Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

"Found it! Didn't expect it to be here."

After a full hour of searching, Zavia finally located the Log Pose for Punk Hazard. It had been buried at the very bottom of the bag, and since Zavia and Arthur had been searching from the top down, it had taken quite a while.

"Finally! I'm exhausted," Arthur exclaimed, collapsing onto the deck with a sigh of relief. He seemed genuinely tired, though it was more mental fatigue than physical.

Over the past year, under Zavia's guidance and training, Arthur's physique had significantly improved. After all, a strong body was essential for wielding powerful magic.

Zavia was a prime example of this. If he possessed immense power but lacked a well-trained body, using that power would result in immediate backlash.

Just like when he had used Spatial Shatter – if his physical constitution hadn't been up to par, the consequences would have been far more severe than mere exhaustion.

"Sorry about that. I didn't expect it to be hidden so deep.

Hey, Mihawk, are you done over there?" Zavia stroked Arthur's head with a smile and then turned his attention to Mihawk, who was busy dealing with a Sea King.

Clang—!

With a swift swing of his black blade, Yoru, Mihawk unleashed a fluorescent green slash that cleaved the massive Sea King, which was at least a hundred meters long, in two.

"That should be the last one," Mihawk said, retracting his right hand and sheathing Yoru.

"Is that so? Thanks for your help."

Zavia offered a simple expression of gratitude and then walked towards the helm, steering the ship towards Punk Hazard.

As for why Mihawk was dealing with Sea Kings, it was a request from Zavia.

This was the New World, and Sea Kings were present everywhere, their size and intelligence far surpassing those in the first half of the Grand Line.

Just ten minutes after they had started searching for the Punk Hazard Log Pose, a massive Sea King, at least a hundred meters long, had suddenly appeared beside their ship.

The water churned violently as a giant eye, four times the size of Zavia's head, emerged from the depths, followed by the creature's massive body.

Seeing this Sea King, which resembled a bizarre hybrid of a frog and a carp, Zavia and Mihawk remained unfazed, even feeling a hint of amusement. Arthur, however, was terrified.

He was still a child, and while he had seen his fair share of the world alongside Zavia, including Sea Kings, encountering one of this size was a first for him. It was understandable.

Zavia, feeling bored, had asked Mihawk to deal with the creature.

Why? There was no need for a specific reason. They were all in the same boat now, and if they let the Sea King run amok, at least one of them would surely perish.

Furthermore, even the World's Greatest Swordsman couldn't unleash his full power underwater. The resistance of the water would hinder his movements, unless he was a fishman.

If they were to encounter bad weather or another pirate crew at that moment, Mihawk would be at a disadvantage.

While Zavia believed Mihawk could still hold his own, if the enemy opted for a war of attrition, the swordsman would suffer.

The World's Greatest Swordsman dying a slow and agonizing death in the depths of the ocean – that would be a fate worse than death.

Of course, some pirates might try to earn Mihawk's favor, but whether he would accept their help was another matter entirely.

Therefore, from the moment the Sea King appeared until Zavia found the Log Pose, Mihawk had been busy slaying countless Sea Kings, both large and small, each with a single, decisive slash of his blade.

"No need to thank me. I was just taking care of a potential problem." Mihawk sat back down on the deck and resumed his meditation. Zavia simply sighed in response.

"Alright, let's go then. Arthur, can I leave it to you?" Zavia tossed the Log Pose to Arthur, who nodded and began steering the ship towards Punk Hazard.

Mihawk remained in his meditative state.

Zavia glanced at the swordsman once more before deciding to join him in meditation, having nothing better to do. Thus, a curious scene unfolded.

A ship sailed across the sea, its deck occupied by two individuals sitting in meditation, their eyes closed. At the bow stood a young boy, keeping watch as if on patrol.

This sight left passing pirate ships astonished, their crews staring at the strange vessel with wide eyes.

"Hey, what do you think they're doing? This is the New World, aren't they being a bit too careless?"

"You fool! Do you even know who those two are?"

"Who?"

"Tsk! I told you to spend less time with women and read the newspapers more often. You don't even recognize them.

