One Piece Swordsman's Heart - Chapter 10
Early in the morning, Vir was preparing to head to the back hills to start his training when Adonis stopped him.
“Vir, you’ve been at the dojo for over a year and have gotten much stronger. However, continuous training like this won’t lead to significant improvement. No matter how strong you get in training, it’s all just empty form without real combat experience. What you need now is actual combat,” Adonis said, pausing as if pondering something.
“Yes, Master. I feel the same way. Even if I master swordsmanship and martial arts through training, without real combat experience, I’ll be the first to die when I face an enemy,” Vir agreed wholeheartedly, having long considered increasing his combat experience.
“Good. I have two suggestions for you. First, you can challenge various dojos in Loguetown and the surrounding islands under your own name. This method is relatively safe but not very effective. The second option is to first learn some wilderness survival skills, which will take about two months. Then, go to a nearby deserted island to fight and survive against the wild beasts there. This will enhance your combat skills, courage, and adaptability to blood and survival. Think about it and let me know your decision,” Adonis proposed, then turned to leave.
“Master, please teach me the wilderness survival skills. I choose the second option,” Vir replied without hesitation.
Adonis turned back, looking at Vir with an unfamiliar expression. He simply said, “Follow me,” and continued walking.
Vir followed him into the central room. Once inside, Adonis didn’t sit on the innermost cushion as usual but instead stepped onto it with one foot, rhythmically pressing it a few times before stomping heavily. With a loud clank, two iron bars sprang from above the door, locking it securely.
The opposite wall in the room slowly split in the middle, revealing a roughly thirty-square-meter secret chamber.
The chamber was simply furnished with a large round table and six armchairs. One chair was more luxurious than the others, seemingly reserved for Adonis.
After entering the chamber, Adonis pressed a circular mechanism on the wall, causing the two walls to close behind them.
Adonis sat at the head seat and gestured for Vir to sit anywhere. He then began to speak.
“Vir, I wasn’t particularly fond of you when you first came to the dojo. You took away one of my errand-running apprentices. But over the past year, you’ve proven your character and talent. I don’t care where you come from, your identity, or how you can use electricity without a Devil Fruit.
“I just want to ask you one thing. Do you want to be my disciple, the disciple of Ryuu Ryou, not just an apprentice of Adonis’ dojo?” Adonis revealed his true name.
Only three people knew his real name in the East Blue and even the first half of the Grand Line. Today, Vir became the fourth because Ryuu Ryou saw hope in him—hope to fulfill a dream that he could no longer achieve himself.
“Master, from the moment you tirelessly taught me swordsmanship every night, you’ve been my master. You’re my only master, no matter what name you go by,” Vir sincerely replied, looking at the elderly but still imposing Ryuu Ryou.
“Hahaha, good! From today on, you’re my disciple, Ryuu Ryou’s disciple, not just an apprentice of the dojo,” Adonis, now Ryuu Ryou, said joyfully.
“My real name is Ryuu Ryou. I come from Wano Country in the New World. I fled to the East Blue after inadvertently discovering the secret of the Kozuki clan and being pursued by Kozuki Oden. The Kozuki clan is the royal family of Wano Country. I can’t tell you the specifics yet, as your current strength isn’t enough to handle it. It would bring you certain death.
“The Kozuki clan is filled with stubborn fools. One day, their stubbornness will lead to the downfall of Wano Country. They’re oblivious to the beast already eyeing them.
“My family served the Kozuki clan. One of my ancestors was the dragon-slaying swordsman Ryuma! Sadly, my family has fallen from grace.
“Kozuki Oden didn’t solely aim to kill me. It was more of an exile from the New World.
“I knew my sword skills were mediocre at best within my family, and various events left me no opportunity to improve.
“So I came to the East Blue, opened a dojo, and taught swordsmanship, seeking talented young people to become my disciples and fulfill my mission and dreams through them.
“So far, I’ve taken on five disciples, including you. Two have died. You know the remaining two, Rom Roy and Olivia An, well.
“They’re both my disciples and a married couple. I had hoped to make Roy a top swordsman, but unfortunately… well, I’ll tell you more later.
“For now, that’s enough. The rest will wait until you return from the deserted island. Over the next two months, I’ll personally teach you wilderness survival skills and broaden your horizons. Although my strength in the New World was average, I still possess considerable knowledge,” Ryuu Ryou said, speaking to Vir as if recounting his past.
Vir was stunned by what he heard. Just as he was about to speak, Ryuu Ryou raised a hand to stop him.
“Go back for now. I’ll prepare some things. Come to me tomorrow morning. For the next two months, aside from a bit of nightly training, you’ll focus entirely on learning survival skills,” he said, unlocking the secret chamber.
“Yes, Master,” Vir said, leaving the chamber and returning to his room.
“Don’t disappoint me, Vir. I’ve placed my last hope in you. I don’t have the energy or time to train another disciple,” Ryuu Ryou murmured as he watched Vir leave.
Lying in bed, Vir couldn’t calm his thoughts.
Choosing a random dojo for sword training and ending up with such a formidable master was beyond his expectations. Although his master claimed his strength wasn’t great, his background was astonishing. Was the legendary “transmigration aura” real? It must be a coincidence, just a coincidence.
Knowing his master was a descendant of Ryuma was one thing, but discovering the secret of the Kozuki clan was another.
The Kozuki clan wasn’t just the royal family of Wano Country. Eight hundred years ago, they were the stonemasons with the most advanced stone-carving techniques, creating the indestructible Poneglyphs.
Their ancestors were the creators of the Poneglyphs. Could the secret Ryuu Ryou inadvertently discovered involve the creation of the Poneglyphs?
The more Vir thought about it, the more interesting it seemed. For now, he’d leave future matters for the future and continue developing the Core of Thunder.
Vir realized the intensity of the Core of Thunder’s electricity could increase. The stronger he got, the higher the intensity of the electricity, which was closely linked to his physical strength.
Sitting up, he continued researching the Core of Thunder and its abilities.
The next morning, before dawn, Vir arrived at Ryuu Ryou’s room, stunned by the pile of books and haphazardly placed materials. It looked like it was preparing for a major exam.
Vir endured the greatest hardship for the next two months since arriving in the One Piece world. Practical skill learning was fine, but memorizing the environments of various islands, the appearances and danger levels of different plants and animals, their toxicity, edibility, and more was excruciating. He also had to learn how to avoid dangerous animals, especially insects and reptiles, and how to find wild seasonings, among other things.
Without the experience of high school exams from his previous life, Vir didn’t know how he would have persisted. If he didn’t remember the material, his master would beat him, claiming it was to enhance his memory and practice his resilience.
Finally, after two grueling months, Vir completed his training in survival skills on deserted islands. The rest would depend on his practical application of this knowledge, which couldn’t be tested in Loguetown.
Vir was to head to a small island called Arabella, far from Loguetown.
Arabella was discovered by a marine branch in the East Blue. Initially, the local marines wanted to develop the island, but the numerous and powerful beasts there made it unfeasible. Using cannons to clear the beasts would be costly and render the land useless for development. Thus, the marines abandoned the idea, merely calling it “Arabella,” with the prefix “deserted island.”
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