Arc 25The Knights and the New Crew

Vic survived a series of battles with the God's Knights, awakening Future Sight before recruiting Mantis and securing Whitebeard’s protection for Mantis’s people. Over the next two years, Vic trained his growing crew and prepared to face the God's Knights together, just as Saturn contacted him.

  • Vic attacked three Marine Branches in retaliation, then sailed to Flower, visited Konan, and left after the local commander found his empty ship.
  • Vic discovered that his Mind Power and Observation Haki let him hear the Voice of All Things, then accepted Kanbo into the crew after Rebecca vouched for him.
  • The Holy Knights and government forces caught up with Vic’s crew, and both sides fought across the warships as Vic faced Burns, Abraham, and Ralph.
  • Vic sent Rebecca and the others away, then fought the three Knights while suppressing his healing and other abilities until he awakened Future Sight and escaped.
  • After recovering on an uninhabited island, Vic failed to persuade Mantis to leave his home at first, but changed his mind by explaining the World Government’s crimes and promising to protect the residents.
  • Vic and Rebecca moved Mantis’s people to a floating island and brought them to Whitebeard, who agreed to shelter them under his flag while Mantis joined Vic’s crew.
  • Vic tested his strength against Whitebeard, reunited with Jinbe, and later kept fighting the God's Knights while attacking World Government strongholds over the next two years.
  • Vic used hypnosis and Observation Haki to train his companions through illusions, strengthening their Haki, Ryuo, Six Powers, and Devil Fruit skills before returning to Titan Island as Saturn called him.
Chapters 604–628 Vol. 7 Read

Ch. 604Retaliation and a Warning

Vic retaliated against the Marines by destroying three branch buildings, prompting the Five Elders to halt further Marine involvement in the hunt while leaving the Holy Knights’ pursuit in place. He then visited Konan and her grandmother on Flower before his crew departed, leaving the island’s Marine commander to find their empty ship.

  • Vic traveled alone to three Marine Branches and destroyed their buildings with lightning, warning Sengoku that the attacks were retaliation.
  • At the third base, Vic knocked Bastille unconscious when the commander tried to stop him, then destroyed the base and left.
  • After hearing Kong’s report, the Five Elders agreed that the Marines would send no more troops after Vic but continued the Holy Knights’ pursuit.
  • Vic returned to the pirate ship and sailed with his crew to Flower, where he visited Konan and her grandmother before leaving after a meal.
  • The Flower Marine Base commander led a squad to confront the pirates but found only their empty ship and recognized Vic’s flag.

Ch. 605The Voice of All Things

Vic and his crew left Flower and continued through the Grand Line, training for the World Government’s retaliation. On the hot-spring island, Vic followed a mysterious aura to a Poneglyph and realized that Mind Power combined with Observation Haki let him hear the Voice of All Things.

  • Vic left Flower with his crew, while Konan stayed behind to care for her grandmother and shared meaningful glances with Frodeku.
  • Vic’s crew trained as they sailed deeper into the Grand Line, and Rebecca and the others improved their Haki and Devil Fruit abilities.
  • The crew reached the hot-spring island, where Vic sensed a strange aura and flew alone toward the mountain at its center.
  • Vic entered the mountain and followed the aura to the Poneglyph beside the giant robot.
  • Vic touched the Poneglyph and realized his Mind Power and Observation Haki together let him hear the Voice of All Things.
  • Vic reflected that Roger, Luffy, Kozuki Oden, Momonosuke, and Shirahoshi might also possess Mind Power, while the ability to command Sea Kings and Zunesha seemed to involve something else.

Ch. 606Someone Wants to Join

Vic realized his Voice of All Things could help him locate Poneglyphs and decided to learn Ancient Script from Olvia, while rejecting the idea of becoming Pirate King. At the hot spring, Rebecca introduced Kanbo, who asked to join Vic’s crew despite the danger of their situation.

  • Vic considered how his Voice of All Things could help him find Poneglyphs and decided to study Ancient Script with Olvia.
  • Vic left the cave and found Rebecca waiting with Kanbo at the hot spring.
  • Rebecca explained that Kanbo was a former bounty hunter she had defeated two years earlier and that he wanted to join their crew.
  • Vic warned Kanbo that the crew faced pursuit by the Marines and World Government after killing a Celestial Dragon.
  • Kanbo said he had followed the crew’s progress, wanted to learn from strong companions, and was willing to risk death to become stronger.

Ch. 607Crisis Approaches

Vic accepted Kanbo into the crew, and Kanbo quickly learned the Six Powers and showed promise of awakening Armament Haki. As the crew continued their journey, the Holy Knights and growing government forces closed in on them.

