One Piece: With Sign-in System
Chapter 263 - 14: The Hanafuda Earrings and the Flame Passed Down

Chapter 263: Chapter 14: The Hanafuda Earrings and the Flame Passed Down

After collecting the blood samples from the Temari Demon and the Arrow Demon, Tamayo quickly tended to Tanjiro’s wounds.

Yushiro watched the scene unfold, his face full of envy.

Meanwhile, Shinobu sat formally in front of Ron, her expression unusually solemn. "Sir Ron," she said, bowing her head slightly, "I sincerely apologize for my previous rudeness. If it’s possible... would you be willing to guide me in swordsmanship?"

"You wish to reach the realm of the Transparent World?" Ron asked calmly.

The Demon Slayer Mark and Crimson Blade were feats reserved for those with overwhelming physical power—something her slender frame simply couldn’t provide. Even if she somehow awakened them, her delicate, poison-based fighting style would gain little from their strength-focused advantages.

But if she could master this ’Transparent World’ Ron spoke of—then her abilities would leap far beyond their current limits.

When that day came, finding and killing the demon who took her sister’s life—Upper Rank Two, Doma, wielder of ice—would no longer be just a distant dream.

Ron’s gaze lingered on Shinobu for a moment.

The young woman, usually adorned with a gentle smile, now wore a look of unshakable resolve. Beneath the misty veil of her violet eyes burned a deep, undying hatred toward demons, intertwined with a sorrow so heavy it seemed almost to spill out.

Ron nodded. "Alright. I’ll help you train your swordsmanship."

Shinobu’s eyes immediately lit up.

"But..." Ron added with a sly smile, "I have one condition."

"Please tell me," she said, leaning forward slightly.

"I’m quite curious about the Demon Slayer Corps headquarters. If you can take me there for a visit, I’ll teach you. I’ll help you step into the realm of the Transparent World."

At Ron’s words, hesitation flickered across Shinobu’s face.

The Demon Slayer Corps headquarters had been hidden for centuries, carefully shielded from the eyes of demons like Muzan Kibutsuji. Outsiders were strictly forbidden.

Even she, as a Hashira, couldn’t easily bend that sacred rule.

"I’ll need to get permission from the Master," Shinobu said cautiously. "It may take a few days."

"No rush," Ron said with a relaxed wave of his hand. "We can talk about it later."

Turning his head, Ron looked over at Tamayo and Tanjiro. "Tamayo, this place has been compromised. You should prepare to leave soon, and take Tanjiro and Nezuko with you."

Tanjiro asked with concern, "What about you, Sir Ron?"

Ron grinned. "I’ll go with you for now. I can guide you on the road."

"Really? That’s wonderful!" Tanjiro exclaimed, his face brightening immediately.

Even just facing demons weaker than the Twelve Kizuki had nearly cost him his life.

If he ran into the real monsters—or worse, Muzan Kibutsuji himself—he wouldn’t stand a chance.

He needed to grow stronger.

For Nezuko’s sake, and for the day he would face Muzan.

And after everything that had happened today, Tanjiro was fully convinced—this man named Ron was extraordinarily powerful.

If he could learn even a little under Ron’s guidance, his chances would surely soar.

Tamayo glanced at Nezuko, who sat quietly by her side, obedient and calm. Then, turning to Ron, she asked hesitantly, "Sir Ron... about Nezuko. Would it perhaps be better for her to stay with you all, for her safety?"

Tanjiro turned to look at Nezuko, stunned for a moment.

"Objectively speaking, that might be safer," Ron said, leaning back on the couch. His smile was warm as he looked at the siblings. "But in the end, it should be their decision."

"Nezuko..." Tanjiro called softly.

The girl bit down gently on the bamboo muzzle and clasped his hand tightly, her gaze steady and full of silent understanding.

Tanjiro seemed to feel something resonate in his heart. He smiled, then turned firmly to Tamayo and said,

"Thank you for your kindness, Lady Tamayo. But Nezuko and I have already decided—no matter what happens, we won’t be separated again.

