Reincarnated in One Piece - Chapter 69

Tang An spent the entire morning experimenting with integrating Thunder Breathing into his Nichirin Blade or hardening his hands. With each trial, he felt his stamina rapidly depleting.

Then, Matsuri appears behind Tang An like a child who has done something wrong.

“What’s wrong?” Tang An sensed Mitsuri’s presence, but she remained silent. He turned to see her, head bowed, fingers nervously twisting.

“I… I got caught lying, and then… and then…” Mitsuri’s voice trembled, almost in tears, fearing Tang An’s reproach.

“That’s all? I expected that,” Tang An said, still fiddling with his Nichirin Blade, not seeming too concerned.

“You’re not angry?” Mitsuri looked up, her big eyes blinking innocently.

“Why would I be angry? I knew from the start you’d be found out because you’re not good at lying,” Tang An explained.

“But…”

“Don’t worry about it. You were exhausted last night. Go rest,” Tang An patted her head, leaving Mitsuri feeling lost.

“Umm… Lord Ubuyashiki wants to see you,” Mitsuri said, twisting her fingers.

“When?”

“Tonight.”

“Okay, you go rest. I’ll continue working on the Nichirin Blade and head to the headquarters with you tonight,” Tang An decided after a moment of silence.

“Okay.” Mitsuri left, and Tang An resumed his experiments, considering upgrading his Nichirin Blade to a Crimson Red Blade.

The day they passed with Tang An deep in his training. When night fell, he and Mitsuki rode a bicycle to the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. Tang An was ready for any unexpected situation and planned to escape if things went wrong. The war BGM was still on cooldown, with nine days left, making Tang An feel somewhat insecure.

They arrived at the headquarters by the time the moon was high in the sky. The room was brightly lit, and Tang An saw many people waiting for him—Ubuyashiki Kagaya, his wife Amane, and the Hashira.

“Lord Ubuyashiki,” Mitsuri greeted, bowing. Tang An simply nodded, causing some of the Hashira to frown.

“Tang An-san, would you like some tea?” Amane asked with a smile.

“Green tea is fine,” Tang An replied, sitting cross-legged next to Mitsuri rather than kneeling, as he disliked the kneeling posture.

“Tang An-san, please do not blame Mitsuri. She is not good at lying,” Kagaya said gently, his voice soothing despite his scarred appearance.

“I understand,” Tang An replied, noticing Mitsuri’s nervousness as her fingers twisted again.

“Let me introduce everyone. This is the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, and you already know Shinobu Kocho. These are the Water Hashira, the Sound Hashira…” Kagaya continued, introducing the other Hashira: Giyu Tomioka, Tengen Uzui, Muichiro Tokito, Obanai Iguro, and Gyomei Himejima.

“Ha ha… Mitsuri said you fought Muzan Kibutsuji alone. Is that true?” Kyojuro Rengoku asked cheerfully.

“Not true. I couldn’t defeat him. If you all hadn’t arrived, I would have had to flee,” Tang An said calmly, his purple diamond-patterned eyes reflecting a deep well.

“That’s a pity,” Gyomei Himejima said, pressing his hands together in prayer.

“Tang An-san, you are the first person in a century to hold your own against Muzan. Could you share your experience?” Kagaya asked, with all the Hashira turning their attention to Tang An.

None had ever faced Muzan, and many hadn’t even seen him. Muzan could change his appearance freely, making it hard to identify him.

Tang An nodded and began recounting his impressions of Muzan. Meanwhile, in Mount Natagumo, a battle was taking place.

Just as in the original story, Tanjiro had passed the Final Selection, killed the Swamp Demon, met Zenitsu Agatsuma and Inosuke Hashibira in the Tsuzumi Mansion, and defeated the former Lower Rank Six, Kyogai. Now, they were facing the final demon of the first season, Lower Rank Five, Rui. Daki, an Upper-Rank Six, was also heading towards Mount Natagumo.

A nearly invisible thread spanned the sky in the dense, cold forest under a bright, full moon. On it stood a short, white-haired boy in a white kimono, overseeing the land below. The moon provided a backdrop as sounds of battle echoed from various parts of the forest. Tanjiro, Zenitsu, Inosuke, and other Demon Slayer Corps members fought Rui’s subordinates.

These subordinates, formed from Rui’s makeshift family, were bound by Rui’s rules. Those who disobeyed were brutally punished. Rui was the absolute ruler of this pretend family, but everything changed a year ago.

A year ago, on Mount Natagumo, Rui lay on a spiderweb roof, suddenly waking with a start. He looked around in confusion before calming down and absorbing the memories in his mind. Ten minutes later, he reopened his eyes, revealing a different soul had taken over his body.

“I’ve crossed over,” Rui, now Wang Xu, a once insignificant 18-year-old in modern society, murmured to himself. He touched his hands, hair, and pale face, then laughed.

Wang Xu’s mother remarried when he was three, and his stepfather mistreated them. Growing up in such an environment made Wang Xu timid, but deep inside, dark and twisted thoughts festered. He longed to kill everyone who hurt him and his mother but lacked the courage.

At eighteen, his pent-up anger and hatred finally exploded. When his stepfather berated his mother over a meal, Wang Xu silently ate the food off the floor, then walked into the kitchen and grabbed a knife. He killed his stepfather in front of his mother, not even giving him a chance to beg. Calmly, he then walked to the rooftop and jumped off.

When he awoke, he had crossed over into the world of Demon Slayer as Lower Rank Five, Rui. Having read many manga and novels, Wang Xu had always envied their protagonists and villains, believing that with supernatural powers, he could change his fate.

Now, his chance had come.

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