1512 (the year of the Sea Circle Calendar )
That year, Vic rarely went out, spending most of his time on cultivation, until the news of the Sea Train being built by the Tom interrupted his cultivation.
This was a message relayed by the intelligence agent he had arranged to set up in Water 7: Tom had built the Sea Train and fulfilled his agreement with the Grand Judge of Enies Lobby. The Grand Judge would soon retry Tom's case and erase the crime he committed for building the ship for the Pirate King Roger.
Vic knew that Tom would die a few days before the trial, so he arranged this. Tom had also taught Vic, and Vic wouldn't just watch Tom die.
Respecting others' fate and setting aside the desire to help others is only for people with whom you have little acquaintance. How could someone like Tom, who has taught you, possibly let go of such a thing? So, upon receiving this news, Vic went to Water 7 as quickly as possible.
Vic's Speed-Speed Fruit ability had Awakening, allowing him to travel even faster. When he arrived in Water 7, Spandam had not yet implemented his plan.
Vic went to the beach and cleaved all of Franky's small boats in two with a single stroke before visiting Tom's shipyard.
Franky's ship was destroyed, Spandam lost his tool for framing him, but he certainly wouldn't give up easily. With the Pluton Blueprints in hand, Tom and his apprentice couldn't remain uninvolved.
Even if Vic kills Spandam, the leader, it won't matter. Then another Spandine, Spandam the Cat, or Spandam the Dog will come and cause them the same trouble. In that case, it's better to let that idiot Spandam take charge.
" Mr. Tom! I've received information that the World Government will send people to deal with you before you're put on trial. Do you have something they're eyeing?"
When Vic arrived at Tom's Workers, Tom and the others were pleasantly surprised. It had been several years since Vic last left Water 7, and Iceburg and Franky had grown up quite a bit.
Although Vic has now become a pirate, the others treat him even better, especially Franky and Yokozuna. Franky has been very proud of Vick since he learned that Vic became a pirate, as Vick was his fellow apprentice of Katie Flam. Franky, who has a violent streak, is extremely proud of him.
Yokozuna has always treated Vic very well, regardless of whether he is a pirate or a Marine; animals may have a more sensitive sense of perception.
Tom and Kokoro's attitude remained unchanged. They were both Fish-Man and didn't have a good impression of the World Government and the Navy; otherwise, they wouldn't have built a ship for Roger back then.
Only Iceburg's attitude towards Vic was much colder, but Vic didn't care. Iceburg had always been cautious and timid, and he only grew after experiencing major changes. After exchanging pleasantries with the others for a while Vic finally got to the point.
"This...! Where did you get this information from?"
Everyone at Tom's Workers knew about the Pluton Blueprints; Vic's words were quite clear, and they immediately connected it to the Pluton Blueprints.
Since they believed that Vic was unaware of the existence of the Pluton Blueprints, the veracity of Vic's information was very high; they indeed possessed something that the World Government coveted.
What they didn't know was that Vic had already seen the complete set of Pluton Blueprints and memorized them all. He used some of the advanced technologies from the blueprints when designing the pirate ship. However, what Vic said was true, but it was very targeted.
"Although I left the Navy, it's not unreasonable to still have a few acquaintances at Marine Headquarters, is it? That's where the information came from."
If you truly possess something the World Government covets, they certainly won't let you off easily; their agents are definitely more powerful than yours.
Now that I'm Shichibukai under the government's command, I definitely can't openly attack them. Even if I kill all the government agents this time to save you, they'll just send another group.
As long as you're here, the World Government won't give up. So you'd better leave Water 7 and find somewhere to hide. Ignore the trial on Enies Lobby; it's for the weak, and the strong won't pay them any attention!
Vic wanted to use his Shichibukai to develop his power discreetly, so he couldn't openly clash with the World Government. Although the Five Elders wouldn't easily revoke his status Shichibukai, he couldn't reveal his rebellious nature to them either. Therefore, if Vic wanted to save Tom and the others once and for all, he had to find another way.
" Vic! Can you promise me you'll keep this a secret?"
"Certainly!"
What Vic said makes sense. The newspapers have cleared Vic of his crimes, and his relationship with the Navy should no longer be hostile. It's normal for him to have a few friends at Marine Headquarters.
Considering that Vic could still arrive at such a critical moment to deliver the message and provide assistance, Tom had nothing to say about Vic's character. Since Vic had already promised to keep it a secret, he told Vic about the Pluton Blueprints.
That's how the world is. Many people will give their lives for a single word or promise from someone, and will trust someone completely because of a single word. Tom is that kind of person. Although Iceburg kept giving him meaningful glances from the side, Tom ignored him.
" The World Government is terrified of this weapon of mass destruction, so they want to control it. You are in real danger. If they can't find the Pluton Blueprints, they won't let you go even if they've killed the wrong person."
Then they would burn the warehouse down. Even if they couldn't get their hands on it, they wouldn't allow the Pluton Blueprints to fall into the wrong hands. If someone actually built it, it would threaten their rule, something they would never tolerate.
Perhaps the World Government's agents have been monitoring you in Water 7 for years, but they haven't taken action because they're unsure if you have the blueprints.
The World Government certainly wouldn't want to destroy the blueprints for Pluton, as building it would strengthen their rule. The reason you haven't run into trouble yet is because of the World Government's patience.
If an impatient person were handling this, they would definitely create some trouble as a breakthrough. The best breakthrough would be something happening to one of you, followed by the passing down of the Pluton Blueprints, which would expose the blueprints. Can you guess who that person would be?
Vic knew that Tom and Kokoro might not leave unless he exaggerated the situation, but Vic wasn't exaggerating. Most of what he said was true, and a small part was reasonable speculation, so it was all well-reasoned and wouldn't make him seem like he was talking nonsense.
" Mr. Tom!..."
" Mr. Tom!..."
" Mr. Tom!..."
"Twist it! Twist it!..."
The three men and the frog spoke in unison, except for Tom remained silent. He knew that only if something happened to him would the Pluton Blueprints be passed on to his two disciples, Iceburg or Franky. This echoed what Vic had said at the beginning. He also knew that he could no longer harbor any illusions and had to make a decision.