Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

Zavia chuckled, resting his cheek on his hand.

"So, you came all the way from the New World to Fishman Island just to challenge me to a duel?"

"Indeed," Mihawk replied bluntly.

"..." Zavia's expression was one of slight disbelief, but remembering Mihawk's personality and his lifelong quest to seek out strong swordsmen, he quickly understood.

"Are you sure about this? If we fight here, we'll both die. And even if we survive by some miracle, we'll have to face the wrath of Whitebeard." Zavia finished his juice and glanced at Mihawk.

"Hmm, you're right." After a moment of contemplation, Mihawk agreed with Zavia's assessment.

There was only one reason for this: if they were to clash, Fishman Island would undoubtedly suffer the consequences, potentially facing complete annihilation.

Even the World's Greatest Swordsman would perish in the crushing depths of 10,000 meters without the ability to breathe, let alone withstand the immense water pressure that could instantly crush a person without proper protection.

Even Zavia wasn't confident he could move freely at such depths. While he wouldn't die, he would certainly feel the effects.

As for Whitebeard, Zavia doubted Mihawk feared him. He suspected their strength was either equal or slightly in Whitebeard's favor.

It was hard to say for sure, as the two had never clashed in the original story. This was just Zavia's speculation.

If Whitebeard were to challenge Mihawk to a duel to the death, Zavia believed Mihawk would readily accept.

The World's Greatest Swordsman versus the World's Strongest Man – such a battle would undoubtedly shake the world, but it was highly unlikely to happen.

"Therefore, I cannot accept your challenge, at least not now. If you're truly eager to fight, then let's meet at Banaro Island in two months." Seeing Mihawk nod in agreement, Zavia offered his answer.

"Two months... Alright." Mihawk hesitated slightly. It wasn't that he doubted his ability to defeat Zavia, but rather the timeframe. He had hoped to clash with Zavia immediately upon reaching the New World.

However, Zavia had chosen a two-month delay and a specific location – Banaro Island. This left Mihawk feeling somewhat disappointed.

"Then it's settled. If you don't show up in two months, I'll assume you've forfeited."

"As if I wouldn't come. Battling a strong swordsman like you is what I've been seeking. I hope you won't disappoint me then." Mihawk's hawk-like eyes met Zavia's, who simply shrugged in response.

"Finished eating? Then let's go." Zavia turned to see that Arthur had finished his meal and stood up, preparing to leave.

At that moment, a large group of Fishman Island guards burst into the restaurant, forming a tight circle around Zavia.

"Yare yare, what's the meaning of this?" Zavia raised his hand and ran it through his hair, a habit he had developed without realizing – using Hair Gel Hands.

The Yamato blade materialized in his hand, its sharp edge slightly drawn from its scabbard, emitting a silvery white glint.

"Hmm, quite an impressive blade," Mihawk commented, genuinely admiring the Yamato.

"You flatter me." Despite receiving praise from the World's Greatest Swordsman, Zavia remained unfazed, even offering a polite response.

"But the way you hold your sword..."

"Hmm? This? It's just a habit of mine."

Mihawk noticed that Zavia held the blade with the edge facing downwards, which piqued his curiosity.

In the world of One Piece, most swordsmen held their blades with the edge facing upwards, as it facilitated easier drawing and striking.

"Sword Demon Urizen, please come with us. Our king wishes to speak with you, as well as you, Warlord of the Sea, Hawkeye Mihawk!"

The captain of the guard stepped forward, addressing them both with a stern voice, though his words were laced with a slight tremor.

"Hmph hmph hmph, if this is how Neptune intends to treat me, I wouldn't hesitate to destroy Fishman Island right now," Zavia scoffed coldly, his voice chilling like the arctic tundra, sending shivers down the spines of those present.

"This..."

The guard captain began to tremble, his facade of composure crumbling.

Zavia wasn't simply bluffing or trying to intimidate them; he was fully capable of destroying Fishman Island.

Although he had been trying his best to maintain the original storyline and avoid disrupting events, that didn't mean he wouldn't resort to such measures if necessary.

Disrupting the plot would indeed limit his ability to anticipate future events, putting him at a disadvantage.

However, Zavia wasn't afraid of that. If it had been before, he would have considered it carefully, but now, his strength had reached the peak of Vice Admiral level, just a step away from Admiral level!

He had spent the past year continuously training and improving himself, with the help of the Legacy of the Demon God, his progress had been remarkable.

However, due to spending the entire year in the first half of the Grand Line, his strength had plateaued at Vice Admiral level.

Zavia suspected that if he had spent the year in the New World, he would have already reached Admiral level by now.

This wasn't an exaggeration; it was a genuine belief.

The New World was teeming with powerful individuals, providing him with ample opportunities to hone his skills.

But because of Arthur, Zavia had delayed his journey to the New World.

The reason was simple: he hadn't been strong enough to protect Arthur while simultaneously pushing his own limits.

But now, things were different. His spatial abilities were honed to near perfection, and his physical combat skills and swordsmanship had significantly improved.

His physical prowess gave him a solid foundation in the New World, while his spatial abilities allowed him to adapt to various situations.

Even if he encountered an opponent he couldn't defeat, he could use his spatial teleportation with its 500-meter range to escape.

Furthermore, he had the immensely powerful Spatial Transfer ability, though it required time to activate.

As for Arthur, he hadn't been idle during this time either.

Before being captured and brought to the pirate world, he had attended school and studied numerous magical texts.

Why?

Zavia had once asked Arthur this question, but the boy's response was simply: "Has anyone never attended school or read magical books?"

