Mai looked up in shock. She stared at Ryuji, mouth slightly open, stunned that he had actually come after her.
She hadn't expected him to. Because every time she and Andy had fought, Andy never chased after her right away.
Ryuji raised an eyebrow. "What are you staring at me for? You don't have any money on you, and this world's pretty damn weird. I don't even fully know what's going on myself. Bringing you along just makes sense. Or wait... do you have money on you? Also..."
He gestured toward her clothes and the surrounding people.
"Have you noticed that your outfit looks really out of place here?"
She glanced down.
Although this city had more modern-looking clothing here and there—some even wearing western-style suits—her denim shorts and short-sleeved shirts combo definitely stood out. Not to mention... she wasn't even wearing shoes!
Naturally, the way she'd been crouched on the street had drawn attention—too much of it, and some of it not good.
Ryuji, on the other hand, despite also wearing short sleeves underneath, had started wearing a travel cloak regularly ever since he learned about his ability to cross worlds. It wasn't the most practical in combat, but it was invaluable for disguising out-of-place clothing when traveling between worlds.
The gold coins he used for currency, the emergency meds in his belt pouch—those were all thanks to the Nakiri family's meticulous preparation for his world-hopping.
That was why he had the confidence to be this bold when leaping between worlds.
"...Ugh..."
Mai reflexively curled her toes as he knelt down in front of her and pulled out a pair of shoes. Without a word, he gently lifted one of her feet and started wiping it clean with a wet wipe.
Caught off guard, she instinctively leaned back—and before she could react, he'd already slipped the shoe onto her foot.
It... actually fit perfectly?
She blinked in surprise. But before she could say anything, he'd already grabbed her other foot and started doing the same.
Her feet were... beautiful, actually. Though the years of martial arts training had left tough calluses here and there, they didn't take away from their graceful shape.
"You really didn't notice you were barefoot this whole time? The road's full of rocks. Didn't it hurt?"
Ryuji ignored the stares of the bustling crowd, calmly slipping the second shoe on. He seemed genuinely puzzled.
Even though he was strong now, but he still preferred not to go barefoot—his skin was still that of a normal human, after all. One rusty nail could do serious damage. That's why, despite having defeated Crocodile, he never let it go to his head.
That victory was only possible because of the blessings this world gave him—like that absurd level of Observation Haki. If not for that, Crocodile wouldn't have been easy prey at all.
In fact, if Crocodile had just gotten his mental state sorted out and done some serious training, Ryuji might not have stood a chance, even with his water techniques. He'd probably have had to run.
After all, just like Crocodile, he was still fundamentally a glass cannon. Sure, he had Dragonfire and mana defense, but that didn't make him invincible. And Crocodile wasn't some pushover either.
Though Crocodile's defeat at his hands might have seemed inevitable, a lot of it came down to Crocodile himself being far from his peak. That world, in particular, placed tremendous weight on one's mental state. Had Crocodile maintained a sharper mind and better outlook, his strength would've still been formidable. After all, even after being imprisoned for so long before the Paramount War, he still managed to hold his own against many top-tier fighters. It's not like the prison allowed him time to hone his Devil Fruit powers.
Of course, he benefitted from Oda's version buffs too—but Ryuji believed that his shift in mindset played just as large a role.
So while Ryuji technically won, he knew it had more to do with circumstance—and Crocodile's own decline—than pure strength.
Meanwhile, Mai pressed her lips together, looking a bit embarrassed. But by then, Ryuji had already released her foot and hadn't made any inappropriate moves, so she could only respond, with a hint of irritation in her voice.
"I normally wear tabi, so it doesn't really bother me."
She offered her explanation casually before immediately following up with a question.
"Wait—you said you don't know what's going on in this world? I thought you did."
She was genuinely puzzled. Ryuji's calm and confident demeanor had misled her into thinking he was in full control. Now he was saying he was clueless?
Ryuji scoffed.
"How would I know? I just arrived here when I ran into you. I was drawn over by the fragment of the world we were in before. Thought it would be easy… but no, just monsters everywhere." He paused, then blinked. "Wait, what's 'tabi'? Is that like… socks?"
"Drawn over?" she repeated, confused.
