At The Peak of One Piece

Victor wasted no more words. He attacked, testing whether his "Steel-Cutting" edge could breach Barrow's defense. 

Barrow didn't rely solely on his body. He drew his sword to parry, but Victor's speed overwhelmed him. He needed both hands, even his chest, neck, and hips to block the relentless onslaught. Barrow scrambled, utterly humiliated. If Victor couldn't pierce his defense, this would stalemate—Victor attacking fruitlessly, Barrow unable to counter. 

Or one would outlast the other. Here, only Victor could. Barrow couldn't escape Victor's speed, nor match his stamina. Without reinforcements, Barrow was doomed. 

But Victor refused a war of attrition. 'Had he truly tried his hardest?' Barrow's sword kept interrupting his full-power strikes. 

Victor flashed to Barrow's flank. Focusing his "Steel-Cutting" will, he shattered Barrow's blade—no named sword, merely above average. 

Barrow glanced at the broken steel, smirked, and shoved it into his mouth. He chewed it like chocolate. This was his power—the ''Metal-Metal Fruit''. 

As Victor lunged, Barrow kept chewing. He blocked with bare arms. Then—'spit!' 

Inch-long Steel spikes shot from his mouth! 

Victor's Observation Haki flared. He weaved through the projectiles but his assault stalled. He paused, dodging calmly, waiting for the barrage to end. 'Half a sword's worth of metal... how many spikes?' 

It soon stopped. Exhausted? Or futile? 

Victor charged again. Guided by foresight, his blades became a storm of steel. Barrow was a punching bag. Slashes covered his body, shredding his fine suit, yet his skin remained unbroken. Tougher than Daz Bonez's steel body. 

"HA! Useless!" Barrow roared, confidence surging. "My 'Metal-Metal Fruit' evolves with every rare metal I consume! My body's beyond your blades!" 

"Surrender, brat! You can't win!" 

"Join the boss! Honor for you!" 

"Last chance, fool!" 

The crew jeered. 

Victor ignored them. Aura Slashes projectiles flew—only tearing more fabric. Barrow's suit hung in tatters. 

Frustration gnawed at Barrow. He couldn't touch Victor. 'Just wait for him to surrender...' 

But Victor wouldn't quit. This was the ultimate whetstone! Breach this defense, and his "Steel-Cutting" would ascend! 

Victor closed in. No more ranged attacks. He poured every ounce of will, every shred of sword aura, into his blades. His mind emptied, focused solely on the steel in his hands. He 'screamed' internally with each strike. 

'Clang! Clang! CLANG!' 

The sound echoed like a blacksmith's fury. Barrow's confidence cracked. Pain blossomed where blades landed—deepening with every hit. 

Victor entered a trance. The world faded. Only the sword existed. 

A thin red line appeared on Barrow's arm. Then another. Panic seized Barrow. He tried to flee. 

Victor cut off his escape effortlessly. 

"This... can't be!" a thug stammered. 

"Boss is bleeding... 'with his power active'?" 

"The boss won't lose! A little scratch like that means nothing—" 

But Victor no longer heard the noise around him. His mind was focused on a single thought: 'Cut through Barrow's steel body.' 

He continued his assault—until suddenly, a flash of insight struck him. A faint smile touched his lips. He stepped back two meters and sheathed his sword. 

Panting and battered, Barrow stared in confusion as Victor spoke calmly: 

"Barrow, I can cut through your steel now. Thanks for the help." 

"One Blade Style: Wave Breaker."

Before the words even faded, Victor vanished. 

The next instant, he stood behind Barrow, Yubashiri already halfway sheathed. 

Barrow's eyes widened, his lips parted slightly. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth as he slowly turned his head toward Victor's back—as if staring at an insurmountable mountain. 

"...Your name," he rasped. "Tell me... your name." 

"Orens Victor." 

"You'll remember it." 

With a soft 'click', the blade fully returned to its sheath. 

The moment it did, a massive wound split Barrow's chest—from his right abdomen to his left shoulder—gushing blood. 

"...I will." 

Then, with a faint smile of acceptance, Barrow collapsed. 

Victor exhaled, his own lips curving slightly. He walked past the stunned underlings, picked up the chest containing the Kast Blue Gold, and turned to leave without another word. 

The small fries weren't worth his time. 

Rebecca followed silently behind him as they crossed the bridge, unchallenged. The crowd buzzed with speculation about their identities. 

Among the onlookers, Ben stood frozen. 

"...So he was 'that' strong," he muttered. "All my worrying for nothing. Next time we meet, I'll have to properly introduce myself." 

Others whispered: 

"A real dragon crossing the river... The local snake got crushed." 

"Never heard of him before. If he were a pirate or bounty hunter, he'd be famous by now. Maybe he's with the World Government?" 

Ignoring the chatter, Victor and Rebecca returned straight to the Marine base in Area 60. 

Their planned trip to the amusement park was canceled—after defeating Barrow, laying low was the smarter move. 'The Navy HQ isn't far anyway. Plenty of chances later.' 

Back at the base, Victor reported to Garp, who casually mentioned the "disturbance" on the island and warned him to be careful next time—especially around those "Celestial Dragon trash," lest they ruin his mood. 

Victor sweatdropped. 'You're not even hiding your disdain, old man.' 

He shared Garp's disgust for the so-called "nobles." 'Leeches sucking the world dry. If I were Fleet Admiral...' 

He didn't mention that 'he' was the cause of the "disturbance." Instead, he retreated to his quarters to meditate on his breakthrough. Rebecca went to find Granny Tsuru. 

After a night of reflection, Victor awoke refreshed. Sunlight bathed Sabaody, turning the bubble-coated island into a dreamscape—though the beauty masked untold darkness beneath. 

"I'll be sixteen soon," he mused. "Ace and Luffy set sail at seventeen. If I join the elite training now, I'll probably hit the seas around the same age." 

Once he mastered Armament Haki and further developed the Swift-Swift Fruit, the entire ocean would be within his reach. 

His path was set. This world held too many secrets—and he wasn't strong enough to recklessly chase them yet. 'For now, patience.' 

Today, they'd return to Marineford. 

After breakfast, Victor sat on the deck as the ship filled with personnel. Among them were new faces—elites selected from across the world for specialized training at HQ. 

Garp and Tsuru boarded last. At the old man's booming "Set sail!", the vessel departed. 

As the dog-headed warship cut through the waves toward Marineford, Victor and Rebecca quietly prepared for the next chapter of their lives—as Marines.