"Whether it's a pit of fire or not, just ask Kuzan. I heard that Kuzan was rejected when he wanted to train with Mr. Garp. He might not even accept you as his apprentice. You should learn from Kuzan first!"
Kuzan! You don't want to see Smoker in a deadly situation like this again, do you? This isn't the first time!
In the original work, Garp had two main disciples: Aokiji and Koby. Aokiji actively trained and became stronger, thus catching Garp's eye, while Koby was passively drawn in because of Luffy; he was forced to grow stronger by Garp.
However, both of them have achieved considerable success. According to the original storyline, Koby will most likely become the next Marine Admiral, or at least become an important figure in the Marines.
So even if Smoker wanted to become an apprentice, it wouldn't be so easy. But then again, he has two good friends, so they're practically related!
" Vic! Why don't you tell us about your experience of becoming an apprentice?"
"Me? I didn't become his apprentice. The old man took the initiative to ask me to join him, and he never mentioned it. Isn't that infuriating? So my experience is useless as a reference. Let me tell you about yours instead!"
Of course, Vic didn't get noticed as soon as he appeared in front of Garp. He had to volunteer himself and even fought with Garp before he was chosen. However, he was young then, Smoker is not a good reference now. From Vic's perspective now, willpower and temperament are what Garp values most!
" Smoker! Vic is right. The training might be tough, but the rewards will be enormous. If I had to talk about how I feel right now, I've regretted becoming Mr. Garp's apprentice for years. If I hadn't, I would have regretted it for the rest of my life. Smoker! Think about it carefully!"
Although Aokiji was somewhat unconvinced by Vic's words, he didn't want to see his trusted little brother repeatedly encounter life-or-death crises. He could save him once or twice by chance, but he couldn't be Smoker's babysitter forever. He also had his own things to do!
Therefore, he agreed with Vic's suggestion. Smoker wasn't particularly old and still had a lot of room for growth.
"Since you all say so, then I'll give it a try. I wonder if Vice Admiral Garp will even notice me!"
Smoker wasn't very confident; his age was definitely a disadvantage.
"No need to try, you'll definitely be accepted. Just say that we two strongly recommended you, that we saw the deep potential within you, and that Mr. Garp will give you a good chance to discover it."
And you need to set a goal. Just tell Mr. Garp that your goal is to become Marine Admiral, and have him give you special training based on that goal. We'll be waiting for your good news!
Vic was spouting nonsense with a straight face, his purpose being to get Garp to train Smoker hard. He absolutely couldn't go easy on him; it was a last resort. If Smoker didn't change now, his luck in the Navy would be stolen by Koby, and he would most likely just become an ordinary Marine Vice Admiral!
Aokiji picked up his wine glass and took a sip, looking at Vic with a strange expression. As an outsider this time, he had witnessed Vic's persuasive skills firsthand, and he also recalled what Vic had told him a year ago. If he hadn't verified everything Vic said, he would have really wondered if he had also been fooled by Vic.
Although he saw through it, Aokiji did not remind Smoker, who was lost in thought. He knew that Vic was doing this for Smoker's own good. This world was too dark and chaotic, and only by being strong could one stand firm.
" Vic! Do you still have that kind of fruit you gave Smoker? It seemed to have a strong healing ability!"
With Smoker's matter settled, Aokiji turned the conversation to the mysterious healing fruit that he was more interested in. This fruit could really save lives in critical moments, and if Vic had any extras, he wanted to get a few.
Smoker was also drawn to Aokiji's words. He was the one who felt the most deeply and was the most shocked. As for becoming Garp's apprentice, he could think about it later. He didn't doubt that Vic was lying to him. He believed that Vice Admiral Garp have a way to contact Vic to confirm.
"You don't really think the previous healing was thanks to that fruit, do you? The fruit was just an aid; what really worked was my fruit ability. That fruit merely provided the energy to heal the wound!"
