At The Peak of One Piece

Victor found Kuina practicing swings with her bamboo practice sword. After over a year of his dedicated training and nutritional support, her physique had transformed—no illnesses, strength surpassing peers, and exceptional stamina. Victor approved. 

"Kuina-chan, come here," Victor called warmly. 

"Coming!" She slid the bamboo sword into her belt and trotted over. 

"Big brother, more treats?" Kuina grinned, sweat beading on her flushed cheeks from rigorous practice. 

"Ha! All gone—you devoured them, little glutton." Victor ruffled her hair. "This is your new practice sword. Your old one's too short now. This'll serve you better." He placed it in her hands. 

Kuina beamed, clutching the gift—all her practice swords came from Victor. 

"I need to tell you something," Victor's tone turned serious. "I'm leaving. Leaving Shimotsuki Village." 

"Then bring back snacks!" Kuina chirped, assuming this was another short trip. 

"No, Kuina. This time… I'll be gone long. Trust that feeling." He knelt, meeting her eyes. "Listen to your father at the dojo. Study the manual I left you as you grow. Next time we meet, I want to see a Kuina who's confident, strong, and bright." He rested a hand on her head. 

"No! Don't leave! I want to stay with you!" Four-year-old Kuina understood now. She hurled the bamboo sword away and flung herself against Victor, sobbing. "I hate that sword! Don't go! You—you big dummy! Dummy!!!" The gift symbolized farewell, and she rejected both violently. 

"Kuina, all gatherings end. We'll meet again when you're older—you'll find me, or I'll return. This isn't forever." 

She buried her face in his shirt, quiet sobs shaking her small frame. Finally, she looked up, tears streaking her cheeks. 

"Promise you'll visit. If you don't… I'll hunt you down. That's our pact!" Her stare burned with conviction. 

"Deal," Victor agreed. "But I add my own pact: When you're grown, I'll forge you a peerless sword—one worthy of the greatest swordsmaster. Your end? Become that swordsmaster. Trample countless rivals beneath your blade. Can you?" 

"Yes! I will!" 

"Then I go. No more tears." Victor wiped her face with his sleeve, retrieved the discarded sword, smoothed its length, and handed it back. Kuina clutched it like a lifeline. 

After bidding Kozaburo farewell, Victor packed his belongings. Two swords hung at his waist as he headed for the coast. 

At the shore, Buck's ship lingered, offering passage. Victor declined. As Buck's crew gaped, Victor soared skyward on Geppo. 

Sustained aerial travel drained stamina. Victor often skimmed the ocean's surface instead—less taxing. For someone of his strength, Devil Fruit-less and in the East Blue? Danger felt distant. 

Days later, Victor's Observation Haki sensed a ship. 'A rest stop. Food.' As he drew near, his lips curved. A pirate vessel. Free provisions secured. 

As soon as Victor stepped onto the deck, the crew members stared at him with a mix of shock and wariness. His swordsman attire, striking looks, and commanding aura made him stand out—if this were near Sabaody Archipelago, human traffickers would've already swarmed him. 

"What're you gawking at? Bring out the best food and drinks you've got. I've been starving all day," Victor barked at the man who looked like the captain, his tone dripping with nonchalance. In the East Blue, few were worth his concern these days. 

The captain—a hulking brute over three meters tall, his body a mass of muscle—scowled. Boris of the Fierce Tiger Pirates, with a bounty of 20 million Berries, had never been disrespected like this. Even if this stranger gave him a dangerous vibe, rage clouded his judgment. 

"You little shit—DIE!" Boris roared, charging at Victor with a fist aimed straight for his face. 

Victor didn't even flinch. His Observation Haki had already mapped the trajectory—not that he needed it for such a telegraphed attack. 

CRACK!

A meter before impact, Victor's own fist lashed out, colliding with Boris's knuckles. The result? 

- Victor: Unmoved. 

- Boris: Sent flying like a cannonball, crashing through the cabin wall in a shower of splinters. 

The crew froze. Their captain—who could flip houses with a single punch—had just been outmuscled? This had to be a joke. 

"Did… did Captain skip lunch?" 

"Nah, he ate! Must've overdone it at the brothel—legs gave out!" 

"Wait, no—he's just lightening the mood, right?" 

"…Why does the mood feel 'heavier' now?" 

Victor ignored their chatter. "Food. Now. Or I start tossing people overboard for shark bait." 

Then—THUD. THUD. THUD.

Boris emerged from the wreckage, his body bulging, limbs elongating. Yellow-and-black fur sprouted as his dislocated arm snapped back into place. By the time he loomed over Victor, he stood five meters tall, his weight making the ship groan. 

A tiger's head now crowned his humanoid frame, his clothes shredded by the transformation. 

"Oh? An Animal-Type Devil Fruit user," Victor mused, unfazed. "Not bad. Let's see if you're a tiger or a housecat." 

"You know your stuff," Boris growled. "I ate the Tiger-Tiger Fruit. Now—prepare to beg for death!" 

No more words. Fists flew. 

'BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!' 

Victor tested his raw strength against the enhanced beast—and found it lacking. Even half-hearted counters sent Boris staggering. 

"This guy wouldn't last a day on that island."

Bored, Victor's hand dropped to Yubashiri. 

"Wave Breaker." 

A flash of steel. 

The blade never seemed to leave its sheath. 

Boris's body froze—then split diagonally, collapsing in two neat halves.