At The Peak of One Piece

Victor's lips twitched as he watched Rebecca's expression shift from concern to excitement in an instant. 

"Was getting beaten up for this brat really worth it?" he lamented internally. 

Wendy approached, her face full of guilt. 

"Victor, Rebecca... I'm sorry. I was too weak to even step forward and help." 

Victor, still immersed in his role, waved it off. 

"It's fine. Charging in without strength would've been suicide. This world has too many monsters—you both need to train harder." 

Wendy had already guessed this was all an act the moment Shanks retreated. Her apology was sincere—she truly hadn't been able to intervene. 

Only Rebecca remained clueless. 

--- 

"Captain, why did you agree to this farce? You just met the kid!" Lucky Roux asked, baffled. 

Benn Beckman stayed silent, exhaling smoke with his usual air of detached wisdom. 

Shanks laughed. "That Victor's an interesting one. Saw right through me—knew exactly how to push that girl to break through. The new generation's full of surprises!" 

He gazed at the horizon. "The tides are changing. We'd best prepare." 

With that, the Red-Hair Pirates departed. 

--- 

Using Life Return, Victor restored his face to its usual handsome state. His injuries had been superficial—mostly for show after he stopped resisting. 

Rebecca, now realizing she'd been tricked, glared at him accusingly. 

Victor shot Wendy a look before awkwardly explaining his "director's vision." 

Flashback: Three Hours Earlier 

Spotting Shanks' iconic straw hat outside Shakky's bar, Victor hatched his scheme. 

Rebecca had been stuck at the threshold of Iron-Cutting for too long. Normal sparring wouldn't cut it—she needed real desperation. 

"If seeing me in mortal danger doesn't push her over the edge, nothing will." 

He chased Shanks down and proposed the plan after a brief but intense clash. 

Shanks, though reluctant to play the villain, agreed—partly to mask his own visit to Rayleigh. 

Thus, the "highway robbery" act was born. 

Victor recalled a saying from Koushirou: 

"There are swordsmen who can't cut anything, yet can sever steel—all with the same blade. A true swordsman's strength lies in protecting what matters and cutting what must be cut. A sword that harms everything it touches? That's not a sword at all." 

This truth had manifested in Rebecca. To protect Victor, she'd broken her limits. 

--- 

Return to Marineford 

Victor escorted the girls back to base, skipping the amusement park to avoid further attention. 

The next morning, he sent them ahead by ship while he traveled via Geppo, training his Moon Walk over the ocean. 

Halfway, he dove into the sea, dragging a Sea King carcass behind him—bait to lure more for storage. 

By the time he reached shore, a trail of blood had attracted an entire convoy of marine predators. 

The guards at Marineford's checkpoint paled. 

"This madman... Is he trying to drain the Grand Line of Sea Kings?!" 

Victor ignored their stares, hauling his catch into the forest to "farm" them for future meals. 

--- 

That evening, Smoker and Tashigi joined a small feast at the cabin. 

Rebecca, now a certified Swordmaster, sipped wine with flushed cheeks—finally forgiving Victor for his theatrics. 

As laughter filled the air, faint whimpers echoed from the bound Sea Kings in the woods. 

No one noticed. 

---

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