By the time Victor's warship reached the island, the other two Marine vessels had already set sail again.
The test was over—no reason to linger. Victor had expected as much.
The island itself wasn't large, not enough to form a kingdom, just a collection of towns and villages.
Setting off now would mean arriving at Peace Island late at night, so the crew decided to rest here and depart at dawn. Only Barnett and the logistics team went ashore to resupply, while the others stayed aboard. Victor wasn't in a hurry to disembark.
Instead, he stood on the deck, refining his swordsmanship.
His 'Dragon-Slaying Slash' was now usable, but it wasn't something he could unleash casually—it required too much buildup. He needed a simplified version: slightly weaker, but fast enough to be a standard attack.
'At Marineford, Mihawk was already using techniques at this level as his basic slashes.'
True, the giant iceberg he split wasn't as massive as the waterspout Victor had cut, but who was to say that was his limit? The slash hadn't dissipated after cleaving the iceberg—it kept flying. That spoke volumes.
Victor understood the essence of 'Dragon-Slaying Slash'. Creating a streamlined version wouldn't be hard—just a matter of trial and error.
With his mind made up, he headed ashore to find a coastal spot for testing.
"Rebecca, I'm going to practice a sword technique. If you're free, you can come watch. Might help your swordsmanship."
He whispered this to her before walking off the ship.
Rebecca glanced at Wendy, who shook her head. "I'll pass. Not a swordswoman. You go ahead—I'll rest here."
Nodding, Rebecca hurried after Victor.
Gion, spotting them, assumed they were off to explore the town and decided to tag along.
---
Victor walked along the coast for half an hour, deep in thought, until he reached a cliff. Perfect. Any slashes here would fly harmlessly into the sea.
He took his stance at the edge, left hand on the scabbard, right gripping the hilt—motionless.
He was gathering his sword aura and willpower—the core of 'Dragon-Slaying Slash'.
Infusing his will into the slash was what allowed him to alter its size and density. That was how he'd thinned the blade to sever the waterspout.
Now, he sought the optimal balance between energy, will, and charge time—maximum power with minimal exertion.
'Willpower.'
A force he'd never consciously wielded before 'Dragon-Slaying Slash'.
---
On the way, Rebecca explained Victor's purpose to Gion, who grew intrigued. As a fellow swordmaster, she couldn't resist observing.
Under their watch, Victor unleashed his first trial slash.
A massive, black wave of energy shot forth—rigid, unyielding, like a blunt force crashing into the ocean. It carved a V-shaped trench through the sea, exposing the seabed twenty meters below.
But it lacked finesse.
"Too much energy, not enough will. The slash is slow, inflexible—easy to dodge. Needs refinement." Victor mused.
Gion smirked. "Rebecca, don't copy this one. Raw power means nothing if it never hits."
Rebecca sighed. "I'd be happy just to achieve this much. I still can't even use flying slashes."
Compared to Victor, she always felt inadequate. He learned everything effortlessly, while she struggled with basic swordsmanship.
Yet she didn't realize—under Victor's guidance, she'd already surpassed most swordsmen. She'd learned steel-cutting before turning 16.
Gion hadn't achieved that at her age. Even the future 'World's Strongest Swordsman', Zoro, only managed it at 19.
True, Rebecca had been pushed by Victor's tactics, but talentless effort would've gone nowhere.
Gion nodded silently.
For now, all this was nourishment for Rebecca. Refinement could come later.
---
Victor's second slash was the opposite—a thin, whip-like streak that lashed the sea, kicking up a wave.
"This time, too much will, not enough energy. Still unbalanced."
Again and again, he slashed.
Waves rose and fell under the storm of his experiments.
Finally, after an hour, he found it—
The simplified 'Dragon-Slaying Slash'.
A version he could wield at will.
The sword aura of this simplified version wasn't as massive as the true 'Dragon-Slaying Slash', but its flexibility was identical. With less sword energy condensed within, it required far less willpower to control.
In terms of pure destructive power, it still surpassed Gion's Moon Gaze—making it Victor's new standard attack.
By the time the trio returned to the ship, Barnett and the others had already come back, making final preparations for their departure to Peace Island.
The seahorse, still harnessed to the ship with ropes, had fallen asleep leaning against the hull.
Its entire head was tilted back, resting on the foredeck, mouth wide open to reveal two rows of gleaming white teeth. Its tongue lolled out onto the deck, leaving a large wet patch as occasional snorts escaped its nostrils.
Victor frowned at the sight of this unpaid laborer's disgraceful sleeping posture. Gion and Rebecca covered their mouths to stifle their laughter, not wanting to wake the beast.
But Victor knew better—this thing slept like the dead. You could probably carve out a chunk of its flesh and it wouldn't even stir.
'How the hell did this thing survive to adulthood with instincts this bad?'
"Enough laughing. Go get some rest—it's late. Rebecca, spend extra time meditating on today's sword energy. Focus on the power contained within that slash."
He shooed them off to their cabins. Rebecca nodded seriously before following Gion inside.
Merely telling her about 'willpower' wasn't enough—she needed to experience it herself. This was a new force Victor had discovered in swordsmanship, distinct from sheer belief.
'belief lacks the flexibility of willpower. Maybe it's related to the strength of one's beliefs...'
At his current level, Victor couldn't use belief to alter a slash after release. Perhaps with stronger conviction—or even the awakening of Conqueror's Haki—he might gain that control.
For now, his conviction only served to gather sword energy.
'Soon, we'll confirm the intel on Eternal Black Gold. If it's real, forging a new blade becomes priority.'
'Should I have it made at Marine HQ... or head to Shimotsuki Village?'
'I'll decide after securing the metal. If this lead falls through, I'll have to wait for another opportunity.'
'But I' must 'replace this sword. If I can't forge one myself... well, I'll just have to liberate one from some pirates.'
'It'd be saving lives in the long run. A righteous deed, really.'
Seated cross-legged on the deck, his obsidian-like skin glinting under the moonlight, Victor smirked at the thought.