  • Vic accepted Kanbo into the crew after Rebecca vouched for him, and the group left the island after resupplying.
  • The islanders watched Vic and his companions leave, conflicted because their peaceful behavior contradicted reports about them.
  • The Holy Knights led their forces across the Red Line while government warships and soldiers joined them, bringing them closer to Vic's crew.
  • Kanbo learned the rest of the Six Powers from Rebecca, and Vic realized he was close to awakening Armament Haki and had already awakened Observation Haki.
  • Rebecca explained the three kinds of Haki to Kanbo, then Vic released his Conqueror's Haki so Kanbo could experience its effects.

Ch. 608The Holy Knights Attack

Kanbo learned about Haki from Vic and Rebecca as the crew sailed toward another island. Vic then confronted an approaching World Government fleet, and his powerful slash injured Abraham of the Holy Knights as the battle began.

  • Kanbo recovered from Vic’s Conqueror’s Haki and realized that joining Vic’s crew had given him a path to grow stronger.
  • Vic told Kanbo that Conqueror’s Haki could be awakened through strong spiritual power and training.
  • Vic sensed powerful enemies approaching, and the crew prepared to fight the World Government fleet and its Holy Knights.
  • Vic launched a huge Sword Gang at the warships while Wendy fired several shots at separate targets.
  • Abraham tried to deflect Vic’s slash but was driven into the mast, injured as the slash dissipated.

Ch. 609One Against Three

Wendy crippled several World Government warships with accelerated, enlarged bullets as Vic faced three Holy Knights in midair. Rebecca joined the attack on the fleet, slaughtering the agents aboard its ships.

  • Wendy used her More-More Fruit to accelerate and enlarge bullets, disabling several warships despite the agents’ attempts to defend them.
  • Burns urged Abraham and Ralph to attack Vic together, and the three Holy Knights flew toward him.
  • Vic met Burns in the air, then narrowly evaded Ralph’s concealed high-speed sword attack and dodged Abraham’s slashes.
  • Rebecca rode a flying sword toward the fleet and sent more swords through the warships’ masts and the agents aboard.

Ch. 610All-Out Battle

Rebecca and the others fought off an assault by Cipher Pol agents, with the battle spreading from the warships to Vic’s pirate ship. The agents’ attempts to overwhelm Rebecca and take hostages faltered when Kanbo, Ain, and Olvia defended the ship.

  • Rebecca used Aizen and her flying swords to fight the Cipher Pol 9 agents and kill suited gunmen aboard the warships.
  • As more senior agents attacked Rebecca, Barnett, Wendy, and Frodeku joined the battle in the air, while Olvia kept Kanbo aboard the ship.
  • A senior agent boarded the pirate ship and Kanbo cut him down with Two-Sword Style.
  • Five senior agents surrounded Kanbo while three more went after Ain and Olvia.
  • Ain used her fruit power to incapacitate the agent who grabbed her, then Olvia trapped the other two in her tabletop world and crushed them with gravity.

Ch. 611Close Coordination

Vic fought Burns, Abraham, and Ralph, three Celestial Dragons whose coordinated attacks wounded him despite his Logia powers. He healed himself and faced them again as their battle rocked the surrounding warships and sea.

  • Vic struggled against the three Celestial Dragons, whose teamwork and Haki prevented him from gaining an advantage.
  • Burns used advanced Soru to strike at Vic while Abraham and Ralph pinned him down, and Ralph stabbed Vic in the back as Armament Haki slowed his escape.
  • Vic recognized the danger of the trio's coordination and used the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to heal his wound and earlier injuries.
  • Abraham attacked again, claiming that the three could wear Vic down, and Burns and Ralph moved to surround him.
  • Vic and the three Celestial Dragons continued their Haki clashes, sending shockwaves through the warships and raising enormous waves.

Ch. 612Heavy Casualties

After three hours of battle, Kanbo and his allies gained the advantage around the pirate ship, while Rebecca’s flying-sword control improved under pressure and helped her devastate the senior agents. Burns abandoned his fight with Vic to attack Rebecca, and Vic warned her just as Burns approached from behind.

  • Several senior agents were trapped in Olvia’s tabletop world, leaving too few to keep Kanbo at bay.
  • Rebecca refined her control of her flying swords during the prolonged battle and began striking the agents with greater speed and precision.
  • Rebecca killed many senior agents around her, then joined Frodeku and the others in overwhelming the agents attacking Wendy and her companions.
  • Burns left his fight with Vic and rushed toward Rebecca, preparing to strike her with a punch wreathed in Ryuo.
  • Vic used Observation Haki’s Secret Sound Transmission to warn Rebecca that Burns was behind her.

