Warships are sailboats; you only need to adjust the sails according to the wind direction. You don't need to be there all the time, so even if there are only Vic and Ace on board, the warship still runs very well.
In addition, Vic can generate his own wind and go wherever he wants, so the two of them sitting on the deck did not affect the normal navigation of the warship.
Sailing is the most boring time. The sea is too vast and too monotonous. Only when you land on an island will you see different scenery. So Vic used this boring sailing time to help Ace train.
Three days had passed since Vic had witnessed Ace's blue flames and prepared to begin his training, while Ace had spent more than half a year in the illusion woven by Vic.
For the past six months, Ace has done nothing but focus on developing the power of the Flame-Flame Fruit within the illusion realm. Now he can reliably output off-white flames.
Even the blue flames could last an extra quarter of an hour, which was barely enough to be used as an attack method. It just depended on whether the opponent would stop and wait for him to unleash his ultimate move. But the effect was visible to the naked eye. Regardless of what happened in the illusion, only three days had passed in reality.
"Let's eat! There's no need to waste this time on cultivation in reality. Putting in some effort in the illusion is far more worthwhile."
Three days passed, and Vic slowly dispelled the illusion, allowing Ace to wake up. He then went to the warship's kitchen and prepared some delicious food, as both of them hadn't eaten for three days and it was time to stop their cultivation and have a meal.
However, when Vic brought the food to the deck, he saw Ace still sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, meditating. Vic knew that Ace had really matured a lot after his Pops's death, and no longer needed anyone to force or urge him to meditate!
However, Vic really didn't think much of the time in reality. There were still two years left in reality, but if all of that were converted into time in the illusion, it would be more than a hundred years. A few decades would be enough for Ace to cultivate, so there was really no need to be so rushed.
It's better to relax a bit in real life, and a balance between work and rest is more conducive to cultivation, but Vic still acknowledges Ace's serious attitude.
" Mr. Vic! I'm so glad to be able to eat your homemade food again! I've been craving this taste ever since I went to sea. I've been to so many places along the coast, but I just can't find this flavor, not even something similar. I've been craving this for years!"
Ace's eyes lit up when he saw the food on the table in front of him. He stopped his training, grabbed a piece of meat and took a bite. He was immediately captivated by it!
This flavor is truly unique and cannot be replicated elsewhere. Only someone with an unparalleled understanding of ingredients, cooking time, seasoning, and pairing can master it and create the best possible taste for food.
No one else has Vic's Devil Fruit ability, nor his dedication to pursuing top-notch flavors, nor has he ever thought of using his combat-oriented Devil Fruit ability for cooking. Naturally, no one can surpass Vic in this field.
And this isn't even Vic's highest level. Vic's highest level is naturally making you taste the finest steak even when you're eating poop. That's because Vic's ability can control a person's senses and taste buds. He can even taste sweetness in air. Controlling the brain means controlling all of a person's senses and feelings!
Even emotions can be influenced by Vic to some extent, but only to a part. Emotions are subjective; they are difficult to change if thoughts and memories cannot be altered. This is another realization!
"These foods were all made using Devil Fruit abilities. When I was still weak, I would develop my Devil Fruit abilities whenever I had free time, and I would try to use them to solve even the most mundane daily problems."
Even when I'm cooking, I'm thinking about how to use my Devil Fruit powers to make food faster and tastier. Although these abilities might not be useful in combat, if you develop them to a high level, the results will be completely different.
You'll open up a New World. Then, look at the abilities you've developed; they can all be used in combat, and many are incredibly difficult to defend against, even... well, never mind! Now's not the time to tell you that. I'll tell you when the time is right."
Vic originally wanted to say that to enter the God Realm, one must develop the fruit's power in all directions, eventually comprehend the entire Laws, and achieve a leap in life level. However, for Ace, it was too early now, and saying too much would only cause trouble. It wouldn't be too late to say anything when Ace was closer.
"I know! You can even develop such an overpowered ability as illusion using the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. I think no one is more skilled than you when it comes to developing Devil Fruit abilities."
Illusions may seem like a cultivation aid, but they can be used as a powerful combat ability. The illusions you create are indistinguishable from the real world; those caught in them might not even realize they've been tricked. Once inside your illusion, they're at your mercy!
Ace had already witnessed Vic's illusions, but only now did he realize that it was the power of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, which amazed him greatly. Such seemingly unrelated abilities were miraculously connected!
The speed of time flow within the illusion is particularly deadly; it's a deadly weapon. Ace doesn't believe that the speed of time flow in the illusion was Vic's limit. If the speed of time flow in the illusion were even faster, is it possible that someone affected would instantly die of old age in reality?
It's as if his lifespan has been taken away. Is there a similarity between this and the way Four Emperors Big Mom takes away lifespans? Moreover, Vic's ability is more secretive and can be done without any triggering conditions, while Big Mom needs to be afraid of her to activate her ability.
This is why Ace realized how terrifying the Vic Illusion was when he came out of the illusion and discovered that his body had changed over time. Although the changes were few, they were indeed obvious. These were changes that couldn't happen in just a few days. For example, the length of his hair and nails couldn't have grown so quickly in just a few days!
Vic hasn't used Pure Gold on Ace yet, which is why these changes are happening. It's easy for Ace to notice these changes, but of course, Vic isn't afraid for Ace to know.
Afterwards Vic and Ace chatted about their abilities while eating. One was a theoretical master, and the other was a complete Xiaobai. They had a lot to talk about. Devil Fruit abilities are often a clash of ideas, and who knows, they might just create a powerful ability someday. Nobody can say for sure.
Luffy develops his abilities based on what he sees, and he's done a good job at it. However, some abilities are too abstract, so he has to use his creative thinking to develop them.
" Mr. Vic! There's an island ahead, it looks like it's uninhabited! Should we go ashore to resupply?"
As the two were chatting, the warship approached an island. Ace was facing the island, so he saw it at a glance. The island was not very big, lush and green, and did not look like it was inhabited.
Of course, Ace could only see this side of the island, and he wasn't sure if there were people on the other side. But an island like this would definitely have plenty of meat, fruit, and fresh water, making it a great supply point. However, Ace didn't know how many supplies were left on the warship, so he could only ask Vic, who was cooking.
"Hmm? There's a powerful figure on the island! Ace! Be careful!"
"Are they here for the bounty?"
I'm not sure, let's wait and see.
Vic didn't pay much attention at first. There were plenty of small islands like this on the Grand Line. He just turned his head to take a look and then covered it with his Observation Haki. Then, an aura no weaker than Big Mom's suddenly entered his Observation Haki perception, which surprised Vic!
An island without even a name, yet it possesses an aura no weaker than that of the Big Mom, and they just happened to encounter it? Is it really that coincidental? Ace even thought of bounty hunters, but bounty hunters of this caliber are extremely rare.
"Since we've met, let's go ashore and talk, Dark Dragon!"