Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

Chapter 42: Arthur



"Eh? Y-you really aren't..." The child calmed down slightly at Zavia's words, but his eyes still held a deep fear.

"I told you, I'm not a slaver. Slavers are among the people I despise the most." Seeing the child no longer panicking, Zavia cautiously stepped closer.

"R-really?... Wuu, wuwuwu~"

"Whoa, why are you crying again?"

The child suddenly burst into tears again, startling Zavia, who immediately stopped, fearing he had frightened him once more.

He couldn't afford for the child to have any negative feelings towards him, or else he wouldn't be able to get any information.

So far, Zavia had only encountered two people from other worlds: Lily and this young boy.

This made him realize that the influx of outsiders into this world wasn't large, it was practically negligible.

Those who arrived here were either victims of world destruction or brought here by unknown means. But they all shared one characteristic – they were weak and had either been enslaved or were on the verge of becoming slaves.

This showed how lucrative the slave trade was among pirates.

"I, I miss my daddy and mommy~" The child replied with a sniffle.

(Good grief, you scared me. You just miss home.)

Zavia felt a surge of exasperation.

"Is that so? Then would you like to stay with me for a while? I promise I'll help you find your parents."

However, this was an opportunity for Zavia. He wasn't foolish and seized this precious chance.

"Eh?! R-really?"

"Really."

"That's great! Thank you, big brother!"

The child immediately stopped crying and ran towards Zavia.

(This kid is so naive, believing those words so easily. What if I were a bad person?)

Zavia couldn't help but internally comment on the child's innocence and naivety.

"Hey, what's your name, kid?"

Embracing the running figure, Zavia knelt down and asked gently with a smile. He removed the hood of the cloak the child was wearing, revealing a face marred by hardship.

The child had a typical fringe hairstyle, a deep blue color, and eyes like sapphires, which should have made him look incredibly cute and handsome.

However, his hair was messy, his face covered in dirt, and there was a small scar near his eye, seemingly inflicted by a sharp object. His legs trembled uncontrollably, even as he clung to Zavia.

"Why are your legs shaking so much? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" Zavia inquired, sensing something was amiss.

"Eh?... Wuu, wuwuwu, in that place, that dark place, no one came to save me. Every day, people in strange clothes would come and whip me with whips. And some would use daggers to cut my face and kick me, hit me. And some would take off my pants and shove things..."

"Enough, don't say anymore!" Hearing this, Zavia understood the general situation and immediately stopped the child from continuing. He roughly knew what kind of treatment this young boy had endured.

A chilling expression settled on Zavia's face, and a dangerous aura emanated from his entire being, as if warning: "Stay away."

"Wuu, wuwuwu~ Big brother, I'm so scared~"

It seemed like Zavia's question had brought back painful memories for the boy, causing him to cling tighter and cry even harder.

"Don't be afraid. Just stay with me for now. Don't worry, with me around, I won't let anyone hurt you again." Retracting his aura, Zavia gave a gentle smile and patted the boy's head before carrying him on his back.

"If you're tired, rest for a while. Leave everything else to me."

"R-really? Big brother, my name is... Arthur..." After saying this, the boy – Arthur – slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep on Zavia's back.

(Looks like this kid is exhausted, falling asleep just like that.)

Feeling Arthur's weight settle against his back, Zavia smiled. This meant that Arthur had completely trusted him.

As he walked towards his destination, the smile on Zavia's face gradually faded, replaced by a cold indifference and simmering anger.

Meanwhile, at Grove 1, the site of the Human Auction House, marine reinforcements continued to arrive, their cannons bombarding the transparent wall surrounding the building.

"Is it done yet?! It's been almost two hours!"

A newly arrived Marine commander, Tokuzo, scowled, his voice cold as he questioned a subordinate nearby.

"Uh, about that, Commander Tokuzo, we don't know the reason either. We've been bombarding it with cannons for nearly two hours, but the wall seems completely unscathed."

"Tch."

Tokuzo clicked his tongue in displeasure at the answer.

He was the new commander sent from the branch base after Verus was killed by Zavia. Although they were still unaware of Verus's demise, the branch base had sent Tokuzo as a precaution.

Initially, being assigned the crucial task of protecting a Celestial Dragon had filled Tokuzo with both fear and a mix of elation and nervousness.