Ch. 613Holding the Rear

Vic fought Burns, Ralph, and Abraham while Rebecca and the others prepared to escape. After Rebecca was hurt and Vic suffered a shoulder wound, he ordered her to use the Float-Float Fruit to evacuate everyone, leaving him to hold off the three attackers.

  • Rebecca used a flying-sword formation and Armament Haki to defend herself from Burns's surprise punch, but he broke through and sent her crashing into a warship.
  • Ralph stabbed Vic in the shoulder while Vic's attention was on Rebecca, but Vic escaped the blade and moved away from Ralph and Abraham.
  • Burns attacked Vic, who sensed that Rebecca was injured but not in serious danger and realized the enemy had used her to distract him.
  • Vic told Rebecca to evacuate everyone with the Float-Float Fruit and ordered Wendy, Frodeku, and Barnett to return to the pirate ship.
  • Barnett and the others flew toward the pirate ship, while Rebecca emerged from the warship, saw Vic's wound, and prepared to follow his order.

Ch. 614One Against Three

Rebecca and the others escaped aboard the pirate ship while Vic held off the three Holy Knights. After intercepting their pursuit, Vic faced the knights again despite his worsening condition and launched a new attack on Abraham.

  • Rebecca flew back to the pirate ship, then used the Float-Float Fruit to lift it into the sky.
  • Abraham chased the ship, but Vic kicked him away and struck Burns with a blue laser that burned through his Haki-coated fist.
  • Vic intercepted Ralph with a sword slash, sending him flying and allowing the pirate ship to disappear into the clouds.
  • Abraham noticed Vic was tiring, and the three Holy Knights pressed their attack; Ralph wounded Vic's arm.
  • Vic stopped retreating and charged Abraham with two Haki-coated sabers, their Haki extending beyond the blades.

Ch. 615Returning to His True Self

Vic set aside his Devil Fruit enhancements and stopped suppressing his pain and fatigue to return to his natural state, then faced the three Holy Knights at a severe disadvantage. Though their combined attacks left him badly wounded, he closed his eyes and kept fighting by trusting his Observation Haki.

  • Vic used his Observation Haki to dispel the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's effects, stopped boosting himself with the Speed-Speed Fruit, and felt his injuries and exhaustion return.
  • Abraham intercepted Vic's slash but was overwhelmed by Vic's physical strength, before Burns struck Vic with Ryuo and Ralph cut his chest.
  • Vic realized he could not withstand the three Holy Knights together without his fruit enhancements and focused his attacks on Ralph.
  • Abraham and Burns joined Ralph's assault, wounding Vic repeatedly as they exploited openings to attack him from multiple sides.
  • Vic closed his eyes and continued fighting through his Observation Haki, trusting its perceptions despite his growing injuries and pain.

Ch. 616Ability User

Vic pushed his Observation Haki to its limits while fighting Burns, Ralph, and Abraham, then managed to wound Ralph despite nearing collapse. Ralph transformed into an awakened feline form, and Vic realized one of the three was an ability user.

  • Vic endured the hunters’ attacks as his Observation Haki predictions became more accurate, and the three men realized he was using them to sharpen his skills.
  • Vic gambled on charging through their assault, dodged Ralph’s thrust, and counterattacked with Blood Wither and Allen.
  • Vic wounded Ralph at the waist before Burns forced him to defend himself, and Ralph’s injury began to heal.
  • Ralph threw his slender sword into a warship, transformed into a black-furred feline hybrid, and revealed himself as an ability user.

Ch. 617Meeting the Future

Vic was gravely wounded by Ralph and appeared to die as the Holy Knights attacked him together. He then opened his eyes in what seemed to be a repeated moment and used what he had realized to evade their attacks and counter.

  • Ralph transformed into his awakened Human-Beast Form and tore a large wound in Vic's chest with his claw.
  • Ralph called Abraham and Burns to attack Vic together, and the two trapped his sword while Abraham pressed his assault.
  • Ralph pierced Vic's chest from behind and held up Vic's still-beating heart as Vic closed his eyes.
  • Vic opened his eyes to find the attackers in the same positions as before, sheathed both swords, and realized how to respond.
  • Vic dodged Abraham's thrust, redirected Abraham's sword to block Burns's punch, slapped Abraham, and kicked Burns in the abdomen.

Ch. 618A Ruthless Man

Vic used the three Celestial Dragons’ attacks to push himself to the brink and awaken Future Sight, then fought off Abraham and Burns while Ralph watched. After the men realized Vic could predict their moves, they surrounded him again and tried to wear him down.

