Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

After cautiously navigating past the Kraken and riding the powerful deep-sea current, Zavia and Arthur began their descent into the abyss.

The journey down the current proved more exhilarating than Zavia had anticipated. Arthur, on the other hand, was scared stiff, clinging to Zavia with his eyes squeezed shut the entire time.

Zavia understood the boy's fear. While he himself was accustomed to high speeds and found the experience thrilling, Arthur wasn't.

...

Riding the current, they swiftly reached the depths of the ocean. Along the way, Zavia observed the gradual decrease in marine life and the steady dimming of the surroundings, until eventually, darkness swallowed everything.

Suddenly, a radiant light emanated from the ship, pushing back the surrounding darkness.

"Are you alright, Arthur? Don't push yourself. Let me take over the navigation from here," Zavia inquired with concern, noticing the clear signs of fatigue on Arthur's face. His hand glowed with a soft light.

"Alright, big brother. I'll leave it to you," Arthur replied weakly. It seemed controlling the ship to a depth of 7,000 meters was near his limit.

While the duration of control depended on the caster's stamina and the size of the object being manipulated, it was still an impressive feat for a nine-year-old child.

No, it was an extraordinary feat.

Zavia lifted Arthur and placed him on the wooden planks by the main mast, then sat beside him, gazing at the sleeping boy's face.

"Hmph, I still can't figure out why you're in this world," he murmured, gently stroking Arthur's cheek.

Arthur had been with Zavia for nearly a year now, and while their bond had grown strong, the boy had never truly opened up to him.

Zavia, with his sharp intuition, had long sensed this but chose not to pry. He believed that everyone had their secrets, and forcing Arthur to reveal his would only lead to one of three outcomes: mutual pain, his death, or Arthur's.

"Well, just sleep tight for now."

Zavia stood up and scanned his surroundings.

"Tsk, as expected, there's some degree of suppression here."

He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Just now, when he extended his Observation Haki, the feedback he received wasn't what he had hoped for.

On land, his Haki had a range of at least a kilometer, but at this depth of 7,000 meters, it was reduced to a mere 150 meters.

In other words, the effectiveness of his Haki was diminished, the exact reason unknown.

"Well, whatever. 150 meters is enough."

Zavia didn't dwell on the setback. In the world of One Piece, anything was possible, with the exception of his own existence and magic.

He wouldn't waste time trying to understand why his Haki was weakened by the ocean. Perhaps it was simply one of the rules of this world.

For Zavia, 150 meters was sufficient. He just needed to avoid colliding with any reefs.

As for the fish swimming around them? Honestly, Zavia wasn't concerned.

The fish here had mostly lost their eyesight, although they had evolved other heightened senses to compensate. This didn't mean they had become stronger.

It was like a powerful individual being weakened – it didn't automatically make their opponents stronger.

Of course, there might be exceptions, fish that had evolved superior eyesight in this environment, but Zavia suspected such cases were rare.

After all, in the pitch-black depths of the ocean, even enhanced eyesight would be useless unless it came with night vision.

Ultimately, these creatures were just animals, and animals had a tendency to flee when faced with a more powerful being.

Zavia was precisely that kind of being to these creatures.

Ever since entering this deep-sea region, he had been releasing his killing intent, keeping the fish at bay.

This explained why, unlike the Straw Hat crew, they hadn't encountered a swarm of large fish during their descent.

"Alright, now that I've confirmed the range, let's head to Fishman Island. If I'm going to the New World, I have to pay this place a visit."

A spatial distortion rippled, and a Log Pose materialized in Zavia's hand. The needle pointed slightly to the right, directly downward.

This was a permanent Log Pose, specifically for Fishman Island, located 10,000 meters below the surface.

Zavia had obtained this Log Pose from a corrupt noble he had encountered. The noble had a penchant for collecting rare treasures, and a permanent Log Pose was considered a rare item in the first half of the Grand Line. Thus, it became part of his collection.

Unfortunately for him, he crossed paths with Zavia.

The details of their encounter were lengthy, but to summarize: Zavia had arrived on the island searching for traces of other outsiders when the noble took an interest in his Yamato blade. He took Arthur hostage, demanding the sword in exchange for the boy's life.

