At The Peak of One Piece

Victor was at his limit. His spirit was exhausted, his body on the verge of collapse. 

The black particles within his cells were in open rebellion, leaving him defenseless against Garp's relentless fists. 

Some of the onlookers—especially the younger female Marines—looked ready to cry. 'How could this old bastard beat up such a handsome guy like this?!' 

Just as Victor was about to black out, Garp's voice boomed like thunder: 

"Victor! Is this all you've got? Pathetic!" 

The words jolted through Victor's body, igniting a spark of defiance in his fading will. 

'No. I can't fall here. If I do, it'll become a habit—one failure after another.' 

'I promised Ann. I promised myself. I won't collapse. I WON'T!' 

A silent roar erupted from his soul, tearing through the void. His consciousness sharpened. He 'would' keep fighting. 

Unbeknownst to him, the chaotic black particles in his cells had suddenly stilled—as if a tyrannical ruler had crushed all rebellion, uniting his body against the external threat. 

Victor lunged forward, his mind eerily clear. 

His fists and arms instinctively darkened—coated in Armament Haki. But he didn't notice. Right now, all he cared about was the fight. 

Garp saw the black sheen and smirked. He met Victor head-on. 

Fists clashed. Blow for blow, neither yielding. The battle reached a fever pitch. 

--- 

Marine HQ, Top Floor 

Sengoku watched through the window, arms crossed. "Garp's holding back. He's only using basic Armament to match the kid—forcing him to adapt in real time." 

Fleet Admiral Kong nodded. "Even holding back, Garp's taking damage. But he'd never use advanced techniques against one of our own." 

A pause. Then Kong sighed. "Train him well. In a few years, I'll be moving to the World Government. You'll take my place as Fleet Admiral. The Three Admirals—Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji—will rise. And with this boy, along with Tokikake and Gion… we'll have a new generation of candidates. The Marines will remain strong for decades." 

--- 

Victor still hadn't realized he was using Haki. He and Garp traded blows, neither gaining ground. 

It wasn't until after a hundred exchanges that Victor finally snapped back to awareness—and 'noticed' the black energy swirling around his limbs. 

He tested it. Threw a Haki-coated punch. Blocked Garp's strike with a hardened forearm. 

'It's real. I'm controlling it.' 

He tried to grin, but his swollen face protested with a sharp twinge of pain. 

Garp winked. Victor understood. 

The lesson was over. 

With one final, exaggerated punch, Garp sent Victor flying. The younger Marine hit the ground—and stayed down. 

Garp exhaled, rubbing his own bruises (courtesy of Victor's newfound Haki). Mission accomplished. 

"Kid's out cold! Someone haul him off!" he bellowed before strolling back toward HQ. 

The crowd swarmed Victor. In the end, it was Smoker who hoisted him over his shoulder. 

--- 

"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!" 

The moment they were out of sight, Victor burst out laughing, startling Smoker and the girls. 

"I DID IT! Armament Haki—FINALLY! Smoker, you're 'so' getting punched later!" 

Smoker's eye twitched. The girls giggled. 

Victor—bruised, swollen, but grinning like an idiot—was a ridiculous sight. 

--- 

Seaside Cabin 

For once, Victor didn't hunt. He played the pampered invalid while Rebecca cooked (with Wendy and the others helping). 

The meal was lively. Victor couldn't stop smiling. He'd crossed the threshold. The hardest part—'starting'—was over. 

Now? It was just a matter of accumulation. 

Haki wasn't like some rigid cultivation system. Ryuo was just an advanced application—like learning to write poetry after mastering the alphabet. 

Victor was well-rounded now: 

- Swordsmanship 

- Martial Arts 

- Haki 

- Devil Fruit 

The only wild card was Conqueror's Haki—but even without it, he could reach the top. 'Garp proved that.' 

And with his "Proficiency Body" (his secret cheat), Victor had no doubt he'd surpass even the "Fist of Love" one day. 

--- 

Days Later 

Victor stayed at the cabin, skipping his usual runs—officially to "recover," though his wounds had already healed. 

In truth, he was refining his Armament. 

He'd discovered something fascinating: 

Just like Observation Haki, Armament absorbed ambient spiritual energy when used, slowly strengthening the black particles (or "Haki Particles," as he now called them). 

Every time he depleted his Haki, it refilled slightly 'larger'—like a bowl that expanded each time it was emptied. 

But Armament had 'two' growth paths: 

1. Density (more particles per cell) 

2. Depth (activating particles in deeper tissue layers) 

Most people focused on one. Victor would master 'both'. 

Ryuo could wait. Fundamentals came first. 

--- 

Garp visited once during this time. 

Victor cooked a feast—earning rave reviews from the old man (and leaving the others stuffed). 

"Not bad, kid. You're improving fast—almost as talented as my grandsons!" 

Victor barely held back a scoff. 'Those two are literal toddlers. How would you even know?!' 

(Though, admittedly, Ace 'did' awaken Conqueror's as a child, and Luffy… well, Luffy was Luffy.) 

Before leaving, Garp tossed him two rare metals—refusing payment with a wave. 

Victor stared at the materials, already planning his next sword upgrade. 

---

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