One Piece Swordsman's Heart - Chapter 17

The Stuart family was a notorious clan in the underworld of the East Blue. Through conversations with his master, Vir learned that the dojo had clashed with the Stuart family due to a conflict during a mission. That encounter changed the lives of his senior brother and sister forever.

At that time, the dojo had been assigned an assassination mission, while the Stuart family sought to steal a map of the first half of the Grand Line from their target. This coincidence led to a clash between the two groups. The Stuart family sent their eldest son, Stuart Green, and second son, Stuart Walker.

Vir’s master, senior brother, and senior sister managed to fend off the Stuarts and secure the map, thinking it was a mere misunderstanding that led to the fight. However, the Stuarts did not negotiate but instead launched a direct attack on Vir’s senior brother’s family. Though both senior brother and sister were gravely injured, the most severe blow was the murder of senior brother’s eight-year-old son, Nancy, at the hands of Stuart Green.

This incident escalated the conflict, prompting the dojo to retaliate fiercely, causing the Stuart family to vanish into obscurity. It wasn’t until the previous day that Vir’s master received news of their reappearance.

In the dojo’s secret room, the four gathered to discuss their plans to investigate the island where the Stuart family was spotted and to seek revenge.

Roy, usually jovial, was now filled with deep-seated hatred. “Master, are those scum really back in the East Blue? That’s great! I want to make them suffer. I wish I could set sail right now to find them,” Roy growled through gritted teeth.

“Calm down, Roy. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to sail at night? We need to be fully prepared and plan our strategy. Do you want to repeat the tragedy from last time?” Master Ryugyo rarely got angry, but he scolded Roy harshly.

As they discussed their strategy, Vir suddenly noticed a strange scent in the air, like the smell of soil after rain. He then felt a sense of weakness. “Something’s wrong. The air is poisoned. Get out, quickly!” he shouted.

Activating his Thunder Mode, Vir kicked a large hole in the wall, allowing his master and the others to escape. When they reached the courtyard, they found three figures waiting.

Leading them was a burly middle-aged man carrying a giant sword. “Stuart Aiden, Stuart Green, Stuart Walker, how dare you show your faces here! I will kill you today!” Roy roared, his eyes blood-red with fury.

The intruders were indeed members of the Stuart family: the patriarch, Stuart Aiden, and his sons, Stuart Green and Stuart Walker. Instead of being hunted down, they had come to the dojo to eliminate their pursuers once and for all.

“Hahaha, Nis, you didn’t expect us to come to you, did you? That information about the island was a trap. Today, we will end this. How do you like the new airborne poison I bought from ‘Joker’? Feeling weak already? Too bad you noticed it too early; otherwise, you wouldn’t even be able to hold your swords now,” Stuart Aiden said gleefully.

Vir found that the poison’s effects dissipated once he activated his Thunder Mode. Feeling normal again, he drew his twin swords and charged forward, hoping to use his speed to take one of them down.

Stuart Aiden initially dismissed the young man wielding two swords, but he was genuinely startled when he saw Vir covered in blue lightning rushing towards him with incredible speed.

Just as Vir was about to strike, a mass of soft, sticky, pink substance shot towards him, hitting him and sending him flying into the forest behind the dojo.

An old, skinny man emerged from behind Stuart Aiden. “You didn’t tell me there would be four targets, and one of them is this strong,” the old man said flatly.

“I’ll add five million Beli to your fee. Just deal with that guy. Kill him if you can, or at least keep him away for a while,” Stuart Aiden replied, frustrated with the bounty hunter he had temporarily hired.

The old man said nothing more, transforming his hands into two blobs of pink, sticky material. He stuck them to the roof, then catapulted himself in the direction Vir had flown.

Back in the courtyard, the remaining six began their brutal battle.

Vir struggled to regain his bearings in the forest after being flung through the air. As he finally steadied himself, he heard the sound of something breaking through the air. Looking up, he saw the old man flying towards him.

Without wasting words, Vir activated Thunder Mode and charged, slashing at the old man with his sword. Strangely, the old man didn’t dodge, and when Vir cut him in half, he fell to the ground with a wet squelch.

But Vir wasn’t complacent. Years of cutting people in half had taught him that something felt off. The old man turned into a large blob of pink, sticky substance, which then reformed into his human shape.

Vir became alert, realizing that this old man might have a Logia or a special Paramecia ability that allowed him to transform into a sticky, pink substance.

The old man didn’t bother with introductions or boasting about his powers. Instead, he flung two blobs of sticky pink substance at Vir.

Vir didn’t avoid them entirely, knowing they weren’t as harmful as he had experienced before. One blob he dodged, and the other he blocked with his sword. The substance clung to his blade, making it heavy. Observing it closely, Vir noticed it had a faintly sweet smell and was very stretchy—like chewing gum.

The electricity on Vir’s sword caused the substance to slip off momentarily. The old man’s expression darkened at this.

“Gum-Gum Fruit? What a strange ability. Your defense must be strong, but what other offensive capabilities do you have?” Vir asked, attempting to glean more information.

“You’ll find out, but only when you’re about to die,” the old man responded, his face devoid of emotion but his eyes wary of Vir’s abilities.

Vir wasted no more time with words. Gripping his swords, he charged at the old man once more.

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