Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

Four minutes later, Zavia stood amidst a sea of bodies, the epicenter of carnage. He pulled the Yamato blade from a headless corpse, its silver sheen now dulled with crimson. His eyes swept the room, a chilling calm settling over his face. The stench of blood hung heavy in the air, but Zavia remained unfazed. He flicked the blood off his blade with a practiced motion, sending a spray of crimson droplets onto the floor before sheathing it.

"Haa..."

With a sigh, Zavia strode towards the back entrance, ignoring the front where the sounds of cannon fire had been echoing for the past three minutes. Evidently, the marines outside had discovered the spatial barrier and were trying to break through.

A futile attempt, Zavia thought. His spatial barrier wasn't something that could be easily shattered by brute force. Ordinary cannon fire or physical attacks were simply exercises in futility.

He felt a surge of relief that Sakazuki wasn't present. If the Admiral were here, Zavia would likely be lying among the dead. With his immense power, a single Great Eruption would have obliterated the spatial barrier, leaving no trace.

Reaching the back door where he had entered, Zavia cautiously opened it, scanning the surroundings. Seeing that all the marines were occupied bombarding the front, he breathed a sigh of relief. He couldn't afford to be discovered just yet.

Keeping his mask on, Zavia pulled his cloak from his spatial bag, draping it over his shoulders before heading off in a specific direction. He had no intention of dismantling the spatial barrier. While he could freely traverse it, others could not. This was his way of buying time for his escape.

However, this deception wouldn't last long. Without his sustained control, the spatial barrier would automatically collapse after three hours. That gave him three hours to accomplish his next task – finding Rayleigh.

Seven minutes later, Zavia reached Shakky's Rip-off Bar. The auction house wasn't far from the bar, so the journey was quick.

Ding-a-ling~

"Welcome."

The familiar voice of Shakky greeted him as he entered, the woman still smoking behind the bar counter.

"Yo, Zavia, you're here."

Rayleigh sat on a sofa with a newspaper in hand, one leg crossed over the other, sipping wine with a relaxed demeanor.

"Yeah. How are the slaves?"

"No need to worry. I've helped them disguise their identities and arranged passage back to their hometowns. They're currently staying at a tavern I've secured for them. As for the mermaid lady, she asked me to thank you on her behalf. If you ever visit Fishman Island, she hopes you'll look her up." Rayleigh replied, taking a sip of his wine.

"I see, thank you, Rayleigh. I'm lucky to have met you, otherwise my plan would've been much more complicated."

"You mean regarding the slaves?"

"..."

Zavia didn't answer, leaning back on the sofa with his gaze fixed on the ceiling.

"What's wrong, Zavia?" Rayleigh asked, puzzled by his unusual silence.

"Nothing much. Just thinking about what to do next. Since I've left the Marines, should I become a pirate? Or something else entirely?" Zavia finally spoke, not bothering to hide his thoughts from Rayleigh.

"I see... Well, if that's the case, this old man might not be of much help." Rayleigh chuckled.

"I figured as much. Anyway, I won't stay long. I need to leave this island now. Rayleigh, can you help me one more time?"

"...You need a ship, right?" Rayleigh saw through Zavia's intentions.

"That's right."

"...Zavia, do you remember what I said earlier?"

"You said you admired me. What about it?" Zavia asked, confused.

"Indeed. I do admire you, but that's just admiration. Do you know why I helped you?"

"No."

"That's good. Because honestly, I don't know why I helped you either."

"..."

Rayleigh's answer left Zavia speechless.

(Could it be Valona's magic? Did he cast more than just memory alteration?)

Zavia immediately thought of the magic Valona had cast on the entire world. Although Valona had claimed it was just memory alteration, Zavia had a feeling it wasn't that simple.

If it were just memory alteration, there wouldn't be this kind of doting behavior towards him. It was simply impossible.

And as it turned out, Zavia was right. Valona had indeed cast more than just memory alteration.

(Could it be something related to personality charm? Did that guy enhance my personality charm? Or...)

Zavia glanced at Rayleigh, his mind racing with possibilities.

"That's... an interesting answer." Zavia finally responded.