Vic was telling the truth, but Aokiji and Smoker just stared at him with pouts. Although they didn't say anything, their expressions and eyes said it all: they didn't believe him and suspected that Vic was unwilling to share that magical fruit with them.
"Don't believe me? If you don't believe me, find a fat guy who's injured, and I'll show you."
Vic knew that nothing he said would make a difference, because his healing methods had already transcended the realm of ordinary people. They hadn't seen anyone bring someone to death, but Vic was already at the stage of restoring flesh and bone, which was no ordinary technique, so they naturally didn't quite believe it.
Smoker, determined to prove himself, actually went to find a big guy who had been cut by Doflamingo's String-String Fruit.
Only Smoker was qualified to be treated by Vic himself; everyone else had to get bandages from a doctor. Hearing that he could enjoy the same treatment as Smoker, the big guy was extremely excited and looked on with anticipation!
The big guy had a gruesome cut on his thigh, with the skin and flesh turned outwards. The bandage had been removed, revealing a large, still bleeding gash.
With a flick of his finger, Vic released a small ball of lightning that merged into the giant's body. Vic didn't keep his finger pressed against the giant's body; he simply released the lightning ball and withdrew his hand.
He had long been able to control things remotely, but he didn't want to appear too terrifying and frighten acquaintances. However, Vic didn't want to keep his hand on this unfamiliar man.
The treatment was effective, even faster than when Smoker was treated, because the big guy only had one cut, so the healing speed was naturally faster.
The big guy's eyes widened as he stared intently at his own thigh. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and he wanted to remember it all without blinking.
Aokiji and Smoker knew what Vic was trying to prove, so after seeing the wound healing, they focused their attention elsewhere. They noticed that as the wound healed, the big guy's body had clearly shrunk in size—not in height, but in width—providing clear evidence for Vic's claim.
"By the way, since we're on the topic, Kuzan! Wasn't your leg burned off by Sakazuki? Although you can replace it with ice, which won't affect your mobility, it's not as useful as the original, right? My ability can regenerate severed limbs. Do you want it treated?"
After healing the big guy and sending him away, Vic remembered Aokiji's broken leg. Last time they met, Vic wasn't sure if Aokiji would follow the same path and join the Blackbeard Pirates, so Vic didn't offer to heal his leg.
Looking at Aokiji's demeanor now, he's no longer the lost wanderer he once was. Vic knows that Aokiji has already made his choice: to join the Straw Hat Pirates. However, he's still looking for the right time to join, since the Straw Hat Pirates have only just gathered together to enter the New World. Of course, he also has the idea of conducting a final assessment before making a decision!
"Is it okay? You won't suck me dry, will you?"
Aokiji certainly wanted to heal his broken leg. Just like Vic said, a leg made with abilities can never be as good as the original, and an ice leg has many limitations. However, he was still a little worried about his condition after his leg was healed, as he didn't have enough flesh to make up for the loss.
Vic didn't seem to be carrying many of those Mystery Fruit. He then looked at the burly man who had lost a lot of weight; one wound had consumed so much flesh. If it were his broken leg, he would probably be a dried-up corpse!
"Of course not, I can control myself. Relax and don't resist!"
After Vic finished speaking, a ball of lightning rose from his palm and was placed directly on Aokiji's chest. The lightning entered Aokiji's body and instantly decomposed into positive and negative charges, which were then rapidly transferred to various parts of his body.
One part of it occupied the high ground of the brain. With a thought from Vic, the nerve signal transmission of Aokiji was cut off. He also lost control and consciousness of his body. It was almost like being a paraplegic. No consciousness, no pain, and no control of his limbs. It was that quick and efficient!
It only took Vic a moment to finish all that. He then stretched out his other hand, transforming it into a hand chop, and with a gentle wave, an invisible Sword Qi slashed at Aokiji's severed leg from a distance. The ice prosthetic limb, with a small piece of flesh still attached, tilted down from the knee and smashed into pieces of ice!