At The Peak of One Piece

That morning, Victor was having breakfast at Rebecca's house. The table was lively; Victor and Rebecca devoured the food like famished ghosts. The old lady watched this scene with a kind smile, having long since gotten used to it.

She already knew the full and accurate story about the pirate incident from a few days ago and was very pleased with the changes in the two children. Knowing they could better protect themselves, she felt relieved.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

"You two keep eating, I'll go answer it," the old lady said. She was already full and, being old, couldn't eat much.

At the door, the old lady saw Mayor Andre holding a bag and was a little surprised.

"Oh! The mayor is here, please come in, please come in."

"Aunt Maria, I'm here to see Victor and Rebecca," Andre said.

"Oh, they're eating inside. Let's go over. Mayor, have you eaten? Come join us for a bit."

"No, I ate on the way here. I have something to discuss with Victor and Rebecca," Andre replied with a gentle smile.

"Oh, well then," the old lady said, a bit regretful she couldn't offer the mayor a meal.

She led Andre to the table. Seeing the two kids wolfing down the food and the table piled with meat bones, Andre knew it wasn't the old lady eating all that—it was the children.

Surprised by their huge appetites, he approached the table. Victor and Rebecca stopped eating and stood up.

"Mayor, what brings you here?" Victor asked knowingly.

Victor guessed the mayor had come with money and probably had other matters to discuss. After all, the mayor knew about their strength, and a responsible mayor would want to make use of that.

"Well, that day I sent those pirates to the Loguetown Naval Base. Those two are indeed bounty criminals," Andre said, raising the package in his hand. "Here is 8 million Belly. I've brought it to you."

"Oh, how about this, Mayor—keep half for yourself, and give the rest to the security team who were there that day," Victor thought and said. He wasn't too short on money now, making good profits selling beast meat.

"Haha, no need for that. They got quite a bonus for catching so many pirates. No need to share it with them," Andre laughed.

"I see. Then no sharing. I'll save the money to buy two good swords," Victor replied.

"Yes, yes, that's right. Only with good weapons can you truly bring out your strength," Andre said happily. "The reason I came this time is also to talk with you about the pirates." After saying this, Andre looked at Victor but said no more.

Victor stared back, waiting for him to continue.

Mayor Andre organized his thoughts and said, "Victor, Rebecca, the truth is, there's no definite news about building a naval base in Loguetown yet. After returning from Loguetown last time, the town officials held a meeting. Without a naval garrison, just relying on the security team isn't enough to resist pirates." He paused, just as the old lady handed him a cup of water.

Taking a sip, Andre continued, "That day I saw your strength—it's very powerful. Ordinary pirates are no match for you. Pirates with strength like you two are rare even here in the East Sea."

"So after the meeting, we decided to hire you two as the town's guardians. What do you think?"

"Sorry, Mayor Andre, but we can't be town guardians," Victor thought about how their daily training left no time for that, delaying their cultivation, and how in a few years they'd be setting sail again, so it was impossible.

"Victor, don't be so quick to refuse. We'll pay you very well," Andre urged.

"It's like this, Mayor Andre, our strength isn't strong enough yet. We need more time to train, so we don't have time to guard the town."

"Then how about this—we put our names down as a formality, no real job, and no salary. We mostly train in the forest anyway. If something happens, just send someone to notify us, and we'll get there quickly. It's our duty as townsfolk to resist pirates," Victor said seriously.

Andre frowned, thinking. Honestly, bringing Victor and Rebecca in was the fastest and most practical solution. Sending messengers took too long; no problem if nothing happened, but what if there was an emergency?

Seeing Victor's determined attitude, Andre knew there was no other choice. Victor's strength was great and the town needed him—so he had to give in.

"Alright, then let's decide on that for now. The town will announce it tomorrow. But there will be a salary—you shouldn't refuse that," Andre said. He still planned to pay them well, hoping the money would encourage them to work harder, not slack off, or the town would be in trouble.

If Victor knew what the captain was thinking, he'd have scoffed. Money wasn't his motive. Fighting pirates served dual purposes—testing his strength in real combat and protecting the town. He'd do it gladly, without a single berry as reward. 

After Andre left the bounty payout with them, Victor and Rebecca resumed their meal, while the old woman tucked the money away for safekeeping. 

--- 

The Next Day 

A public notice declared Victor and Rebecca as the town's official protectors. Crowds gathered to read it, and by afternoon, the news had spread across the island. 

Victor and Rebecca remained indifferent, but the old woman was overjoyed. 

Life settled into a rhythm. Victor adjusted their training regimen—sometimes meditating under a pounding waterfall, other times diving deep into the ocean, using water pressure to temper his body. 

--- 

Six Months Later 

The island finally began constructing a Marine base—a direct result of two more pirate attacks in recent months. 

First Attack (Arling Town): 

Pirates landed at the docks before anyone noticed. Though Victor and Rebecca rushed over immediately, several townsfolk were killed. The duo slaughtered every last pirate, leaving no survivors. The town, though saved, was left shaken. 

Second Attack (Neighboring Town): 

Without strong defenders like Victor and Rebecca, the town was ravaged. By the time help arrived, the pirates were already looting their ship. 

What followed was a bloodbath. 

Enraged, Victor split their ship in half with a single slash, while Rebecca cut down fleeing pirates. When the town's mayor arrived, he vomited at the sight of dismembered corpses. 

Victor, though unsettled by his first kill, felt no remorse. 'They burned, robbed, and murdered. They deserved worse.' 

The mayor, awestruck and grateful, offered rewards. Victor refused. "Give it to the victims' families." 

--- 

The Marine Base 

The repeated attacks pushed the island's mayors to petition the Marine base in Loguetown. Their request was approved. 

A construction crew arrived first, overseeing the base's rapid completion. Locals worked tirelessly—within three months, the facility stood ready. 

A Marine dispatch from HQ confirmed a garrison would arrive in a week. 

True to word, eight days later, a warship docked with thirty Marines aboard. 

Recruitment Plans: 

The new base would enlist locals to bolster its forces—a common practice in the Great Pirate Era. Exceptional recruits might even earn a chance to train at Marine HQ. 

Andre urged Victor and Rebecca to enlist. 

Victor refused. 

"Now's not the time."

A backwater base like this couldn't teach them anything. Their skills already surpassed what a branch captain could offer. Six Powers? Haki? Unlikely here. 

Victor had a better plan: 

Grow stronger. Hunt down Garp in Foosha Village. Force the old man to take them to Marine HQ.

'If Koby could master Rokushiki in months under Garp, imagine what I could do.'

This island's Marine base was merely a last resort—a fallback if Garp proved unreachable. 

For now? Train. Improve. Wait. 

The sea would come later.