A week had passed since the incident at Sabaody, and Victor once again made headlines. Last time, he and the colossal beast had vanished from sight, leaving many uncertain of the outcome. Now, the world knew—Victor had emerged unscathed.
Sharp-eyed observers noticed his new sword bore a striking resemblance to the beast from that day. Speculations ran wild: 'Had Victor slain the monster?'
Only those in the know understood how miraculous it was that he'd survived Kaido at all.
Over on Onigashima, Kaido grumbled into his gourd of sake. "Broke one damn sword, and now the brat wants to crush me in his grip? Should've hit him harder with that last swing."
Victor paid little attention to the chatter. His ambitions were too vast to dwell on fleeting strength.
During this time, he'd shared several meals with Kuzan, who happened to be on leave at HQ. Their shared views on justice sparked countless conversations, drawing them closer. Add in their mutual ties to Garp, and friendship came naturally.
---
That evening, Victor sat cross-legged on the grassy clearing before his cabin, eyeing the brooding sky with anticipation. A thunderstorm was brewing—'perfect for training.'
It was also time to assess his plans. Any adjustments needed? If so, there was still time.
"Rebecca, I'll be heading out tonight. Don't wait up—just focus on your own training."
"Where to? Take me with you!" She blinked up at him, hopeful.
"Just some remote spot to train. Nothing exciting."
Tonight's mission wasn't for company.
"Oh… fine."
Rebecca didn't worry about Victor's safety at Marineford. No adventure? Then she'd prioritize her beauty sleep.
---
The storm arrived.
Wind howled. Arcs of lightning fractured the clouds. 'Soon now.'
After a quick farewell, Victor trekked into the forest.
Skirting the recruit training grounds via the coastal woods, he reached the base of the Red Line.
He pressed a palm against the crimson wall. Despite its earthen appearance, it was unnaturally solid—hard as stone.
"Is this really natural?" Victor's suspicion deepened. A continent encircling the entire planet? It reeked of artificiality. 'But what kind of power could achieve this? Divine intervention?'
Shaking off the thought, he refocused. Tonight had a purpose. 'Answers would come with strength.'
Seated at the base, he waited.
---
The tempest unleashed.
The sky plunged into darkness. Rain fell in sheets. Only lightning offered fleeting glimpses of the world.
"No telling how long this'll last. Gotta maximize the opportunity."
Victor rose, drawing the stone case from his back. Armament Haki sheathed his body.
Then—the Divine Staff.
The moment it touched his grip, the heavens 'answered.'
Thunder 'detonated' from the void. The storm turned rabid.
Victor secured the relics and kicked off with Geppo, ascending the Red Line's sheer face—with lightning as his escort.
Each step upward drew more bolts. He was a living conductor, a storm-wrapped ascendant. Had anyone witnessed this, they'd have called it divine retribution.
---
10,000 meters—the height of the gods.
The Celestial Dragons' domain sat at the world's peak, a literal manifestation of their "ascendancy." Victor's experiment required this exact vantage.
But as he climbed, the air thinned. Marineford shrank to a toy below. His pace slowed.
"Geppo's thrust weakens without air resistance. Time for Plan B."
Swift-Swift Fruit: Overdrive.
His kicks became blurs, compensating with pure velocity. The ascent resumed.
---
The summit teased him.
Through parting clouds, the Red Line's edge blurred into view.
"Almost… but my fruit's reaching its limit. Can I make it?"
Breaking past the cloud layer, he saw it—the true summit, towering even above the storm.
Yet his speed faltered.
"Maximum output… still 100 meters short."
Haki depleted, his armor of black faded. Raw flesh now bore the storm's wrath.
"Not enough. Need deeper mastery."
As he prepared to retreat—his body locked.
As his Armament Haki faded, Victor realized something extraordinary—his Swift-Swift Fruit was reacting.
"Is it because my body control has improved? Or is the void lightning accelerating my fruit's development?"
After hearing about the Claw Pirates, Victor's original body let go of an obsession, so Victor had stronger control over his body. Unexpectedly, it also had an effect on the development of the fruit!
"Then… I'll wait a little longer."
Victor gritted his teeth, enduring the storm's punishment while focusing inward.
The Swift-Swift Fruit evolved.
With each bolt, his comprehension deepened. His kicks against the air grew sharper, propelling him higher.
Slowly, the summit drew near. A faint smile touched his lips.
---
Then—an anomaly.
A bolt of void lightning, instead of striking him, veered toward the Red Line itself.
The world shifted.
Suddenly, Victor stood atop the Red Line.
Beneath his feet stretched an undulating crimson plain. Above, the storm had gone silent—as if the Divine Staff had lost its connection.
And before him…
Two factions, poised like opposing armies.
What stunned Victor wasn't their presence, but how they hovered effortlessly in the air. No Devil Fruit, no Geppo—just pure, weightless grace, like celestial beings.
The first group: Seven figures.
One stood ahead, six behind. Their attire varied—some wore robes reminiscent of Wano, others flowing garments akin to scholars. None seemed like subordinates. Each radiated an aura of harmony with nature itself.
The second group: Twenty-one.
Their leader donned a sleek, futuristic suit, but the rest…
"Space suits?!"
Victor's mind reeled. 'This isn't Mary Geoise. Where are the palaces? The Celestial Dragons?'
Only a gargantuan tree loomed in the distance—Adam, or perhaps Eve?
The factions descended.
A man in Wano-style robes stepped forward. With a snap of his fingers (though no sound came), a crimson slab rose from the ground.
"A Road Poneglyph?!" Victor's eyes widened.
But the stone morphed, reshaping into a smooth table. The man withdrew.
Next, a serene woman approached. With a gesture, the great tree extended two branches, weaving them into elegant chairs.
Her beauty was otherworldly—gazing at her brought an unnatural calm.
The two leaders sat, conversing without hostility.
"Not a battle? A negotiation?" Victor's thoughts raced.
"Is she a Mori-Mori Fruit user? But Admiral Ryokugyu hasn't eaten it yet… unless she dies before him?"
"Or is that tree controlling ability something else entirely? That has to be the Sunlight Tree Eve!"
Nothing made sense. This felt like a glimpse into another dimension.
Then—a single decipherable phrase.
From the spacesuited leader's lips (read through Victor's trained eyes):
"We accept your terms. The rest… depends on your efforts."
BOOM!
A thunderclap shattered the vision.