Listen carefully, the one with the black sword is Hawkeye Mihawk, one of the Shichibukai. And the white-haired one is Urizen, the 'Sword Demon' who's been making a name for himself in the first half of the Grand Line."

"What!? A Shichibukai! And the 'Sword Demon'!?"

"Now you understand why no one dares to mess with them. Even without Urizen, Hawkeye alone is enough to make people tremble. The captain has ordered us to avoid any trouble."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's get out of here! If those two suddenly decide to act on a whim, we're done for."

"You're right, let's go."

Two pirates on a passing ship, standing by the railing, observed the scene below and conversed before their ship quickly sailed away from Zavia's vessel.

Zavia didn't hear their conversation, as he was deep in meditation. Unless absolutely necessary, he wouldn't pay attention to idle chatter.

…

Time flew by, and two weeks passed.

"Haa—"

On the deck, Zavia, shirtless, performed his daily training routine. After completing the final set, he let out a long sigh.

"Time really flies. Two weeks have passed just like that. But Punk Hazard is quite far, isn't it?" Zavia picked up a bottle of energy drink and gazed at the first light of dawn on the horizon, muttering to himself.

"Hmm? What's that?" As Zavia admired the beautiful scenery, a dark shadow suddenly appeared in his line of sight, though it was still quite distant. He couldn't make out what it was.

As time passed, the shadow gradually grew larger, revealing itself to be a pirate ship made of candy.

(Big Mom? What is she doing here? Could she be looking for a fight?)

Zavia narrowed his eyes as he recognized the ship.

"Perospero, isn't that the renowned 'Sword Demon,' Urizen? What a coincidence to encounter him here."

The candy ship approached Zavia's vessel and came to a stop. A man's voice echoed from above.

"Perospero..."

Zavia muttered the name under his breath and looked up towards the railing of the ship. There stood a man wearing a hat adorned with lollipops. He had a slender build, a long nose and tongue, and carried a candy cane staff.

"What brings you here? If it's a fight you're after, I wouldn't mind obliging." Zavia took a sip of his energy drink, his gaze turning cold as a faint aura of killing intent emanated from him.

(This man! He's as dangerous as the rumors say!)

The man was Charlotte Perospero, Big Mom's eldest son. He had learned of Zavia's arrival in the New World a few days ago and had set sail overnight to intercept him.

Hearing Zavia's words, Perospero's face paled slightly. He dreaded encountering unpredictable individuals like Zavia.

In the pirate world, no one wanted to provoke a powerful and capricious individual. The most notorious example was Kaido. You never knew what he was thinking or what he might do next. He was incredibly dangerous!

They were both, in a sense, true madmen.

"How could that be, Lord Urizen? This is a pure coincidence." Perospero forced a smile, his expression strained, as he looked down at Zavia.

"Is that so? Then scram." Zavia retracted his killing intent and looked away from Perospero.

(This guy...)

Although Perospero was angered by being told to scram by a rising star, he had to suppress his anger.

Why? Because he had received not only the news of Zavia's presence in the New World but also another crucial piece of information – Hawkeye Mihawk was also on board Zavia's ship!

Hawkeye Mihawk, though just one of the Shichibukai, possessed strength that rivaled that of an Emperor. He was someone Perospero wanted to avoid at all costs.

If he were to offend the swordsman, there was a chance Mihawk might slice him in two without hesitation.

This wasn't a joke; with Mihawk's strength, it was entirely possible, depending on his mood.

"Please wait! Lord Urizen! I actually came here for another reason!" Seeing Zavia about to leave, Perospero panicked. He hadn't forgotten the mission Big Mom had assigned him a year ago.

If Zavia were to enter the New World, Perospero was to invite him to the Tea Party. Failure was not an option; the consequences would be too severe for him to bear.

"..."

Hearing this, Zavia stopped and turned to look at Perospero, saying nothing but simply staring at him.

"Uh... ahem! It's like this, Lord Urizen. I apologize for lying earlier, saying it was a coincidence.

But what I'm about to say is the truth. My mother, Big Mom, wishes to invite you to Whole Cake Island for the Tea Party. What do you say?" Perospero, feeling unnerved by Zavia's gaze, cleared his throat and revealed his true purpose.

"Hmm… But I refuse!"