Trader In The World Of Pirates!!!

Ding— 

A low, sharp drumbeat reverberated amidst the waves of fire.

As a former Lower Moon Demon, Kyogai wielded a formidable blood demon art. With a single strike on the demon drum embedded in its flesh, it could freely alter the spatial layout of the mansion. This unique power made Kyogai nearly invincible within its own domain.

Muzan, intrigued by this manipulation of space, had injected Kyogai with a considerable amount of his blood, elevating it to the rank of Sixth of the Lower Moon Demon. Unfortunately for Kyogai, its potential was limited. Despite gaining a place among the Twelve Moon Demon, it struggled to grow stronger. Consequently, its blood demon art was only effective within the confines of this mansion.

After Muzan encountered Nakime and witnessed her superior [Infinity Castle] ability, Kyogai became obsolete. Stripped of its rank among the Lower Moon Demon, Kyogai, unaware of its fall from grace, continued to believe that devouring more humans would one day restore its former status.

Even today, Kyogai clung to that hope.

But what it didn't anticipate was…

Before reclaiming its place among the Lower Moon Demon, it would face a demon slayer who could render its blood demon art utterly useless!

…

…

"Hinokami Kagura—Flame Burst!"

Boom!

A massive explosion sent splinters of wood and tatami flying in all directions, as if caught in a fiery tornado.

Hovering in mid-air, Tanjiro and his Larvesta left Kyogai dumbfounded. The demon couldn't comprehend how this boy and his strange insect companion could defy gravity, floating as if they were walking on solid ground. No matter how much Kyogai twisted the rooms with its blood demon art, it had no effect on them.

Even worse, Tanjiro and his insect ally were using various fire techniques—launching devastating attacks that caused more destruction to the mansion than any demolition crew ever could.

"Damn it! Who are you?!"

It wasn't as if Kyogai had never fought demon slayers before. In the past, those intruders had rushed foolishly into its domain, only to be toyed with and killed by its blood demon art. But today, it faced an opponent it was utterly powerless against.

"Could it be… he's one of the Hashira?!"

A terrible thought struck Kyogai. The Demon Slayer Corps had a strict hierarchy, with the strongest warriors appointed as the "Pillars" who upheld the entire organization. Below them, there were ten ranks: Mizunoto(1), Mizunoe(2), Kanoto(3), Kanoe(4), Tsuchinoto(5), Tsuchinoe(6), Hinoto(7), Hinoe(8), Kinoto(The Highest Rank).

Kyogai now believed Tanjiro was a Hashira, one of the elite slayers.

But it didn't know…

At this time, Tanjiro was merely a Mizunoto—the lowest rank in the Demon Slayer Corps.

Ignoring Kyogai's questions, Tanjiro focused on the task at hand. In this mansion, he had already smelled the overwhelming stench of blood and seen several half-eaten corpses. Communicating with the demon in front of him was out of the question.

He wanted only to defeat it as quickly as possible and let Sir Enel purify it.

Tanjiro would never forgive a demon that consumed humans!

Boom!

A dragon of blazing fire roared towards Kyogai—Tanjiro's only response.

"Damn brat!" Kyogai cursed, gritting its teeth. But it was helpless. It wasn't skilled in close combat, and with its blood demon art neutralized, it could only muster a meager claw attack in the void.

But no matter how it attacked, the boy dodged with unnatural speed, evading every strike as if he could predict where the blow would land. Even worse, the enormous insect beside Tanjiro was just as deadly.

Realizing it was no match, Kyogai reluctantly struck the demon drum embedded in its body, activating the last vestiges of its blood demon art.

In a flash, it teleported to a different room, hoping to distance itself from Tanjiro.

Boom!

A wave of fiery energy exploded into the room where Kyogai had been, burning a massive hole into the tatami floor. 

"Huh? Escaped?" Tanjiro muttered, momentarily surprised. But his keen sense of smell quickly kicked in, and his expression hardened. 

"There!"

Without hesitation, Tanjiro darted towards the source of the scent.

Kyogai could never have predicted…

Tanjiro's abilities went beyond mere combat strength. His sense of smell was so acute that even if Kyogai hid at the ends of the earth, Tanjiro could track him down.

For someone like Tanjiro, who had already memorized Kyogai's scent, the demon's location was as obvious as a beacon on a map. No matter where it hid, it couldn't escape.

And that...

That was the one thing Kyogai couldn't understand.

"Why!? Why can that damn kid still find me, even after I've hidden so far away!?"

Panic surged through Kyogai's mind. Desperately, it huddled in a corner of the room, not daring to make a sound.

Even though it suspected that Tanjiro might have some way of detecting its location, it clung to a faint hope, praying it wouldn't be found.

Obviously... 

This is 'its' house! 

In reality, if we compared their power levels, Kyogai's physical strength and energy weren't far off from Tanjiro and Larvesta—they were evenly matched. However, Tanjiro's mastery of the Marine Six Styles and his fire-based techniques naturally countered Kyogai's blood demon arts, giving him a decisive edge in battle. This overwhelming advantage made Tanjiro realize just how powerful the abilities he had gained from the dimensional trade truly were.

...

Time passed slowly. 

Since Tanjiro entered, the mansion hidden deep within the forest had been rocked by explosions. His fire attacks frequently pierced through the walls, letting beams of sunlight shine in. Even though it was just the last rays of the setting sun, any part of that light that touched the demons spelled certain death. 

