Reincarnated in One Piece - Chapter 72

Tang An turned to look at Wang Xu, whose head had reattached to his neck, healing in just a second. Tang An was sure he had decapitated him with the Nichiren Blade, yet Wang Xu didn’t die. This meant he no longer had the weakness of dying when a Nichirin Blade cut his head off.

Something was off, deviating significantly from the original storyline. He remembered that the Lower Rank Five demon, Rui, would die if decapitated by a Nichirin Blade in the original story. He was even killed instantly by the Water Hashira, Giyu Tomioka.

Wang Xu also scrutinised Tang An, his eyes filled with doubt. The speed of Tang An’s previous attack had caught him off guard. Now, facing him directly, Wang Xu could sense the danger. He recalled all the characters from “Demon Slayer,” but couldn’t place Tang An among them. Judging by his breathing style, it seemed to be Thunder Breathing. However, only Zenitsu, Zenitsu’s grandfather, and Kaigaku (who would later become the Upper-Rank Six demon) knew Thunder Breathing. So, where did this guy come from?

Their eyes met—Tang An’s purple diamond-patterned eyes and Wang Xu’s blood-red eyes—and they both felt something strange—especially Wang Xu, who felt an intense and peculiar sense of familiarity.

“Crack!”

Without warning, Tang An launched another attack, moving like thunder to appear in front of Wang Xu, aiming the Nichiren Blade at his neck.

“Clang!”

Wang Xu’s right hand, laced with threads, blocked the blade. The immense force bent his upper body to the left while his right leg shot out in a counterattack.

Tang An reacted quickly, meeting Wang Xu’s kick with his knee. The powerful collision caused the ground within a ten-meter radius to crack and collapse, sending broken tree stumps flying. Both Tang An and Wang Xu’s hair stood on end from the force.

In the next instant, they reappeared ten meters away, exchanging punches that echoed with a huge bang. They then clashed in mid-air, Tang An’s Nichirin Blade sparking against Wang Xu’s threads before their elbows collided.

A shockwave descended from the sky as Tang An landed and skidded, leaving two deep grooves in the ground. Wang Xu did the same. Their rapid and robust exchange left Tanjiro, Inosuke, Nezuko, and the Spider Mother watching in awe.

Tang An’s expression darkened. He had a suspicion—this was not the same Lower Rank Five demon from the original story. Wang Xu’s face also showed uncertainty. After several exchanges, he was convinced this guy wasn’t an original character. His sixth sense even suggested something absurd.

“Swish… swish…”

Just as they stood off, three figures arrived. Shinobu Kocho, Mitsuri Kanroji, and Shinobu’s successor, Kanao Tsuyuri.

“Is this a Twelve Kizuki? Upper Rank or Lower Rank?” Mitsuri tilted her head, her large light green eyes blinking.

“This presence—it’s definitely a Twelve Kizuki,” Shinobu smiled, but beneath her smile was deep-seated anger toward the demon.

“Butterfly Dance: Caprice.”

Without warning, Shinobu appeared in front of Wang Xu, her poisoned blade flashing like a streak of light, aiming to pierce through him.

“Foot-Thread.”

Time seemed to slow as Wang Xu’s right foot, laced with shining threads, kicked towards Shinobu at an incredible speed. A chill ran down her neck as a massive windstorm erupted. Shinobu’s blade clashed with the five threads on Wang Xu’s foot.

The next moment, Shinobu felt a tremendous force hit her. She spat blood and was sent flying, crashing through trees and landing in the debris.

“Shinobu!”

Mitsuri’s hair flew wildly as she couldn’t believe what she had just seen. Quickly, she launched her attack.

“Love Breathing, Fifth Form: Swaying Love, Wildclaw.”

Her whip-like Nichirin Blade created countless illusions, striking at Wang Xu.

“Law of Descent.”

Facing Mitsuri’s attack, Wang Xu raised his arm and slashed downwards. Five transparent threads sliced through the air towards Mitsuri. She quickly retracted her blade and rolled to the ground, dodging the attack. When she stood, she saw five deep gouges in the ground.

“Shadow Clone.”

After dealing with Mitsuri, Wang Xu opened his arms, producing two threads that formed two clones of himself in mid-air within a few breaths.

“Clones?”

Mitsuri and Shinobu were on high alert, watching the two clones warily.

Tang An frowned. The techniques Wang Xu used reminded him of Doflamingo from One Piece. The moves were similar, and even the names were the same.

“You two handle the clones; I’ll take the original,” Tang An said, holding his golden Nichirin Blade with a severe expression.

If Wang Xu was indeed from his world, he didn’t mind dealing with him now. With Mitsuri and Shinobu’s help, it would be much easier.

Even if Wang Xu wasn’t a fellow countryman, better safe than sorry.

Still smiling despite the blood on her lips and pale face, Shinobu agreed. “Okay!”

Mitsuri also nodded. Neither was foolish; they knew the clones wouldn’t be as strong as the original. Since Tang An could stand against Muzan Kibutsuji, he should also handle a Twelve Kizuki.

Kanao, who stood aside, wasn’t qualified to intervene. All she could do was look after Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Inosuke.

“Attack.”

At Tang An’s command, the three charged forward. Wang Xu ignored Mitsuri and Shinobu, focusing entirely on Tang An.

“Crack…”

Thunder breathing operated at high speed, and Tang An’s heartbeat quickened, and his blood circulated rapidly. He turned into a golden flash, appearing before Wang Xu, his Nichirin Blade slashing.

Logically, Wang Xu shouldn’t have been able to dodge such speed. But strangely, he bent down, avoiding the attack and counterattacking.

Coated with threads, his fingers clawed at Tang An’s neck, sharp enough to cut through stone. Tang An’s expression darkened as he pulled out a kukri wrapped in Hardening.

Sparks flew as powerful winds erupted, centred around the two. Wang Xu was surprised at the sudden appearance of the kukri in Tang An’s hand but then seemed to understand.

“Foot-Thread.”

Wang Xu reacted quickly, his right foot laced with threads sweeping at Tang An’s waist. Tang An’s hardened left foot blocked the attack while he simultaneously thrust his Nichirin Blade and kukri at Wang Xu.

“Swish…”

Seemingly predicting Tang An’s attack, Wang Xu retreated, creating distance.

“Thunder Breathing, Instant Kill.”

Surrounded by lightning, Tang An crouched, the ground cracking under him before he launched like a golden flash.

“Spider’s Nest.”

Facing Tang An’s rapid attack, Wang Xu spread his hands, shooting out threads to form layers of webs while retreating.

The next moment, the webs shattered, but Tang An’s charge was halted. These tough webs had strong defensive properties, forcefully stopping Tang An’s advance.

“Crack…”

Wang Xu jumped onto a tree, and Tang An leapt after him. They continued their battle, moving farther and farther away, causing explosions wherever they went.

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