"Brut! Brut! Brut!"
A Den Den Mushi's ringing brought Vic back to reality. He reached into his pocket, took out a small Den Den Mushi, and looked at the cute human face displayed on Den Den Mushi. A smile appeared on Vic's lips.
"Hey! Rebecca! What's up?"
"..."
"What? Two 'uninvited guests' have arrived on the island? Are they here specifically to see me?"
"..."
"Since they haven't made a move, we don't need to worry about it. I'll handle it when I get back; it's very close!"
After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Vic immediately increased the wind force, and the warship instantly accelerated. They weren't far from Titan Island to begin with, otherwise Red Count wouldn't have been waiting for Vic there, so they were really close to Titan Island.
" Mr. Vic! Is he an enemy?"
"They used to be enemies, but whether they are enemies now depends on their attitude!"
Because they were almost at Titan Island, Vic stopped weaving the illusion. Ace also had a lot of free time. Seeing Vic's thoughtful expression, Ace didn't disturb him any further. Instead, he went to the other end of the warship to examine what he had gained from the illusion during this period.
In less than half a day, the strange sight of Titan Island came into Vic and Ace's view. The warship seemed to be attracted by some force, and its speed increased again.
" Mr. Vic! Is this Titan Island? It's amazing!"
"The scenery here is constantly changing; no two moments are exactly the same. Life here will never be boring or dull; you'll experience something different every day. I'm sure you'll love it here!"
Ace had known about the island where Vic was stationed for a long time, but had never been there before. This was his first time here, and he was immediately attracted by the strange scenery. After hearing Vic's introduction, he was filled with longing for the place even more.
What Vic said wasn't entirely wrong. Although both are spectacular sights woven from meteorites and auroras, the color, distribution, and intensity of the aurora, the size and location of the meteorite, and the materials and metals it carries, all contribute to creating unique and extraordinary scenes as it burns up during its descent.
In addition, changes in the air, including variations in dust particles and water vapor, create various refractions, scattering, and reflections, resulting in diverse landscapes that are truly ever-changing.
As they approached Titan Island, the warships increased their speed, and Vic had already removed the wind applied to the sails.
The people on the island also saw the rapidly approaching warships and came to the shore to welcome them. Those with strong Observation Haki already knew that Vic had returned, and the others naturally knew as well. They wouldn't just Flying Slash slash at the warships as soon as they saw them.
When they were still about fifty meters away from Titan Island, Vic had already reached the stern of the warship. Armament Haki Emission and punched the sea surface from a distance. The huge recoil caused the warship to fly up!
Combined with the island's immense gravitational pull, the distance of about fifty meters was quickly covered, and the warship had already arrived above Titan Island, then rapidly plummeted to the ground under the immense gravity.
Vic had spotted a wrecked boat not far from the shore. It looked relatively new, and he guessed it belonged to the two uninvited guests. If the warship couldn't make a soft landing, its fate would probably be similar. However, Vic knew that with Rebecca there, the warship wouldn't crash!
Seeing Vic's entrance, Rebecca understood Vic intentions. Just as she was about to fly onto the warship and use her Float-Float Fruit powers, two large hands made of earth and stone suddenly reached out from the warship's shadow on the ground and grabbed at it.
Seeing this, Rebecca stopped what she was doing, and the others, seeing the two arms, did not stop her.
Two large hands reached into the air and caught the falling warship. Except for a slight collision upon initial contact, they were very gentle, as if holding a model ship. After the warship was placed smoothly on the ground, the two large hands withdrew from the ground without leaving a trace, as if they had never existed.
Vic stood on the side of the warship, staring at the two middle-aged men standing on the other side of Rebecca and the others. They were the "uninvited guests" Rebecca had mentioned on the phone, and one of them had been the one who had just used those two large hands.
Vic knew both of them; he had imprisoned them in Impel Down, and they had escaped during the chaos Impel Down by Luffy and Blackbeard. Vic was surprised that they would come looking for him so quickly.
These two are Barrow Pizarro, the Corrupt King who disappeared from the Blackbeard Pirates, and Douglas Bullet, the Demon Heir. Both are dangerous individuals imprisoned in Level 6 of Impel Down!