The outcome was predictable. Zavia reduced the noble to a limbless torso and then "borrowed" a few items from his home, including the permanent Log Pose for Fishman Island.

"Slightly to the right, huh."

Looking at the Log Pose, Zavia walked towards the helm and steered the ship to the right.

Thanks to his aura of killing intent, the journey remained uneventful. No creatures dared to approach.

Even when they passed by an underwater volcano, the carnivorous tube worms didn't emerge to chase after them, a testament to the intensity of Zavia's aura.

"It's so hot."

Suddenly, a voice broke the silence. Zavia looked down to see Arthur, who had been awakened by the heat from the underwater volcano. "Hmm? You're awake? Feeling hot? That's to be expected. We're in the vicinity of an underwater volcano."

"An underwater volcano? There are volcanoes under the sea?" Arthur removed his coat and walked towards the edge of the ship, his face filled with curiosity.

"Why wouldn't there be? This world is full of wonders. As long as it's not something absurd, if you can imagine it, it probably exists." Zavia steered the ship towards the trench leading to Fishman Island as he responded.

"Is that so... It's truly amazing. I never thought there would be volcanoes under the sea." Arthur reached the edge of the ship and looked down. What he saw were numerous pipe-like openings spewing smoke, surrounded by tube-like creatures.

"Alright, we're almost at our destination. Take care of yourself. If you get hungry, grab something from the mini-fridge. Remember to heat it up."

"Okay."

…

"Why? Why would his inheritor be in that place?"

In the depths of the One Piece world, within a blood-red castle, a young man with an air of wickedness and elegant attire spoke with a puzzled expression.

"I'm not entirely sure of the details, my lord," a man with blood-red hair and butler attire, seemingly in his mid-twenties, bowed slightly before the young man.

"Tch, even if this place belongs to that guy's domain, why send his inheritor here? Damn it!"

The young man, seated on a throne, slammed his fist against the armrest in frustration, his words unfamiliar to this world.

"What should we do, my lord? Should we invite him here? After all, he is that man's inheritor."

"Hmm... No, with his current strength, setting foot in this place would be suicide. Let's wait until he reaches the 'Blazing Sky' stage." The young man contemplated for a moment before rejecting the butler's suggestion.

"Understood. Here is today's report, my lord." The butler bowed respectfully and handed a document to the young man.

"Hmm? More newcomers imprisoned? Let me see... Hmm, send him to the Mirror of Retribution. If he's redeemable, send him for reincarnation. If not, let him spend eternity there." The young man took the document and flipped through it, his expression bored.

"Understood."

…

Half an hour later, Zavia and Arthur finally reached a depth of 10,000 meters.

Sunlight began to gradually illuminate their surroundings. Zavia retracted his aura of light and killing intent.

"Wow—!"

Arriving at their final destination, Arthur let out a cry of astonishment.

Before them, a massive island stood in the middle of the ocean.

A huge, double-layered bubble shield enveloped the entire island, with an air layer between the two shields. Despite being located in the depths of the sea, they could clearly see the sky and clouds within.

Coupled with the surrounding environment, the island could be described as paradise – it was simply breathtaking.

"Hmm?"

However, Zavia soon lost interest in admiring the scenery. He felt a strange sensation, as if someone was watching him.

"Is it just my imagination?" He quickly scanned his surroundings, finding nothing but fish, tree roots, and water.

"No, something's definitely there, lurking within Fishman Island."

Zavia dismissed the idea of it being his imagination. The feeling persisted, even after he became aware of it. It was as if someone was deliberately observing him.

However, the sensation was merely that of being watched, without any malicious intent. It felt more like... surveillance?

"Hmph, surveillance, huh? Could it be the World Will? Or another outsider?"

Zavia scoffed and put away the Yamato blade he had been about to draw.

If it was the World Will, then any action he took would be futile. And if it was another outsider, he still had no recourse.

After all, if someone could observe him from a depth of 10,000 meters, it meant their strength was far beyond his own.

Zavia suspected that this individual might be several times stronger than him, perhaps even more.

While Zavia's speculation was baseless, fortunately, it wasn't another outsider.

This unknown presence lurking in the depths would remain a lingering mystery in Zavia's mind.