The world was abuzz over the newspaper's headline. Some recognized the mysterious creature as Kaido, but most did not. The World Government had deliberately concealed Kaido's dragon form—likely to downplay the pirates' terrifying influence. After all, a literal dragon was far too shocking.
This was standard practice for them: credit the World Government and Marines for all the good, while pinning every atrocity on pirates.
Back in the East Blue, Victor's old acquaintances saw the news—some with fervor, some with pride, and some with sighs. As for those who didn't know him, reactions varied wildly. Some boasted, "I could've done that!" Others, like the yet-to-be-fully-dubbed "Marine Hunter" Dracule Mihawk, acknowledged his strength. "Perhaps I'll seek him out for a duel someday."
Victor had been unconscious for three days. Thanks to his monstrous physique and the vast energy reserves stored in his body, his recovery was astonishingly swift.
The first thing he saw upon waking was Rebecca's wine-red hair.
She was slumped over his bedside, just as she had been years ago when he first awoke in this world. The scene was eerily familiar—except now, both of them had grown.
"Rebecca… You're finally awake? That's great."
Glancing around, Victor recognized the seaside cabin's bedroom. Once his condition stabilized, Rebecca had carried him here and kept vigil for three sleepless days. She had only just dozed off.
Rebecca had jolted awake the moment Kaido's club struck Victor, terrifying Wendy beside her. Her first words were, "Where's Victor?!"
When she rushed outside, she found him lying in a pool of blood, surrounded by their classmates.
Never before had she seen him so battered—not after his clashes with Shanks, Zephyr, or even Vice Admiral Garp. Her heart shattered. Stumbling forward, she shoved through the crowd and collapsed over him, wailing.
"I'll get stronger… So strong that no one can ever hurt you again!"
The raw emotion in her voice left everyone stunned—even Gion gazed at her with newfound respect.
Realizing they were in his cabin, Victor relaxed. He reached out, ruffling Rebecca's hair gently.
Her light sleep broke instantly. The moment she saw his open eyes, her face lit up.
"Victor! You're awake! I thought—I thought you'd left me forever!"
Tears glistened in her eyes, yet she smiled fiercely, gripping his hand as if afraid he'd vanish.
"Silly girl. You think I'd die that easily? Kaido's nothing. In a few years, I'll show him why the roses are so red."
His cocky grin made her laugh through her tears.
"Rebecca, how long was I out? Anything happen?"
"Three days. Nothing major—just you making headlines again. Rear Admiral Garp visited a few times. Smoker and Hina dropped by too, but left once they saw you were stable."
"Good. And… when did you wake up?"
Victor had been deeply worried—Rebecca had remained unconscious even after his battle with Kaido.
"Right when you passed out. I had this nightmare… A horned monster smashed you with a club, and you were covered in blood. It scared me awake."
"That wasn't a dream. You unconsciously used Observation Haki while comatose—what you 'saw' really happened. What else occurred after that?"
"Barnett kept healing you with his Devil Fruit. By the time we carried you to the ship, Vice Admiral Garp arrived. He was thrilled you survived. We returned together. You had so many broken bones… but nothing fatal."
"Garp came? No wonder Kaido bolted so fast. Felt like he had more to say…" Victor mused silently.
Now fully recovered, Victor strode to the shore, intent on catching a Sea King to celebrate. Rebecca followed.
As they reached the beach, a white figure emerged from the waves—Little Yellow.
Victor blinked. 'Why's this guy still here?'
The creature grinned obsequiously, pulling exaggerated facial expressions.
"Rebecca, why hasn't it left?"
"Oh! Since you were unconscious and it was technically your 'captive,' no one could decide for it. Without your permission, it didn't dare leave. So… it followed us here. Hehe!"
Little Yellow nodded frantically, its head a blur, its smile oozing flattery.
Victor sighed. "Did I really scare it that much?" Then again, even colossal Sea Kings deferred to him—no wonder this one was traumatized.
"Little Yellow, you're free to go. I allow it."
Ecstatic, it prepared to dive.
"But a word of advice—try not to sleep too much from now on. Wouldn't want you dreaming of your grandma."
The creature stared blankly before vanishing beneath the waves. Rebecca burst into laughter.
Without further delay, Victor plunged into the sea.
An hour later, the aroma of grilled Sea King filled the air. Victor ate voraciously—his body had burned through immense energy to heal. Now, he needed to replenish it the old-fashioned way: by eating. A lot.
After finishing his meal, Victor sat on the grass in front of the wooden cabin and drew Chikara from his waist. Gazing at the sword broken into two pieces, he let out a sigh.
His original plan had been to gather the finest materials and forge two Supreme Grade blades right away. Once crafted, he would nourish them with Haki, tempering them into black blades of the highest caliber—just like Mihawk's 'Yoru'. He had wanted to achieve perfection in one step.
But after recent battles, Victor realized how unrealistic that ambition was.
'Mihawk couldn't have started with a Supreme Grade sword either. He must've only obtained one after reaching a certain level of strength.' Victor fell deep into thought.
The same logic applied to him. Once his power reached its peak, acquiring materials would be trivial. If he couldn't find what he needed, he could always seize famous blades from notorious pirates and melt them down for reforging.
'Even the legendary black blade 'Shusui' was only a Great Grade weapon—why obsess over perfection? When a sword truly can't keep up with battle anymore, then I'll gather materials and forge anew!'
'At that level of strength, I could even take Whitebeard's 'Murakumogiri' if I wanted!'
The truth was, he had already mentally abandoned 'Chikara and 'Yubashiri' long ago. When training his Armament Haki, he had never actively channeled it into the two blades, so their durability never received any reinforcement.
During his spars with Garp and Zephyr, both sides held back—his swords merely felt strained. But against Kaido? There was no mercy. A single strike had shattered 'Chikara.
Even if Victor had tempered the blade for a while, it might still have broken—the time was simply too short. But at the very least, his own injuries might not have been so severe.