One Piece Swordsman's Heart - Chapter 24
Vir sat for a while longer, noticing that no more valuable items appeared and realizing he had no money left to bid on anything else. It was nearly noon, so he stood up and went to the auction house backstage to settle his account.
After paying 102 million Berries, Vir finally obtained the Haki training method and the pocket watch. Flipping through the notes, he discovered it was a journal, though he couldn’t tell who wrote it. The journal was divided into two parts: the first four-fifths focused on the awakening and training of Armament Haki. At the same time, the remaining section briefly mentioned the basics of Observation Haki, with no detailed training methods. It seemed the original owner wasn’t proficient in Observation Haki.
After a quick glance, Vir put the journal away and headed toward the dock, knowing that the Furious Lion Pirates would likely be waiting for him.
As he approached the dock, Vir saw it was completely blocked by a large group of over a hundred people. Despite this, Vir felt neither fear nor hesitation; in fact, he felt a hint of excitement.
Gat stood at the forefront, smiling mockingly at Vir as if looking at a dead man. With a wave of his hand, his men began to encircle Vir, closing in slowly.
Vir didn’t draw his sword immediately. Instead, he partially removed his coat, which was fastened around his waist by a series of small iron rings resembling an ancient war skirt, hanging down to his knees.
He took off his inner shirt and threw it aside. This was a habit Vir had developed from years of combat experience; clothes soaked in blood became sticky and uncomfortable, making it better to fight shirtless. Even if blood splashed on him, his “Thunder Mode” could evaporate it instantly.
Drawing his twin swords, Vir activated his “Thunder Mode” and charged forward before the enemies could react, adhering to his combat principle of striking first.
The first enemy he encountered was a burly man wielding a Warhammer with a vicious grin. But due to Vir’s speed, the man couldn’t react in time and instinctively raised the hammer to block. This might have worked against others, but not against Vir. Vir cleaved the man in half with one swift strike and moved on to the next target.
The pale blue lightning and the red blood flashed continuously among the crowd. Initially, the Furious Lion Pirates were eager to fight, but within minutes, they realized their foe was unharmed while half their number lay dead in gruesome ways. Some were cleanly bisected, while others were hacked into several pieces by the now wildly excited Vir.
The pirates’ morale broke.
“Run! This guy’s a demon!”
“We can’t win, Captain! Save us!”
“Spare me! I surrender!”
Without needing Gat’s command, the pirates fled in panic.
Watching the retreating pirates, Vir did not give chase. Instead, he stood still, gathering massive lightning in one of his swords. Taking a step forward, he hurled the sword with all his might.
The sword, charged with intense lightning, spun rapidly through the air, forming a silver-blue disk that flew towards the fleeing pirates. Those who thought they had escaped suddenly heard a whistling sound mixed with crackling electricity. Before they could react, their bodies were cut, and they fell, lifeless, as their vision turned dark.
The sword, still enveloped in lightning, defied physics by returning to Vir. He caught the hilt, and the intense lightning slowly receded back into his body, restoring the sword to its normal state.
Vir accidentally devised this move, using the cutting power and electromagnetic force of his lightning abilities to create a deadly technique.
Vir often spent his free time developing new techniques, but his lightning power was so wild that activating “Thunder Mode” at full strength sometimes caused him to lose control. Speed equaled power, and power created recoil, making battles tricky. This was why Vir was so eager to learn Haki, believing it would significantly enhance his abilities.
Watching the remaining pirates flee, Vir didn’t finish them off like he would during a mission. Instead, he turned his gaze to Gat, who had been watching from a distance.
Vir, holding his twin swords, slowly walked towards Gat.
“If these weaklings are all you have, I’m disappointed. I hope your strength is better, or I won’t let you die easily,” Vir said coldly, eyeing Gat.
Initially, Vir thought that Gat’s confidence at the auction suggested a capable crew, but it turned out they were only good for fighting common foes. Against a real threat, they were cannon fodder, merely exhausting some energy without posing a real challenge.
“I never expected much from them. They were just to test your strength. I have countless such worthless subordinates. If my main force weren’t transporting weapons, I wouldn’t need to dirty my hands with you, you arrogant brat,” Gat replied, showing no regret for his subordinates’ deaths but eyeing Vir warily. Despite his words, Gat was clearly cautious, aware he couldn’t match Vir’s speed in his current state.