  • Vic repeatedly knocked back Abraham and Burns as they attacked him, while Ralph watched in shock.
  • Abraham and Burns realized Vic had awakened Observation Haki with Future Sight and could predict their attacks.
  • Burns called Ralph to join the fight, and the three men resolved to wear Vic down before he could escape.
  • Vic’s stored energy meant he had not truly exhausted himself; he had suppressed his abilities and healing to provoke a life-or-death breakthrough.
  • Vic awakened Future Sight after pushing his body to its limit, and Ralph joined Abraham and Burns in surrounding and attacking him again.

Ch. 619After the Battle

Vic mastered Future Sight while fighting the three Holy Knights, destroyed their warships, and escaped to heal. The Five Elders ordered two more Knights to join the pursuit, and Vic eventually found Rebecca and the others waiting for him.

  • Vic mastered Future Sight during his fight with Ralph, Burns, and the third Holy Knight, then destroyed more than a dozen warships with lightning and left.
  • Vic hid on an uninhabited island and spent several days recovering from his severe injuries.
  • Ralph and the other Knights reported their failure to the Five Elders, who ordered two more Knights to join them before they pursued Vic again.
  • Rebecca waited with the pirate ship on an island, tracking Vic's condition with his Vivre Card until he had healed and found them.

Ch. 620Inviting Mantis

Vic reunited with Rebecca and the others, urged the crew to grow stronger against the World Government, and brought Olvia to meet Mantis. Mantis refused Vic’s invitation to join his crew because he wanted to protect his island from the conflict.

  • Vic met Rebecca and the others on the island and concealed how close he had come to dying in his recent battle.
  • Vic warned the crew that the World Government could send more powerful fighters and urged them to train, inspiring Kanbo to begin training at once.
  • Vic took Olvia to Mantis’s home and told him he had come to invite him to join the crew.
  • Mantis refused Vic’s invitation and asked him to leave so the island could remain peaceful.

Ch. 621The Ultimate Goal

Vic tried to recruit Mantis to his pirate crew, arguing that protecting the island alone could not secure its future. Mantis asked how to solve the island’s problems, and Vic declared that the World Government had to be overthrown, shocking Mantis and Olvia.

  • Vic brought wine to Mantis’s home and urged him to leave the island and travel with his pirate crew.
  • Mantis refused to leave, saying he preferred his life on the island and had only opened the door to make that clear.
  • Vic warned that Mantis could not protect the island forever and that its people would remain vulnerable after his death.
  • Mantis doubted whether his decades of protecting the island had accomplished anything and asked Vic how its problems could be solved at their root.
  • Vic said the world’s system had to change and called for the overthrow of the World Government, frightening Mantis and Olvia.

Ch. 622The Dark World

Vic explained to Mantis how the World Government used the Ohara Incident, the God Valley Incident, piracy, and Heavenly Tribute to control the seas and exploit people. He argued that overthrowing the World Government was necessary to end the cycle, leaving Mantis and Olvia shaken by the scale of its oppression.

  • Vic told Mantis that he had allies and planned to help overthrow the World Government with fewer lives lost.
  • At Vic's request, Olvia removed her mask and recounted how the World Government destroyed Ohara to conceal the lost history.
  • Mantis recognized Olvia and listened as she described the Ohara Incident from her firsthand experience.
  • Vic explained that the Celestial Dragons held island-wide hunts, including at God Valley, and that the World Government concealed the atrocities.
  • Vic described how the World Government used pirates to devastate countries, then collected Heavenly Tribute as protection money, trapping ordinary people in a cycle of poverty and piracy.
  • Mantis and Olvia were horrified by Vic's account and felt overwhelmed by the World Government's power.

Ch. 623Continuing the Retaliation

Vic persuaded Mantis to join his crew by offering to move the island’s people to Whitebeard’s territory, then began retaliating against the World Government for nearly killing him. The Five Elders recognized the attacks as revenge and understood that pursuing Vic could bring further losses.

  • Vic urged Mantis to join his fight against the World Government and promised to help protect the island’s residents.
  • Mantis agreed to go with Vic and chose to send the residents to Whitebeard, while Vic offered to have Rebecca transport them on a flying island.
  • Mantis went to tell the islanders to pack, and Vic asked Rebecca to find a suitable uninhabited island in the Calm Belt.
  • Vic left the island and attacked several World Government strongholds across the first half of the Grand Line, causing heavy casualties.
  • The Five Elders learned that Vic was retaliating and recognized that continuing to hunt him could lead to more attacks and losses.