At the time, Zavia was momentarily stunned, realizing that Arthur was likely from a wealthy family.

And indeed, Arthur was a child of privilege. His family was incredibly wealthy, but they were all ordinary people. Arthur was the first to exhibit magical talent, so his family, eager to support him, had built two 2-cubic-meter rooms filled with magical books for him to study.

Therefore, Arthur had spent the past year honing his magical abilities, putting the knowledge he had acquired from books into practice.

Zavia wasn't sure how strong Arthur was now, but the boy could easily control a ship at sea for over ten hours and even manipulate people, though only ordinary citizens.

He couldn't control individuals like Zavia, Garp, Zephyr, or Sengoku.

Besides controlling people, Arthur could also manipulate plants and other objects for defense, escape, and offense.

Of course, Zavia had shared this knowledge with him, as becoming stronger was the best way to survive in the pirate world. Arthur couldn't rely on Zavia's protection forever.

As for where Zavia had acquired this knowledge... He had watched countless fantasy novels and movies; it wasn't rocket science.

While his current strength was only at Vice Admiral level, for an "outsider" like Zavia, he was already among the upper echelons of the One Piece world. His training methods and knowledge far surpassed those of the natives.

Zavia hailed from the 21st century, an era of information explosion, and being in the Dimensional Realm gave him a significant advantage.

"Wait! Lord Urizen! Please have mercy!!"

Suddenly, a voice filled with terror came from outside the restaurant. A large eye, filled with blood vessels, appeared at the doorway.

"... Neptune, if you're here to amuse me, then I'm not interested." Upon seeing the eye, Zavia remained unfazed, but Arthur seemed frightened, clinging to his leg.

"How dare I! Lord Urizen, please spare Fishman Island! If you demand a price, I'm willing to offer my life!" The blood vessels in Neptune's eye became even more pronounced, as if they were about to burst.

"... Then state your purpose. I'll consider it." Zavia stepped out of the restaurant and looked up at the 12.2-meter tall merman – Neptune.

"Uh... this... I simply wanted to invite you to Ryugu Palace as guests..." Neptune lowered his head as he trembled with nervousness and fear.

"Ryugu Palace, huh... Forget it. I came here just to see if this place lived up to its reputation, if it truly was 'paradise.'"

"And what do you think?" A glimmer of hope flickered in Neptune's eyes. After all, Fishman Island's reputation wasn't just empty praise.

"It's alright, I suppose. But without Whitebeard, it's nothing." Zavia's blunt response stunned everyone present. They felt he had insulted Whitebeard.

Neptune felt the same way, but he didn't show it. He knew Zavia was speaking the truth.

Before Whitebeard claimed Fishman Island as his territory, it had been vulnerable to pirate attacks.

"This..." Neptune could only offer an awkward smile.

"Alright, despite what I said, you won't perish. You can rest assured about that. But if you feel the need to do something to ease your mind, then treat the straw hat-wearing boy who will arrive here in three years with the utmost hospitality." Zavia waved his hand dismissively and addressed Neptune.

"Three years later? A straw hat-wearing boy?" Neptune was puzzled. Why would a madman like Zavia show such concern for a stranger?

"You'll understand when the time comes. If he dies here, you'll all suffer the consequences. Now, I'm going to take this little guy sightseeing around Fishman Island. Don't disturb us. We'll be leaving in a week.

And one more thing, don't even think about sending anyone to follow us. I can't guarantee their safety."

Ignoring Neptune's confusion, Zavia took Arthur's hand and left the restaurant, his parting words sending chills down the merman king's spine. Zavia's tone left no room for doubt – he wasn't joking.

If Neptune dared to send someone to follow them, that person would surely die! And the consequences might even extend to the entire island!

Seeing this, Mihawk hesitated for a moment before following Zavia.

"Uh... Lord Hawkeye..."

Neptune was startled to see Mihawk leaving as well and called out to him, but the swordsman didn't even acknowledge his presence.

Neptune could only let him go. Otherwise, Fishman Island would truly face disaster.

He was the king, and a king had to prioritize the well-being of his people and make decisions that benefited his nation.

"Hmm? Why are you following us? Shouldn't you be leaving?" Zavia asked, seeing Mihawk approach.

"I'm bored. And I haven't seen much of Fishman Island either," Mihawk replied coldly.

"Is that so."

Zavia simply responded and left it at that. He wouldn't question why Mihawk hadn't visited Fishman Island before. He wasn't interested in the swordsman's past.

If Mihawk wanted to tag along, so be it. It didn't harm Zavia in any way.

Mihawk was a man of his word. They had agreed to duel in two months, and as a swordsman of his caliber, he wouldn't go back on his word. It was a matter of honor.

This was similar to Whitebeard. He was a powerful individual, but why did he command such respect? Besides his strength, it was his integrity.

If he promised you something, he would deliver. If he threatened to destroy you, he would follow through. He never broke his word.

This was why, compared to Big Mom and Kaido, pirates were more inclined to join Whitebeard's forces. The other two Emperors were too unpredictable and prone to mood swings.

No one wanted to deal with such individuals, let alone do business with them.

…

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and the day of their departure arrived.

Reaching the harbor, Zavia untied the ropes securing his ship and sailed towards the entrance of Fishman Island. He and Arthur left the island, accompanied by Mihawk.

"What's this? You're coming with me to the New World?" Zavia glanced at Mihawk, who was sitting beside him, a hint of exasperation in his voice.

Mihawk simply closed his eyes and ignored him. Zavia shook his head slightly and then looked upward, whispering, "New World, here I come!"