Victor had long recognized the justice in Gion's heart—not blind obedience, but her own reasoned judgment.
Much like Smoker's brand of justice, she had her own convictions.
So Victor decided to plant a seed in her mind. With the World Government's constant "watering," that seed would inevitably grow strong.
He had a premonition—the final battle would see the World Government and the Marines split apart. He, too, would have to face that terrifying existence. So he needed to prepare for the cataclysm to come.
"That's all just speculation. Who knows what the future holds?" Gion snapped, snapping out of her daze.
"Did you know advanced Observation Haki can glimpse the future? I have that ability—and I can see much further ahead," Victor said with a grin.
"Do you know Dr. Vegapunk?" he then asked.
"Of course! He's working with the Marines now. A genius five centuries ahead of his time—how could I not know him?" Gion replied.
"Exactly. With a scientific prodigy like him on their side… what kind of weapons do you think he'll create?" Victor's smile widened.
Gion froze. She hadn't realized the direction of Victor's earlier questions—but now, mentioning Vegapunk made her recall his vision of the future.
'Could that really happen?'
She didn't want to think about it any further. That future was one of utter despair.
But at least Victor was there—a light shining on her path. She stared at his face, lost in thought.
Victor didn't press further. There would be time. Right now, he had dinner to prepare.
Another feast of Sea King meat left everyone satisfied.
After the meal, the three women returned to their cabins, while Victor remained on deck.
His training never stopped—he simply adapted it to life at sea.
His goal? A body as tough as Big Mom's "Iron Balloon" or Kaido's Mythical Zoan Azure Dragon form—no, even tougher.
If even those monstrous defenses could be broken, then there was still room to improve. Add infinite Armament Haki endurance, and the possibilities were endless.
After meditating on deck for a while, dark clouds suddenly swallowed the moon. The wind picked up.
Victor knew a storm was coming. 'No wonder the sunset was so vivid earlier—it was an omen.'
He drew the stone box from his waist, coated himself in Armament Haki, and opened it, lifting the Divine Staff.
Instantly, lightning struck him from nowhere.
Unfazed by the Haki-protected blows, Victor endured five full minutes of thunderous punishment before finally returning the staff to the box.
In the pitch-black night, a glint flashed in his eyes.
The wind howled louder. The sky turned ink-black, as if responding to the staff's power.
Sporadic lightning flickered in the clouds, followed by deafening thunder. Rain began pelting the deck.
The trainees, now roused by the commotion, rushed onto the deck in panic—this was their first storm since setting sail.
"Phoebe! Where's Phoebe?!" Barnett shouted for the navigator.
"Here! I'm here!" Phoebe pushed through the crowd.
"What's happening? What do we do?" Barnett demanded, forcing himself to stay calm.
"Give us a minute—the navigation team needs to assess!"
Phoebe was frantic. They'd failed to predict this weather—a major oversight. Now they had to minimize the damage.
Victor felt the gales intensifying. Thankfully, the ship had anchored for the night, sails already stowed.
But then he remembered—anchored ships could capsize in storms.
"Barnett! Haul up the anchor! If the wind gets worse, it'll drag us under!" Victor roared over the storm.
Barnett slapped his forehead—how had he forgotten? He immediately ordered the crew to raise the anchor.
"Barnett! The team's assessment is in!" Phoebe yelled. "This is a squall cloud—it forms hurricanes with violent winds and massive waterspouts! If we're caught in one, we're finished! We need to get out of here NOW!"
The rain was still light—they had a slim chance to escape. Barnett made his decision.
"EVERYONE LISTEN—!"
But thunder, rain, and panicked shouts drowned him out.
Victor, using Observation Haki, heard him clearly. Seeing the chaos, he took action.
"SILENCE!"
Using Life Return, he vibrated his voice directly into everyone's eardrums. The entire crew shuddered, goosebumps rising as Victor's command echoed inside their skulls.
The deck fell quiet. All eyes turned to Victor, their expressions a mix of awe and terror.
They'd all heard him—'from inside their own heads.'
The sound waves sent chills down everyone's spines. Victor glared at the crew, making them quickly shift their attention to Barnett, who wore a bitter smile.
"Listen up! We're in immediate danger—our ship could sink at any moment!" Barnett announced. "We must work together to row the vessel out of this area. With the sails unusable, we'll rely on manpower. Everyone will take shifts—men and women paired in two teams alternating rowing duty."
"But how large is this storm zone? Do we even have the stamina to row through it?" asked Angelina, leader of the intelligence team.
"We'll manage. Abel, your kitchen team is exempt—focus on preparing meals to replenish energy. Demi, medical team stands by for injuries and provides massages to rowers during rotation," Barnett commanded calmly. "We don't know how long this will last, so muscle recovery is critical. Phoebe, assign someone to monitor the Log Pose—we can't afford to circle aimlessly in this storm. Engineers, one person steers while the rest follow my lead. Any questions?"
"NO SIR!!!"
The crew sprang into action—preparing oars, adjusting teams, and bracing for the grueling task ahead.
The warship began moving, but the storm intensified. Rain poured not in drops but in relentless streams, while lightning flashed ominously.
A massive waterspout had formed a kilometer behind them—Victor's Observation Haki detected its swirling fury. Fortunately, it wasn't chasing them, merely growing in place.
Three hours later, Barnett ordered the first shift change. Exhausted crew members staggered to the kitchen for food, while others received medical massages.
Victor, too, enjoyed a massage—courtesy of Rebecca, who refused to let any other woman near him.
Not that she had a choice.
Half the female trainees were eyeing Victor like hungry wolves.
And Rebecca 'did not' trust those looks.
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