Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

"..."

Zavia's brow furrowed slightly at the man's response. This opponent was more intelligent than he initially thought.

"So it was you who disrupted one of our sources of income in this world." The large man pointed at Zavia, his smile unwavering.

"Source of income?... Hmph, the slave trade, you mean."

Zavia pondered for a moment and quickly connected the dots to the Human Auction House he had destroyed.

It seemed that place was one of the money-making ventures of the organization this man belonged to.

"You don't deny it, so it must be you. Since you dared to interfere with our business, you must be prepared to die. Speak your last words." The large man cracked his knuckles, his gaze sharpening as the smile vanished from his face.

"...Hmph hmph hmph, last words? You underestimate me. But before we begin, could you tell me your name and the organization you belong to?"

Seeing that battle was inevitable, Zavia chuckled and removed his cloak, storing it in his spatial bag. However, he kept his mask on.

"Those are your last words? How curious. I can tell you my name, but not the latter. My name is Roman."

The large man – Roman – tilted his head slightly in confusion. The next moment, with a thud and a cloud of dust, he vanished from sight.

Clang!

A silver flash of light streaked through the air as Zavia drew the Yamato blade, parrying a fist enveloped in a blue aura that was aimed at his face.

(Is this... magic?)

Zavia, momentarily stunned, quickly realized that it was indeed magic, or more precisely, magical power.

Seeing his punch blocked, Roman didn't panic. Instead, a smirk appeared on his face.

Whoosh!

From the lower left!

A sound of rushing air reached Zavia's ears. His Observation Haki detected another fist approaching from his lower left, aimed at his chin.

Zavia's mind raced as he registered the attack. His pupils constricted, and he tilted his head back with all his might.

Whoosh!

The fist, enveloped in a blue aura, grazed past Zavia's chin, the force of it creating a small gust of wind that ruffled his hair.

Dodging the attack, Zavia used the momentum to pull back his right hand and leap into the air, delivering a kick towards Roman.

Roman, seemingly unfazed, shifted his right fist into an open palm, intending to block Zavia's kick with unwavering confidence in his own strength.

However, that confidence led to Roman's first setback.

Just as Roman thought he had successfully intercepted the kick, a deep blue energy wave erupted from Zavia's foot.

Due to the close proximity, Roman took the full force of the attack and was sent flying several meters backward.

Zavia landed gracefully after performing a backflip and looked towards Roman.

A long gash now marked Roman's torso, blood oozing from the wound.

"Oops, I suppose one should never underestimate their opponent. Even though I'm a 'Force Sky' of the Sky Stage, I, a 'Might Sky,' can still be defeated if I let my guard down."

Roman examined his wound with a smile, seemingly unfazed by the pain.

(Force Sky? Might Sky? What is this guy talking about?)

Zavia, his enhanced hearing picking up on the keywords in Roman's statement, straightened his posture.

(He called himself Might Sky and me Force Sky... Hmm, could this be some sort of ranking system? And Sky Stage...)

Various possibilities ran through Zavia's mind as he tried to decipher the meaning behind Roman's words. However, he quickly abandoned that line of thought as Roman, after dusting himself off, charged towards him once more.

Zavia slashed forward with the Yamato blade, unleashing several deep blue energy waves. As the energy waves flew towards Roman, Zavia kicked off the ground and charged forward as well.

Thump, thump, thump.

Due to their faster speed, the energy waves reached Roman first.

However, Roman simply countered them with three punches, each blow producing a dull thud as the energy waves dissipated.

Clang!

As the energy waves vanished, the Yamato blade clashed with Roman's fist.

It was hard to believe that a seemingly ordinary fist could produce the sound of clashing steel. One might suspect it was reinforced with metal.

Zavia felt a surge of power through the Yamato blade as it connected with Roman's fist. The force of the blow caused his arm to go numb for a moment.

Roman, seemingly aware of this, had put considerable strength into his punch.

A bead of sweat trickled down Zavia's face beneath his mask. He had never encountered such a formidable opponent.

Well, that wasn't entirely true. Individuals like Zephyr and Garp were undoubtedly stronger than him.

However, Roman was the first to confront Zavia with his full strength. Zephyr and Garp had merely been playing around, not even using half their power.

