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Chapter 23:
Beli blushed at Victor's praise, rubbing the back of his neck shyly. "It's all thanks to your guidance, Captain. Don't worry—I'll work even harder!"
Victor nodded with a small smile. "Good. Keep it up."
He turned to Nozaki, voice calm. "So, Nozaki—what do you say?"
Nozaki forced a smile, trying to buy time. "Let's talk this over properly, sir. No need for violence."
Victor simply stared—silent, unblinking.
The pressure built. Cold sweat dripped down Nozaki's back.
Finally, she gritted her teeth. "Fine. I accept."
Victor relaxed slightly. "See? That wasn't so hard. Nozaki—stay. Everyone else—out."
Beli immediately released his Snow-Snow powers and stood by quietly.
Victor glanced over. "What are you doing standing there? Come eat. Relax."
Beli hurried back to his food, looking relieved.
Nozaki quickly shooed her subordinates out. The thugs fled in panic—backs soaked with sweat. They'd been terrified.
Nozaki stepped forward and gracefully poured Victor more juice. "I misjudged you, sir. I never expected someone of your caliber today."
Victor stayed relaxed. "Don't worry—I'm not here to harm you or your business. I just need you to gather information."
"My name is Victor. My ship is the Plant Scholars. You'll hear those names again."
He continued: "Two long-term tasks: One—track down information on the Baku Baku no Mi (Glutton-Glutton Fruit). Watch for other Devil Fruits too. Two—collect any useful intelligence you come across. Report periodically."
Nozaki exhaled in visible relief. Information? That was her specialty. She'd been expecting far worse.
"No problem at all, Victor-sama. I'll handle it personally."
Victor handed her a Den Den Mushi. "If anything happens—use this. I'm heading to the New World soon, so I won't be reachable immediately. But if you run into serious trouble… I'll avenge you. How's that?"
Nozaki bowed deeply. "Thank you, sir. Your promise means a lot. It shows you value loyalty."
Victor stood. "Good. Use the money I gave you however you want—expand, whatever. I'm leaving now."
Nozaki escorted him respectfully to the door.
As Victor left, the mama-san (Nana) hurried over. "Sis—how'd it go?"
Nozaki smiled. "From now on—we work for Victor-sama. If you ever see him—meet every request. Understood?"
Nana sighed in relief. "Phew—I thought we were done for. Collecting info? That's easy. No problem."
Outside, Victor continued toward the lawless zones with Beli.
He encountered over a dozen robbery attempts—pathetic thugs thinking he was an easy mark.
Beli handled them. Dead or alive depended on luck.
Victor's stance was simple: "If you choose to rob, be ready to die."
These fights became training for Beli—real combat experience.
Victor also reminded him: "Focus on physique and physical techniques. Power alone isn't enough—train your body and mind."
Beli took the advice to heart—he'd train twice as hard from now on.
After exploring the lawless areas and finding nothing of interest, Victor headed straight for Grove 1's auction house.
Only high-value goods made it to auction. He wanted to see what was on offer.
At the entrance, the guards tried to stop him.
Victor ignored them completely. Beli's ice spears pointed at their heads ensured no one dared interfere.
The auction was already underway.
Victor and Beli casually took seats.
The host announced the next item: "Next up—a rare specimen: a juvenile whale shark Fish-Man! Even young, his size and strength are incredible. We went through great effort to capture him."
Victor's eyes lit up. "A whale shark Fish-Man? Perfect timing. We're heading to Fish-Man Island anyway—this one can be our guide."
The host continued: "Bidding starts at three million Berries. Minimum raise: one hundred thousand."
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