"Not locals? What do you mean?" Nami was puzzled.
Among their new acquaintances, the monk Miroku's clothing certainly stood out.
Sango's form-fitting combat suit, however, had a sleek silhouette that didn't starkly contrast with Nami and the others.
If there was any real difference, it was the pervasive, chilling aura that had lingered since they first arrived in this strange place.
Luffy, being thick-headed, couldn't discern such subtleties, but that didn't dampen his fervent desire to recruit them.
Seeing Sango's peculiar, giant boomerang and the strikingly cool two-tailed cat behind her, he lost all restraint.
"Join my crew! Let's be pirates, sail the world, and go on adventures together. How about it?"
Miroku and Sango were left speechless.
The term "pirate" was unfamiliar to them, but it certainly didn't sound like something good people would do.
Nonetheless, out of a habitual duty to protect humans, Sango and Miroku decided to escort Luffy and the others down the mountain, planning to part ways once they reached a village.
Along the way, Luffy pestered the two relentlessly.
Sanji, meanwhile, hovered around Sango, showering her with concern and earnestly requesting to cook her a grand meal.
In all his years, Sanji had never met a woman like Sango—her demeanor was reminiscent of a female general, with looks to match.
As for Miroku, he stuck close to Nami.
Though he no longer voiced his request for her to bear his children, his gaze kept drifting toward the pale curves accentuated by her outfit.
....
While Luffy's group of three journeyed with Miroku and Sango, their other five companions were suffering greatly.
Zoro, Robin, Chouchou, Usopp, and Chopper—three humans and two monsters—were fighting while fleeing, each bearing fresh wounds.
"What are these two things? They're not as absurd as Enel, but they're still a pain," Zoro grumbled as he ran, having just been redirected by Robin after going the wrong way, endlessly.
"Indeed. If this continues, we'll all be boiled alive and eaten—bones and all."
While gasping for breath, Robin had already analyzed the group's grim predicament.
"Robin! Please don't say such terrifying things!" Usopp and Chopper were so frightened they nearly rolled their eyes back, but their will to survive kept them pushing forward.
"If I hadn't been injured by that old dragon, I, Lord Chouchou, could swallow these two low-level yokai in one bite!"
The small white dog Chouchou, nestled in Robin's arms, was severely wounded and near death, yet still looked down upon the two monsters who relied on external power.
Since arriving in this world, Chouchou had clearly felt himself becoming stronger.
The reason was simple: Ray was currently assimilating with Sesshomaru, with far greater Demonic Power and bloodline.
Chouchou, having been transformed by Ray's essence blood, was connected to him.
As Ray enhanced, he naturally grew stronger.
This world, pervasive with demonic energy, made him feel completely at home.
Initially, he had been able to beat up Hiten and Manten.
But unexpectedly, the bald thunder demon had pretended to be severely injured and lured him into a dragon demon's lair.
After a long, brutal battle, Chouchou was severely wounded, though the dragon demon was dead.
With his last ounce of strength, he had sent Hiten and Manten flying just as they were about to capture Robin and the others, then carried everyone some distance before finally exhausting his energy and reverting to his small dog form.
Now, Hiten and Manten were about to catch up.
"Hahaha, Manten, we'll have meat to eat soon. Remember not to kill that woman first—we'll need her tonight."
"No problem, Hiten. Since reviving this morning, we haven't eaten any meat and I'm starving. Human flesh is the most delicious."
Such straightforward, brutal words made Zoro, Robin, and the others feel both furious and deeply anxious.
Was there really no way out? Just blocking one of their major attacks earlier had exhausted all their strength.
"Damn it, I'm still too weak!" Zoro cursed himself, suddenly skidding to a halt and turning around.
"Robin, take them and leave. I'll buy you some time."
Not only Robin, but even Usopp objected.
In the past, he would have been willing to leave Zoro behind, believing he would be fine.
But these two opponents were clearly beyond Zoro's ability to handle.
"Don't hesitate and waste time here," Zoro barked. "You'd better hurry and find someone to save me. No matter how you look at it, this place seems like a yokai world. Since we're here, that means Ray must be nearby too."
Robin nodded—she had considered this possibility long ago.
But could Zoro hold out? There was no time to waste.
"Swordsman-san, hold on. We'll be back soon."
"Hmph! Finally, those hindrances are gone." Zoro placed Wado Ichimonji between his teeth.
"Enduring suffering without resentment—this is the path of Asura. Born toward death, with the awareness of the deceased, open the gates of hell."
"Nine Sword Style: Asura - Deceased's Play."
This wasn't a bluff.
He was, after all, the most diligent trainer among the Straw Hat Pirates and the one who received the most private instruction from Ray.
Coupled with the exclusive manual "Detailed Explanation of Sword Art" tailored for him, the Three Sword Style practitioner had gained a preliminary understanding of his own demonic aura and swordsmanship.
At this moment, refusing to yield to fate while accepting death, the demonic swordsman faced the thunderous yokai head-on.
Hiten originally intended to send Manten to pursue the fleeing group, but now his expression turned grave.
From this human swordsman, he actually sensed a threat.
"Manten, let's attack together and finish him quickly."
"Alright, Hiten."
Manten opened his enormous mouth, golden lightning gathering within it.
Hiten stepped on his fire wheel, gripping the Thunderstrike Blade tightly as he charged.
The golden lightning cascaded over Hiten's body, further enhancing his power.
"Die, human swordsman!"
Wielding the Thunderstrike Blade, now coated with both golden and blue lightning, Hiten's "Thunder Flash" clashed with Zoro's demonic sword technique.
The two passed each other.
In an instant, sword energy and lightning poured out within a 50-meter radius, ravaging the forest and earth beyond recognition.
"Gah! A mere human actually managed to cut me?"
Hiten flew into a rage, his face filled with killing intent as he stared at the charred, immobilized Zoro behind him.
The fact that a human swordsman could inflict such a massive scar on his chest was a disgrace.
He immediately prepared to execute Zoro.
But then, a voice, strikingly familiar to Zoro, rang out from the forest ahead.
"No wonder I detected a familiar yet disgusting scent—it's you two brothers after all. What? Even the underworld didn't want to keep you two pieces of trash?"
That familiar, insulting tone made Zoro's chest tighten with overwhelming disappointment.
Gathering his last breath, he shouted toward the unseen figure.
"Usopp, are you back here to die? Run away quickly!"
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