"Yeah. After you left, that world got destroyed not long after. Blown to pieces, and it was shattered everywhere... and since that world has both gratitude and hatred towards me, so I have a very special feeling for it, so I have… complicated feelings for that world, I guess my emotional connection was strong enough that I got pulled in.
I figured I might as well try to save it—if I could. If I can't, so be it. Here, I'll show you—it's easier than explaining."
He raised his hand, and with a thought, a golden World Fragment materialized in his palm.
Mai looked at it, hesitated, but then reached out and touched the fragment.
The moment her fingers brushed its surface, a flood of information surged into her mind. Visions. Memories. Mechanisms of world restoration. The plea of a broken world…
And something more.
And she finally understood why she had been pulled here.
It was because she carried with her a trace of the power from that shattered world—the system from "7 Days to Die."
An inventory-like power. And because her heart was filled with dissatisfaction—toward her world, toward her life, her fate—this world had summoned her to help save it.
As for what exactly happened to this world?
That remained unknown.
"…So that's how it is. I never imagined I came here because of something like that." Mai's voice was laced with conflicting emotions.
"Yeah... I didn't expect it either."
Ryuji, who had also touched the world fragment, now understood the reason for her arrival. And something clicked in his mind.
"Which means… the other girls might end up here too... for the similar reason."
It was a unsettling thought.
But his attention quickly shifted back to something else.
"So, wait. What is a tabi exactly? Is it the footwear you wear with your fighting outfit? I always thought it was some kind of sock. But doesn't it have padding or something?"
He was genuinely curious. He'd always assumed she was wearing shoes.
Mai rolled her eyes. With a world possibly corrupted by "7 Days to Die" world's shattered fragments, and monsters running rampant, was this really the time to be worried about tabi?
She didn't even bother answering.
But just then, a new voice chimed in.
"They're similar to socks. Made to soften steps, help feel the ground—particularly useful for detecting traps. Usually only ninja wear them. They're actually quite effective against the undead."
The voice had answered Ryuji's question casually. He turned around and saw a spirited-looking man with a headscarf, facial tattoos near his eyes and twin swords on his back.
The moment Mai saw him, her gaze sharpened. She instantly picked up on the ninja aura coming from him.
"Hey, no need to be on guard. I'm retired from the ninja business. I'm just here for a bit of fun."
Ryuji's eyes were drawn to the man's uniform.
There, like the one worn by Rengoku Kyojuro earlier, was a modified version of the Demon Slayer Corps uniform—complete with the emblem of the wisteria flower.
Though in the anime, Ryuji recalled, the uniforms never had that symbol.
"Appreciate the info. So, are you with the Demon Slayer Corps?" Ryuji asked curiously. The man looked… oddly familiar.
The spirited man pointed at himself with a thumb and grinned.
"Of course. I'm Tengen Uzui, Sound Hashira of the Demon Slayer Corps. Since you're clearly not being hunted or anything, I guess there's no problem."
After tossing a glance at Mai, he turned and disappeared down the street.
"...What was that about?" Ryuji was a bit confused by the encounter.
But Mai spoke up, her tone improving slightly though still laced with awkwardness.
"He thought I was a rogue kunoichi—probably assumed someone would be chasing us, so he came to check."
She turned her head away, still not quite ready to face Ryuji properly.
"I see…"
Ryuji nodded, but then noticed Mai stretching her hand out toward him.
"What?" he asked, unsure of her intent.
"Money. I need to buy clothes."
"…"
Sighing, he pulled out his wallet. Mai didn't hesitate to snatch the bills and dash into a nearby clothing store. When she returned, she was dressed like a normal Japanese civilian clothes.
But she was still wearing the leather shoes he had given her.
She gave him a curt nod.
"Let's go. We need to investigate this place, see if we can locate this 'Demon Slayer Corps' and maybe join them. We know nothing about this world. We need information."
Ryuji nodded but immediately noticed something off.
He crossed his arms, looking her up and down.
"You're not planning to go back to your world?"
Mai stopped mid-step.
She turned to look at him, then up at the sky.
"Not for now… and besides—"
She turned around, her gaze steady.
"I don't turn my back on people in need."