Whether in life or death, we’ll face everything together."

"Is that so..."

Tamayo smiled gently. "I understand."

Even Yushiro, who had always been wary, now looked at Tanjiro with slightly different eyes.

Standing off to the side, Shinobu and Kanao quietly watched this scene unfold, their gazes subtly shifting.

A demon could truly become human again?

If it were before, Shinobu would have absolutely scoffed at such an idea.

Though she always wore a sweet smile, striving to be as kind and gentle as her late sister, Kanae, Shinobu had long buried a seething rage toward demons deep within her heart.

To her, demons were irredeemable creatures—monsters who feasted on human flesh, reeked of blood and death, and slithered through the darkness—a scourge to be eradicated, nothing more.

But now, watching Tanjiro and Nezuko...

A crack appeared in her conviction.

Maybe... just maybe...

There was a glimmer of possibility.

Perhaps demons truly could return to being human.

...

As dusk fell the following day—

Ron, along with the slightly-recovered Tanjiro and Nezuko, prepared to say their farewells to Tamayo and Yushiro.

After a few soft words of parting, they turned and left.

Standing at the doorway, Tamayo watched their departing backs, her voice a gentle whisper carried by the evening breeze, "I wish you all... victorious battles ahead."

Ron, Tanjiro, Nezuko, Shinobu, and Kanao—five figures—soon vanished into the maze of narrow alleyways, swallowed by the city’s deepening shadows.

...

After leaving Asakusa, Tokyo—

Tanjiro quickly received his next mission orders from the Corps.

Without missing a beat, Ron took the lead, bringing Shinobu and Kanao along as they journeyed toward the new destination.

Their path led them through a dense mountain forest.

As twilight deepened and fatigue crept in, they gathered dry branches and lit a small campfire, taking a moment to rest under the canopy of stars.

It was then that Tanjiro, who had been brooding quietly, suddenly lifted his head and looked at Ron, who was lazily sipping some tea.

"Um, Mr. Ron, can I ask you something?"

"Hmm?" Ron didn’t even glance up.

"I mean... I didn’t even know you before. How do you know so much about me? Could it be—you knew my master?!"

"Your master?"

Ron paused. "Oh, you mean Urokodaki Sakonji? Sorry, kid. Never met the guy."

Hearing this, Tanjiro’s expression grew even more puzzled.

Shinobu’s gaze flickered subtly.

—So he’s the former Water Hashira’s disciple. That explains the Water Breathing.

Meanwhile, Tanjiro sat there blinking in confusion. "Then...?"

Ron finally set down his tea, grinning at Tanjiro across the fire. "Say, Tanjiro, do you know the story behind that earring you always wear?"

"My earring?"

Tanjiro blinked and instinctively touched the familiar ornament dangling from his ear.

"This? It was passed down to me by my late father. Is there something special about it?"

"Very special," Ron said, his smile deepening.

"That earring—the Hanafuda-style earring you’re wearing—once belonged to none other than Yoriichi Tsugikuni."

Tanjiro froze in place, stunned.

Even Shinobu, usually calm and composed, couldn’t hide the shock flashing through her heart.

"W-What?!"

Tanjiro, thoroughly flustered, flailed his arms helplessly, his eyes comically wide like two beans. "D-Does that mean... m-my ancestors... were, were, incredible people?!"

Ron chuckled. "Not quite. Yoriichi Tsugikuni isn’t your ancestor. Your ancestor was a close friend of his. Near the end of Yoriichi’s life, he entrusted those earrings to your family—the Kamado family—and they’ve been passed down through your bloodline ever since."

As he spoke, Ron took another slow sip of tea, then gently patted Nezuko, who was curled up asleep beside him.

His gaze softened as he watched the campfire flicker and dance in the dark forest, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"That..." Ron murmured, "is what they call passing the torch through generations... the flame that never dies."

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