In the Year 1495 of the Sea Circle Calendar (27 years ago).
Plop.
Raindrops fell upon the stone steps in front of the louvered window.
Richard, a young man with a head of jet-black hair, propped up his head with his hand, looking rather comfortable and at ease as he sipped his coffee on the table.
If one looked closely, he was clad in black noble attire, a well-tailored suit, and a large black cape, with his untamed hair blowing in the wind, exuding an air of elegance mixed with a hint of disheveled laziness.
This place was the site of the former Shikkearu Kingdom, on the island of Kuraigana.
(T/N: The name “Kuraigana” translates roughly to “Gloomy, isn’t it?” in English.
And “Shikkearu” could roughly translate to “Oh, it’s damp”, in English.) It had once been a land brimming with prosperity and riches, but many years ago, a band of “pirates” had stormed in, burning, killing, and plundering, reducing the Shikkearu Kingdom to ruins.
Richard, who had been transported to this world, and his younger brother, Dracule Mihawk, had lost all their family members.
Relying on the awakened Swordmaster System, Richard had managed to protect the last remaining piece of their territory.
The Black Rose Castle.
Now, this place was his and his alone.
“The Duke of Kuraigana Island”…
that was what the passing merchant ships often called him.
For the most part, he was very gentle and mild-mannered, but only the merchants who had done business with the castle for many years understood that Duke Richard was a formidable swordsman of immense power.
The only reason he rarely left this place was to take care of his younger brother.
“Brother!!” The sound of hurried footsteps came from afar, and a drenched in sweat Mihawk, dressed in tight training attire, ran in through the door.
His white shirt had its first two buttons undone, causing Richard to raise an eyebrow slightly.
“Mihawk.” “Ah, yes!” The boy immediately slowed his pace, never daring to show the slightest bit of disobedience in front of his elder brother.
The fourteen-year-old Mihawk came to a stop, reached out, and fastened the buttons on his shirt, a serious expression settling on his face.
“I did it!
Today’s sword swings!!
One thousand of them!” He extended his swollen arms, and his young, proud eyes made Richard smile.
Then, with a rather languid air, Richard rose to his feet and tapped the table a few times.
“Mm, not bad.
Rest for fifteen minutes, then go wipe yourself down.
In ten minutes, come to the rear hall for a meal.
I’ll be waiting for you at the castle’s main training ground.” “Alright!!
Brother!” Mihawk, still with a hint of childishness, showed an excited look on his face.
Every seven days, his brother would assess his swordsmanship progress.
Having witnessed the destruction of their homeland firsthand, Richard understood one thing clearly: now that he was in the world of pirates, he had to become the kind of great pirate who could stand alone as an army.
Otherwise, the more bonds he formed, the more time he would have to spend protecting them.
The Dracule Family was a royal lineage, and one that stood strong outside the affiliated nations.
It seemed that the blood of a natural-born Swordsmaster flowed through Mihawk’s veins.
He learned quickly.
In just three years, he had already mastered the art of cutting steel.
His strength far surpassed that of ordinary swordsmen.
It was enough to match half of Richard’s own power.
But then again, he would never be able to catch up to Richard.
…
Passing through the dim rear hall, Richard arrived at the vast garden.
The Black Rose Castle, perpetually surrounded by mist and thunderclouds, was as romantic and mysterious as its name suggested.
In another timeline, this place would have become a prison for the World’s Strongest Swordsman, Hawkeye Mihawk.
This wasn’t really home…
it was the last refuge he had.
As long as he was here, it represented the lingering traces of the royal family’s existence.
But fortunately, Richard had arrived.
With an elder brother around, this solitary swordsman would not have to live his life all alone.
After waiting for half an hour, Mihawk stepped punctually into the rear garden.
He was now dressed in a loose, brown, short-sleeved tunic reminiscent of ancient Greek training garments, paired with knee-length shorts.
On his back was strapped a large practice blade called “Honeken”…
a training sword Richard had given him when he first began learning swordsmanship.
(T/N: Bone Sword.) “So, are you feeling confident today?” Richard smiled, his eyes gleaming like a deep pool beneath the moonlight, carrying a hint of anticipation.
“Yes!!
Brother, I’ll use my three strongest moves!!” Gulp!
Even though he spoke with such fervor, Mihawk’s throat still let out an embarrassing gurgling sound.
“Here I come!!!” Mihawk stamped his foot, creating a thunderous noise, and in one step, he became a streak of light.
Whoosh…
in an instant, two long trails of wind whipped up across the ground as he charged straight at Richard.
He was upon him in the blink of an eye, swinging his blade in a horizontal slash, his body stretched out in perfect form.
Even the most fastidious swordsmanship master would have marveled at his posture and movements.
Smack!
Richard struck toward Mihawk’s head with a wooden sword, targeting a spot that his opponent would have to defend.
If Mihawk continued forward, he would be dealt a heavy blow.
Whoosh!!!
The boy’s body was incredibly light and agile.
He tapped the ground with lightning speed, circled around Richard’s side, and executed a spinning horizontal slash.
Clang!!
It struck the vertical wooden sword Richard had raised in defense.
A dense coating of Armament Haki wrapped around the wooden blade, protecting it from being cut by Mihawk’s sharp edge.
Hawkeye, seeing this, followed up with a rising slash from below, sending a surge of sword energy upward like a tidal wave.
With a sharp shing sound, the ground beneath them split open first, creating a crack over ten meters long.
Clang!!
Once again, Richard’s downward-sweeping wooden sword blocked it.
“Dammit!!!” Mihawk gritted his teeth, his fighting spirit flaring up instead.
He absolutely could not lose!!
He could not let his brother worry about his progress any longer!
Mihawk, you have to become a swordsman as strong as your brother!!!
“Huff…
huff…” He gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands, took a step forward, and executed a perfectly standard overhead downward slash aimed at Richard.
But at that moment, he realized that Richard’s body had not retreated…
instead, he had taken a step forward.
His right foot stepped into Mihawk’s striking range in a forward lunge, and because of that, the downward momentum of his slash lost its power.
Just as Mihawk was feeling confused, a large hand suddenly reached over.
Accompanied by Richard’s low, chuckling voice.
“You passed, my foolish little brother.”