Suddenly, a smile crept across Zavia's face beneath his mask. His blood pumped faster, and a strange sense of excitement filled him.

Despite the danger of the situation, where a single lapse in concentration could lead to his defeat or even death, Zavia found himself smiling.

Why? Because this was the kind of battle he had been longing for. Not the gentle sparring matches with Zephyr and Garp, nor the one-sided battles against weaker opponents.

This was a true fight, where he could unleash his full potential against a worthy adversary! A battle against a true powerhouse!

Zavia quickly regained feeling in his right hand, and the Yamato blade, initially pressed against Roman's fist, suddenly shifted direction, aiming for the man's face.

Roman's eyes widened slightly, seemingly surprised by Zavia's sudden change in attack.

A blue aura enveloped his legs, and he stomped on the ground with tremendous force.

Dust erupted around them, obscuring Zavia's vision. Roman vanished from sight, and Zavia's attack missed its mark.

Zavia stumbled momentarily due to Roman's sudden disappearance but quickly regained his footing, his gaze scanning the surroundings.

He glanced at the footprint on the ground – a deep indentation, at least five centimeters deep.

His vision was filled with swirling dust. It was hard to believe there was so much of it on this island.

However, this didn't hinder Zavia's actions. He had anticipated such a situation and had trained his Observation Haki precisely for moments like this.

Zavia wasn't naive. Before transmigrating, he had consumed countless novels and anime, particularly those in the action and supernatural genres.

He had envisioned himself engaging in battles under various circumstances and had considered the "dirty tricks" opponents might use, such as obscuring his vision.

Zavia was grateful that his first world was the world of One Piece. This world offered diverse environments and a wide range of combat styles and abilities.

Although he would have preferred the world of Hunter x Hunter, with its versatile Nen abilities, One Piece was a good starting point.

Zavia closed his eyes and activated his Observation Haki. The world around him transformed into a blank canvas, leaving only him and this emptiness.

Within this "empty world," a vibrant object moved erratically, appearing before him, then to his side, then behind him.

In a mere second, Roman had shifted his position three times, showcasing his incredible speed.

(Back left, right hand, straight punch.)

Roman, amidst his high-speed movements, suddenly stopped behind Zavia to his left and launched a right straight punch.

Zavia sensed the attack and swiftly turned his body, dodging the punch. He then raised his right hand, intending to sever Roman's extended arm with the Yamato blade.

However, what happened next made Zavia's face twitch beneath his mask.

Roman's right fist, which had been aimed at Zavia, suddenly vanished. It disappeared into thin air without any apparent mechanism.

(This... something's not right!)

Bam!

Zavia's instincts screamed danger as he felt a powerful force approaching from his side at an incredible speed.

With no time to defend, Zavia raised the scabbard of the Yamato blade to block the attack.

A loud thud echoed as the force of the blow traveled through the scabbard and into Zavia's hand, then throughout his entire body, momentarily paralyzing him. He was sent flying backward.

As Zavia flew through the air, the dust that had lingered around them was dispersed by the wind pressure generated by Roman's punch, revealing the man standing there in his attack stance.

After delivering the blow, Roman swiftly retracted his fist and bent his body slightly, channeling his strength into his legs.

The next moment, Roman shot forward like an arrow, charging towards Zavia at low altitude.

Zavia, suspended in mid-air, witnessed this but was powerless to evade. There was no leverage for him to maneuver in mid-air.

Unless he could double jump, but as everyone knew, Vergil couldn't.

Zavia quickly adjusted his body, positioning himself to at least draw his blade. He slashed forward, unleashing five azure-colored energy waves, each with a diameter of at least five meters.

Seeing this, Roman, who was still charging forward, narrowed his eyes and slammed on the brakes, leaping to the side.

However, he was a step too slow. These five energy waves were Zavia's fastest sword technique. When fully unleashed, they could surpass the speed of sound.

Sizzle—

Roman landed on his feet and looked down at his side. A deep gash had appeared on his abdomen, and a dull ache pulsed from the wound.

Zavia plunged the Yamato blade into the ground and gripped the hilt tightly, using it to stop his momentum and land safely.

He stared at Roman, who stood fifteen meters away, a hint of shock in his eyes.