One Piece Swordsman's Heart - Chapter 38

After their initial clash, Vir didn’t immediately use secret techniques or the electromagnetic cannon but instead engaged Onigumo in a swordsmanship duel.

After fighting for a while, Vir realized that Onigumo wasn’t a dedicated swordsman. His sword skills were average at best.

Vir couldn’t determine if the six arms behind Onigumo were due to a Devil Fruit ability or Life Return controlling his hair, as both were possible.

Onigumo wasn’t particularly strong in any single area. In contrast, those who fought Vir always remembered his swordsmanship. Onigumo’s defining feature was his versatility. He wasn’t the best in any area, but he wasn’t weak in any, either. His skills in Rokushiki, martial arts, swordsmanship, Haki, and even firearms were all decent. He was, in a word, comprehensive.

After Vir shattered one of Onigumo’s swords with a single strike, Onigumo realized that unless he risked everything, he would die if he continued fighting Vir. He already had several deep wounds on his body, and Vir’s speed was overwhelming.

This speed reminded him of Kizaru, but while Kizaru’s speed was in a straight line, Vir’s speed lay in his reactions.

Whether it was his ghostly movements, the despair-inducing speed of his slashes, or the occasional Haki-infused kicks that struck him, Onigumo was outmatched.

As Onigumo was nearing his limit, Vir spoke.

“Hahaha, your fighting style is too balanced. It might work against others, but my speed and cutting power are your nemesis. I’ll give you one last chance to go all out and kill me. Don’t disappoint me; you’re a Vice Admiral of the Navy,” Vir said, looking expectantly at Onigumo.

“I never expected someone as strong as you to be so unknown, and so young,” Onigumo said, catching his breath before continuing.

“Young, having killed countless people, and a battle maniac. You’re the natural enemy of the Navy. Today, I’ll use my justice to end you here, even if it costs my life.”

Onigumo then crossed all his swords in front of him and shouted.

“Hell Stab!”

Seeing Onigumo charging at him with Haki-infused swords, Vir knew the attack was powerful and countered directly.

“Secret Sword, Swallow Return!”

Vir infused a large amount of Haki into his swords, using Swallow Return with Haki for the first time.

Even before their attacks collided, the overflowing sword energy nearly tore the warship apart, making it creak and groan, causing the marines onboard to scream in terror.

As Swallow Return and Onigumo’s swords were about to collide, Vir sensed something was wrong. Onigumo had six swords in front of him, but he should have seven, even though Vir had already cut one.

Just as Vir realized this, Onigumo smirked coldly, revealing a sword hidden behind him.

As their attacks collided, this hidden sword slashed toward Vir’s face.

Vir barely managed to block with his dual swords. Fortunately, Swallow Return was an external sword technique, or he wouldn’t have had a chance to defend.

However, Vir had just used the most extreme version of Swallow Return, slashing four times instantly. Though he wasn’t as unsteady as the last time, he was exhausted, and his Haki-infused swords couldn’t maintain their strength.

Onigumo, an experienced Vice Admiral, wasn’t as easy to defeat as Vir had thought.

Vir paid a heavy price for underestimating his opponent. As Onigumo’s sword clashed with Vir’s, it broke Vir’s Haki-less swords.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. Onigumo’s sword continued toward Vir’s throat, ready to behead him.

Vir had no choice but to use a technique he always tried to avoid due to its immense strain on his mind, not his body.

Just as Onigumo’s sword was about to slice through Vir’s neck, Vir’s eyes turned light blue, and he maximized his Thunder Mode.

In Onigumo’s eyes, Vir’s eyes suddenly turned light blue, and his body emitted a blue-silver glow. Onigumo’s sword, which was about to decapitate him, was dodged at inhuman speed, slicing only a few strands of Vir’s hair.

The speed of Vir’s dodge left a lasting impression on Onigumo, as it seemed almost like an afterimage, with Vir dragging blue shadows as he avoided the sword.

Though Vir escaped, he was dizzy. This technique, which he named “Overclock,” accelerated his neural reactions to their limit, allowing him to dodge even light-speed attacks. However, it left him with a severe headache.

Vir didn’t care about life or death in battle. He knew there always had to be a loser, and no one could win forever.

But now, he felt heartbroken, looking at his broken swords. It felt as if someone had crushed his heart. Ignoring Onigumo, he blamed himself for being careless and allowing the swords that had accompanied him to be broken due to a lack of Haki protection.

Vir had long sensed that his swords were starting to lag behind his strength, but he couldn’t bear to replace them. These swords had witnessed his journey from weakness to strength and had slain many formidable enemies with him.

Looking up at the sweat-drenched, exhausted Onigumo, Vir activated Thunder Mode and charged at him. As Onigumo tried to counter, Vir used his ultimate move, the electromagnetic cannon.

Vir’s Haki-infused leg, glowing orange-yellow, struck Onigumo’s upper body. The exhausted Vice Admiral, unable to maintain his Haki defense, had his upper body shattered.

The force of the blow turned Onigumo’s remains into a shotgun-like spray of flesh and blood, tearing through the marines behind him.

For the first time in the world of One Piece, the electromagnetic cannon showed its fangs, wielded by a ruthless warrior.

After killing Onigumo, Vir looked at the remaining marines.

The marines, terrified, retreated to a corner of the ship, some shaking uncontrollably.

It wasn’t that these marines weren’t elite, but their belief in their “invincible” Vice Admiral had been shattered. Seeing their leader reduced to pieces before them broke their spirits, and Onigumo was not a beloved figure.

Ignoring the terrified marines, Vir picked up the broken sword tips from the deck and returned to his ship.

Back on his ship, the rabbit noticed Vir’s sour mood and didn’t speak, instead bringing him a bottle of alcohol.

Seeing the drink, Vir smiled at the rabbit, took a sip, and felt a bit better.

Entering his cabin, Vir retrieved a Den Den Mushi and picked up the receiver, listening to the “Buru Buru” sound.

After a moment, there was a click, and a man’s voice came through.

“Moshi Moshi, this is Ferdinand.”

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