Half an hour later, Zoro collapsed weakly on the ground, panting heavily. The scenes of the battle with Rayleigh flashed through Zoro's mind, leaving him feeling utterly powerless, unable to find a way to win.
"Hah! Hah! Hah! As expected of Silvers Rayleigh, his strength isn't comparable to a Naval Headquarters Vice Admiral!" Zoro sighed from the heart.
Rayleigh offered a modest smile: "Your swordsmanship is very strong and unrestrained. You have the spirit of youth. I'm old, and I'm exhausted after fighting with you for a while!" Indeed, Rayleigh was no longer young. Although his fundamental strength was still there, he would definitely struggle in a battle of endurance.
Rayleigh then explained Zoro's weaknesses in swordsmanship and offered many suggestions, which greatly benefited Zoro. The other crewmates who were listening also gained valuable insights.
Once Rayleigh had rested, it was Tashigi's turn. After training under Koshiro, Tashigi's swordsmanship had rapidly improved, and after her battles with Kaku and Ryuma's corpse, her strength had increased significantly. However, this strength was still insufficient against Rayleigh. Furthermore, her Armament Haki was still immature and had many flaws. Tashigi couldn't hold on for long.
After Tashigi, Law, Brook, and Kaku took turns fighting, with Rayleigh pressing them hard.
By the time these four were done, it was late, and Rayleigh was physically exhausted; he clearly couldn't continue to fight Carl. So, after some final explanations, the teaching session ended temporarily. The fight with Carl was scheduled for the next day.
Everyone returned to the Blackmail Bar. Nami and the others had helped Shakky prepare the meals, and everyone began eating without hesitation. As for the cost, although the food and drinks at the Blackmail Bar were very expensive, Nami couldn't be stingy at this time. She periodically haggled with Shakky, but in the end, she still had to pay.
"By the way, all the information Brother Carl requested has arrived," Shakky said, handing over a folder.
"Oh, Sister Shakky's efficiency is good. The money was well spent!" Carl put down his chopsticks with a smile and took the folder.
"You can just call me Sister Shakky," she said, in good spirits. "I can't afford to delay your business".
Carl pushed his food aside, took out the intelligence documents from the folder, and handed a copy to Robin, who passed them around to everyone after she finished reading. After everyone had seen the information, they all had strange expressions. The information was all significant and seemed reliable.
First, regarding the successor to the Marine Fleet Admiral: the World Government decided that Akainu and Aokiji would duel, and the winner would take over the position. The duel was scheduled for this month, and the location was Punk Hazard. It was clearly a major issue concerning the leader of the Marines, yet they chose the most unconventional method of settling it by a duel, which struck everyone as odd. Originally, Kong chose Sengoku to take his position not because Sengoku was the strongest, but because he had brains, courage, and was loyal to the World Government, making him the best candidate. Now that the decision was based on a duel, people didn't know what to think.
Even Tashigi looked disappointed, feeling a strong sense of resentment for the actions of the World Government and the Marines. They questioned whether this method would even select a good Fleet Admiral. More importantly, they wondered if Akainu and Aokiji could still work together after the duel, and if the Marines would become internally divided because of these two men—a huge hidden danger for the Marines.
Another piece of news concerned the new Warlord of the Sea candidates. In addition to Hawkeye Mihawk, Pirate Empress Boa Hancock, Gecko Moria, and Bartholomew Kuma (Tyrant Bear), there were three new candidates: Thousand-Piece Clown Buggy, Plum Blossom Star Trebol, and the Mad Monk Urouge. As for Donquixote Doflamingo, he had resigned as a Warlord.
Law glanced at the information and sneered. Doflamingo truly knew how to play his games. He resigned from the Warlord position but immediately pushed Trebol in as a candidate to protect the Donquixote Family. What a masterful move; he had forced a way out of Law's difficult situation. But Law didn't care; if Doflamingo wanted to play games, Law would continue to play with him.
Carl couldn't help but give Doflamingo a thumbs-up. This guy was indeed a powerhouse who had earned his place in the New World, and he had a clever mind. However, when the Straw Hats arrived in the New World, the Donquixote Family would be finished, making Doflamingo's current efforts useless.
While Buggy being a new candidate was expected, the Mad Monk Urouge surprised Carl. After seeing the subsequent information, Carl understood why.
The following intelligence was all about the current structure of the New World:
Not long ago, Blackbeard suddenly invaded the New World and seized most of the territory that didn't belong to the original Four Emperors. Simultaneously, he took in many powerful pirates, forming a large pirate group comparable to the original Four Emperors. Afterwards, the Blackbeard Pirates repeatedly invaded the Whitebeard Pirates' territory, but the Whitebeard Pirates pulled back their lines instead, which increased Blackbeard's fame.
Vague whispers of the Six Emperors began to circulate. The mentions of Luffy as a Five Emperor, Carl as a Six Emperor, and Blackbeard as a Seven Emperor in the newspapers were largely jokes. Generally, the "Emperors of the Sea" are the leaders of pirate groups, so Carl was automatically excluded. This meant Carl was the "uncrowned emperor" since he submitted to Straw Hat Luffy. Therefore, the title of Six Emperors naturally fell upon Blackbeard, with many people announcing the arrival of the Era of the Six Emperors.
In addition, the Supernovas also began to take action.
First, Eustass Kid challenged Red-Haired Shanks but was soundly defeated and cut by him, eventually fleeing with the Kid Pirates.
Second, the Mad Monk Urouge defeated Snack, one of the Four Sweet Commanders of the Big Mom Pirates. He quickly gained notoriety but was then pursued by the Big Mom Pirates. At this point, World Government personnel approached Urouge to offer him the position of Warlord of the Sea, which Urouge accepted without hesitation. That was why Urouge was the soon-to-be new Warlord. With the help of the World Government personnel, Urouge successfully escaped the Big Mom Pirates and was now preparing to find a base of operations.
Furthermore, X. Drake joined the Beasts Pirates, and Capone Bege joined the Big Mom Pirates. As for Scratchmen Apoo and Basil Hawkins, they were still taking risks everywhere, seemingly looking for a chance to defeat the old Four Emperors. Jewelry Bonney, the woman with a large appetite, was still missing.
The information was very thorough, allowing Carl to understand the current situation of the New World. Carl valued intelligence greatly, adhering to the principle of "know yourself, know your enemy, and win every battle". Even if Luffy didn't care about it, Carl had to be fully prepared.
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