"Clang—" A slender rapier barely intercepted the descending Huang Tian, slightly altering its trajectory. The moment blade met blade, Lucci inexplicably vanished right under Shanter's watchful eyes.
"Hmm?" Shanter raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Why push so hard? Sometimes, it's better to show mercy," came an ethereal voice from behind Shanter's right side, startling him. Moments ago, Shanter hadn't sensed the presence of anyone approaching.
He turned sharply, finally catching sight of the newcomer.
The figure appeared to be a boy of fifteen or sixteen, with piercing eyes and sword-like eyebrows. Clad in an elegant blue-and-white robe, he exuded a refined yet unrestrained aura. A slender sword hung at his waist, perfectly balancing scholarly grace with a masculine edge. His long hair cascaded untamed down his back, adding a wild, free-spirited charm rather than a disheveled look.
"Who are you?" Shanter pointed Huang Tian at the youth.
"I am Xu Ruogu, a descendant of the Xu clan—an ancient martial arts family from China—and a key member of China's Dragon Group. Sixteen years ago, during an unforeseen incident on a mission, I transmigrated to this world. May I ask, where are you from, my friend?" Xu Ruogu spoke with a composed, polite demeanor.
"China? Transmigration?" Shanter found these terms difficult to grasp.
"You mean you're not Chinese?" Now it was Xu Ruogu's turn to look astonished. His voice grew colder, tinged with killing intent. "Then where are you from? Japan? Korea? India?"
"Never heard of those places. I belong to the West Sea's Fost family—Fost D. Shanter." Shanter was growing more bewildered by Xu Ruogu's unfamiliar terminology. "And what exactly is 'transmigration'?"
"Wait… you're a native of this world? Impossible! From what I remember, Nico Robin shouldn't have been traveling with someone like you. Could this be some hidden plotline?" Xu Ruogu speculated, tapping the blade of his rapier thoughtfully.
Shanter wasn't a native of the One Piece world, nor was he a transmigrator from Earth. Naturally, he didn't understand Xu Ruogu's ramblings.
Seeing Xu Ruogu toying with his sword, Shanter grew wary. "You're just stalling for time so Lucci can escape, aren't you? Well, this ends now." Finally, Shanter's Kenbunshoku Haki picked up Lucci's location. He decided to deal with Lucci first.
But Xu Ruogu remained unperturbed. "No, I don't think defeating you will be difficult. I merely assumed you were also a Chinese transmigrator and wanted to chat."
His demeanor shifted suddenly. His expression darkened, and his eyes blazed with murderous intent. "But since you're not Chinese, no matter what world you're from—or whether you're a native of this one—I have nothing more to say to you. Lucci is my brother, someone I grew up with in this world. You dare injure him like this, and you think I'll let you go?"
With that, Xu Ruogu vanished from sight.
Shanter was alarmed. He immediately activated his Kenbunshoku Haki to locate Xu Ruogu, but to no avail. There was no trace of Xu Ruogu—or Lucci—anywhere.
"Is this a body technique? If so, it's terrifying! Such incredible speed… even Shanks would struggle to keep up," Shanter thought, his body tensing as he prepared for a sudden attack.
"Clang—" At the last moment, Huang Tian intercepted the rapier that had been aimed like a venomous snake at Shanter's back.
Shanter lunged forward, spinning Huang Tian for a counterattack, but Xu Ruogu had already disappeared again.
This scenario repeated itself several times. Every time Shanter attempted to retaliate, Xu Ruogu would vanish, leaving Shanter increasingly frustrated.
"What kind of joke is this? How am I supposed to fight if I can't even find my opponent? Do I just stand here and take the hits?"
Even though Shanter's defenses seemed impenetrable, he knew he couldn't maintain this forever. Unless he could exhaust Xu Ruogu's stamina, he was bound to slip up eventually.
What Shanter didn't know was that Xu Ruogu was equally unsettled.
Since transmigrating to the One Piece world sixteen years ago, Xu Ruogu had ridden the wave of the "invincible transmigrator" trope. The abundant energy of this world had supercharged his family's secret martial art, Tai Xu Secret Codex, allowing him to reach the sixth level in just sixteen years—a feat that would have taken others in his family four or five decades. Three years ago, after joining CP9, he'd acquired a Spatial Fruit during a mission. Combining it with his family's Xu Clan Sword Technique, he had become virtually unstoppable.
Yet now, against a mere "background character" who hadn't even appeared in the One Piece story, he found himself at an impasse.
"How does this guy block every single attack, as if he has eyes on the back of his head? Could he be one of those legendary New World pirates who were already renowned by the time Luffy set sail? Or the ultimate boss of some island?"
And what about Nico Robin? Why would she travel with someone like him? He didn't seem to be exploiting her. Was this some hidden storyline?
The more Xu Ruogu speculated, the more he realized he had underestimated the challenges of this hot-blooded world.
Meanwhile, Shanter was growing increasingly anxious—not for himself, but for Robin's safety.
He signaled to Robin multiple times to flee, but she, seeing his precarious situation, refused to leave. Instead, she kept her distance from the battlefield, which offered Shanter slight relief.
Still, Shanter knew this was little comfort. Xu Ruogu's ability to remain undetected meant Robin stood no chance if he targeted her.
Xu Ruogu, however, had hesitated to attack Robin. Despite being a hardened member of the Dragon Group, used to battling monsters and demons, he couldn't bring himself to harm such a resilient, graceful beauty. Moreover, attacking Robin would feel like admitting defeat to Shanter—a humiliation no transmigrator could tolerate.
Xu Ruogu wasn't truly invincible, even with his Spatial Fruit powers. By hiding in the spatial layer, he could evade detection, aided by the concealment effects of the Tai Xu Secret Codex. Not even an Observation Haki master like Enel could find him.
However, Xu Ruogu was vulnerable if someone targeted his exact location. His mastery of the Spatial Fruit was far from perfect; the more powerful the fruit, the harder it was to fully develop.
Unfortunately, while Shanter suspected Xu Ruogu's hiding tactic, he couldn't pinpoint his location. Using wide-area techniques like Cross Meteor Shower or Thousand Waves would drain too much energy, making them unsuitable for this duel.
"Do I have to take a hit and create an opening for a counterattack?" Shanter mused. "But with that rapier clearly aiming for vital points, can I survive even one strike?"
Meanwhile, Robin crossed her arms, preparing to intervene.
Phew. The second transmigrator finally appears, though he won't have much interaction with the protagonist. After all, what's fan fiction without a cheat-enabled transmigrator?
---
Get early access to advanced chapters and faster updates by joining the Pirate King membership for just $5! ln my p@tr3on:
p@tr3on.com/KZ478
Your support helps keep this alive and going. Again thank you for reading.