At The Peak of One Piece

While Victor was deep in thought, Koushirou returned to the meditation room and handed him an Eternal Pose.

"Victor, when do you plan to set out?" Koushirou asked curiously.

"Sensei, I just thought it over—I'll wait a little longer before leaving. I want to make sure I'm fully prepared first," Victor replied.

"As long as you know what you're doing. Go on then," Koushirou said, then resumed his meditation without another word.

Victor rose, gave a small bow, and quietly exited the room.

He had decided: starting today, he would set aside everything else and focus solely on speed, and learn Geppo.

From that day forward, a new figure appeared in Shimotsuki Village—a man running around with a massive boulder on his back. The dojo apprentices were amazed; the villagers were shocked. To them, he was like a humanoid beast.

When Victor got tired, he rested. When he recovered, he ran again. When thirsty, he drank water; when hungry, he hunted and grilled meat. With his refined body, his speed grew faster and the boulders on his back heavier with each passing day.

Kuina admired Victor deeply. Whenever he ran, she would watch from the side. Whenever he grilled meat, she would come over to hear his stories. Victor urged her to eat more meat and train her body diligently.

Three days later, his speed reached the basic requirement for Soru, and he could now use the technique steadily.

One month later, Victor finally learned Geppo. When the dojo trainees saw him stepping through the air, their jaws dropped. Kuina's face flushed with excitement, her eyes sparkling with awe.

Koushirou merely observed briefly, his expression calm. Clearly, he knew what Geppo was, but he didn't ask how Victor had learned it.

Kuina pestered Victor to teach her. Humanity's yearning for the sky transcends worlds. Victor gently told her, "You're too young right now. Your body isn't strong enough yet. You need to train more and eat more meat. When you grow up, I'll teach you." That finally settled her.

The day after mastering Geppo, Victor set sail. With just a backpack, Yubashiri, the Eternal Pose, and a small boat, he departed. He had prepared two days' worth of food and water for himself.

Out at sea, there wasn't much else to do, so training remained his main focus.

He practiced Geppo daily, aiming to make it faster, higher, and last longer. Who could predict the future? In critical moments, Geppo could save his life, help him flee, or even chase enemies—it was an all-purpose skill, especially vital at sea.

With daily progress in Geppo, once he was too tired to continue, he'd dive into the sea. Tying a rope around his waist, he swam using only his arms, pulling his boat behind him. Whenever he saw sea beasts or large fish below, he'd hunt them for food.

This became his routine at sea. If Zoro saw it, he'd probably shed a tear: "And here I thought I was a training maniac—next to Victor, I'd better just put the barbell away!"

He didn't run into any trouble along the way—partly because his swimming speed was insane, like a motorboat. No one could catch him. To avoid wasting time, he didn't go looking for fights. But when he came close to pirate ships, he'd Geppo up and ask if they had heard of Devil Fruits.

If they hadn't, he'd cut their ship in half with a single strike and leave them to their fate.

If they had, he'd ask if there were any on board or where they'd heard about them. Either way, he'd send them off with a parting slash. Still, Victor hadn't found any Devil Fruits yet.

After sailing for over ten days, he finally reached the edge of the Calm Belt. By now, he could maintain Geppo for nearly half a day in the sky.

Near the Calm Belt, he found an uninhabited island and pulled his small boat ashore. On land, he found a large tree and used Yubashiri to chop off a plank a meter long, 50 centimeters wide, and 10 centimeters thick.

He also caught a large mountain goat, lit a bonfire by the shore, and grilled the prepared meat. Lately, he had mostly eaten fish and sea beasts. Though he occasionally came ashore and ate at an inn, he missed the taste of proper barbecue.

Victor had no idea exactly how far that island was. Just in case, he prepared a wooden plank to float on the ocean surface as a last resort. He'd dried the plank thoroughly to maximize its buoyancy. 

The night passed uneventfully. After resting and regaining his energy, Victor caught another giant mountain sheep for breakfast. Nothing beat roasted mutton. 

Once full, he packed his gear. The plank was now bone-dry. Strapping it to his back and clutching his Eternal Pose, he kicked off using Geppo toward the island. 

After half a day of Geppo, Victor neared his limit—still no sign of the island. Fearing unforeseen dangers, he refused to exhaust his stamina. Gently, he lowered the plank onto the calm sea, careful not to attract Sea Kings. He stepped lightly onto it with one foot. The plank wobbled violently, threatening to flip. Victor quickly planted his other foot and dropped to a sitting position, lowering his center of gravity. The plank stabilized—thick and dry, it floated half a centimeter above the water. 

This was the Calm Belt. No waves, no wind. The plank drifted steadily as Victor scanned the depths for threats. 

He rested undisturbed. No Sea Kings came to "play." Relief washed over him; perhaps none patrolled these waters today. 

His luck holding, Victor's mood lifted. From his pack, he pulled a mutton leg he'd saved that morning. Unwrapping its layers of broad leaves, he gripped the bone and tore into the meat. Cold, it lacked its earlier savor. 'Crunch'—he ripped off two mouthfuls and chewed. 

Sitting adrift, gazing at the endless ocean while eating mutton, Victor allowed himself a faint smile. 'Life's not bad.' Apparently, the heavens disagreed. The sea suddenly trembled. "Trouble," Victor cursed under his breath. 

He sprang up, ready to reclaim his plank—only to see an enormous head surging toward him from the depths. A jolt of terror shot through him. Abandoning the plank, he launched skyward with Geppo. 

The instant his feet left wood, two rows of house-sized, jagged white teeth breached the surface. They snapped shut where the plank had been. A colossal fish head emerged—easily the size of a small reef, resembling a monstrous sunfish. 

Victor ascended higher via Geppo. Below, another leviathan erupted from the waves. This Sea King's serpentine neck stretched impossibly long, its maw gaping toward Victor. He knew climbing wouldn't save him. Veering sideways, he barely dodged the lunge. Yet another two long-necked beasts joined the fray, snapping at him. Darting frantically between them, Victor escaped death by inches—only for more Sea Kings to surface. 

'The mutton!' Realization struck. The meat had lured them. Peace until he unwrapped it; carnage the moment he did. Cursing vehemently, Victor hurled the lamb leg away. 

Using Geppo, he landed atop a sluggish Sea King's head and flattened himself against it. 'Rest first, then find the island. Half a day? That'll take a miracle.' 

The other Sea Kings now fought over the discarded mutton, ignoring Victor. He caught his breath, drenched in cold sweat from the ordeal. 

The "baby" beneath him cooperated, offering no surprises. After recovering briefly, Victor checked his Eternal Pose and kicked skyward once more, no longer paying attention to the commotion below.