Victor glanced at the dense lightning in the sky, first cloaking his entire body in Armament Haki before opening the stone box.
With solemn reverence, he reached in and retrieved the Divine Staff—its material unknown. The moment the staff left the box, thunder materialized from the void, striking Victor's body in relentless succession.
Unfazed, Victor sat cross-legged, palms upturned on his thighs as he held the staff aloft.
As if offended by his defiance, the void birthed even more lightning, its power intensifying.
Then, Victor finally sensed the change—and it stunned him.
"This lightning from the void is rapidly depleting my Haki... but in exchange, the Haki that absorbs the ambient spiritual energy becomes stronger—more refined than what's naturally replenished. And it's spreading inward, affecting my cells... This is unbelievable. Something like this exists in this world? Rapid depletion and reinforcement?"
"This is an absolute treasure. Before, I had no idea how long it would take to awaken Haki in every cell. But now, with this, the goal is within reach!"
Victor was exhilarated. This was like activating a cheat code for accelerated growth.
Previously, he had relied on maintaining full-body Haki to naturally deplete and replenish his reserves, absorbing spiritual energy from the surroundings to strengthen his Haki's density and saturation.
That method alone had already far surpassed the progress ordinary people made through sporadic combat. But now, with this new acceleration? It was like adding wings to a tiger—unstoppable momentum.
"Is this the 'destiny' mentioned in the box's inscription? Am I the chosen one? But I thought that was Luffy's role—to awaken the Nika Fruit and become the Sun God Joy Boy!"
"Then... does that mean I'm destined to wield the thunder? The Thunder God? So it really is that Fruit... I'll have to make time to visit that place."
Victor gazed up at the storm-choked sky, his eyes alight with ambition.
"The Divine Staff is undoubtedly a legendary treasure. Even its current function alone could mass-produce elite fighters. The World Government must never learn of its existence—I'll need to be even more cautious when using it from now on."
He now understood that he was fated to play a pivotal role in the coming upheaval—swept up by destiny itself.
Gradually, Victor's Haki was completely exhausted. Yet, he didn't put the staff away.
Back on that island when he first touched the staff without Armament Haki, the lightning's intensity had felt manageable. Now that he knew its true purpose, he no longer feared it.
As the void-born lightning struck his bare flesh, smoke curled from his skin. Victor remained still, intently analyzing the changes within his body.
"This lightning's effects aren't limited to Haki... Now, I'll test its impact on my physical body."
Thirty minutes later, Victor finally returned the staff to its stone case and secured it at his waist. He sensed its immense importance—it would never leave his side.
"It works. Lightning tempering the body? I think I've even shrunk by a centimeter—my density has increased again. If this continues, will I return to my original world's height?"
"I'll have to limit its use to storms like this for now. Once I obtain that Fruit, I can wield it openly. I'll need to find an opportunity..."
Covered in scorch marks, Victor returned to the cabin to wash up before settling into deep meditation.
Time flowed swiftly. The storm dissipated, the thunder faded, and the rain softened.
By midnight, the clouds had parted, revealing the moon and a sky ablaze with stars—as if heralding the world's future.
---
The next morning, Rebecca left for her drills while Victor prepared breakfast. Once they finished eating, he escorted her to the elite training camp.
The morning was crisp, the forest's edge where they lived radiating the vibrant essence of nature.
At the camp, trainees were already deep in their exercises. Zephyr stood atop a high platform, overseeing them all with a watchful gaze.
This was his routine—observing, understanding his students to tailor his teachings. Decades of experience had honed his methods—successful, for the most part.
'(Except with Borsalino. That man never listened, always marching to his own beat. And now Smoker's showing the same tendencies... He needs a good beating.)'
"Rebecca, wait here. I'll speak with Instructor Zephyr," Victor said.
"Mm. Go ahead. I'll look around."
Rebecca's current strength placed her among the elite—capable of handling bounty hunters around 100 million berries, barring certain tricky Paramecia users.
Victor ascended the platform's steps, stopping behind Zephyr.
"You really are a monster. Such severe injuries, yet fully healed already."
Zephyr's voice carried a mix of admiration and resignation. "Sometimes, I envy people like you. Your endurance, recovery, talent—it's terrifying. A month of your growth equals years for others. The more you fight, the stronger you become."
"For years, I've wondered—why do people like you exist? And why do most of you become pirates? I could never understand."
"After decades as an instructor, I've realized something: Without people like you, the seas would lack their brilliance. Perhaps the world itself wouldn't allow it."
Victor was taken aback. "Zephyr, you're hardly ordinary yourself. No Devil Fruit, yet you became an Admiral through sheer strength. That's not something 'normal' people achieve."
"Instructor," Victor stepped forward, standing beside Zephyr. "Are you implying... that you consider yourself ordinary?"
"Of course." Zephyr's gaze grew distant. "I grew up alongside Garp. The pressure was immense."
"While he grew stronger eating and lazing around, I had to push myself to the brink just to keep up."
"But the moment he got serious, I'd be left in the dust. Every day, I pushed myself to exhaustion just to cling on by my teeth!"
Zephyr didn't mention Sengoku—likely because the latter was a Devil Fruit user, making comparisons unfair. But Garp? He was a fellow pure martial artist, a rival since their youth.
"Against powerful pirates, we'd both end up gravely wounded. Yet every time, Garp was the first back on his feet. A single feast, and his injuries vanished like smoke. Meanwhile, I'd be bedridden for weeks."
"That man laughs and jokes like a fool, yet sees clearer than anyone. That's why he scorns the title of Admiral—freedom means more to him."
"But becoming an Admiral was my life's pinnacle! When the three nominations were announced, I was overjoyed. Yet Garp treated it like trash. He insisted on remaining a Vice Admiral—war hero, Marine legend. Even Fleet Admiral Kong couldn't force him. So Sengoku and I took the posts."
Victor offered quiet reassurance. "Vice Admiral Garp is hardly ordinary—his entire family defies norms. But how many can even reach Admiral? Comparisons depend on perspective. Inner peace matters most."
He understood Zephyr's turmoil. The man's family had been slaughtered by pirates—ones he'd personally spared. His "no-killing" creed had shattered. Even the Admiral title he'd once prized now felt hollow.
Had Kong not intervened, Zephyr might've become a wandering vigilante, chasing childhood dreams. The training grounds would've lost their relentless purple-haired mentor.
"Heh.' Old men ramble. You—follow the justice in your heart. Your ideals align somewhat with Kuzan's, yet differ. You'd find common ground."
Victor grinned. "I respect Vice Admiral Kuzan's justice. There's humanity in it—suits my taste."
"Here to show off your progress?" Zephyr smirked.
"My sword shattered. I need to reforge it." Victor gestured toward Rebecca below. "She's newly awakened Observation Haki—needs combat to stabilize it. With my time limited, I brought her here."
"Observation Haki already? Talent surpassing my students." Zephyr's eyes gleamed—the mentor's instinct for prodigies never faded. "Leave her to me."
After briefing Rebecca, Victor departed. The elite camp's gates closed behind him as he strode toward his next trial—the weapons forge awaited.