One Piece Swordsman's Heart - Chapter 18

Vir directly cut the old, skinny man into pieces, but without Haki, it had no effect. The old man then produced a blue piece of gum from his hand and began chewing it.

After a few chews, the old man started blowing bubbles. Giant blue bubbles appeared between them, floating in front of the old man. He blew dozens of bubbles until the gum was gone.

Vir kicked a stone at one of the bubbles, causing a massive explosion. “The gum contains glycerol, which absorbs hydrogen sulfide from the air. When a large amount of hydrogen sulfide suddenly encounters air, it explodes and is highly toxic. Never underestimate any Devil Fruit, especially one developed by a former scientist,” the old man mocked Vir. He was trying to buy time, as evidenced by the second piece of blue gum he was chewing.

This guy was definitely one of the toughest opponents Vir had faced. Without Haki, his attacks were mostly ineffective. Running was not an option as the blue bubbles surrounded him. He couldn’t support his master and friends yet.

Vir picked up another stone, knowing the bubbles were explosive and likely flammable. This time, he used high-intensity lightning to heat it. Over the years, as Vir grew stronger, the power of his “Thunder Core” increased to the point where it could kill an ordinary person.

The stone in his hand soon became red-hot, and he threw it forcefully while jumping with all his might. The explosions below echoed loudly, allowing Vir to break free from the encirclement.

He didn’t immediately go to support his master because bringing an unresolved enemy into the fight would be foolish. He charged at the old man again, this time slicing off his arm. Instead of retreating, he picked up the severed piece of gum, watching the old man’s reaction.

Sure enough, the old man couldn’t regenerate the gum limb after it was severed. “It seems your gum limbs can’t regenerate infinitely. Once detached, you can’t control them. And without a strong body, you’re just trash relying on your Devil Fruit. So, you’ve lost,” Vir said, happy to see the old man’s face turn grim.

Vir quickly destroyed all the blue bubbles, cut off the old man’s legs, and then picked up the severed limbs. Vir ran towards the sea with a large ball of gum in hand, knowing it was the bane of all Devil Fruit users.

He threw the ball of gum into the sea and then ran back to the old man. Within two minutes, Vir was back, finding the old man weak and powerless. Without hesitation, Vir decapitated him and hurried back to the dojo.

Upon returning to the dojo courtyard, Vir was stunned by what he saw. His senior sister’s sword was impaled in a headless corpse, her throat pierced by a long rod. Roy lay on another corpse, a giant axe embedded in his chest, struggling to breathe. His master lay on the ground, injured, with Stuart Aiden, the current head of the Stuart family, standing beside him, also gravely wounded with one arm severed.

Vir’s eyes turned blood-red as he glared at Stuart Aiden. “Kid, didn’t expect you to survive. Want to join my family? There’s no future with Nis,” Aiden offered, clearly reluctant to fight in his condition.

“Go to hell!” Vir cursed in a rage, referencing a classic insult from his previous life. He swiftly cut off Aiden’s remaining arm and legs, turning him into a limbless torso. Vir smashed Aiden’s head with a stomp that sounded like crushing a watermelon.

Vir, overwhelmed by the sight, was about to check on his master when Roy called out to him. “Vir, come here,” Roy managed to say, smiling relievedly at seeing Aiden’s demise.

Vir rushed to Roy, helping him sit against the wall. “Brother, I’ll take you and master to a doctor. You’ll be fine. You didn’t damage any organs. You’ll recover soon, I promise,” Vir said, tears welling up, trying to hold back his sobs.

Roy, despite his condition, chuckled weakly. “You silly kid, I can see my own stomach. It’s over for me. Little Anna is dead too. She was only five. I should’ve known that being an assassin would never end well,” Roy cried, the pain of losing his daughter and his own fate too much to bear.

“Vir, having you as a little brother has been a joy. Even with your mysterious past, you were always genuine with master, me, and An. Fulfill my last wish, drink the world’s finest wine for me, the most unforgettable one. Also, bury me and Ann together, and find someone who will cherish An’s sword. She loved that sword more than anything, and only showed it to you besides master and me,” Roy said, his eyes losing their light.

“Brother!” Vir cried uncontrollably, holding onto Roy. This was the man who had trained with him, taught him to drink, never treated him with condescension, and encouraged him. And now, he was gone.

Remembering his master, Vir rushed over, finding him badly wounded but still alive. He carried his master towards the hospital in Loguetown, but his master stopped him. “Vir, put me down,” Ryugyo said weakly.

“Master, we’re almost there. Please hold on,” Vir pleaded, but his master insisted.

“Put me down. Don’t disobey me,” Ryugyo ordered.

Vir reluctantly obeyed, setting his master against the road. “Vir, I won’t make it. There are a few things I need to tell you,” Ryugyo said, struggling to breathe.

“Master, I’m listening,” Vir said, fighting back tears.

“A man doesn’t cry. I’m proud to have taught you. You’ll surpass me. I have a few requests. First, find my ancestor’s black blade, Shusui. I know you love swords, so find it a worthy owner, not someone from my family,” Ryugyo said.

“Master, Shusui is with Ryuma, who was turned into a zombie by Moria. It will eventually belong to a swordsman as great as Mihawk. I’ll make sure of it,” Vir promised.

“Good, let it be. Another thing is that if the Kozuki family is in danger, help them once. Kozuki Oden spared my life once. I was exiled for a capital offense. But only if you are strong enough. Don’t throw your life away,” Ryugyo advised, his voice weakening.

“I was exiled for learning the secrets of the Kozuki family, the creators of the Poneglyphs. I taught you those symbols. Never admit you can read the ancient language, or the Celestial Dragons will hunt you. They’re a troublesome lot. Set sail, Vir. You’re sixteen now. Time flies. Just remember, even if everyone condemns you, your senior brother, sister, and I will support you,” Ryugyo said, looking up at the sky, reminiscing about happier times before passing away with a smile.

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