Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

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"Sir Enel..."

After listening to Enel's explanation, Tanjiro's eyes lit up for a moment. Being perceptive, he quickly realized that Enel's words were meant to ease his worries about the challenges of evolving his Larvesta. Because what lay ahead for him was a much broader future.

With his mood now back to normal, a smile spread across Tanjiro's face.

But at that moment...

The crow, which had been circling somewhere nearby, suddenly flew over Tanjiro's head. Its eyes, flashing with an almost human-like intelligence, briefly glanced at the mansion destroyed by Tanjiro and the others before calling out:

"Come with me, come with me...!"

"Go to rest, go to rest..."

"Rest?" Tanjiro and the others exchanged puzzled looks as they watched the crow fly off into the distance.

Enel smiled softly. 

"It seems the Demon Slayer Corps has already taken care of your next arrangements."

"That's perfect. Now that our business is concluded, it's time for me to take my leave."

"Eh? Sir Enel, you're not coming with us?" Tanjiro asked, surprised.

"No," Enel shook his head with a gentle smile. "I've been in this world for a while now, and I haven't yet had the chance to explore it properly. Besides, Tanjiro, now that you've become a competent trader, I can carry on my duties with more ease."

"Ah... I see..." Tanjiro knew, deep down, that as a dimensional merchant, Enel wouldn't always be around. Still, hearing that he was leaving left Tanjiro feeling a little sad.

Sensing this, Enel placed his large hand on Tanjiro's head, ruffling his hair with a warm smile. 

"Haha, what's this, Tanjiro? Don't act like you'll never see me again."

"Don't you have a Rotom Phone now? Whenever you catch another evil demon, you can contact me through Rotom, and I'll be there to trade with you in no time."

Hearing this, Tanjiro's expression softened, and he looked up at Enel, nodding firmly.

"I'll be troubling you in the future, Sir Enel!"

"Hahaha, it's no trouble at all!" Enel chuckled. He waved goodbye to Zenitsu and Inosuke, and then, in a flash of lightning, he disappeared from sight.

In truth, Enel harbored a special fondness for Tanjiro. After all, Tanjiro had been the first customer in his career as a dimensional merchant. In many ways, Tanjiro was a milestone for Enel, and he treated him differently from other traders.

Moreover, when Enel first arrived in this world and was still weak, it was Tanjiro who had protected him from being ambushed by the Demons of Fujikasane Mountain, sparing him from an untimely death. 

Although Tanjiro never learned of this, it didn't mean that Enel had forgotten. That's why he had spent so much time accompanying Tanjiro—almost as if he were making sure Tanjiro wouldn't feel lonely on his journey.

But now that Tanjiro had stronger companions by his side, Enel felt it was time to move on.

Speaking of which...

If Enel calculated the timing correctly, Tanjiro's master, Sakonji Urokodaki, should have already arrived at the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters by now, having reported the dimensional trade to the Corps' leader.

It would likely take about a month before Urokodaki returned. Perhaps Enel could use this time to find the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters himself?

According to Urokodaki, the headquarters wasn't far from his cabin, though it frequently changed locations to avoid being discovered by Muzan, the demon king.

After every move, the Demon Slayer Corps only informed active members of the new location, leaving retired members like Urokodaki in the dark. While this practice seemed a bit harsh, it was an effective way to prevent Muzan from turning retired members into demons and extracting the headquarters' location from them.

Of course, the Corps didn't completely sever ties with retired members. Instead, they relied on the Corps' field agents, who visited the families of former slayers to gather information and intelligence.

This was how the crow had relayed the message to Tanjiro and the others.

These families, known as the Corps' "peripheral families," were often founded by individuals saved from demons by demon slayers. They displayed the wisteria flower crest on their doors or walls, signaling their allegiance. When Corps members saw this symbol, they would stop by for rest, medical care, food, or supplies—all arranged with the utmost care.

One reason Urokodaki's journey had taken so long was because he first had to apply through one of these peripheral families for an audience with the Corps' leader. Only after the request had been verified, and his identity confirmed, was Urokodaki blindfolded, placed in a dark sedan, and transported to the secret headquarters.

The same process awaited him on his return.

And, just as Enel expected, Urokodaki had indeed reached the Demon Slayer Corps' headquarters and reported the details of the dimensional trade to the leader.

Soon after...

A new directive was issued to all the Corps' Hashira: "[Return to headquarters immediately for a Hashira meeting!]"

---

Demon Slayer Corps Headquarters.

In the conference room reserved for Hashira meetings...

"Strange. The last meeting was only a month ago, and I was in the middle of hunting for leads on a Twelve Moon Demon. Why has Oyakata-sama summoned us back so urgently?"

A puzzled voice asked from the back of the room.

Next to him, a tall, blind monk with a perpetually sorrowful expression and tears streaming down his face—Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima—sat in silent contemplation, his hands clasped in prayer.

Even his tone seemed filled with compassion as he spoke:

"I heard that the former Water Hashira, Master Sakonji, brought back some information that deeply shocked the leader. That's why Oyakata-sama has convened this emergency Hashira meeting."

"I hope... it's good news... Amitabha..."

"Huh? Is everyone not here yet?"

At that moment, the sliding door opened, and another person entered the conference room.

This person had large, bright, leaf-green eyes, three long cherry-pink braids, and grass-green tips at the ends of her hair.

Of course, that wasn't the main point.

The point was the... 'waves'. With every step she took, the 'waves' on her chest moved, giving her an aura of youthful charm that was impossible to ignore.

The newcomer was none other than Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, a pillar-level member of the Demon Slayer Corps.

"Huh? I didn't expect the first to arrive would be Mitsuri, who just became a Hashira... didn't Kyojuro come with you?"

