Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

"One of my favorite things, Zavia, is saying no to those who think they're better than me," Zavia said, mimicking the demeanor and tone of Rohan Kishibe from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure as he looked at Perospero.

Perospero's face was etched with astonishment. He had never encountered someone so arrogant and audacious as to refuse an invitation to Big Mom's Tea Party.

It was important to understand that this invitation represented Big Mom's "approval" of the individual, an offer to join her crew and receive her protection, becoming part of her "unbreakable family."

However, Zavia, having seen the One Piece anime, knew exactly what Big Mom's invitation entailed.

And it was precisely because he knew that he refused.

Think about it, a capricious individual who treated her own children like tools, offering you a place in her crew and promising protection – would you believe her?

Whether you believed it or not, Zavia certainly didn't. Based on her reputation alone, he had no desire to become one of Big Mom's subordinates.

If he had to choose an Emperor to serve under, he would only consider Shanks or Whitebeard.

However, joining Whitebeard's crew meant acknowledging him as a father figure, and Zavia had no desire to become anyone's son. Therefore, he would ultimately choose Shanks over Whitebeard.

As for Kaido? Forget about it. He was even more unpredictable and violent than Big Mom. While Zavia was curious about the secrets Kaido held, he prioritized his own life and immediately ruled him out.

Although Zavia wouldn't die...

"You do understand what it means to refuse Mama's invitation, don't you?" Perospero's expression darkened, his face contorting with anger as his initial surprise subsided.

"Of course I do. So what?" Zavia replied with a sneer, unfazed by the threat.

Among the Four Emperors of the New World, Zavia considered Charlotte Linlin, also known as Big Mom, to be the weakest.

However, it was important to note that this was a comparison within the context of the Emperors. If it came down to a fight, Big Mom still possessed the strength of an Emperor.

But so what? If there was one Emperor Zavia wasn't afraid of, it was definitely Big Mom.

Charlotte Linlin, also known as "Big Mom," was one of the few female pirates among the Emperors of the New World and the user of the Soul-Soul Fruit.

She possessed immense strength, having single-handedly destroyed an entire village of giants at the age of five simply because she couldn't get her hands on sweets.

This incident alone demonstrated that Charlotte Linlin was a monstrously powerful being. Destroying a village of giants at the age of five – were they even human? And the reason for the massacre was utterly absurd, leaving people dumbfounded.

Back to the main point, Charlotte Linlin's strength was undeniable. She was a true monster.

However, that didn't mean she was without weaknesses. Mother Carmel's photo was a critical vulnerability.

Even the slightest damage to that photo would send Charlotte Linlin into a state of deep sorrow. The duration of this state was unknown, but it could be ended by someone forcefully waking her up, as Katakuri had done.

When Charlotte Linlin was in this state, her physical strength would weaken significantly, and her "Iron Balloon" ability would deactivate. This would provide Zavia with ample opportunity to take her life!

However, there were many factors to consider. Until he obtained the Lightning Core, Zavia preferred to avoid confronting Charlotte Linlin.

But that didn't mean he feared her. If necessary, he would use his spatial abilities without hesitation.

Even with her "Iron Balloon" ability, could she withstand the power of Spatial Shatter? If fully unleashed, Spatial Shatter could destroy even the world itself.

While Zavia's strength hadn't reached that level yet, it was more than sufficient to take Charlotte Linlin's life!

However, using Spatial Shatter would leave him severely weakened for five minutes, making him vulnerable.

Charlotte Linlin's children weren't fools; they wouldn't hesitate to avenge their mother.

"You bastard..."

Perospero glared at Zavia with a twisted expression of anger. He wanted nothing more than to kill Zavia on the spot, but his rationality told him that the consequences would be too severe.

So he endured, taking deep breaths to calm himself before ordering his crew to set sail and leave.

He had fulfilled his mission – delivering Big Mom's invitation. There was no point in staying any longer.

As for how he would explain the situation to Big Mom, he had already formulated his response. He would simply say that Zavia was disrespectful and had trampled upon Big Mom's authority, placing all the blame on Zavia.

Zavia watched as the ship sailed away, his expression returning to its usual calmness. He glanced at the sky – the sun was about to rise.

He headed towards the bathroom, eager to wash away the sweat from his training session.

…

Time flew by, and a month later, Zavia and Arthur finally reached Punk Hazard.

