Half of the second month in Recruit Camp had already passed.
During his vacation this month, Vic plans to travel to the Sabaody Archipelago to gather information on the Nagayama Black Gold.
Before that, Vic planned to give Rebecca and Wendy a good workout.
Rebecca's Observation Haki hasn't improved much over this long period, and Wendy is bruised and battered every day.
Wendy's senses are quite good, it's just that she hasn't been practicing Haki for long enough.
Vic wanted Rebecca's swordsmanship to improve further, to the Realm of Cutting Steel.
But Rebecca was still lacking something, and Vic didn't know what it was, so he could only push Rebecca to her limits during practice sessions.
Vic wanted Rebecca to experience that feeling of being in dire straits, to see if he could help her understand the power of Cutting Steel.
Rebecca exercises every day, and her physical condition is excellent, at least no worse than Zoro's during his Alabasta days.
Everything is in place, but something is still missing that I haven't been able to grasp.
Vic has been racking his brains trying to figure out what caused this, and it's really giving him a headache!
Everyone is different, which makes it hard to figure out. Vic had no choice but to fight Rebecca once a day and spend the rest of his time training on his own.
Time flew by and the holiday arrived. Vic said goodbye to Andrew and then took Rebecca and Wendy on a ship to the Sabaody Archipelago.
" Vic, are you planning to take me to the amusement Paradise?"
On the ship, Rebecca asked Vic with an expectant look.
Wendy was also very curious; when they landed in the Sabaody Archipelago, she really didn't dare to wander around.
There are human traffickers everywhere there, so I've never been outside, which is why I'm so curious about amusement Paradise.
"Ahem, that depends on fate. Sabaody isn't exactly a great place. I'll try my best to fulfill your little wish!"
Vic really felt that Sabaody was not a good place; it had always been synonymous with chaos.
Although he is quite strong now, this island is home to Dark King Rayleigh, the vice-captain of the Pirate King!
This guy is from the same generation as Garp, so his fighting strength shouldn't be underestimated.
Fortunately, Dark King Rayleigh is now a retired old man and generally doesn't antagonize the Navy.
Sabaody Archipelago is a gathering point for the first half of the Grand Line, where all pirates who want to go to the New World gather.
Occasionally, Supernovas- level pirates will pass by here.
However, given Vic's strength, he naturally has nothing to fear from the Supernovas, but the two women's strength is somewhat worrying.
Therefore, one must be careful when going to Sabaody. If you encounter some strange Paramecia user who can control you both, it will be very troublesome.
Vic and his two companions arrived at the Sabaody Marine Base without any trouble.
Vic led the three of them toward the center of the island without stopping for a moment, after all, their vacation time was limited and they had important business to attend to.
Vic thought of the intelligence gatherer from last time—Ban—and decided to go ask him first.
Vic led the two through Area 0 and into Area 10.
As always, Area 0 is under constant surveillance by a large number of human traffickers.
However, upon seeing Vic and Rebecca, their expressions changed, and no one dared to follow them.
Vic also noticed these changes and guessed that he had already gained some reputation within these human trafficking organizations. Ordinary lower-level members wouldn't dare to take action; at the very least, a high-ranking officer would be needed.
Vic ignored these people, as long as they didn't provoke him.
He's in a hurry and doesn't want to deal with them.
Vic went directly to 78 Flying Street in Zone 10, the address Ban had left.
Upon arriving, Vic discovered that it was a place similar to a hotel, with a large reception desk and many servants.
Vic used his Observation Haki to scan the area and realized that it resembled an information center, where many intelligence gatherers lived.
This is because information requests requiring certain details are posted here, along with corresponding rewards.
Intelligence gatherers mainly make a living this way, and this place is a melting pot of all sorts of people.
Various factions have spies here, all here to gather intelligence. Vic knows this is not a safe place and doesn't want to stay here any longer.
Vic asked a servant about the situation in the barracks. The servant told Vic to wait a moment and immediately took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed the number.
Then, not long after, the short man appeared in the lobby.
The officer was surprised to see Vic; he hadn't expected the two to meet so soon.
It was just a casual chat at the time, but I didn't expect him to become a repeat customer so quickly. Vic didn't stand on ceremony and directly pulled the man away from the place.