"Indeed, it's quite strange. Why is that?" Rayleigh seemed equally puzzled.

"...Sigh, forget it, Mr. Rayleigh. Although you asked me to come see you after my plan was complete, I might not be able to stay long. So please, keep it brief."

"...Alright, then I'll ask. Zavia, can you tell me your true identity?"

Zavia's heart skipped a beat at those words.

"What do you mean?"

"Back at the auction house, I sensed your presence. But your aura was different. Even killing countless people wouldn't create that kind of aura, an aura like that of a demon."

"..."

(This old man... I thought he was more focused on Armament Haki, but his Observation Haki is incredibly sharp. Did he hold back when training Luffy in Haki in the original story?)

Zavia didn't answer, simply staring at Rayleigh, who also remained silent after speaking. Their eyes locked in a silent exchange.

"Sigh, as expected, Mr. Rayleigh, you're quite formidable. Your Observation Haki is truly extraordinary.

Regarding that matter, Mr. Rayleigh, I can only say that I cannot reveal my true identity to you right now. I still have unfinished business. But I can tell you this: I am indeed not human."

Zavia sighed, choosing to reveal a small part of the truth.

"I see... If you can't say, then so be it. I'm not one to force anyone. Then, that's all. If you need a ship, go out from here, turn right for 300 meters, then head west for 200 meters. I've prepared a ship for you there." Rayleigh finished the last of his wine and picked up the newspaper again.

"Thanks." Zavia was surprised. He hadn't expected Rayleigh to think so far ahead. Pulling his cloak back on, Zavia left the bar.

"Old Rayleigh, why did you help him so much?" Shakky, who had remained silent throughout, finally spoke up after Zavia left.

"I don't know. Maybe it's something about him." Rayleigh shrugged, indicating he didn't understand either.

…

Zavia walked briskly towards his destination, his steps sure and steady.

He had to leave this island now. Although he wouldn't attract an Admiral's attention as long as he didn't harm the Celestial Dragons, who knew what those lunatics were thinking?

Moreover, the Celestial Dragon he had dealt with was the same one Luffy had punched in the original story.

If that guy suddenly went crazy and demanded that Marine Headquarters send an Admiral to apprehend Zavia immediately to save face, that wasn't something Zavia could handle at his current level.

With this thought, Zavia quickened his pace.

Passing by a mangrove tree, Zavia suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on the area beneath the massive trunk.

His senses detected an aura that didn't belong to a resident of this world.

Overall, the aura was weak and posed no threat, but Zavia still approached cautiously.

He needed information about the world beyond, and Lily's previous mention of the Universal Realm and different worlds had piqued his curiosity.

After that encounter, Zavia had tried to seek out Lily again, hoping to glean more information, only to discover she had committed suicide. It was likely some form of self-destruction magic, perhaps a curse or dark magic.

He didn't know the specifics, it was just speculation. All he knew was that his source of information was gone.

So encountering another person from beyond this world filled Zavia with anticipation. He couldn't help but hope that this individual knew more about the "Realms" and other such matters.

Approaching the mangrove tree cautiously, Zavia scanned his surroundings, wary of potential traps or illusions that might cloud his judgment, even though the aura felt weak.

Finding no signs of danger, Zavia relaxed slightly.

Hiding behind a thick root, he peeked out cautiously. There, curled up in a ball, was a small figure, their clothes tattered and their appearance pitiful.

(Looks like another outsider who ended up as a slave after arriving in this world.)

Sensing no danger, Zavia stepped out from behind the root.

"No! Stay away! Please!"

As soon as he appeared, Zavia heard a plea filled with fear.

(Seems like this one has suffered quite a bit.)

"Don't be afraid, kid. I'm not a slaver. I won't sell you."

Zavia took off his hood, trying his best to smile kindly, but his expression remained inherently intimidating.

"You're lying! You're definitely with those guys! You're lying! Wuwuwu~ Daddy, Mommy~" The child, initially agitated, burst into tears upon hearing Zavia's words.

"Sigh, kid, I really am not a slaver. If I were, why would I leave you alone after seeing you?"