Seeing the Love Hashira enter, Tengen Uzui, the Sound Hashira, greeted her with his usual flair.

"Master Sound Hashira..."

Upon hearing Tengen's question, Mitsuri bowed shyly and responded, 

"Master Rengoku had a mission recently and only just returned home. He might need a little time to prepare before joining us for the meeting."

"I see." Tengen ran his fingers through his hair with a dazzling smile and said, 

"By the way... you've been a Hashira for a while now, so stop calling us 'masters' all the time."

"Except for Rengoku, you can just use our names, Mitsuri."

"...Okay, Mr. Tengen!"

'Wow! The Sound Hashira is so cool!'

Mitsuri instantly corrected herself and silently swooned over Tengen's glamorous presence.

If the demons that Mitsuri had once pulverized could see her looking so adorable now, they might turn back from the road to the afterlife, shouting, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!!"

Though Mitsuri appeared sweet and youthful, her combat ability was among the best of the Hashira! She possessed a unique talent that allowed her to eat dozens or even hundreds of times more than an ordinary person during a single meal, and what she gained from this was immense strength, far beyond that of normal humans!

Mitsuri's primary reason for joining the Demon Slayer Corps was to find a partner who would accept her superhuman abilities and marry her. But, as her training in the Corps continued, this goal seemed to grow more distant.

...

As Mitsuri took her seat, the other Hashira gradually filed into the conference room.

There was Shinobu Kocho, the Insect Hashira, who had a beautiful face but a... somewhat flat chest; 

Rengoku, the Flame Hashira, who always radiated optimism and wore a permanent smile; 

Muichiro Tokito, the Mist Hashira, who was stoic and taciturn, with vacant eyes; 

Sanemi Shinazugawa, the Wind Hashira, with his brash and rebellious demeanor, looking every bit like a delinquent; 

Obanai Iguro, the Snake Hashira, who secretly harbored feelings for Mitsuri but was too shy to admit it and preferred to keep his distance from others.

And finally, there was Giyu Tomioka, Tanjiro's senior and the current Water Hashira, who maintained the same expressionless face as always.

...

"Hey! Giyu! Did you see the former Water Hashira just now?"

"What kind of information did Master Urokodaki gather that made the leader summon us back so urgently?"

As soon as Giyu sat down, Uzui turned to him with curiosity.

However...

In typical Giyu fashion, he responded with only a brief glance and a slight shake of his head—no words, no explanation.

It wasn't that Giyu disliked speaking with Uzui. In fact, he himself hadn't fully processed the shock he had just experienced.

'Transdimensional Chamber of Commerce? Dimensional merchants? 

Otherworldly beings? The power of Pokémon?'

Though he knew his master would never lie, Giyu's heart still wavered in disbelief at the sheer absurdity of it all.

Even more so...

His junior, Tanjiro, had become a successful trader! Naturally, Giyu was so stunned that he didn't realize his blank expression as he shook his head and took his seat...

The other Hashira all exchanged puzzled looks.

After Uzui's question, the entire room turned its attention to Giyu.

Yet, much to their surprise, Giyu seemed oblivious and responded with a simple, indifferent shake of his head.

Shinobu, who was seated next to Giyu, puffed her cheeks slightly and couldn't help but tease: 

"Giyu-san, you're going to make people hate you with that attitude~"

Tomioka Giyu: ! ! ?

What did I do? What's going on!?

Giyu, whose emotional intelligence was not exactly his strong suit, had no idea what he had done wrong.

But hearing Shinobu's words snapped him out of his daze, pulling him back from the shock he had been feeling.

Suddenly, he remembered Uzui's question from earlier.

He sighed softly and shook his head once more: 

"It's not that I don't want to tell you. It's just... this information can't be explained in a few short sentences."

"Besides, even if I did tell you, I doubt you'd believe me."

"Huh?" The Hashira all responded in unison, their curiosity growing even stronger.

At that moment, Giyu suddenly turned his gaze toward the door of the conference room.

Several of the other Hashira instantly caught on and followed his line of sight.

A few seconds later, the sound of wooden clogs echoed as someone entered the room.

"Lord!"

Upon seeing who it was, all the Hashira immediately straightened their posture, bowed their heads slightly, and showed their deep respect for the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps.

"Ahem..." 

"You don't need to be so formal."

Dressed in white, Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps, slowly took his seat with the assistance of Sakonji Urokodaki. Though he appeared weak and even coughed twice before speaking, his expression betrayed no signs of illness.

On the contrary, his face sparkled with vitality, and a quiet joy radiated from him, one that words couldn't fully capture.

It was hard to believe that such a diverse group of powerful Hashira, each with their own strong personalities, would show such reverence for a man who lacked any physical strength and suffered from a chronic illness.

Yet, Ubuyashiki Kagaya had proven, through his actions, that he was more than capable of leading the Demon Slayer Corps toward the future they all sought.

With the entire room's attention on him, Kagaya smiled slightly and gestured for Sakonji to take the second seat.

Then, unexpectedly, he broke into a smile and declared: 

"Everyone, the time for our counterattack has come!!!"

"What!?"

His words immediately silenced the room.

Everyone knew that when their Lord said something like this, it meant they had made a significant stride in their battle against the demons!

"Could it be... we've finally found Muzan Kibutsuji!?" 

The Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, shot to his feet, his fighting spirit practically tangible as he looked at Kagaya with burning intensity.

However...

Kagaya simply smiled and shook his head, signaling for Sanemi to remain calm.

He then gestured toward Sakonji, drawing the Hashira's attention to him, and said: 

"While we have not yet uncovered Kibutsuji Muzan's location, I believe the current development is even more crucial than finding him."

"Now, I'll ask the former Water Hashira to share his discovery with all of you..."

"I'm certain that after hearing this, you will feel exactly as I do!"