Ch. 624Searching for Whitebeard

Vic and his companions relocated Mantis’s people to a safe island and sailed through the sky toward the New World, where Mantis wanted to meet Whitebeard. The floating island arrived above the Moby Dick, and Whitebeard recognized it as his old friend’s arrival.

  • The Five Elders raised Vic’s bounty by 200 million Beli, bringing it to 1.7 billion Beli, after he attacked World Government strongholds.
  • Rebecca moved Mantis’s hometown houses and reshaped a nearby island, then carried the island and their ship toward the New World while Vic and the others trained.
  • Mantis resumed training and committed himself to helping Vic pursue his ambitious goal.
  • Vic, Mantis, and Rebecca reached Whitebeard’s territory and contacted Edward Newgate, who gave them the name of an island where they could meet.
  • Three days later, Marco and the Whitebeard crew saw a huge shadow cover the Moby Dick, but Whitebeard recognized the floating island and welcomed his old friend with laughter.

Ch. 625Asking for Help

Mantis and Vic visited Whitebeard to ask him to shelter the people of Mantis’s hometown on their floating island. Whitebeard agreed and offered Mantis a commander’s position, but Mantis told him he had already joined Vic’s crew.

  • Vic warned Rebecca not to bring the floating island directly over the Moby Dick, and she moved it away before lowering it nearby.
  • Mantis and Vic flew to the Moby Dick with a barrel of wine, where Whitebeard warmly greeted Mantis and asked how he knew Vic.
  • Mantis asked Whitebeard to protect the people of his hometown while they settled in the New World.
  • Whitebeard agreed to let them settle in his territory under his pirate flag and invited Mantis to join his crew as a commander.
  • Mantis declined Whitebeard’s offer, explaining that he had already agreed to join Vic’s pirate crew.

Ch. 626Departure

Mantis turned down Whitebeard’s invitation to join his crew, explaining that he believed in Vic and his future. After testing Vic’s strength, Whitebeard welcomed his group with a banquet and warned Vic about the World Government before they departed to settle Mantis’s people.

  • Mantis praised Vic’s ambition and declared that he believed Vic would one day protect everyone, despite Whitebeard’s concerns about Vic’s current danger.
  • Whitebeard challenged Vic with Murakumogiri, and their clash of Conqueror’s Coating split the clouds as Vic was driven back five steps.
  • Whitebeard accepted Vic’s strength, ordered Marco and the others to care for those knocked unconscious, and resumed drinking with Mantis.
  • Vic reunited with Jinbe, who explained that he had joined the Whitebeard Pirates to train with Pops after King Neptune recommended him.
  • Whitebeard held a banquet for the two crews and showed particular warmth toward Rebecca and Ain.
  • Before Vic and his companions left with Marco, Whitebeard warned Vic that the World Government was dangerous and advised him not to reveal all his strength.

Ch. 627Two Years

Over two years, Vic repeatedly fought the five God's Knights, using the encounters to train before retaliating against World Government strongholds. As the New World’s balance of power shifted, Vic also mastered hypnosis-assisted illusions that could draw people into convincing false realities.

  • Marco flew away after guiding Vic and the others to Whitebeard’s arranged location, and Rebecca used her ability to place the island in the sea.
  • The five God's Knights tracked down Vic’s group, but Vic kept Rebecca and the others away from the fight, faced the knights alone, and escaped after testing his skills against them.
  • Vic repeatedly lured the five God's Knights into fights, then attacked World Government strongholds and caused heavy losses before disappearing again.
  • During the two years, Charlotte Linlin became an Emperor of the Sea, Akainu, Kizaru, and Aokiji became Marine Admirals, and Kaido expanded his power by exploiting Wano Country.
  • Vic learned hypnosis from an ancient book and combined it with Observation Haki to create convincing illusions that gradually drew people into worlds of his making.

Ch. 628Illusion Training Method

Vic used virtual-reality illusions to train his companions over two years, leaving them far stronger and ready to face the God's Knights. As he prepared to take them to sea, Saturn contacted him on the black Den Den Mushi.

  • Vic used illusions to give Rebecca and the others months of instruction and combat training while only days passed in reality.
  • Over two years, Vic trained his companions in Haki, Ryuo, the Six Powers, and their Devil Fruit abilities, but avoided risking their lives to teach Future Sight.
  • Vic returned to Titan Island after training on Raijin Island and prepared to gather his companions to confront the God's Knights.
  • The Five Elders had sent increasing numbers of God's Knights to hunt Vic, but his crew kept growing stronger and eventually could fight them effectively.
  • The World Government raised the crew's bounties, with Vic's reaching two billion, and Saturn finally called Vic on the black Den Den Mushi.
Arc 25 of 49
Arc 25 of 49