Beneath the waves, Victor was busy "persuading" a horse-shaped sea beast to convert to the ways of the Marines.
The poor seahorse beast was miserable—this was truly an undeserved calamity. It had been leisurely riding the ocean currents, blowing bubbles and snacking on fish in the stormy waters when suddenly, the Marines intercepted it. A fist cracked menacingly, urging it to repent, abandon its violent ways, and submit to Marine reformation.
Of course, it refused. How could some tiny human expect it to give up fish? Impossible!
But the consequence of defiance was the darkest moment of its life. Its head was now covered in so many lumps that they practically glowed red, making it resemble its distant cousin, the horned seahorse. It was suffering, but alas, it couldn't speak human.
Before long, two figures—one large, one small—surfaced. Victor gripped one of the seahorse beast's large ears as he hauled it toward the Marine ship.
"Throw down the ropes! I found us a draft horse!" Victor called up cheerfully.
Gion facepalmed. Was this really the same Victor who had just stopped a sotrm? The contrast was staggering. Even as a different species, she could read the sheer despair on the sea beast's face—it looked utterly broken.
The crew quickly lowered the ropes, and Victor wasted no time in securing a harness around the seahorse. Once finished, he gave it one last smack on the head before leaping back onto the ship. The beast turned its head, staring at Victor in disbelief.
"Really? You've already tied me up—why hit me again?"
Victor didn't answer. Instead, he took Chikara from Rebecca, unsheathed it, and sent a pale blue slash across the sea. The attack carved a massive trench in the water right beside the seahorse.
The beast stiffened, slowly turned its head forward, and began its new life as a ship-puller.
As the ship picked up speed, Victor sheathed his sword and cast a cold glance at the seahorse.
A shiver ran down the beast's spine, as if struck by lightning, and it redoubled its efforts.
"Behave, and you'll live happily. Otherwise… well."
With that, Victor headed below deck to change.
The crew stared at him as if he were the devil himself. Terrifying.
When they turned back to the seahorse, it suddenly seemed… almost cute.
Gion burst into laughter, completely abandoning any semblance of grace—more like a madwoman now. Rebecca and Wendy covered their mouths, giggling. They knew Victor well enough—the fact that he hadn't eaten the beast was mercy enough.
And so, thanks to the seahorse's hard work, the Marine ship soon left the storm behind.
The sky outside was now a breathtaking expanse of stars, so beautiful it felt surreal—as if their earlier ordeal had been a dream.
Until they saw the seahorse again.
Definitely not a dream. Those lumps on its head were still there.
After changing, Victor meditated in the cabin until they cleared the storm. He'd been drenched all night, practically swimming in seawater, so he'd swapped clothes—not out of fear of illness, but simply because he'd had enough.
He joined Gion on deck, gazing at the vast, starry sky. It reminded him of his past life—not particularly fortunate, just drifting through twenty-odd years without anything as vivid as this journey. He marveled at fate's strange connections.
Lost in thought, Victor seemed almost ethereal—as if he didn't belong to this world, ready to vanish into the heavens.
Gion blinked, realizing it wasn't Victor who'd grown hazy—it was her own vision blurring with tears. What had she seen in his silhouette? Only she knew.
Victor snapped out of his reverie, resolve hardening.
'This is my world now. I'll live fully here.'
He sat cross-legged again, attuning himself to nature.
---
Life on the ship returned to routine. Victor resumed his training, though his sparring sessions with Gion paused. He still coated himself in Haki daily, but now only at night.
"Phoebe, how much longer to Peace Island?" Barnett asked the navigator.
"We'll reach an island this afternoon, then one more day to Peace Island," Phoebe replied, consulting the map in her mind. With the seahorse pulling, they'd arrive ahead of schedule.
"Finally…" Barnett muttered, dazed.
By afternoon, a dark speck appeared on the horizon—land.
The exhausted seahorse, eager for rest, put in extra effort.
But before long, a ship flying a pirate flag rounded the island at high speed, heading straight for its front.
"Barnett! Pirate ship ahead! Pirate ship approaching the island!!!" Kevin shouted from the crow's nest.
"Battle stations! Snipers, prepare cannons and rifles! Stand ready!!!" Barnett barked.
Victor stood and strode to the bow, eyes sharp. The pirate ship looked ragged—not like a normal landing party, but as if fleeing from some beast.
Most of the pirates were rowing frantically, and before long, their pursuers came into view—a Marine warship. The pirate ship was being chased around the island in a desperate loop.
Barnett ordered their own ship to halt, leaving the seahorse beast confused. 'So close to rest… why stop now?'
But it didn't dare disobey. Victor's sword slash had left it with permanent psychological damage.
Soon, the pirate ship disappeared around the island's coastline—only to reappear moments later, now heading straight for the recruits' warship. Victor smirked.
His Observation Haki had already sensed it—another Marine ship was chasing the pirates from the opposite side of the island. Victor had pieced together the truth.
'Two Marine ships hunting one pirate vessel, splitting up to corner it. Now the pirates have no choice but to flee toward us.'
But that wasn't the full picture. The 'real' truth? This pirate crew was part of the recruits' final exam. The two Marine ships had deliberately herded them here as live targets.
Victor walked over to Wendy and whispered in her ear, "This pirate ship is your sniper team's test. Once they're in range, make every shot count."
With that, he returned to the bow.
Barnett had likely figured it out too, especially as the second Marine ship now came into view. He immediately ordered the helmsman and seahorse to turn their ship broadside—ready to fire the moment the pirates entered range.
The pirates, thoroughly traumatized by the two pursuing warships, didn't dare engage them. Instead, they gambled on the unknown—the fresh-faced recruits' ship. 'Maybe these ones are weaker,' they must've thought. 'Better than certain death.'
The moment the pirate ship entered cannon range, Wendy barked the order: "FIRE!"
The sniper team sprang into action. Cannons roared, flintlocks cracked, and a storm of lead rained down on the pirate vessel.
Wendy's first sniper shot took out a pirate officer instantly. The ship shuddered under the barrage.
The pirate captain panicked, yanking the helm to veer away—but it was too late.
By now, the two Marine ships had already turned back, their job done. This only confirmed Victor's suspicions.
Barnett urged the seahorse to give chase—no way they'd let the pirates escape.
With the beast's speed, the pirate ship never stood a chance. It remained well within firing range.
Wendy's next shot blew the captain's hat—and head—clean off. The outcome was inevitable.
The pirate ship sank, and the few survivors who swam to shore were swiftly captured by Marines waiting on the island.