"Grandpa! I... can I still call you that?"
Sensing Garp's presence, Vic transformed into Inazuma and arrived in the village from the mountains. Looking at that still upright but gray-haired figure, Vic felt a lump in his throat!
He hadn't contacted Garp for years because he was trying to escape, even though Garp had comforted him back then. It didn't help him let go of his guilt, just like a student who hadn't met his parents' expectations!
Garp had helped him so much, but Garp had let him down at the most crucial moment. How could he not feel guilty? Only after obtaining Pure Gold, a treasure that could slow down aging, did he dare to come and see Garp.
He didn't want to see Garp one day end up like Whitebeard during the Paramount War, unable to maintain his peak fighting strength and stamina due to injuries and old age, and being swept away by the waves of later generations. This was a pain that Vic found hard to accept.
He initially ordered Ban to find Pure Gold for Garp's sake, and later added the reason that cultivating in the illusion realm was costing him his life. Now that he has obtained Pure Gold, he immediately sent it to Garp, as only Pure Gold can barely repay part of Garp's kindness!
"Hahaha! I'm truly delighted that you still address me like that! I was so frustrated that I couldn't help you with that incident; my sense of justice was completely clouded. I've been living in Foosha Village for over half a year now, and even Luffy has started to look down on me!"
"I've caused a huge mess, the entire navy can't cover it up. I've already come to terms with it. Upholding justice means upholding it no matter what your position is! Let's not dwell on this anymore, we need to look forward!"
Hahaha! Luffy dislikes his grandfather? That must be because his grandfather has been forcing him to train all the time! With your training methods, what kid could stand it? It's a good thing it's Luffy; if it were any other kid, you would have worn them out by now!
Vic felt guilty, Garp felt the same way, blaming himself for not being able to help Vic in that incident. Now, hearing what Vic said, he was extremely happy.
Like him, Vic didn't blame the other person for what happened back then, but instead felt guilty. Now, the resentment in his heart has dissipated. Although their identities are different now, they can still get along as before. Garp even happily talked about his grandson Luffy.
"Yes! We must look forward. Dwelling on the past is a sign of weakness. You've grown even faster in the years you've been away, which shows that your heart hasn't changed. It's still that same passionate heart that always moves forward!"
I've already thrown Luffy into the mountains to live with Ace. Ace even complained to me, saying you've been tormenting him all these years. That kid really doesn't know how lucky he is! That kind of training is something so many people dream of, and he calls it torture. He really doesn't know what he's missing!
Garp has returned to Foosha Village at least once a year for the past few years. He also learned from Ace that Vic often came to train him. Although time flies in the mountains, Ace has experienced illusions many times, still sensed that something was wrong.
Ace was confused, but Garp, being knowledgeable and experienced, knew that Vic must have used some kind of ability to change the time Ace was in, making a few days equivalent to several months for others—what an incredible ability!
Why are the Emperor of the Sea and the high command of the Navy mostly older men? Because strength is accumulated over time, and without special opportunities, it's very difficult for young people to bridge this gap in experience.
Only a handful of people, such as Shanks, Blackbeard, and Luffy, have truly overcome this barrier. Therefore, Garp knows the value of Vic's ability. Using this ability to help Ace train is an opportunity that many people would rather die for. So, in Garp's eyes, Ace is just a silly kid.
"It's alright! I won't hold it against a child. He'll understand our good intentions when he grows up. No matter which path he chooses in the future, as long as he's strong, he'll be safe. We can't tie them to our belts, nor can we protect them forever. Guiding them to consciously become stronger is what we should do!"
It took Vic three or four years to comprehend the illusion realm, and he only used a few days each year on Ace. This meant Ace essentially gained a few more months of growth time, so the impact on Ace's body wasn't significant.
Now that Vic has found a way to control the body's growth over time within the illusion, he no longer needs to worry about burning their lifespan to accelerate their cultivation. Vic already has the ability to create a powerful force, and in a short period of time at that.
"You're right, children and grandchildren have their own blessings. Last year, Luffy was influenced by Luffy and kept saying that he wanted to go to Red-Hair and become a pirate when he grew up. I even wanted to correct him and make him become a Marine!"
But after seeing you, I no longer think that way. The Navy isn't as good as I imagined, and not all pirates are evil. They're all labels of the World Government. How one acts depends on the individual. Is there something important you wanted to discuss with me this time?"
Garp originally intended to continue correcting Luffy and Ace's desire to become pirates over the next few years, but now that Vic has set an example, he will no longer force them.
Having spent so many years in the Navy, they naturally understand the true nature of the Navy and the World Government. Given Luffy and Ace's personalities, they will most likely end up leaving the Navy. Even their biological son Dragon and adopted son Vic couldn't stay there, Luffy and Ace, with their wilder personalities, would be even less likely to stay.
"I wonder if the old man has heard of the legend of Pure Gold?"
Seeing that the old man had come to his senses and was even asking about serious matters, Vic also became serious.
"I've heard that although the World Government tried its best to keep the news under wraps, those pirates who stole the Pure Gold weren't obligated to keep it a secret for the government, and news still got out."
The Navy also recorded the legend of Pure Gold. It is said that pure Pure Gold can buy all the wealth in the world and has the power to manipulate time indefinitely. Was the power you used on Ace the power of Pure Gold? Can Pure Gold really control time?
Although Pure Gold first appeared in the world nearly two hundred years ago and then disappeared immediately, the legend of Pure Gold was still spread by the pirates who killed Olga's mother.
However, after Olga and her father and the island were eaten by the giant lanternfish, the Pure Gold never reappeared, and the pirates who were lucky enough to survive had no evidence to support their accounts of what they saw and heard.
So over time it became a legend, like the treasures buried by great pirates. The treasure itself still has a treasure map, but the clues to the Pure Gold have all gone cold. Where can you find a lanternfish that can devour an island?
They had no idea that the lanternfish liked gold, so they had virtually no clues. Legend has it that Pure Gold has the power to manipulate time, and Garp thought that Vic had used that power to help Ace accelerate his training. But legends are just legends, and they always differ from the truth.
"I do have Pure Gold, but I just acquired it. It doesn't have the power to manipulate time; its real purpose is to help organisms slow down their growth and extend their lifespan!"
By wearing a suitable amount of Pure Gold, one can freeze the body's functions at that moment; children will stop growing, and adults will stop aging. Perhaps this is another way to understand Pure Gold as a means of controlling time!
I came to see the old man this time to give you some Pure Gold, so you can maintain your peak combat strength. Perhaps one day war will break out!