?
But he had no time to think about it now. Whitebeard's Murakumogiri carried a terrifying aura that was terrifying and intimidating. Vic recognized it very well. "Whitebeard, you old bastard, you're really wicked. You started with Conqueror's Coating right away. So Rebecca was holding a grudge when she used the floating island to cover your head. Now you're taking the opportunity to vent your anger, aren't you?"
Vic drew his Blood Wither from his waist, imbued it with Conqueror's Haki, and charged at Whitebeard, pushing aside Mantis in front of him. The two swords did not collide; instead, a crimson vortex formed between them, but it appeared to be more violent than if they had clashed.
The black and red Inazuma bolts moved like dragons and snakes, and the powerful aura that shook the mind instantly spread out. The surrounding air surged wildly, and the onlookers fell straight down one after another. Those who did not fall had their clothes violently fluttering in the wind from who-knows-where, and they could hardly open their eyes.
The plants on the shore collapsed and fell to the other side, centered on the Moby Dick; those that could not withstand the pressure had already broken. A large number of dark clouds had gathered in the sky, and in the middle of those clouds was a deep, abyss-like crack, as if it had been left by some kind of sharp weapon.
Looking up from the sea directly below, the entire sky seemed to have been cleaved in two, a truly awe-inspiring sight. This was the extraordinary phenomenon produced by the collision of Conqueror's Coating, a level that no other clash could reach. Even the imposing presence and power of Marine Admiral paled in comparison.
"Good!"
This clash ended with Whitebeard remaining completely unmoved and Vic taking five steps back. Whitebeard had only wanted to see Vic's strength, and given Vic's performance, he had nothing to say.
If he really had to say something, he would say that Vic is a little monster, showing such talent at such a young age. He admitted that he couldn't do it when he was young, and there was still a big gap between them. Therefore, Vic is qualified to be the captain of Mantis, and there's no need to continue the discussion since he's a guest.
Since Whitebeard had stopped, Vic naturally wouldn't make a move either. Although Whitebeard was over fifty, he was still vigorous and strong. Whitebeard wasn't even bald yet. Vic knew he couldn't beat Whitebeard now, and even if he could, he had no reason to make a move. Besides, Mantis needed his help right now, so he wouldn't take the initiative to attack.
Whitebeard quickly returned to his seat and continued drinking. The tense atmosphere from before had completely disappeared. Quite a few people had fainted from that attack, but that had nothing to do with the main characters.
Whitebeard instructed Marco and the others to take care of the unconscious man and continue preparing for the banquet before pulling Mantis aside to drink, ignoring Vic.
" Jinbe! I didn't expect you to join the Whitebeard Pirates. And who's that other guy? Is he here too?"
Whitebeard ignored Vic, but Vic didn't care. He saw the familiar blue fat guy in the crowd, walked over and chatted with Jinbe. As for the "who" he was referring to, it was naturally Fisher Tiger. Fisher Tiger was already "dead," so Vic couldn't bring up that name.
"That guy isn't here. He arrived in the New World before me. King Neptune and Pops are good friends. He recommended me to train with Pops."
Jinbe was also very happy to see Vic, who was a great benefactor to their Sun Pirates. Although only Arlong was currently working on a sewing machine in Impel Down, everyone else had survived!
Now that Vic is no longer a Marine, any lingering resentment has completely disappeared. It would be even better if Fisher Tiger could live an open and honest life someday.
Once Marco and the others had loaded all the necessary items for the banquet onto the ship, Whitebeard sent the Moby Dick off, with the floating island following at a short distance. Mantis wanted to get everyone settled as soon as possible, but Whitebeard insisted on finishing the banquet before letting him leave.
So Vic could only stay with them. When the Moby Dick arrived at an open sea, the banquet officially began. Whitebeard didn't give Vic a hard time anymore and even asked him to call his other companions over to join the banquet.
Then the two pirate crews held a banquet in a lively atmosphere. Whitebeard didn't pay much attention to Vic, but he was particularly friendly to Rebecca and Ain beside Vic, like a grandfather looking at his granddaughters. Perhaps Whitebeard had too many adopted sons, and spending so much time with them made him feel a little out of place.
" Vic! The World Government is a very deep place! Very deep! You must be careful. Don't reveal your full strength. That's my advice to you!"
After the banquet, Whitebeard was slightly tipsy, but still conscious. He asked Marco to lead Vic and the others to the chosen spot, and before leaving, he said a few meaningful words to Vic.
Vic gave Whitebeard a deep look, then glanced at Blackbeard not far away, before leading the group away from the Moby Dick. The floating island then left the area following Marco's directions.