One Piece Swordsman's Heart - Chapter 13

On a deserted island in the East Blue, dense forests covered the land, teeming with nature’s essence. However, at the island’s center, the air was filled with the roars and cries of beasts. After a while, everything fell silent; even the birds and monkeys ceased their noises.

If someone were at the island’s center, they would witness a hellish scene. The once lush green ground was now a blood-soaked expanse, interspersed with patches of greenery and strewn with the remnants of various animals. Tiger paws, severed chunks of large baboons, and the most gruesome sight—a wolf cut cleanly in half and then sliced into several pieces, resembling a shredded carrot.

At the heart of this carnage sat a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy with black hair, wearing animal skins around his waist. Two swords were stuck into the corpse before him.

This boy was none other than Vir. After mastering the Swallow Return, he had spent the past six months on the island, honing his combat skills, practicing swordsmanship, and becoming more familiar with the Swallow Return.

Vir sat there, holding a large yellow fruit and casually eating it amidst the bloody remains. The scene was so ghastly that an ordinary person would likely vomit at the sight, but Vir had become so accustomed to it that he could eat comfortably in this hellish environment.

Finishing the last bite of his fruit, Vir glanced around and thought to himself. Initially, he had dismembered his opponents to train his adaptability, but over time he found that he had grown accustomed to it. As Vir would say, he felt uneasy if he didn’t cut something every day.

“That should be enough. I’ll use the Den Den Mushi to contact Master. After all these life-and-death battles, I feel I’ve met his requirements,” Vir said, getting up and heading towards his makeshift shelter to retrieve his Den Den Mushi.

In the past six months, Vir has spent most of his time fighting, with injuries being a common occurrence. Through the long-term development of the ‘Lightning Stimulus Method,’ he has managed to use it to activate his body’s cells. Vir discovered that the method increased his cells’ absorption capacity to the maximum, allowing them to absorb nutrients and a unique substance from the lightning. The training effects were astonishingly quintupled.

At thirteen, Vir felt his body was in a growth phase, and with the gradual strengthening from the ‘Lightning Stimulus Method,’ he was getting stronger rapidly, especially in terms of speed. The method stimulated his cells, enhancing his body’s strength proportionately—if the enhancement for strength and stamina was one, then the enhancement for speed was three.

Simply put, the developed ‘Lightning Stimulus Method’ not only increased training efficiency by five times, but even without training, his body would gradually strengthen, albeit less noticeably.

Returning to his temporary shelter, Vir picked up the Den Den Mushi he had carefully raised for two years. His master had given it to him back then, and Vir was fascinated by this magical creature from the original series, playing with it for a long time before his master reminded him to feed and water it.

Vir had been surprised to learn that the Den Den Mushi needed food and water. He asked naively if it required feeding, recalling his master’s exasperated look when he replied that all living beings needed sustenance.

Vir now knew that Den Den Mushi required feeding but only infrequently, with longer intervals making them more valuable. His needed feeding once a month, while some in the Navy reportedly needed feeding only once every six months.

Picking up the receiver attached to the Den Den Mushi, it started to ring.

“Beru… Beru… Beru… Beru…”

Click, the Den Den Mushi opened its eyes.

“Master, it’s Vir. I’ve completed my training and it’s time to return. Send a ship to pick me up; I’m practically turning into a wild man. Bring some clothes, too,” Vir said cheerfully, eager to see his master and senior brothers again after two years.

“Alright, I’ll have your senior brother handle it. If he’s not busy, he might come personally since he’s been asking about you several times,” Ryugyo, his master, responded happily, as he had missed his apprentices.

“Got it, Master. See you soon.” Vir ended the call after a brief goodbye.

Several days later, at the island’s edge, Vir saw the ship that had come to fetch him, recognizing his senior brother Roy at the bow by his short stature and blue braid.

Before the ship docked, Vir activated his ‘Lightning Mode,’ dashed a few steps, and leaped onto the ship.

Roy was surprised, seeing Vir glowing with a light blue aura, and laughed.

“Kid, you’ve gotten stronger. Soon you’ll surpass me. But your height hasn’t grown much. You’re not a dwarf, are you?” Roy teased with his usual cheekiness.

“I’m not a dwarf. I’m only thirteen and 1.4 meters tall. I’ll grow taller, unlike someone who’s been 1.6 meters forever—how sad,” Vir shot back, engaging in their usual banter.

After a bit more playful arguing, Vir extended his fist, and Roy met it with his own, the two brothers showing their bond through the gesture.

The journey back to Loguetown was far from dull. Roy introduced Vir to drinking, offering him a green bottle labeled JEREZ. Vir recognized it as Z’s favorite drink from the Strong World movie.

After a sip, Vir liked it, enjoying its taste. Roy claimed it embodied a man’s spirit.

A few bottles later, the two were talking nonsense. By the time they’d drunk a dozen bottles, they were standing at the ship’s rail, competing to see who could urinate the farthest.

The next day, Vir woke up without a hangover, thanks to his strong constitution, vaguely remembering drinking with Roy and getting quite drunk, but not much else.

A few days later, at Loguetown’s pier, Vir finally returned, dressed as he was when he left, with a bottle of JEREZ in hand, taking occasional sips. During the dull days on the ship, this had become his routine, though he put the bottle away as he approached the dojo to see his master.

Standing at the dojo’s entrance, Vir felt a mix of eagerness and apprehension. It was the first time he had experienced such emotions. Was this what longing felt like?

Pushing open the door, Vir saw his master and senior sister Ann waiting in the courtyard. The usual apprentices were absent, leaving only the smiling master and Ann behind him.

“Welcome back. It’s good to have you home,” his master said simply, the words making Vir’s nose sting with emotion.

“Master, I’m back.” Vir approached his master, looking at the old man he hadn’t seen in two years.

“Come, let’s go to the secret room with your senior brother and sister. I have some things to tell you.” Ryugyo led the way to the secret room, where the four of them sat.

Sitting at the head, Ryugyo looked contentedly at Vir, and glanced at Roy and Ann, who both nodded, seemingly agreeing with a decision Ryugyo had made.

“Vir, the dojo isn’t just a place for teaching swordsmanship. We also operate as an assassination organization in the dark world. We take on missions to assassinate pirates, marines, merchants, and family powers in the East Blue. I’m asking if you want to join us. It’s entirely voluntary; if you don’t like this profession, you can help manage the dojo. I respect my apprentices’ choices,” Ryugyo revealed what he had kept from Vir for two years.

“Of course, I haven’t killed anyone yet. I’m curious about how it feels to cut a person,” Vir responded after a moment’s thought, having suspected something like this due to the luxurious lifestyle of a small dojo owner.

Ryugyo nodded as if expecting this answer, noticing the faint scent of blood that clung to Vir despite washing. He realized his apprentice, like Ann, was not a kind person. He hoped Vir wouldn’t become as cruel as Ann, who enjoyed torturing enemies.

Looking at his three apprentices, Ryugyo sighed. One, a senior disciple who had become despondent after a traumatic experience; another, who had become cruel, enjoying torture; and now Vir, who seemed normal but showed no fear of killing, wondering instead how it felt to cut a person.

Ryugyo sighed again, waving his disciples away. Alone, he pondered how he, once a man of justice, had ended up teaching apprentices who seemed like villains. Perhaps he had changed as well.

He reminisced about his homeland, wondering how Kozuki Oden was faring. As the ruler of Wano Country, would Oden choose to protect his nation or uphold the honor of the Roger Pirates?

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