One Piece: With Sign-in System

Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had just returned after being blown away by Ron's punch, immediately caught sight of the intense scene unfolding before him.

Without a moment's hesitation, he unsheathed his blade and charged straight at Ron.

That earlier hit—he had let his guard down. If he faced the guy seriously, there was no way someone like him could have bested him so easily.

After all… he was one of the nine strongest swordsmen in the Demon Slayer Corps—the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa!

His bloodshot eyes locked onto Ron, and his figure blurred as he accelerated, razor-sharp gales spiraling around him, winding along both his body and the teal blade in his hand.

Wind Breathing, First Form – Dust Whirlwind Cutter!

At the very moment Sanemi lunged in, Rengoku Kyojuro and Iguro Obanai also sprang into action, their blades drawing brilliant arcs through the air.

Three Hashira-level swordsmen, attacking from three different directions—surrounding Ron in a coordinated assault!

Shinobu barely had time to react.

Ron, unfazed, stepped calmly forward.

With a thunderous crack, the ground beneath his foot quaked violently.

In the very next instant, the earth around him—within a radius of over ten meters—caved in with a deafening boom. Massive fissures spiderwebbed outward, forming concentric rings as the terrain buckled and shattered.

A powerful shockwave surged out in all directions.

Before the three Hashira could even reach him, the sheer force of the blast sent them all flying.

"W-What?!" the trio cried out in shock.

Their eyes widened in disbelief—especially Sanemi, who roared, "Impossible!"

Gyomei Himejima, the Stone Hashira who had yet to strike, clasped his hands together with a solemn expression, his brows furrowed in heavy thought.

Shinobu stared at Ron, unable to hide the astonishment on her face.

Could it be… that what I witnessed before wasn't even close to his full power?

Is this… his true strength?!

Mitsuri Kanroji, the Love Hashira, gazed at the utterly destroyed ten-meter zone surrounding Ron and gasped in horror, eyes wide and hands over her mouth.

"N-No way…"

Even Muichiro Tokito, standing in the distance and previously lost in thought, turned toward the scene, blinking in surprise at what he was seeing.

The other Demon Slayer Corps members and the other masked staff further away could only stare dumbfounded at the tall, commanding figure in black amidst the shattered ground.

One of the masked members swallowed hard, cold sweat pouring down his face as he muttered in disbelief:

"H-He's not human… is he some kind of monster?!"

Just then, a gentle voice echoed from not far away. "What… is happening here?"

Everyone instinctively turned toward the sound.

And when they saw the man beside a hidden squad member—his upper face disfigured by scars, both eyes blinded—they all froze in place.

Kagaya Ubuyashiki had arrived.

The Master of the Demon Slayer Corps…!

Without exception, all those present—including Tokito and Shinobu—fell to one knee, paying their respects with solemn reverence. Even the Demon Slayers at a distance and the hidden operatives followed suit in silent deference.

Ron stood quietly, his gaze fixed on the man.

So this is him… the master of the Demon Slayer Corps, Kagaya Ubuyashiki…

Almost as if sensing Ron's presence, Kagaya gently turned his head, as if looking in his direction.

…

"Is this guy… a monster?!"

Tengen Uzui was still caught in Ron's grasp, shame and frustration surging inside him. He struggled with all his might, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free from that monstrous grip.

How is this even possible?

He's human… yet his strength is beyond belief!

He clenched his teeth.

He's more of a monster than any demon I've ever faced!

At that moment, a calm voice rang out not far away.

"Shinobu, you've returned, haven't you?"

Kagaya Ubuyashiki's gentle tone pierced through the tense air. From the masked staff member who had rushed ahead to report, he had already learned bits of what had happened.

"Tell me… what happened here?"

"Yes," Shinobu replied, and began recounting everything that had transpired.

After listening quietly to the whole story, Ubuyashiki turned toward Sanemi Shinazugawa, his expression still gentle, but his words carried weight.

