One Piece Swordsman's Heart - Chapter 14

Under the scorching sun, Vir was practicing swordsmanship shirtless on the hillside behind the dojo. His two swords cut through the air with a force that made the hair on the back of one’s neck stand up. At thirteen years old, Vir wasn’t as tall as the famous figures in the One Piece world, standing only around 1.4 meters, and he probably wouldn’t reach two or three meters in height in the future either.

His shirtless upper body appeared slender but was lined with smooth muscle, not particularly buff but exuding a sense of strength. While he was immersed in his training, he heard someone calling his name from a distance. Looking up, he saw his senior brother Roy at the back gate of the dojo. He sheathed his swords, picked up his clothes, and walked towards Roy.

Roy didn’t say much, only telling Vir that there was a mission and they needed to discuss it in the secret room.

Entering the secret room, they found Master and Senior Sister Ann already inside.

“This time, the target is a merchant in the East Blue named Steve Louis. Though he poses as a clothing merchant, his real trade is human trafficking. He mainly handles slave capturing in the East Blue, supplying ‘JOKER’ for the auction at the Sabaody Archipelago. Due to some business conflicts, the client has hired us to eliminate Steve Louis and his entire family for a total of 20 million Berries,” Ryugyo said, taking a sip of tea and waiting for questions.

“Master, if we kill someone connected to ‘JOKER,’ won’t he come after us? As a Shichibukai, he can legally cross the Red Line,” Vir asked, not wanting to face Doflamingo before he was strong enough, knowing that would be suicidal behavior. He wasn’t Luffy.

Hearing Vir’s concern, Ryugyo gave him an unexpected look, impressed by how well-informed his apprentice was. He didn’t ask Vir how he knew such detailed information. Vir had once claimed his mother was an information broker, which Ryugyo didn’t believe, but having someone knowledgeable about such information around was quite beneficial, especially since Vir was his disciple.

“Don’t worry about ‘JOKER.’ The client has already bribed him. To be more specific, due to Steve Louis’ greed, ‘JOKER’ has been displeased with him for a long time. Steve Louis no longer needs to exist now that there’s a suitable replacement. Killing his entire family is just a punishment for his years of greed. Oh, and don’t just focus on killing; see if there’s anything valuable. If the target is stubborn, hand him over to your second senior sister. You three will set off tomorrow. Since this is Vir’s first mission, let him take the lead while you two observe. Step in only if something goes wrong,” Ryugyo concluded, leading the three out of the secret room.

Back in his room, Vir felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. As an ordinary person in his previous life, becoming an assassin was beyond his imagination. Realizing he had no idea how to infiltrate, he decided to consult Roy.

After a brief conversation, Vir returned with a perplexed expression. Roy had told him infiltration was unnecessary; they usually just stormed in. If there were bodyguards, they would kill them first and then the target. Infiltration was unnecessary since the senses of strong individuals were highly acute, and Devil Fruit users with unknown abilities were unpredictable. It was more reliable to increase their own strength.

Finding Roy’s words reasonable, Vir lay on his bed, contemplating his ‘Lightning Core’ to pass the time until they set sail the next day.

Three days later, Vir finally arrived at the target’s island at the docks of Mita Island in the East Blue. He realized the difficulty of being an assassin in the One Piece world, as killing someone often required lengthy sea voyages.

After landing, the three checked into an inn, planning to observe the target’s estate during the day for a more convenient operation at night.

With the address in hand, Vir wandered through the bustling city alone, asking a passerby about the best local food and its locations. The initially reluctant passerby became more cooperative after Vir handed him 10,000 Berries, even drawing a map with the best food spots marked.

Following the map, Vir first visited a food street, sampling various snacks, and then dined at a famous local restaurant specializing in Sea King dishes, enjoying a hearty meal.

As Vir’s strength grew, possibly due to the ‘Lightning Stimulus Method,’ his appetite increased significantly. He now consumed food equivalent to what ten ordinary people would eat in one meal.

He bought various local teas in the local business district as gifts for his master, filling a large bag. Arriving at the target’s estate, he saw it was a small, luxurious manor with guards. Without an opportunity to sneak in, Vir turned to leave.

After a few steps, he encountered a young girl around seventeen or eighteen years old with pink hair and a luxurious white dress, giving off a delicate impression. She was accompanied by several bodyguards.

“Sir, are you here to see my father, or is there another reason you came to our house?” the young girl asked.

Vir’s intentions were easy to guess since the estate was on the city’s edge with no other buildings nearby.

“No, I’m just a lost traveler who happened to wander here. Is this your home? Quite lavish,” Vir responded, recognizing the girl as his target’s daughter, who, despite being ordinary-looking and slightly overweight, had a beautiful daughter.

“Oh, you’re lost? Where are you headed? I can have the bodyguards escort you. It’s easy to get lost in a big city,” she offered kindly.

“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll find my way around. Too bad,” Vir said, walking away before she could respond.

“Strange boy, wandering around the city alone at his age. Oh well, time to go home. Mother will love this necklace I bought for her,” she said, heading back to the manor, humming a tune.

Having circled the town several times to ensure he wasn’t being followed, Vir returned to the inn.

“How was it, Junior Brother?” Roy asked as soon as Vir entered.

“Pretty good, really good,” Vir replied casually.

Frustrated by his junior’s vague response, Roy asked what he meant by ‘good’—was the opposition strong, or would the mission go smoothly?

“Of course, the food on this island is excellent. Did you think I meant the beautiful woman? Didn’t expect you to have such tastes, Senior Brother. Doesn’t Senior Sister mind?” Vir teased, knowing Roy wouldn’t joke too much with Ann around, as he was somewhat afraid of his wife.

Roy looked as if he had eaten something unpleasant, and even Ann, who rarely spoke, was exasperated.

“Just kidding, Senior Brother. I checked the estate; it’s heavily guarded. No way to sneak in and scout. The estate backs onto the sea, and while there are no large ships, the target might escape on a small boat if threatened. Someone should guard the back,” Vir explained, getting serious about the mission.

“Alright, we’ll act tonight to avoid any changes. Ann, guard the back while I handle the front gate and support our junior,” Roy said, polishing his sword in preparation.

Vir glanced at Roy’s sword—it was a good blade, though not a named one. Ann’s sword, however, might be a named blade.

Noticing Vir’s interest, Ann explained, “It’s a Ryo Wazamono blade called Blood Scorpion, taken during a mission. Wounds from this sword cause excruciating pain, like being stung by a scorpion.” She tossed the sword to Vir.

Drawing Blood Scorpion, Vir saw it had the typical specifications of a Ryo Wazamono, but the blade wasn’t smooth. It had raised veins, making it rough except for the smooth edge.

Returning the sword to Ann, Vir rested in his room, waiting for nightfall.

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