He feared provoking the wrath of the Celestial Dragon, a madman who might lash out without restraint, potentially costing Tokuzo his life.

However, the assignment to protect a Celestial Dragon also held the promise of immense rewards and promotions if things went well, which filled him with elation. Yet, he remained nervous, unsure if the perpetrator was a madman or simply a fool who had inadvertently offended the Celestial Dragon.

But all that was in the past. Half an hour after arriving, any joy he felt had vanished.

"Damn it! That bastard! If I catch you, I'll make you suffer!"

Tokuzo glanced at Charlos, who sat leisurely under a parasol on the back of a slave, sipping something, and cursed under his breath.

"But why isn't this guy leaving yet? If he just let me escort him back, I could get promoted!"

After cursing, Tokuzo turned his attention to Charlos's faults.

After leaving the auction house, Charlos, instead of departing, had chosen to stay, claiming he wanted to see Zavia kneel before him personally so he could capture him and make him a slave.

"Hey, is it done yet? You mere insects, don't make me wait any longer!" Perhaps tired of waiting, Charlos grew impatient and yelled at Tokuzo.

"I'm terribly sorry, Saint Charlos!" Although he wanted to retort, Tokuzo didn't dare, so he responded respectfully.

"Did you hear me! Increase the firepower!"

"Yes sir!"

Southeast of Sabaody Archipelago, a ship sailed across the sea, a full nautical mile away from the islands.

"Alright, that should do it."

On the deck, Zavia and Arthur sat side by side. After bandaging the last wound, Zavia placed all the medical supplies back into his spatial bag.

"Big brother, you're amazing! I didn't expect you to know medicine too." Arthur touched the bandage on his hand, his face filled with admiration.

"It's nothing. I just read a few medical books." Zavia stood up, his gaze drifting towards the sea, not dwelling on Arthur's words.

"I see, but you're still amazing, big brother. You just read them and knew what to do."

"Talent, I guess."

"You're so cool! I want to be like you when I grow up!"

Hearing this, Zavia looked at Arthur with a hint of helplessness in his eyes.

(This kid... He sees me as his hero now. Sigh, whatever.)

Zavia didn't feel the need to refute Arthur's words. If he wanted to see him as a hero, so be it. Zavia wasn't particularly sensitive about titles or names. As long as there were no insults involved, he didn't mind.

"Is that so? Then you have a lot to learn."

"It's okay, I'll overcome it!"

Looking into Arthur's innocent sapphire eyes, Zavia sighed and shook his head slightly. "Let's not talk about that for now. Arthur, can you hold on until the next location?" Clearing his mind of complex thoughts, Zavia turned and asked.

"Yeah, as long as it's not more than three hours away." Arthur nodded.

"Good. The next island isn't too far, but there will definitely be a lot of pirates there. Remember to stay close to me."

After giving some instructions, Zavia jumped onto the bow of the ship and sat down, letting the wind blow through his hair as he enjoyed the quiet moment.

As for navigation? Zavia had no worries on that front.

It was only now that he realized the young boy he had rescued, Arthur, was a magician, or more precisely, a control-type magician.

This explained why Zavia didn't need to worry about navigation.

As for how Arthur could control a ship much larger than himself...

Firstly, the ship Rayleigh had prepared for Zavia wasn't very large, it was a small vessel that only required three or four people to operate.

Secondly, according to Arthur, he was hailed as the most promising control-type magician of the future, which meant his talent was exceptional, hence his ability to control the ship's navigation.

However, this didn't mean Arthur was powerful. He was only eight years old. Being able to control a ship at sea for three hours straight proved his exceptional talent, but it also highlighted his weakness.

Arthur's talent lay solely in magic. Physically, he was just like any other eight-year-old child, with no significant strength to speak of.

It's important to note that Arthur wasn't from Earth, so the physical strength of an eight-year-old child here wasn't comparable to that of an Earth child.

This also explained why Arthur, despite his magical talent, was captured and enslaved.

He couldn't control people yet, and his physical weakness made him easy prey for the slavers of the pirate world.

Suddenly, Zavia felt someone sit down beside him on the bow. It was Arthur.

"Big brother, why did you save me?"

 


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