Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

The scene of the Dimensional Slash exploding would have been a sight of breathtaking beauty if witnessed in slow motion.

At a distance from the attack, Roman emerged from a crater in one of the mangrove trees, a result of his uncontrolled power.

"This is troublesome. To be able to cut through space so many times in an instant... It seems he has complete mastery over spatial manipulation."

Ignoring his own injuries from the impact, Roman observed the remnants of the deep blue energy blades, a look of resignation on his face.

He had been sent by his captain to investigate the sudden disappearance of their economic resources in this world.

Upon arriving at the auction house, he discovered that their "cash cow" had been utterly destroyed. All the merchandise was gone, and the bloodstains on the floor indicated a one-sided battle.

Since three weeks had already passed in this world by the time he arrived, finding the culprit proved to be a challenge.

He reported the incident to his captain, who dismissed it as a minor setback. They could simply build another auction house.

As for the individual responsible for the destruction, the captain instructed Roman to remain in this world for a while. He believed the culprit would resurface eventually, and when that happened, Roman was to eliminate them to prevent further disruptions.

Roman accepted the order and spent nearly a week on the Sabaody Archipelago, finally encountering the person he had been waiting for.

Initially, he had assumed Zavia was just an ordinary 'Force Sky' rank individual, someone he could easily defeat as a 'Might Sky.'

However, he soon realized how naive his assumption had been.

Spatial ability users were relatively common across various realms, but those with complete mastery over space were extremely rare. Aside from the Demon God, one of the four deities, there were only three known individuals who had achieved such a level of control.

This was a terrifying fact. It meant that someone with complete mastery over space possessed the power to destroy worlds, a talent that any organization would covet and seek to acquire at any cost.

This realization forced Roman to reconsider Zavia's true strength.

After all, powerful individuals could easily conceal their true capabilities, leading weaker opponents to underestimate them.

(Hmph, so he dodged it. Let's try that again.)

Zavia was slightly surprised to see his Full Spatial Dimensional Slash evaded. After all, the attack's speed was near instantaneous, further enhanced by the Legacy of the Demon God.

However, his surprise was fleeting, and his expression quickly returned to its usual coldness.

He had anticipated the possibility of his Dimensional Slash being countered. The worlds beyond his own were vast and held unimaginable power.

So far, Zavia had learned that his current location was a place called the Dimensional Realm, and the world of One Piece was just one of many worlds within it.

This revelation filled him with curiosity. How many of these "realms" existed? How many powerful individuals resided within them? And what level of strength was required to venture beyond one's own world and into these "realms"?

Activating his spatial ability, Zavia's surroundings rippled, and he vanished from sight.

The entire process, from activating his ability to the appearance of the spatial distortion and his disappearance, occurred within a mere 0.001 seconds – practically instantaneous.

"Damn it! He's at it again!"

The moment Zavia vanished, Roman's senses went into overdrive. He channeled a surge of blue energy into his legs, preparing to evade Zavia's attack just as he had done before.

One second, two seconds, three seconds, four seconds...

Zavia's attack didn't come, and this only served to heighten Roman's anxiety. His opponent was playing mind games.

Sweat trickled down his forehead and dripped onto the ground. A cold sweat that sent chills down his spine. He scanned his surroundings, his senses on high alert, trying to locate Zavia.

However, as a close-combat specialist, his perception range was limited to a mere seven meters, far less than Zavia's spatial teleportation range of 500 meters.

31 seconds, 32 seconds... Left side!

At the 32-second mark, Roman felt a sharp pain on his left side, accompanied by a sense of imminent danger.

Bam!

In an instant, dust erupted, and Roman vanished from sight, propelled forward at high speed until he crashed into a thick mangrove root, bringing him to a forced stop.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

At the spot where Roman had been standing, the spectacular sight of Zavia's Full Spatial Dimensional Slash unfolded once more.

"Damn it!"

Roman emerged from the shattered remains of the mangrove root and cursed under his breath. The next moment, a flash of silver light caught his eye.

He quickly bent backward, and a gleaming silver blade whizzed past his face, missing his nose by a mere 0.1 millimeters!