Vic found a pub and sat opposite Ben, with Rebecca and Wendy on either side. After ordering some drinks, Vic got straight to the point.
"Ban, you're well-informed. I need your help with something, and you'll get a good reward," Vic said, getting straight to the point.
" Mr. Vic, let me make this clear first, I'm just a low-level intelligence officer, and there are many things I can't investigate. Please tell me what you need to know, and I'll do my best to find out."
Ban knew that Vic was very capable, and was afraid that he would force him to investigate some serious matters. He felt that his own shoulders could not bear the burden, so he could only give him a heads-up.
"It's nothing serious. This is just one part of your net. I didn't expect you to do everything I could. Just do what you can."
"I'd like to know if there's been any news about Nagayama Black Gold in recent years," Vic said, seemingly unconcerned.
Ban breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. Fortunately, the information about Nagayama Black Gold was only from a relatively niche group and did not involve any major secrets.
He had indeed heard of it before, and after recalling it for a moment, he took a sip of his drink and said:
"This Nagayama Black Gold appeared once a few years ago, discovered in a country's treasure vault."
The country was robbed by a pirate crew, and then the whereabouts of the Nagayama Black Gold became unknown.
"I still need to investigate further, Mr. Vic, please wait for my news," Ben said, recounting his memories.
Vic's eyes lit up. Sure enough, when one door closes, another opens. What old man Garp didn't know, a junior intelligence officer had heard of. It was an unexpected bonus.
"Alright, go back and investigate thoroughly, the more detailed the better. Also, don't overlook any new information about Eternal Mountain Metal."
If your own channels don't work, you can check through your information exchange platform; you won't be shortchanged.
After saying that, Vic took out 5 million Beli and handed them to Ban.
"Take this money and use it to gather intelligence for me. If we find concrete information, there will be more to come."
Vic then said, placing the money in front of Ban.
Ban swallowed hard. For a low-ranking intelligence officer like Ban, this was a huge sum of money; it would take him a long time to earn it.
He was excited; his future depended on this deal, and he decided to do his best to complete the task Vic had given him.
"Okay, Mr. Vic, please leave it to me. How can I contact you afterwards?" Ban asked for his contact information.
"Yes, I'm a new recruit in the Navy. I don't have a specific way to contact you right now. You can write a letter."
Don't write anything specific, just say there's news, and then send the letter to the Marine Base in area 60. I'll receive it.
Vic thought for a moment and said that he didn't actually have any Den Den Mushi right now, Recruit Camp didn't allow these communication devices, and Vic was helpless.
Ban was also surprised to hear that Vic was from the Navy, as he had never revealed this identity before.
With such strength, his future prospects in the Navy are limitless. He himself works in intelligence and is well aware of this, so he treats Vic with even greater respect.
"Okay, Mr. Vic, I'll go check for you now. Please wait for my reply."
Ban said respectfully, and only left after Vic nodded.
" Vic, aren't you afraid he'll take your money and run?" Rebecca asked doubtfully.
"Silly girl, is it worth it for such a small amount of money? Besides, he knows my strength, and now I've revealed my identity as a Marine."
Most people wouldn't run away unless they were completely stupid. Besides, 5 million Beli is nothing to me; losing it wouldn't be a big deal!
Vic ruffled Rebecca's hair and said something. Rebecca gave an embarrassed smile, but looked quite pleased.
Wendy stared intently at the two's intimacy!
With Ben gone, Vic saw no need to linger any longer. He paid the bill and left the tavern with the two men.
Having more sources of information makes things more reliable, Vic plans to explore multiple avenues and find another company to learn more about.
Vic led the two women Lawless Zone toward the most chaotic area, Zone 20.
The further they went, the heavier the atmosphere became, with the air filled with the smell of gunpowder and the acrid smell of burning.
Many more screams continued to appear in Vic's Observation Haki.
This is truly Lawless Zone; battles break out every day. Without considerable strength, it's difficult to survive here.
Vic encountered several groups that attacked him, but Rebecca killed them all. Vic continued walking in that direction.
Just as they were about to reach their destination, a smile appeared on Vic's lips. It was him after all; that person had actually come here today!