The reason Vic was laughing so slyly was because he discovered Rayleigh Armament Haki when he scanned the area with his Observation Haki.
That's Dark King Rayleigh! A powerful figure who can name Ancient Weapon! How could he have to rely on Armament Haki to maintain his manly dignity? But then I thought about how Rayleigh was already over seventy years old, and I understood.
It's true that the older generation of powerful figures are getting old, and it's not surprising that some of their physical functions have declined. Time is indeed a cruel mistress, ruining the beauty of women and the strength of men. If Vic hadn't known about the plot and missed the opportunity to reach the Pure Gold realm, and hadn't been able to break through to the God Realm, he would probably be in the same situation decades later. It's still a bit sad to think about!
After thinking it over, Vic withdrew his Observation Haki from Rayleigh's side. There was nothing interesting about the old man's vain and happy life. Afterwards, Vic used the Thousand-Li Sound Transmission Technique to give Tesoro directions.
Although Area 50 is just one of many areas in the Sabaody Archipelago, it is still quite large for an individual human. Tesoro's Observation Haki cannot detect the two of them, so it would take him a long time to find it on his own.
Therefore, Vic felt it necessary to guide him. Since the telepathic technique had already been exposed to him before, he didn't mind revealing it again. It would also let Tesoro know his unfathomable abilities and indirectly confirm the strength of the Revolutionary Army.
Following the voice in his mind, Tesoro led Baccarat forward until they finally saw the two figures shrouded in black robes on the beach.
Vic's telepathic ability truly shocked Tesoro. He hadn't felt this way when they were close at the auction house, and thought it was the effect of some kind of Devil Fruit power.
However, Vic's actions at the auction house vault overturned this conjecture, and later, on his way to area 50, he heard that familiar voice again.
However, his Observation Haki failed to detect the mysterious person within a large surrounding area. He knew that his Observation Haki couldn't sense that person's presence; he had tried it at the auction house, but even scanning his surroundings, he still couldn't see the person.
The human eye can see quite a distance, yet he could hear people speaking outside his sight, and they were speaking only to him. What kind of strength could achieve that? None of the powerful figures he had ever heard of possessed such strength, so the more he thought about it, the more awe he felt for Vic.
Tesoro was originally an amateur; his rise to power was entirely due to the Paramecia Gold-Gold Fruit. He had never received formal or systematic education, nor had he ever encountered any truly strong individuals. At most, he was at the level of Doflamingo, while the others were just underground kings and captains of second- or third-rate pirate crews.
So Tesoro had no idea that Vic's Thousand-Li Sound Transmission technique wasn't something that just anyone with great strength could do. This Thousand-Li Sound Transmission communication technique was developed by Vic based on his Observation Haki. In theory, anyone who Awakening Observation Haki should be able to use it.
However, Vic only passed on the key points and techniques to his own pirate crew members and did not spread them. Moreover, the effect would be much worse for people who are not good at thinking, so the outside world had no idea that such a secret technique existed, and therefore no one would study it in this direction.
Just like Luffy, if he didn't know that Haki could flow, could he use the Ryuo technique? Even when Hyogoro told him, he still didn't learn it immediately. Luffy is considered to have good talent; someone with poor talent probably wouldn't be able to learn it at all.
It's like a true teaching can be conveyed in a single sentence, while false teachings fill countless books. Without understanding the key points, one is destined to take many detours. The crucial point is that if you don't even know the path ahead, who would still choose this path? Therefore, the art of Thousand-Li Sound Transmission is unique to Scorpion Poop.
"Sir! Is there anything I can do for you by calling me here?"
Tesoro was somewhat nervous and wary when two powerful and mysterious figures came to him, but he wasn't worried about his life. He thought the two men were so powerful that they wouldn't bother to go to such lengths to trick him into coming here if they really wanted to harm him.
Of course, he was right. Not to mention Vic, even Dragon was a much stronger opponent than Tesoro in his current state. However, he was also curious about why the two of them were looking for him. As the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat, so after hesitating for a while, he still came.
Vic didn't speak, but vanished from his spot in an instant. When he reappeared, he was already behind Baccarat. He delivered a karate chop to the neck of the unsuspecting Baccarat, Baccarat collapsed to the ground without uttering a sound.
Baccarat is now just an ordinary human being, Vic used just the right amount of force to avoid hurting her; otherwise, that chop might have severed her head.
When the sound of Baccarat falling to the ground was heard, Tesoro realized that Vic was gone. Looking around, he saw Vic standing and Baccarat lying on the ground.
Tesoro was horrified! What kind of insane speed was this? Did these two really intend to harm him, but just want to find a secluded place to avoid attracting attention?
"What... what do you mean by this?"
Tesoro quickly assumed a defensive stance, ready to strike at any moment, while simultaneously questioning him with even greater tension and uncertainty.
The mysterious man's attack caught him completely off guard. When he first contacted him telepathically at the auction, the man was clearly well-intentioned and showed no ill will afterward. Why then did he suddenly attack here?
But he dared not run away. Having witnessed the mysterious man's speed, he knew that he couldn't escape no matter what he did; his Devil Fruit ability wasn't Logia that allowed him to become an element.
Moreover, if the mysterious person truly wanted to attack him, why would they leave him alone and target an ordinary person instead? Wouldn't it have been better to launch a direct attack at that terrifying speed? He knew he couldn't dodge it! So, all things considered, he didn't run away, but simply became more vigilant.
"Use your Observation Haki to sense her; she's just passed out. I just didn't want her to hear our conversation."
Vic never revealed his voice to Tesoro; it was always a simulated voice. He didn't want to expose his identity yet.
Dragon, standing to the side, simply watched quietly, neither speaking nor making any move, because he didn't know what Vic was going to do and could only watch Vic's performance. Tesoro was quite wealthy now, but not as wealthy and famous as he was when the movie was released, so Dragon didn't recognize Tesoro.
Upon hearing this, Tesoro sensed Baccarat and found that Baccarat was breathing steadily as if she had fallen asleep. He breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his guard.
The mysterious man had the ability to kill him, so there was no need to waste words with him. Moreover, Baccarat was indeed an extra person, and the mysterious man had not invited her. This reason was too strong and directly convinced Tesoro.
"Didn't you buy a Devil Fruit at the auction? I brought it to you."
Vic extended a hand from within his black robe, dragging a small box specifically designed and crafted to hold Devil Fruit. Although he wanted to recruit Tesoro, Vic wasn't in a hurry. He stated his purpose upon meeting him, demonstrated his strength, and then offered a gift to ease the tension—a combination of a harsh rebuke and a sweet treat.
In fact, Vic could have used the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit or illusions to prevent Baccarat from hearing their conversation without anyone noticing. What he did now was simply to demonstrate his strength and give Tesoro more confidence, so that he wouldn't be hesitant about cooperating with the Revolutionary Army. He had powerful backers, and more than one.
Seeing Vic pull out another Devil Fruit, Dragon's eyes widened in disbelief. If Tesoro hadn't been there, he definitely would have asked about it.
Although it's a support-type Paramecia-type Paramecia Fruit, it's still very useful for an impoverished organization like the Revolutionary Army. In the Revolutionary Army, even a brick or a piece of toilet paper is useful, let alone a more valuable Devil Fruit.
Dragon had a hunch that Vic might have robbed the auction house. Did he still have a Devil Fruit? He planned to ask Vic for it after Tesoro left.