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One Piece: With Sign-in System-Chapter 251 - 2: The World of Demon Slayer
One day laterβ
In a bustling town that still held some degree of prosperity,
The streets were bustling with people dressed in traditional kimonos and wooden geta sandals, reflecting the fashion typical of TaishΕ-era.
A few individuals wore Western-style clothing, but they were a rare sight. π³ππππππππ πππ.π°π π¦
Inside a lively tavern doing brisk business,
A handful of locals sat around with drinks, chatting in hushed but tense tones about a recent string of deaths.
"Hey, did you hear? Another kid went missing last night."
"Yeah, yeah, I heard. It was that house near the northern foot of the mountain, right?"
"Thatβs the one. Both their kids vanished overnight."
"That makes four cases this month already, right? And they still havenβt caught the culprit? What the hell are those lazy cops even doing?"
A burly man slammed back the last of his sake, slurring as he ranted with drunken annoyance.
Across from him, his companion looked around nervously. "Shhh! Donβt go spouting stuff like that out loud..."
"Itβs fine, itβs fine. Not like they can hear us," the drunk chuckled, giving his thigh a hearty slap before leaning in closer, his face full of mystery.
"But you know what? I heard a rumor about those disappearances..."
"What kind of rumor?"
Lowering his voice and glancing around, the drunk whispered conspiratorially,
"People are saying... itβs the work of a demon that eats children."
"A demon? Ha! Come on, donβt give me that. Thereβs no such thing as monsters or demons in the real world. Canβt believe youβd fall for that nonsense."
"I donβt believe it either," the man admitted. "Just repeating what I heard."
...
By the window,
Ron sipped some Wine, quietly watching the flow of people outside while listening to the ongoing conversations.
And just from those snippets,
He already had a pretty solid idea of where he was.
"So this is... the Demon Slayer world."
"To think Iβd actually end up in the world where the Sun Breathing technique originated... This must be fate."
A faint, intrigued smile curled at the edge of Ronβs lips as he lifted his cup.
"How interesting."
After finishing his drink,
Ron placed a few coins on the table and walked out of the tavern.
"Take care now!"
The young waitress watched his back with a curious gleam in her eyes.
"That young man... He doesnβt look like heβs from around here. Could he be from overseas?"
...
"So, this is the world of Demon Slayer... The power levels here are relatively low."
With the Endless Flask still fastened to his belt, Ron strolled casually down the street, mentally reviewing what he remembered about the worldβs structure.
The Taisho Eraβ
A time when Japan was slowly being westernized, but still clung to its traditional roots.
In this world, humans and demons coexisted in shadows.
Though tales of demonsβman-eating creatures that stalked the nightβcirculated in old legends and eldersβ whispers,
Their existence remained unknown to the general public.
At the top of the demonic food chain stood Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of all demons,
Who created more of his kind by injecting his blood into humans.
Demons fed on human flesh, and when starved, would lose their minds and go berserk. Their strength was tied directly to how much of Muzanβs blood they had receivedβAnd how many humans they had consumed.
The stronger ones awakened strange supernatural abilities known as Blood Demon Arts. They had inhuman regenerative powers, were immune to most damage, and could even survive decapitationβBut exposure to sunlight would instantly reduce them to ash.
The most powerful of these demons served under Muzan, a group of twelve known as the Twelve Kizuki, split into Upper and Lower Ranks.
Opposing them was a secret, centuries-old organization dedicated to eradicating demons: the Demon Slayer Corps.
Its combatants were known as Demon Slayers,
Divided into fighters who took down demons and support units known as the Kakushi who handled cleanup.
Beneath the leader of the corps were the nine strongest swordsmenβthe Hashira, or Pillars.
They honed their bodies through rigorous training, mastering specialized breathing techniques and sword styles.
Using Nichirin Blades, forged with ore that had absorbed the essence of the sun, they could kill demons that even the sun itself feared.
As Ron recalled these details,
He glanced at the traditional architecture around him and mused to himselfβ
"Yeah... this definitely isnβt the era of Yoriichi Tsugikuni."
"So what time period is this? Has the main Demon Slayer story already begun? Or is it still in the calm before the storm?"
A thoughtful look crossed Ronβs face.
"Guess Iβll need to investigate and find out."
Suddenlyβ
He seemed to sense something. His eyes shifted sharply toward the north side of town.
"That presence..."
By unleashing Observation Haki, extending its reach across several kilometersβ
Ron "saw" a distant scene play out in his mind.
And with a faint, knowing smirk on his face, he murmuredβ
"So... the Demon Slayer Corps has shown up."
In the northern part of the city, inside a modest residential home...
Several members of the Demon Slayer Corps, all clad in the organizationβs signature uniform, were carefully inspecting the premises.
"Thereβs definitely a demonic presence here."
"No mistake about itβitβs that same demon weβve been tracking."
"You sure we shouldnβt alert the higher-ups about this?" a female member asked with a worried expression.
"Weβll be fine," replied a short-haired male slayer with supreme confidence. "Weβve already fought it once before. It didnβt stand a chance against us."
"Even so..." she mumbled, still looking uneasy.
An older, taller, and leaner male slayer standing beside her gently patted her on the shoulder.
"Yukita, I get where youβre coming from. That demon has devoured quite a few people latelyβits strength has definitely grown. This mission is dangerous. But as members of the Demon Slayer Corps, weβve got to learn to face that danger. We canβt always rely on the big shots. If we donβt push ourselves, how are we supposed to grow stronger?"
"And besides," he added, "Lady Shinobu is currently scouting just over that mountain nearby. If anything does go south, she can rush over in no time. Weβve got her backup."
Hearing that, a flicker of determination lit up in Yukitaβs eyes.
"Alright. Then letβs do this. Letβs finish that demon off once and for all."
"Yeah." The tall slayer nodded approvingly with a small smile.
"Speaking of which..." The short-haired slayer crossed his arms and gazed out the window. "What did happen up there in those mountains anyway? Something big enough that one of the Nine HashiraβLady Shinobu herselfβhad to step in?"
"Donβt tell me..." Yukitaβs voice dropped slightly. "Could it be one of the Twelve Kizuki?"
The older slayer shook his head. "If one of the Twelve appeared, it wouldnβt be this quiet. Whateverβs happening on that mountain... itβs something else. And honestly, itβs not our concern. Letβs focus on the demon right in front of us."
"Understood!"
...
Meanwhile, in a remote, snow-covered mountain forest...
Amid the quiet stillness stood a woman with long black hair tinged with purple at the ends, her violet eyes sharp and discerning. Her hair gently brushed her collarbones. She wore the standard uniform of the Demon Slayer Corps, over which she draped her iconic butterfly-patterned haori. In her hand rested a delicate, needle-thin Nichirin Blade.
Butterfly HashiraβShinobu Kocho.
She stood at the edge of a massive rift in the earthβnearly a hundred meters long and over ten meters deep. Her usual gentle and serene expression had vanished, replaced by a heavy, furrowed look.
"What in the world... caused this?"
Could this be the work of some Blood Demon Art?
The thought flashed through her mind, but even she found it hard to believe.
No...
How could there be a Blood Demon Art capable of producing destruction on such a massive scale?!
She narrowed her eyes, the icy wind lifting her haori as she stared into the yawning abyss in front of her.
Something was very, very wrong.