With each passing moment, the number of rooms where Kyogai could hide dwindled. Eventually, after Tanjiro had demolished nearly every room, turning the once-maze-like mansion into an open battlefield, Kyogai's blood demon art lost all effectiveness.

"Larvesta! Silk Spin!" 

With a swift stomp, Tanjiro transformed into a dark blur, his flaming sword slashing toward the terrified Kyogai. Though Kyogai was powerful and skilled, Tanjiro knew that Larvesta's silk might not be enough to completely bind him. With no choice, Tanjiro severed Hibiki's limbs and much of his body, leaving only his head and torso intact—just enough for a trade.

In the end, Kyogai, having lost all will to fight, allowed himself to be wrapped tightly by Larvesta, like a massive snow-white dumpling. Whether because he was utterly defeated or simply too afraid to resist, Kyogai remained unusually quiet—more docile than even the two demons being guarded by Zenitsu and Inosuke.

As Tanjiro thought of those two demons, a glimmer of calculation flashed in his eyes. He had already decided that if Enel agreed, he would offer Zenitsu and Inosuke the chance to trade the demons they had captured. However, that didn't stop him from guessing their potential value.

Although those two demons weren't as strong as the ones he had faced in Tokyo, they weren't weak either. He estimated they could be traded for around 600 points. While 600 points wouldn't be enough for Zenitsu and Inosuke to acquire extraordinary Pokémon, it would be sufficient to let them learn the Navy's Six Styles. 

Thinking this, Tanjiro couldn't help but murmur: 

"I just wonder... if he have a new trader, will Sir Enel still continue traveling with me?"

Though Enel had only appeared during transactions and otherwise stayed hidden, his presence gave Tanjiro great peace of mind. If Enel suddenly left, Tanjiro knew he would feel somewhat lost.

"Tanjiro!" 

At that moment, Zenitsu's voice echoed from elsewhere in the mansion. Because Kyogai was still alive, the blood demon art that twisted the mansion's dimensions remained in effect, making the structure seem ten times larger than it appeared from the outside. Fortunately, thanks to the lingering unburned flames from Tanjiro's earlier attacks, Zenitsu and Inosuke had managed to find him.

Zenitsu rushed over, carrying a demon on his back. Inosuke, eyes sparkling with excitement, had clearly not forgotten Tanjiro's promise to show him how to exchange captured demons for power once they had defeated all the demons in the mansion. Coming from a world where the strong dominate the weak, Inosuke's thirst for power was fierce.

Seeing Inosuke's eager expression, Tanjiro smiled knowingly, instantly understanding his thoughts. Glancing at the setting sun outside, he decided not to bring the demon outside to avoid complications. Instead, he looked toward the sky above the mansion and shouted:

"Sir Enel, I want to make a deal!" 

"Sir Enel, I want to make a deal!... Sir Enel, I want to make a deal!"

As soon as Tanjiro's words left his mouth, his voice echoed throughout the mansion.

"Tanjiro, who are you talking to?" 

Zenitsu, confused, walked up to return the wooden box Tanjiro had asked him to guard. With his superhuman hearing, Zenitsu had long since sensed the presence of a demon inside the box. Yet, trusting in Tanjiro's kind nature, he hadn't questioned it.

But suddenly—Swish! 

In the dim light, a bright blue flash streaked across the space. A moment later, countless sparks of electricity converged, and before their eyes, a tall figure emerged from the dazzling light.

"Y-You... who are you?!" 

Terrified, Zenitsu jumped back, hiding behind Inosuke as he trembled. Peeking cautiously from behind, Zenitsu stared wide-eyed at Enel. Inosuke, meanwhile, instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword, his animalistic instincts warning him that the man in front of them was no ordinary being.

Seeing their reaction, Tanjiro smiled calmly before introducing them:

"Zenitsu, Inosuke, don't be alarmed!" 

"This is Sir Enel. The method I mentioned to help you become stronger lies with him."

But then, Tanjiro paused, turning to Enel with a question: 

"Sir Enel, can Zenitsu and Inosuke become traders too?"

"Of course!" 

Enel grinned. He had been wondering when he'd find new candidates for the dimensional trade, and Tanjiro had conveniently brought them to him.

Hearing Enel's response, Tanjiro's face lit up with joy. 

"That's great!" 

He wasn't someone who hoarded power for himself. To him, his companions were comrades, and the stronger they became, the better!

Pointing to the two demons behind him, Tanjiro said to Enel: 

"In that case, Sir Enel, I've decided to give these two demons I captured to Zenitsu and Inosuke. Please explain the rules of dimensional trading to them."

With Enel present, Tanjiro didn't need to go through the trouble of explaining everything himself. He knew from personal experience that if someone just 'heard' about the dimensional trade, they wouldn't believe it. It was better to let Sir Enel handle it.

"Understood," Enel replied coolly.

At Zenitsu and Inosuke's puzzled expressions, Enel raised a finger, sending out two rays of light that struck their foreheads.

Instantly, all the rules and knowledge about dimensional trading flooded into their minds like a series of vivid memories. Their expressions shifted—confusion giving way to shock, then disbelief. 

A minute later, Zenitsu and Inosuke exchanged glances. In that moment, their eyes were filled with only one thing: pure excitement!