On his third day in Cocoyasi Village, Vic received a call from Saturn. Only then did Vic realize that Saturn had called him several times over the past month, but had not been able to answer. That's why he published the call in the newspaper even though Vic had not signed the Shichibukai contract.
At that time, Vic was inside the trunk of the Soul Tree and couldn't receive any calls at all. The Den Den Mushi were all dead, and the signal was completely blocked, which almost led to Bellemere's tragic death. Vic originally had a lot of resentment towards the Five Elders for publishing the list of the Shichibukai directly in the newspaper, but now he realized that it was his own fault. He was very glad that he reacted quickly and made it in time.
Saturn called Vic to have him sign a supplementary contract. After learning that he was in the East Blue, he told him to wait for him in Sabaody on his way back to the New World, and that they would deliver the contract to him.
However, Saturn didn't urge Vic. It was already late, so it didn't matter if it was a little later. There were only five Shichibukai: Crocodile and Gecko Moria were in the first half of the Grand Line, Jinbe was on Fish-Man Island, and Vic and Mihawk were guarding the New World.
The Five Elders have made this arrangement quite well, taking care of all the pirates on the Grand Line. However, they cannot restrict the actions of the Shichibukai; they can only be summoned during major events.
Vic wasn't in a hurry to return to the New World. He had already planned to visit his family and friends. Although the Arlong incident had happened, it had been resolved. So, Vic left some navigation books for Nami, which were originally intended for Rebecca, and then went directly to Shimotsuki Village. However, the first thing he heard upon entering the dojo made him uneasy.
"Hey? Isn't this the old man who got lost last time? Did he come here to ask for directions? Hasn't he found his way out after all this time?"
Eight-year-old Zoro was the first to see Vic and quickly recognized him as the uncle he had met before. He couldn't help but utter those words, and then Kuina, who came out from behind and looked at Vic with a look of surprise, punched him on the head.
Zoro immediately covered his head with both hands and screamed. He turned to look at Kuina with a furious expression, Kuina completely ignored him, pushed him aside, and threw herself into Vic's arms, her eyes filled with tears and her face full of resentment.
Vic hadn't come back to see her for over two years. Her father told her that Vic was in danger and shouldn't appear in public easily, nor did he want to bring the danger to the East Blue. She was really worried about Vic, and now he had finally come back to see her.
Vic didn't stay in Shimotsuki Village for long. After spending three days chatting with Koshiro son, he left. However, he spent several months in the illusion with Kuina, which was the longest time the two of them had spent together since he was learning kendo at the dojo.
Kuina was very satisfied this time. Vic gave her a few Soul Fruit and tested her swordsmanship. During her time living with Vic, her swordsmanship improved significantly. However, she was still a little reluctant to see Vic leave, which made Zoro quite jealous.
After leaving Shimotsuki Village, Vic went to Foosha Village to visit Luffy, who had left him some food. Vic then went up the mountain to find Ace. He still remembered the old man's entrustment. Although he was no longer a Marine, he could still take care of Ace in another way.
That was to make Ace even stronger than in the original story, so that the tragedy wouldn't happen. So Vic put Ace through six months of special training in the illusion. Although Ace was very unhappy about Vic's arrival, it was because his attitude towards the old man had carried over to Vic.
However, in Vic's illusion, he had no choice but to passively endure everything. Ace trained passively for half a year, with Vic's avatar watching from the sidelines, giving Ace a sense of powerlessness, feeling both disgusted and unable to do anything about it.
To the bandits of Dadan, Ace was sleeping the whole time. Vic sat cross-legged next to Ace, and Ace's expression was sometimes ferocious and sometimes painful. Wounds and blood would appear on his body from time to time, but they would disappear quickly. They were dumbfounded, but with the Shichibukai sitting next to him, they dared not do anything.
Vic left Foosha Village amidst Ace's displeasure and Luffy's reluctance. He didn't leave the two with Soul Fruit, as they were both exceptionally talented geniuses, and Vic believed they could break through to the God Realm even without Soul Fruit.
Even if they don't have enough time to develop, it's not too late for Vic to help them later. One is the protagonist of destiny, and the other is the son of the Pirate King. It's not surprising that any miracles happen to them. They are also the main force to overthrow the World Government in the future. Vic values the two of them highly.
After leaving the East Blue, Vic went straight to the Sabaody Archipelago. After making a phone call to Saturn, Vic went to Shakky's Rip-off Bar. He didn't go to see Ban. Since leaving the Navy, he had never openly contacted Ban, always communicating through Den Den Mushi. Ban's intelligence network was a very important part of his future plans and could not be exposed.
Shakky was still the same as before, leaning on the bar and smoking. Years had passed, but her figure and appearance hadn't changed at all. Vic didn't know how she did it.
However, Vic didn't think much of it. A figure sitting at the bar drinking caught his attention. Judging from the style of the cloak and the hairstyle, Vic recognized it at a glance as Dark King Rayleigh.
Vic had come to the Shakky's Rip-off Bar several times before, but this was the first time he had encountered the right hand of the Pirate King. Just seeing his back gave him a tremendous sense of pressure; it was the connection between two strong individuals!
Even though Rayleigh was already sixty years old and his hair was completely white, he was still in perfect condition. He had no injuries, no disabilities, and no weaknesses left by eating Devil Fruit. No wonder he dared to be so carefree under the noses of the World Government and the Navy. It all came from his own strength.
"Hey! A remarkable person has arrived!"
Vic could sense Rayleigh's power, Rayleigh could naturally sense him as well. Rayleigh had never met Vic before, so he didn't know who this unfamiliar aura belonged to, but Shakky recognized him.
People who were once nobodys have become extraordinary figures under Rayleigh's guidance; her growth is simply phenomenal. However, she is very well-informed and knows most of the details of what happened between Vic, the Navy, and the World Government, including the general causes and consequences.
She also knew that Vic had forced the World Government to compromise, something even Rocks couldn't do back then. Perhaps the main reason Rocks couldn't do it was because his pirate crew wasn't united, but that also demonstrated Vic's ability. Shakky's mindset had completely changed; she was no longer the indifferent person she was at the beginning. From now on, she would have to take the young man in front of her seriously.
"You must be Dark King Rayleigh, the vice-captain of the Pirate King. Shanks and I have mentioned you. Would you be interested in joining my pirate crew?"