Ray watched the little dog with a calm expression.
Chouchou was on the brink of death, and the lion, Richie, was about to tear down the pet shop door.
Ray wanted to see what the little dog would do.
Would it throw away its life in one last, desperate charge?
Or would it decide it had done enough and try to save itself?
The answer would decide how Ray chose to save it.
A few moments earlier, when Ray had first seen Richie swat the little dog away, a strange anger had ignited in his chest.
He didn't understand why he was so agitated, but the more he watched, the more that irritation grew, twisting into a cold fury.
When he'd stopped Luffy from charging in, he finally recognized it for what it was: instinct.
In his old life, before he came to this world, he'd had a little white dog.
It had died protecting him.
And now, he had the power of Sesshomaru—a Great Dog Demon.
At that moment, as if hearing his thoughts, little Chouchou summoned the last of its strength.
It staggered to its feet and launched itself at the giant lion in a final, suicidal attack.
Ray had his answer.
....
As expected, courage alone wasn't enough.
Richie swatted the dog away again.
Chouchou coughed up blood as it flew through the air, landing right in Ray's arms.
Seeing this, Luffy started to panic. "Ray, I trusted you! That's why I stayed back! Don't tell me you don't have a plan!"
Ray looked down at the tiny, broken body in his arms, and the fire in his chest burned hotter.
He gently placed Chouchou in Luffy's arms.
"Watch him. When I'm done, I can save him."
In the distance, Nami and the mayor, who had been hiding, saw the dog get hit and started running toward Luffy.
Suddenly, a silver-white blur shot past them at blinding speed, and the gust of wind it created nearly knocked them off their feet.
"HEY! Watch where you're going! Can't you see a lady is wearing a skirt here?!" Nami shrieked, but her anger was quickly replaced by concern for the little dog.
She ignored the figure that had just rushed past and ran straight to Luffy.
"I thought you wanted to be King of the Pirates!" she said angrily. "How can you let a little dog get hurt like this?"
Luffy just looked at her calmly.
"I believe in my crew," he said simply, his eyes locked on Ray in the distance.
This just made Nami even angrier.
"Of course. Pirates are all the same! Useless! Give Chouchou to me!"
"No way," Luffy said, holding the dog protectively. "Ray told me to watch him. He said he can save him, and I'm not letting go until Ray comes back."
Nami frowned. "Ray? You mean that guy who just tried to blow my skirt up?" She turned to look where Luffy was staring and her eyes went wide with shock.
In front of the pet food shop, the white-haired man had plunged his hand straight through the giant lion's head.
The skull was already starting to melt.
Ray stared coldly at Richie the Lion as his Poison Claws did their work, subjecting it to a slow and agonizing death.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!" Mohji, whose legs had been broken earlier, roared from the ground.
"RICHIE WAS MY PARTNER! HOW DARE YOU KILL HIM?! I'LL TEAR YOU APART—AAAH!!!"
Mohji desperately clawed his way toward Ray, his face twisted with grief and rage.
Ray watched him, and for a second, his cold expression flickered.
A memory surfaced—his own helpless anger when his dog had been killed.
The regret, the fury… it was the same.
He had planned to finish Mohji with a single strike, but now, he changed his mind.
He turned and walked back toward Luffy.
…
In the distance, a figure in a gaudy clown outfit floated in the air, a sinister grin on his face.
"Oh? He didn't kill Mohji. What a shame. I was hoping he'd take care of that trash for me. It's always awkward killing an old comrade yourself, you know."
"Well then, White-Haired Swordsman… Straw Hat… Pirate Hunter… you've laid your hands on my men. I assume that means you're ready for a real fight? Kahahahaha!"
…
Back at the pet shop, Ray reappeared beside Luffy. He gently took Chouchou and laid the little dog on the ground.
Nami was about to scold him, but when she saw his face, her words caught in her throat.
Her gaze went hazy, and she stared at him, completely captivated.
The butcher and his wife, who had just caught up, saw the look on her face.
The butcher was finally starting to understand his wife's reaction earlier.
Luffy, however, didn't notice Nami's dazed state at all.
He just watched Ray intently.
Ray drew his sword, Tōkijin, and made a small cut on his own wrist.
He let his blood drip slowly into Chouchou's mouth.
A moment later, the little dog, which had been completely limp, started to thrash violently.
The movement snapped Nami out of her trance.
"What's happening to Chouchou?!" she shouted nervously. "Hey, you better explain—uh, never mind. You don't have to explain." She trailed off, her expression turning dreamy again as she watched Ray.
"He is so handsome when he's focused," she muttered.
The butcher couldn't help but comment, "Seems the prettier the woman, the harder they fall for him. Ouch—that hurts!"
His wife, who was mostly over her initial shock, had just pinched him hard on his side.
Ray ignored all of them, his full attention on the little dog.
Finally, Chouchou's body went still.
Luffy, the mayor, the butcher couple, and the lovestruck Nami all held their breath.
After a few tense seconds, the little dog's legs started to twitch.
It slowly opened its eyes and shakily got to its feet.
Chouchou looked right at Ray… and started wagging its tail.
"Whoa!" Luffy jumped up, ecstatic. "Ray, your blood can heal people?! That's amazing!"
Tears streamed down the mayor's face.
"That's wonderful, just wonderful…"
The look Nami was giving Ray was now something else entirely.
She was completely confused.
'What is wrong with me today?' she thought.
'He's just a handsome guy. Why do I keep losing my cool?'
'Damn it, I can't hold it back anymore!'
As if moved by an unseen force, Nami reached her hand out toward Ray.
Seeing it coming, Ray quickly sidestepped, dodging her 'groping hand'.
He was just as confused as she was.
Ever since he'd arrived in this world, women acted strangely around him.
Was it just his looks? Or something else?
This felt less like simple attraction and more like some kind of weird power at play.
He decided he'd have to ask his system about it later.
Just as Ray dodged another one of Nami's lunges, a loud laugh echoed from above.
"Kahahahaha! White-Haired Swordsman Ray! You've put on quite a show for me!"
High in the air, a flamboyant figure looked down on them all.
Buggy the Clown had arrived.