One Piece Swordsman's Heart - Chapter 11

On a merchant ship in the East Blue, a teenage boy with tousled black hair leaned against the deck railing, facing the sea, seemingly asleep.

The boy wore a black, high-collared coat over a white undershirt, with three belts oddly strapped around his waist. The top belt was of normal width, the middle one slightly narrower, and the third just finger-wide, all joined at one end and loosely hanging at the other. He wore black pants and shoes (detailed on the cover).

His mostly black attire, white undershirt, and fair face gave him a unique aura.

The most eye-catching feature was the pair of swords resting on his legs, as they couldn’t be hung on his waist while he leaned back.

Despite his young age, he exuded an unapproachable aura, so no one was around him. This was Vir, who had been at sea for five days.

After completing his survival training with his master, Vir sets off with a bag, not following the survival show cliché of only carrying a knife. He brought various items: fire-starting tools, salt, a few spices, and some medical supplies, mainly needles and tweezers. He discovered that activating his ‘Lightning Mode’ prevented his wounds from getting infected, causing only mild inflammation and healing in a few days.

In his previous life, Vir could pass the time on a laptop while sailing, even without the internet, by watching downloaded movies. But in this technologically skewed world of pirates, there was hardly anything to do at sea. So Vir was incredibly bored.

Standing up, he strapped his swords back to his waist and walked to the captain’s cabin.

There, he found a tall, thin middle-aged man and asked, “How much longer until we reach Arabella? I’m in a hurry.”

“We should arrive this afternoon, sir. Please be patient; we’re sailing directly to Arabella,” the middle-aged man replied politely with a smile.

Aside from the substantial reward of 100,000 Berries, the captain knew better than to mess with a kid heading alone to a deserted island with swords and plenty of money. In this era, where pirates roamed freely and human life was cheap, he had learned who to avoid.

Hearing this, Vir turned and went back to the deck to sunbathe.

Since arriving in the One Piece world, Vir noticed some differences from the anime. Minor characters and underlings didn’t act suicidally, provoking strong enemies. Living past twenty, most pirates and marines at sea weren’t as dumb as portrayed in the anime, where they acted like children and got beaten up.

Vir stayed low-key whenever possible outside the dojo, being too weak initially. Unlike typical transmigrated protagonists who encounter powerful enemies and make a comeback, Vir’s motto was “Stealthy development, no showing off.”

Now somewhat strong after rigorous training, Vir had become a swordsman.

That afternoon, Vir arrived at Arabella.

Looking at the deserted island, he felt he might be here for a long time until he felt strong enough to return to the dojo. His master’s words echoed in his mind: “Come back when you feel strong enough, and I’ll tell you all the dojo’s secrets.”

Sitting in a small boat rowed by the merchant ship’s sailors, Vir landed on the island.

Once ashore, Vir felt a bit lost and decided to familiarize himself with the terrain. He ventured into the mostly forest-covered island.

As he walked through the forest, Vir looked around. Unlike the dense forests he was used to, the trees here were sparse, with some vines climbing them. The grass underfoot, though green, was short, seemingly stunted by the trees.

Bored from days at sea and now enjoying the forest, Vir suddenly felt a breeze behind him, and his hair stood on end. He instinctively lunged forward, drawing his swords mid-air, but upon landing, he felt a numbness in his lower back, followed by a burning pain. Having never suffered such an injury, he almost passed out.

Before him stood a giant lion, about four meters long and tall, with blood dripping from one of its claws.

Vir realized his reaction wasn’t slow. Without his quick movement, he might have been torn in half.

The lion, eyeing its prey, licked its paw and stared greedily at Vir.

Vir gripped his swords, berating himself for his carelessness. Such a large lion, and he hadn’t heard it coming. He was like a hothouse flower.

Despite facing a life-threatening situation, Vir felt a strange excitement, his mouth involuntarily curving into a smile as the pain in his back subsided.

Before the lion could pounce, Vir activated his ‘Lightning Mode,’ turning his body light blue and his swords silvery blue. He charged at the lion.

With heightened reflexes and speed from his ‘Lightning Mode,’ Vir easily sliced off most of the lion’s front leg with one sword while the other cut through the remaining leg. The lion’s head dropped to the ground, and before it could fall, Vir crossed his sword and slashed its head into two.

The once majestic lion lay in three parts, its severed head in two and its body in one. One front leg lay nearby, and the other had flown far into the forest.

Vir, seeing the blood and gore, couldn’t help but vomit. The smell of blood made him feel worse, and he continued to retch.

Despite feeling ill, Vir sat on the lion’s headless body, trying to adapt.

To become strong, one needed more than power and skill. A strong heart was essential, or failure was inevitable.

After a long while, he stopped vomiting. He picked up his bag, checked his bearings, and moved on. He remembered his master’s teachings: after a bloody fight, leave immediately if there’s a lot of blood. If not for acclimating to the sight and smell, he would have left sooner.

As he walked, Vir pondered his next move. Having seen a brain sliced open, should he go for decapitation next? Or perhaps disembowelment to toughen his nerves?

Finding a big tree, he climbed up, sat on a wide branch, and began sewing up his wound using a needle sterilized by fire. He realized stitching a wound hurt far more than getting slashed.

After finishing, he jumped down and continued exploring. The wound wasn’t a big deal for his current physique and would heal in a few days.

Now more vigilant, Vir encountered a large elephant about the same size as those from his past life. The elephant didn’t fare well against him in ‘Lightning Mode’ and ended up in pieces.

After this bloodier battle, Vir felt less nauseated and more used to the sight.

Finding a large piece of elephant meat, he continued exploring until he found a good spot: a cave with a one-meter-wide entrance and a two-meter-high opening. Inside was a twenty-square-meter space, a natural stone house.

Inside the cave were traces of human habitation and some old, tattered clothes, likely left by the marines.

Clearing the debris, Vir felled a large tree, trimmed it using his ‘Lightning Mode’ swords, and crafted several water containers, a meat rack, and finally, a wooden door for his temporary stone house to improve concealment and keep out beasts, allowing for better rest.

As he considered resting, Vir searched the forest again, finding a thick, dead tree. He trimmed it into a dry bed and a small pillow.

Returning to his stone house with his creations, the sky turned red, indicating evening. It was 5 PM by his black pocket watch.

Vir hurriedly fixed the wooden door at the cave entrance, lit a fire outside, and started roasting the elephant meat, seasoning it occasionally. The aroma filled the air, and he couldn’t resist cooking as a budding gourmet.

After dinner, lying on his wooden bed, he reflected on the day’s shortcomings and gains before falling asleep.

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