"Miss Shakky! How is it? Is Mr. Rayleigh still on the island? When will he be back?"
Vic put away the Den Den Mushi and returned to the bar. Seeing that Shakky had finished, he asked her a question.
After receiving the call from the old man, Vic knew that the Paramount War would still happen as scheduled. Even without Ace's bloodline as the Pirate King, the World Government would still use Ace as a catalyst to deal with Whitebeard.
Since this major event can't be changed, the plan needs to be adjusted slightly. Luffy still needs to go to Amazon Lily to see Hancock's naked body!
Even if Luffy can't save Ace in Impel Down, Vic will still intervene during the final battle at Marine Headquarters. This time, he can't let the old man bury his son again. Besides, Ace is also part of Vic's plan. Talented people can't be let go easily, and he will contribute to the future battle.
Although Vic guessed that Ace was a bait used by the World Government to deal with Whitebeard, his understanding was still too superficial. He only saw the most superficial layer of this major event. Whether this was due to the influence of the Paramount War in his previous life's manga or a problem with his own level of understanding, his perspective was still limited.
Little did Vic know that the wisp of Laws fluctuation he inadvertently leaked upon emerging from seclusion would bring the distorted plot back on track? And that the Five Elders had orchestrated such a grand scheme to find him?
So when the plot returned to normal, Vic could only conclude that the World Government wanted to deal with Whitebeard. This was due to an imbalance caused by information asymmetry, not because Vic was actually not at a high enough level.
In the original work, Ace's public execution was aimed at Whitebeard. If they really only wanted to kill Ace, why not do it somewhere else? The public execution was clearly a ploy to lure Whitebeard. Didn't the Navy know how many people would die if such a battle were triggered? Yet they still did it, and even made preparations for Whitebeard to rescue Ace. This speaks volumes!
In fact, Vic's intelligence is no less than that of the Five Elders; he just suffered from a lack of information. However, this will not affect Vic; his only goal is to save Ace.
With Ace's current strength, it wouldn't be too difficult. Even if Vic didn't intervene, Akainu wouldn't be able to punch through Ace in one go. Ace's Armament Haki isn't so easy to break now!
"He just went out to sea, but he heard you needed his help and is already on his way back!"
Shakky was visibly more relaxed. She had been tense before, probably because she was worried about Rayleigh's safety. At his age, he still wanted to Impel Down; just thinking about it, you can imagine how risky that was.
So what if they were once crewmates of Pirate King? Their era has passed. The young generation has grown up, and the older generation is about to retire from the stage of history!
"I received word that the World Government wants to use Ace to scheme against Whitebeard. They plan to publicly execute Ace at Marine Headquarters. Knowing Whitebeard's personality, he'll definitely bring men to storm the execution ground. So, we don't need to go to Impel Down to rescue him. That execution will involve the Shichibukai, and I'll be there too. I'll make my move when the time is right!"
Vic didn't hide his plan. Knowing that the plot had returned to its original form, he also knew the best time to act. In that case, Rayleigh and the others didn't need to participate; he alone was enough.
"This... I never expected Ace's capture would lead to such a huge incident. It seems Whitebeard is in grave danger this time!"
Shakky was also surprised to hear this news. Even though Ace was the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, his capture was not a big deal. Impel Down had imprisoned many pirates of that caliber, and even Kaido had been captured.
However, the World Government clearly intends to wipe out the entire Whitebeard Pirates this time; this is an attempt to start a war. Only the God Valley Incident could compare to this level of conflict. How can this not be astonishing?
Of course, there was also sadness at the impending demise of his contemporaries. Shakky knew that even if he told Whitebeard about the World Government's conspiracy, Whitebeard would still go. He was that kind of man, knowing he would die but still not backing down. That was the charm of the Emperor of the Sea Whitebeard!
Rayleigh returned to Sabaody Archipelago not long after and met with Vic at the Shakky's Rip-off Bar. Vic told Rayleigh about his plans and requests, and specifically mentioned that Luffy's Straw Hat was a gift from Shanks. Rayleigh then understood.
Roger gave Shanks the same Straw Hat Straw Hat, which symbolized inheritance and recognition. In other words, Shanks believed that Luffy would undoubtedly be the next Pirate King.
What are Rayleigh and his crew doing right now? Aren't they nurturing the next generation and helping the next Pirate King to be born? So Rayleigh didn't hesitate at all when Vic asked for help.
Of course, it's also possible that Rayleigh agreed because Vic took on the responsibility of saving Ace, and in return, he readily agreed. But actions speak louder than words. Regardless of Rayleigh's true intentions, as long as he earnestly does what Vic asked of him, that's enough.
Vic wouldn't have to confront Kizaru directly before the Paramount War, lest his identity be exposed and he lose his title Shichibukai, which would ruin his subsequent plans.
He still needs to go to the Paramount War to rescue people, and he can't reveal his God Realm strength while rescuing them, so he still needs to borrow the title of Shichibukai. The Sun God is still just a small Lami, so he needs to lie low for a while longer!
Three days later, the Straw Hat Pirates arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago. In order to coat the Thousand Sunny and head to Fish-Man Island, Luffy and his crew, led by Hachi, found the Shakky's Rip-off Bar.
Yes, that's how the story unfolded. Back then, when Hachi and Arlong went to the East Blue to rob someone, their first stop was the ruthless Vic. After that, they slunk back to Fish-Man Island.
Hachi was never cut out to be a pirate, so he ended up becoming a takoyaki (octopus ball) shop owner, and Camie later became a waitress at Hachi's takoyaki shop.
Not long ago, a group of human traffickers discovered the existence of the mermaid Camie. Human traffickers know the slave market best, and mermaids are the most expensive slaves at auctions.
Mermaids swim so fast that they are impossible for ordinary people to catch. Once they enter the water, there is nothing that can be done about them. This is one of the reasons why mermaids are rare and valuable at auctions.
Another reason is that mermaids know they are valuable to humans, so they rarely appear on dangerous land or sea.
However, because there were two Fish-Man among the human traffickers, they set their sights on Camie. But since the two Fish-Man traffickers couldn't catch Camie in the sea, they captured Hachi to threaten Camie.
The reckless Camie gets into new danger while escaping, but is eventually rescued by Luffy and his crew by chance. Fate is so magical; Luffy and his crew eventually meet Camie again!
At Camie's request, Luffy and his crew also rescued Hachi. Afterward, they learned from Camie and Hachi how to get to Fish-Man Island, so they came to the Sabaody Archipelago.
Hachi had once saved Rayleigh and knew that Rayleigh was a good coating master. However, after they went to the Shakky's Rip-off Bar, they couldn't find the coating master, Old Ray.
In fact, Rayleigh and Vic were watching the group from not far away, but because of Vic's plan, Rayleigh couldn't possibly show up now, even though he was very interested in Luffy.
Luffy and his crew obtained a lot of information from Shakky, including information about the Supernovas gathered on the island.
Guided by Shakky, Luffy and his crew quickly dispersed across the Sabaody Archipelago. They needed to find the coating master Old Ray, as soon as possible and wanted to reach the New World. However, things rarely go as smoothly as they seem!
If Luffy knew now that Ace was going to be executed, he would definitely go to Impel Down to save him. Zoro and Sanji, his crewmates, would definitely go too. It's hard to say what the outcome would be then; they're still too weak!
On her way to find Rayleigh, Camie's true identity as a mermaid was discovered by human traffickers, who then tricked and kidnapped her.
However, with Duval's help, Luffy and his crew learned of Camie's whereabouts. She had been sold to a slave auction house. Luffy then boarded a flying fish and rushed to the auction house without stopping, determined to rescue their new friend!