"So this is Punk Hazard? It's quite different from what I imagined," Zavia remarked, standing at the bow of the ship and gazing at the island before them, his expression puzzled.

However, it was understandable. The Punk Hazard depicted in the anime was already a land of ice and fire, not the dilapidated island he saw now.

"Strange, this place should be filled with poisonous gas," Mihawk commented, walking up to Zavia, his voice laced with confusion.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Zavia was surprised. Had something happened to Punk Hazard before?

"Punk Hazard was once a research facility under the jurisdiction of the World Government, a place where the Marines conducted experiments on prisoners.

But four years ago, there was a massive explosion, and corrosive substances were released, turning the island into a wasteland. However, now..."

Mihawk offered a brief explanation about Punk Hazard, causing Zavia's expression to turn serious.

(Could it be those guys who did this?)

Zavia's first thought was of the information Crocodile had provided – the presence of outsiders conducting experiments on Punk Hazard.

If that was the case, then he needed to be cautious. If these individuals possessed the technology to neutralize the corrosive substances, then their equipment was likely advanced.

While Zavia wouldn't die, he would still feel the effects of any attacks. If they had powerful firearms, he would have to abandon his plan to capture them.

After all, even the most skilled martial artist was vulnerable to bullets. He might be strong, but he couldn't withstand a barrage of gunfire. It wouldn't kill him, but it certainly wouldn't be pleasant.

Furthermore, these individuals were capable of magic. If they were to enhance their firearms with some sort of magic that could counter his abilities, then Zavia would be forced to retreat.

However, whether they actually possessed firearms was still unknown. These were just his speculations, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

"Hmm? Do you have any leads?" Mihawk noticed the change in Zavia's expression and inquired further.

"Not sure. It's just a guess. But if it's true, then things could get very complicated." Zavia shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but his true feelings betrayed him. He was genuinely concerned.

"Well, let's land first. Speculating here is pointless. We need to see for ourselves. Are you coming with me, or will you stay with the ship?" Zavia steered the ship towards the shore of Punk Hazard and asked, one foot resting on the edge of the vessel.

"I'll come along. I sense a few unusual presences on the island." Mihawk contemplated for a moment before deciding to join Zavia.

(Tsk, their concealment skills are lacking.)

Hearing Mihawk's reason for wanting to explore the island, Zavia couldn't help but scoff inwardly, silently criticizing the outsiders' abilities.

…

The three of them disembarked onto the island. Zavia secured the ship and then ventured into Punk Hazard.

As they explored, Zavia saw nothing but dilapidated buildings, some emitting unknown gases, though thankfully non-toxic.

He approached a completely destroyed structure and saw a sign above it: Research Lab 5.

Continuing deeper into Punk Hazard, Zavia realized this place was like a ghost town, eerily silent. Apart from them, there was no sign of life.

Two hours later, they arrived at a building, the only one Zavia had seen that was still intact.

"This lab is completely undamaged. That's quite a miracle," Zavia remarked, gazing at the structure with a hint of surprise in his voice.

(If I recall correctly, Caesar Clown should be conducting his research here.)

Zavia began to recall details about Punk Hazard from the original story. He knew that Caesar Clown, a group of children, and some outsiders were present on the island.

He glanced upwards and noticed a surveillance Den Den Mushi facing away from them.

Seeing this, Zavia immediately used Spatial Distortion to bend the light around them, rendering them invisible.

They couldn't afford to be discovered yet. Setting aside Caesar Clown, if the outsiders became aware of their presence, Zavia's plan might fail.

After crawling a short distance, the surveillance Den Den Mushi turned its head. To its eyes, everything seemed normal.

Patiently waiting for the Den Den Mushi to turn away again, Zavia opened the door before them, and the three of them swiftly entered, closing the door behind them. The entire process took less than three seconds.

"Alright, let's split up," Zavia said, deactivating his Spatial Distortion upon realizing there were no surveillance Den Den Mushis inside.

"Very well. There's a certain location in this facility that I'm curious about." Mihawk nodded and departed, heading towards a specific area within the research lab.

Seeing Mihawk leave, Zavia also took action. He closed his eyes and focused on sensing the presence of the outsiders. Once he had a clear direction, he activated Spatial Distortion to conceal himself and Arthur, then set off towards his destination.