"Sanemi, didn't I already say it? Mr. Ron is a guest I personally invited. Why would you do something so disrespectful?"

Sanemi kept his head low, lips pressed into a tight line.

He didn't speak.

Deep inside, he still believed he had acted for the good of the Demon Slayer Corps. In his eyes, he hadn't done anything wrong.

But Ubuyashiki didn't press the issue. With the help of his two doll-like daughters, he looked over at Ron, his face filled with sincere regret.

"Mr. Ron, I invited you here as our honored guest… and yet, due to my oversight, things turned out like this…"

He bowed deeply, lowering his head in a heartfelt apology.

"I am truly sorry."

That single gesture shook everyone present.

The Flame Hashira.

The Stone Hashira.

The Love Hashira.

The Serpent Hashira.

Even the Sound Hashira—every single one of them widened their eyes in shock.

Sanemi's pupils trembled violently. His voice cracked as he shouted, "Lord Ubuyashiki! This is my fault! Why would you apologize to him?!"

Ubuyashiki responded calmly, "You are all my children. And when children make mistakes… it is the responsibility of the parent to apologize."

"Sanemi, you don't need to blame yourself."

Then, looking back at Ron, he said sincerely, "Mr. Ron, would you be willing to accept my apology… and forgive them this once?"

Shinobu, standing beside him, looked toward Ron with pleading eyes. Her violet gaze shimmered with unspoken hope.

Ron looked at Ubuyashiki and smiled faintly.

"As expected of the leader of the Demon Slayer Corps," he said. "Alright. I accept your apology."

With that, he let go of Uzui's neck.

The Sound Hashira staggered as his feet hit the ground, the red marks of Ron's grip still stark against his skin. Without hesitation, he jumped backward, putting as much distance as he could between himself and that monster of a man.

His eyes were filled with a deep, unshakable dread.

On the other side, Muichiro Tokito—expression blank—quietly stood up. Without a word, he drew his Nichirin blade. A frigid, sharp killing intent surged from his body as he glared at Ron.

"No one… is allowed to be disrespectful to Lord Ubuyashiki!"

Ron turned his gaze on him.

Their eyes met.

And in that instant—

Ron released a sliver of sword intent. Just a thread—no more than a breeze from the edge of the realm of a Great Swordmaster.

Muichiro's pupils shrank.

The world around him shifted.

In the blink of an eye, he found himself standing atop an endless blue ocean. There was nothing else—only the sea and sky stretching infinitely in every direction.

And above him, a black-clad figure stood suspended in mid-air, face obscured, holding a pitch-black katana.

The figure looked down.

And then—

With a single stroke, he swung the blade.

Muichiro's eyes flew wide open.

A monstrous black slash, shaped like a crescent moon and stretching thousands of meters, hurtled down toward him from the sky. It roared with the power to split oceans, shaking the very world with its presence.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't even lift his sword.

The moment before the slash reached him, his vision was filled with the image of the sea—split wide open for miles by that one swing.

And then—

His consciousness snapped back into his body.

Clang.

His Nichirin blade clattered to the ground.

Rengoku Kyojuro, watching him closely, furrowed his brow.

"Muichiro? What's wrong?"

Muichiro stood there, trembling. He lowered his head and stared at his own shaking hands, the image of that dark slash and the torn sea repeating over and over in his mind.

Was that real? Or just an illusion?

He split… the ocean…

Does swordsmanship like that really exist in this world?

Muichiro was known for his memory loss, often forgetting unimportant things quickly.

But that single slash—

That one sword strike—

Was carved into his soul.

The others, watching his unusual expression and stiff posture, couldn't help but exchange puzzled glances.

From the moment Muichiro had drawn his sword to when he dropped it—it had only been a second or two.

But the look in his eyes was something none of them had ever seen before.

"Muichiro's usually so expressionless, but he actually showed so many emotions just now… That's… really rare," Mitsuri said in surprise, her voice filled with wonder.

-------------------------

Patreon Advance Chapters: patreon .com / ElvenKing20