Due to having just stood up, Roman's balance was still unstable. Zavia's sudden attack caused him to lose his footing and fall backward, landing on his back.

However, this time, he was facing upward instead of lying face down on the ground.

Zavia quickly regained control of the Yamato blade, preventing it from overshooting due to the momentum.

He swiftly switched his grip to a reverse hold, the tip of the blade pointing downward, and thrust it towards Roman.

Roman wasn't foolish. His extensive battle experience had honed his instincts.

The moment his back hit the ground, he knew Zavia would try to stab him with his sword.

This wasn't a gamble; it was a deduction based on experience.

By then, Roman's hands were already enveloped in a blue aura. He pushed off the ground with both arms, forcefully grasping the Yamato blade and stopping its descent.

Seeing this, Zavia's expression remained calm, a cold smirk playing on his lips beneath his mask.

"Hmm? This is..."

Roman's face contorted as he struggled to hold onto the Yamato blade. Its sharpness exceeded his expectations, as evidenced by the blood trickling from his hands.

However, he soon noticed something strange.

Zavia was simply watching him silently, his demeanor devoid of the panic one would expect from a swordsman whose blade had been restrained.

He just stood there, his masked face staring impassively.

A second later, Roman understood the reason for Zavia's calmness.

A faint blue, translucent flame began to creep along the blade of the Yamato, reaching towards Roman.

The flames engulfed Roman's body and began to burn, causing excruciating pain. However, it wasn't physical pain, but rather a torment of the soul. Yes, these flames burned the enemy's soul, not their body.

At the same time, Roman felt something precious slipping away from him.

(Damn it! This sword... it's draining my life force!)

Within moments, Roman realized that his life force was slowly being siphoned away, flowing into the blade he was holding.

(Could it be... this sword has a spirit!? Damn it! Why is someone like him only a 'Force Sky'!? He should at least be a 'Wisdom Sky'!)

Roman cursed Zavia internally, realizing that if this continued, he would surely die.

As this realization dawned on him, a bright blue light, composed of countless particles, began to emanate from his body.

A magic circle appeared beneath him, followed by the sound of something shattering, like breaking glass.

Roman's body began to fade away, eventually vanishing without a trace. The Yamato blade, released from his grasp, fell to the ground due to gravity.

The moment Zavia saw the magic circle, he knew something was wrong and tried to stop Roman from activating his magic.

However, it was futile. An invisible barrier seemed to surround Roman, deflecting all of Zavia's attacks. He could only watch helplessly as Roman disappeared.

Zavia pulled the Yamato blade from the ground and sheathed it, then used his right hand to fix his slightly disheveled hair before sitting down to rest.

He paid no attention to the pirates who had gathered around, watching the spectacle.

Zavia's overwhelming aura, combined with the display of power he had just shown, was enough to keep them at bay.

As for the blue flames and life-draining ability of the Yamato blade, that was a hidden power Zavia had discovered some time ago.

He had been visiting a weapon shop when the owner, intrigued by the Yamato blade's unique aura, asked to examine it. Zavia, sensing no ill intent from the man, who seemed to possess a genuine passion for weaponry, handed him the blade.

However, to Zavia's surprise, the moment the owner grasped the Yamato, it seemed to come alive, erupting in blue flames that engulfed the man and burned him to a crisp, leaving behind a desiccated husk.

This revelation opened up a new world of possibilities for Zavia.

After burying the weapon shop owner, Zavia began conducting experiments, seeking out pirates at sea and having them touch the Yamato blade.

Without exception, they were all incinerated, their bodies reduced to mummified remains.

Zavia concluded that the Yamato blade possessed a spirit, and anyone other than himself who dared to touch it would meet a gruesome fate.

However, this sword spirit seemed to be quite "noble." Zavia had never seen its true form or communicated with it directly, despite his numerous attempts.

"Tch, he escaped after all. I wonder what happened. He suddenly seemed to become afraid of me. Well, no matter. I've gained valuable information.

Now, it's time to prepare for the main storyline. Two years from now, Akainu, Blackbeard, prepare to meet your end!"