Pizarro no longer had those two decorative horns on his head; his long, blue hair was casually draped over his shoulders, and he exuded a fierce aura. His demeanor was completely different from when Vic first met him.
Bullet, on the other hand, hadn't changed much. Apart from being more muscular, his expression looked even more crazed. He kept staring at Vic, his eyes blazing with intense fighting spirit.
Pizarro was truly changed by Vic. He no longer accepted Blackbeard's invitation and instead came to Titan Island with Bullet. Both of them had been captured by Vic and wanted to find Vic, so they hit it off and came here. Although their purposes were different, their goal was the same.
"I didn't expect you to develop such unique abilities from the Ox-Ox Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Kirin form. Are you here to fight me too?"
Seeing the lingering earthy color on Pizarro's hands, Vic knew that those two large hands were created by him. Vic had witnessed Kirin's earth manipulation ability when he fought Pizarro in the Sabaody Archipelago.
It's just unexpected that Pizarro was able to develop his Devil Fruit ability in Impel Down, and even Paramecia ability like Pica's. I wonder if he can enter the prison like Pica and control the Earth Giants.
(When Pizarro's abilities were initially designed, Pizarro Island-Island Fruit ability was not revealed. However, fortunately, they left something out by giving Kirin an earth manipulation ability, which also allows him to realize the Island-Island Fruit's power, so it's a barely acceptable explanation!)
"No! I'm here to join you. If you were still a Marine, I would never have come to you, but now that you're a pirate, there's nothing to hesitate about. What you said to me on the warship woke me up, so I didn't waste my time in Impel Down. Just as you said, I will get out one day, so I want to follow you!"
Pizarro wasn't actually there to fight Vic. Vic knew the plot was unfolding and that Pizarro was likely to escape from prison like in the original story. Plus, Pizarro's ordeal was quite tragic. So, Vic said those things with the aim of weakening Blackbeard's strength and bringing back a good guy!
Unexpectedly, it actually worked! The cause planted back then has yielded such a result today. The affairs of this world are truly mysterious, like a sip and a bite!
Pizarro has now abandoned his frivolous appearance, even removing the curved corners that were previously used for decoration, giving him a sense of returning to simplicity, while still retaining a touch of the wildness and ferocity of the mythical beast Kirin!
"Get up! You're one of our men now, stand on their side! Bullet! You're not here to join us too, are you?"
Vic called to Pizarro, who was kneeling on one knee, and then asked Bullet, " Pizarro's experience is similar to Kuma's. They are both good-natured, but unfortunately, the World Government is inhumane."
Furthermore, Pizarro's strength is also quite good. He did not give up his training in Impel Down, and he has the Mythical Zoan Kirin ability as a foundation. For both parties, it is a mutually beneficial arrangement, so Vic agreed without much hesitation.
However, Vic didn't think Bullet was there to join the group; his battle-ready eyes said it all. Nevertheless, Vic still wanted to tease this battle maniac.
"Of course not! I didn't stop training in Impel Down either, all so that one day I could fight you again. I'm not the same person I was back then, and this time I will definitely defeat you head-on!"
Bullet is indeed very strong and talented, but he lacks the guidance of a proper teacher. This may also be related to his personality. His arrogant, belligerent, and contemptuous nature makes him unlikely to be liked by many people.
If Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban, the three leaders, had given Bullet some pointers when he was on Roger's ship, he wouldn't have been left without mastering Conqueror's Haki Coating and Ryuo after so many years. Perhaps the three leaders were afraid that Bullet's personality would make him too powerful and wreak havoc on the entire sea!
So it's true that personality really influences how one person is perceived by another! On a larger scale, it even affects one's luck. Why is Luffy so favored by everyone? His background is only one factor; his personality is also a reason. Many people choose to help him because of his personality.
Vic is another example. The reason the Red Count taught him the method of viewing memories was precisely because his past actions pleased him. So, the saying "those who follow the right path will find many supporters, while those who stray from it will find few" is indeed true!