The warship had already passed Enies Lobby and was now sailing between Water 7 and the judicial island. Indeed, Shifft Kingdom was close—less than a day's voyage away.
The other trainees on board showed little reaction to the change in course. Members of the elite training squad were only responsible for their own training; they didn't need to deal with the ship's trivial matters. The vessel was fully staffed, and the purpose of the elite squad's voyage was primarily for experience. If they were bogged down with chores, their training time would be severely limited.
"Teacher, did the kidnappers leave any useful clues about the princess?" Victor asked Zephyr.
"There's some information. Headquarters just briefed me."
"The princess was kidnapped while out on an excursion. All her guards were killed, and no one saw the kidnappers' true faces. They seemed to appear out of nowhere. The only useful lead is that the kidnappers are still on the island and have demanded a ransom of 1 billion Bellies."
"Pirates?" Victor frowned. "If it were pirates, they wouldn't have slaughtered every witness. Don't most pirates crave fame?"
"Hard to say. Some are extremely cautious, avoiding notoriety and acting purely for money. It might even be someone from the kingdom itself."
"If it's not pirates, shouldn't this fall outside the Navy's jurisdiction? Why dispatch us before confirming their identity?"
Victor held a dim view of most kings in this world—with only a few exceptions. Serving royalty left a bitter taste, but as a World Government affiliate, the kingdom had paid its dues, and the Navy couldn't refuse.
"We'll assess the situation on-site. Even if it's not pirates, we'll handle it," Zephyr said, equally displeased.
Victor fell silent. The decision was made—they'd investigate first and follow their instincts.
As he gazed at the azure sky, a thought crossed his mind:
"In this world, some are born strong, others weak. The strong have a duty to protect the weak—that is the natural order."
Yet this world was the exact opposite. The strong enslaved the weak, taking whatever they desired, deciding life and death on a whim.
Victor couldn't recall where he'd read those words, but they rang true here. Some wielded power for tyranny, while rulers exploited their people instead of protecting them. This world was twisted—no wonder Dragon had founded his revolutionary army. The will of the "D" was etched into their bones, a burning desire for freedom.
His thoughts drifted deeper. 'What really happened 800 years ago to shape the world like this?'
'The visions I saw on the Red Line must be tied to that war. But what were they fighting for?'
Even with his foreknowledge from the original story (which had only reached Wano by the time he'd transmigrated), the final mysteries lay in the yet-unrevealed ending.
'The Celestial Dragons have ruled for over 800 years, halting progress—even regressing in many aspects. Dr. Clover spoke of the Ancient Kingdom's advanced technology, but now? Aside from Vegapunk's genius, the world's science is stagnant.'
Shaking his head, Victor shelved these thoughts. Delving into the Void Century was too dangerous—Ohara's fate was proof enough.
Scanning the deck, he watched his fellow trainees diligently honing their skills. At this stage, their sense of justice was still pure, untainted.
His eyes landed on one figure in particular—Barnett, who had already mastered Soru at an impressive speed.
"Barnett, not bad. You picked up Soru fast," Victor remarked as he approached.
Barnett grinned. "Honestly, I cheated a bit. The Six Powers training is brutal, but my Devil Fruit lets me recover physical and mental fatigue instantly. That means I can train twice as long as others. Still, I'm no match for Rebecca or Wendy."
'Huh. Similar to the Paw-Paw Fruit's abilities, but instead of repelling damage, it restores. The result's the same,' Victor mused.
"That's still impressive. Doubling your training time is no small feat. Come, let's talk."
The two moved to the ship's edge, sitting cross-legged by the railing.
"Barnett, have you thought about how to develop your Devil Fruit further?" Victor asked seriously.
"Develop it? Doesn't that depend on the Fruit's innate abilities? You use what it gives you, right?" Barnett looked puzzled.
"That's the wrong approach. Devil Fruit powers aren't static. First, you need to understand its nature—its essence. Take your Restore-Restore Fruit, for example. What's its core concept? 'Healing'? More accurately, it's 'restoration'."
Victor couldn't help but marvel at how some users relied solely on their Fruit's surface-level abilities without deeper exploration. Barnett was intelligent but limited by his lack of exposure.
"Restoration…" Barnett muttered, gears turning in his head.
"Exactly. You don't just 'replenish' stamina or heal wounds—you 'restore' them to their original state."
"You're right!" Barnett's eyes widened in realization.
"If it's restoration, then theoretically, anything lost or consumed should be recoverable. That's your development path. If you awaken it, you might even regenerate severed limbs."
"Regrow limbs?! Is that really possible?!" Barnett's voice rose in shock, drawing glances from nearby trainees.
"Absolutely. And limb regeneration might not even be its limit. With enough mastery, you might briefly reverse time itself."
Victor had an even grander hypothesis—if the fruit's power was restoration, could it theoretically revert someone to their youthful prime? Imagine applying it to someone like Garp. This would resemble the effects of Bonney's or Ain's fruits, though it was unclear whether it would work on individuals with Haki as formidable as Garp's.
While the abilities might overlap superficially, their fundamental mechanics differed. Bonney's power directly altered the body's age, while Ain's ability manipulated time, reverting targets to a previous state. However, both effects were contingent on the user's consciousness—much like Sugar's Toy-Toy Fruit, which required sustained activation. The moment the user lost consciousness, the effects would reverse.
But Barnett's Restore-Restore Fruit operated differently. Though it also manipulated states akin to time reversal, the restored condition became permanent—independent of the user's continued ability. For instance, if a wound healed by Barnett's power remained sealed even if he fell into the sea and lost his powers, it wouldn't reopen. The restoration was absolute.
This was why Victor had long classified this fruit as god-tier. If developed to its pinnacle, Barnett could theoretically manipulate time itself—rendering him nearly unkillable.
Barnett's mind short-circuited. What he'd dismissed as a mere support-type ability now had the potential to reshape reality. In combat, he could trade blows without consequence—his opponent's injuries would be real, while his own would vanish like illusions.
"Can this fruit really reach that level?" Barnett asked, excitement warring with skepticism.
"Absolutely. Think of it as walking a path—you just need to follow it to the end. But there's a catch: fruits like this drain stamina exponentially. To push its limits, you'll need inhuman endurance. Train your body relentlessly."
"Then… can I train with you?" Barnett asked eagerly.
"Of course. Endurance is one of the easier things to improve—even on a ship. The key is breaking past your limits, again and again. That's how you last longer."
"How should I start?"
Victor leaned in, lowering his voice. "Personal question—are you a virgin?"
Barnett's face turned scarlet. "Y-yes?! Is 'that' the training method?! Is 'that' how you got so strong?!"
His mind raced to Victor and Rebecca's seaside living arrangements—was 'this' the secret?!
"Idiot." Victor smacked the back of his head. "If you're untouched, 'stay' that way. Don't waste energy—redirect it into training."
He sighed. "Pity you ate a Devil Fruit. Otherwise, I'd have tied you to the ship's stern for swimming drills. That's how I built my endurance—by towing warships."
Barnett's eye twitched, recalling the Sea Beast Little Yellow that once pulled their vessel.
"For now, practice handstand push-ups. Add weights gradually. Increase duration and load over time—that'll build stamina."
"Got it."
"But don't neglect your Six Powers training. If your fruit could eliminate sleep, you'd have even more time." Victor grinned.
Barnett's soul screamed: "YOU DEMON! YOU WANT TO CANCEL SLEEP?!"