Taking a deep breath, Gat’s thin frame began to swell rapidly, like a balloon being inflated. Within seconds, the under-two-meter-old man transformed into a nearly five-meter-tall, muscle-bound, half-man, half-beast creature.
Now unrecognizable, Gat’s upper body had burst through his clothes, revealing a robust, fur-covered torso. His arms ended in massive claws, resembling those of a feline, complete with pads and sharp nails. A hairless tail with a tuft of dark fur at the end swung behind him, and his head had transformed into that of a lion, though his original features were faintly discernible.
“Hehehe, hehehe. A Zoan-type Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Lion, huh? Not a bad fruit,” Vir chuckled, recognizing Gat’s transformation immediately.
“Kid, you know your stuff, but that won’t save you today,” Gat growled, surprised at Vir’s knowledge of his fruit.
Vir gathered lightning at his feet without further ado, charging towards Gat. As Gat prepared to counter Vir’s slash, the lightning around Vir’s feet crackled, and he abruptly changed direction at high speed.
Usually, such a sudden change in direction would be impossible, but by stabbing lightning into the soil and using electromagnetic force, Vir halted his forward momentum and redirected himself. Though dry soil wasn’t conductive, Vir’s method bypassed this by piercing it with lightning, though at a high energy cost, limiting its use.
Coming at Gat from the side, Vir aimed a slash at his arm. This time, however, he felt as if he were cutting through an incredibly hard material, only slicing halfway through before being stopped.
This was the first time Vir couldn’t bisect someone with a single strike, catching him off guard. In that moment of surprise, Gat’s other claw came down, aiming for Vir’s head.
Vir leaped back, unwilling to abandon his sword. Despite the speed disadvantage, Gat’s claw managed to graze Vir’s neck as he leaped away, leaving a shallow cut that stung sharply.
Vir’s familiarity with pain was evident from his numerous scars. This wasn’t his first battle, and he wouldn’t let a minor injury distract him. Eyes locked on his opponent, Vir realized Gat’s wounds were already healing, indicating the terrifying regenerative power of an awakened Zoan fruit.
“Awakened Zoan abilities, huh? This could be tough, but I like it,” Vir muttered, charging at Gat again.
With Gat’s formidable recovery and vitality, prolonging the fight wasn’t an option. The clash of sword and claw echoed, audible from several blocks away.
Vir’s swords moved so fast they were almost invisible, while Gat relied on his strength and recovery, blocking vital strikes with his claws and enduring others, seeking openings to counterattack.
Though Gat bled profusely, Vir knew he wasn’t winning. Gat’s earlier wounds had already healed, leaving only fresh ones. Realizing this, Vir halted his attacks and stepped back, gripping his swords tightly as if making a critical decision.
Gat, equally fatigued, welcomed the brief respite. Despite his confidence in his recovery, Vir’s relentless assault had taken a toll. Catching his breath, Gat hoped to recover quickly, planning to end the fight once he was back in form.
Vir, sensing Gat’s thoughts, decided it was time to end the fight. Letting his arms hang naturally, he pointed his swords at the ground and maximized his “Thunder Mode.” Unlike before, his entire body turned silver-blue this time.
“Secret Sword, Swallow Reversal,” Vir announced.
Gat’s fur stood on end, sensing something terrifying was about to happen. Before he could react, everything went dark. The last thing he saw were four intersecting blue-purple sword lights speeding towards him, too fast to dodge.
Knowing this was a do-or-die moment, Gat summoned all his strength for his ultimate move, roaring:
“Furious Lion Cannon!”
Fist met sword lights with a resounding crash, creating a massive crater and filling the air with dust.
As the dust settled, only one figure remained standing—Vir.
Having pushed himself to the limit, Vir had unleashed a double strike, creating four sword lights. His body ached from the exertion, and he could barely stand, but the effort was worth it. Gat lay defeated, his body shredded by the Swallow Reversal, reduced to chunks of flesh.
“Hehehe, hehehe. What a thrilling fight,” Vir laughed, but his mirth was interrupted by a voice.
A young nobleman, smiling, addressed him.
“Oh? You seem pleased. Killing one of my guild’s pirates on my turf, do you think you can just walk away? How will I conduct business here if I let you go.”
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