One Piece: With Sign-in System

Inside a refined, tastefully decorated restaurant…

Ron sat at a window-side booth on the second floor, joined by Tamayo—and, tagging along uninvited, Yushiro.

Since demons had no need for food, there wasn't a single dish in front of Tamayo or Yushiro.

Meanwhile, Ron was wholeheartedly enjoying his meal, devouring it like he hadn't eaten in days.

Yushiro watched him with clenched teeth, trembling with fury.

He actually made Lady Tamayo accompany him out to eat?!

That bastard!

Tamayo quietly watched Ron as he ate. Her soft, gentle eyes shimmered with a trace of envy—and sorrow.

…

Back in the bustling streets of the city, everything around Tanjiro was like a dream—or a nightmare. The sheer scale and energy of Tokyo overwhelmed him completely.

Dragging Nezuko along, the poor boy darted this way and that through the crowd like a headless chicken. After a good while of blindly weaving through the streets, they finally escaped the urban chaos and reached a familiar noodle stand—run by none other than the bald, kind-looking owner.

"Huff… huff… Finally made it out. Cities are terrifying…" Tanjiro panted, bent over and catching his breath.

Nezuko plopped down on the wooden bench beside him, her head nodding sleepily.

Seeing her like that—so peaceful, so precious—Tanjiro's heart melted. He smiled warmly.

Nezuko… I swear I'll return you to your human self no matter what.

"Hey, you two want some soba?" the bald shopkeeper poked his head out from the stall, grinning at the siblings on the bench.

"Yes, please! One yam broth soba," Tanjiro replied cheerfully.

"Comin' right up!"

While Tanjiro sat there, waiting for his noodles…

Two shadows darted swiftly across the distant rooftops, soaring lightly through the air—headed straight toward them.

"Yam broth soba!"

"Thank you!" Tanjiro said as he took the steaming bowl from the shopkeeper.

And right then—thud! thud!

The two figures landed directly in front of him, one after the other.

Tanjiro froze.

Looking up slowly, his eyes met with those of a woman wearing a butterfly-patterned haori, her black hair cascading and her violet eyes gleaming with a tranquil smile. Standing beside her was a silent, sharp-featured girl with a high ponytail and expressionless face—yet no less beautiful.

His eyes dropped to their waist belts—where a pair of Nichirin blades hung. And that unmistakable uniform…

Demon Slayer Corps?

The one with the butterfly haori—Shinobu Kocho—greeted him with a pleasant, almost musical voice:

"So, you're Tanjiro Kamado, huh?"

They're here… for me?

Why is the Demon Slayer Corps looking for me?

Tanjiro's heart sank in confusion and unease.

Just then, Nezuko's head gently tilted and rested against Tanjiro's shoulder, her small frame swaying.

Tanjiro's fingers tensed around the steaming bowl of soba.

Wait… don't tell me—they came for Nezuko?!

Shinobu's and Kanao's eyes moved in unison, falling on the sleepy girl beside him.

Their gazes sharpened instantly.

"A demon…?" Shinobu murmured, still wearing that soft, unsettling smile.

Her hand moved, drawing her Nichirin blade without hesitation.

Tanjiro's pupils shrank.

No…!

With lightning speed, she slashed straight at Nezuko.

Tanjiro reacted on pure instinct—yanking Nezuko forward just in time to dodge the blow. The bench they were sitting on split clean down the middle with a loud crack, and the soba bowl hit the ground with a steaming splat.

"Hey! What the hell's going on?!"

The bald shopkeeper, who had just lit a smoke inside, poked his head out at the commotion—only to catch the shocking sight of Kanao drawing her blade and Tanjiro desperately blocking the strike with his own sword.

"W-What?!"

The bald noodle shop owner nearly jumped out of his skin.

Wasn't carrying swords and starting street duels illegal now?

What the hell were these people doing?!

"A Demon Slayer protecting a demon? Now that's hard to believe."

With a serene smile on her face, Shinobu walked calmly toward Nezuko, the slender Nichirin Blade in her hand raised without hesitation.

Tanjiro, locked in a struggle with Kanao, felt his pupils contract sharply.

"Nezuko!"

Just as that needle-thin blade was about to slash across Nezuko's neck—

A tall figure suddenly appeared beside Shinobu.

Compared to Shinobu's petite frame—just over five feet tall—the black-clad youth beside her was towering, like a mountain that cast an overwhelming shadow over her.

The sudden, crushing aura made Shinobu's violet eyes narrow slightly.

In the next instant—

A large hand gripped Shinobu's wrist firmly, halting the blade just two inches from Nezuko's head.

"That's far enough. You can't just kill this girl."

Shinobu looked up.

The man stood tall, his face hidden in shadow, yet his eyes glowed a piercing blue, calm and composed—with a silent dominance that seemed to peer into the soul.

It was a look Shinobu had never seen before.

Even as one of the Nine Hashira—the Insect Hashira—her heart skipped a beat. For a moment, her mind went completely blank.

Tanjiro could only stare in stunned silence, his limbs suddenly limp. All his strength seemed to vanish.

Nezuko... she's safe...

"I-It's him?!", The bald shop owner rubbed his eyes, mouth agape.

He recognized the man—it was the same mysterious customer who'd eaten at his place just a few days ago!

Suddenly—

Tanjiro caught a scent in the air.

A scent so familiar... unforgettable.

His hand instinctively gripped his Nichirin Blade. He spun around, eyes wide in shock.

No mistake...

It was that scent—the one that lingered at home after his family was slaughtered.

Why... why was it here?!

That man…

The one who killed his family and turned Nezuko into a demon…

Muzan Kibutsuji!

Rage and hatred surged like a tidal wave in Tanjiro's chest.

He wanted nothing more than to chase after that scent, right this instant.

But Nezuko's safety...

He clenched his teeth.

"Damn it!"

Just then—

"You smelled it too, didn't you? That scent…"

A calm male voice echoed beside his ear, sending a shock through Tanjiro's entire body.

He looked up sharply at the man who had just saved Nezuko.

Under the soft glow of the streetlamp—

He finally saw him clearly.

Wearing a long black coat, a flask hanging at his waist, the man stood tall and composed. His features were strikingly handsome, and his eyes—deep blue and calm—seemed to read Tanjiro's heart like an open book.

And the moment their gazes met, Tanjiro felt an involuntary surge of awe.

"Go. I'll protect her," the man said gently.

Tanjiro remembered how he had saved Nezuko just seconds ago.

A strange sense of trust settled over him.

He gave Ron a deeply grateful look, then, without hesitation, bolted toward the direction of the scent with his blade in hand.

Muzan Kibutsuji… I will never forgive you!

Kanao watched his retreating figure, then glanced toward Shinobu, her face filled with hesitation.

"How long are you planning on holding my hand?"

Shinobu's gentle voice sounded beside Ron's ear.

He looked down at her and smiled. "Ah, my bad. Forgot."

He let go and turned to the bald noodle shop owner, who stood there frozen, utterly stunned.

"We meet again, shopkeeper."

"Uh… y-yeah, again…"

Before the man could finish—

A red glint flashed in Ron's eyes.

Conqueror's Haki—precisely unleashed.

Overwhelmed by the sheer force of that dominating aura, the shopkeeper collapsed face-first onto the table, unconscious.

"!"

That scene sent another jolt of surprise through both Shinobu and Kanao.

Shinobu stared deeply at the mysterious man before her.

There was no mistaking it.

This guy…

He had to be the same mysterious powerhouse that Yukita spoke of.

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