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The next one chapter on webnovel will be uploaded in the next 2 days.
The next five chapters will be uploaded on Patreon in the next 2 days.
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"What's the situation, Bai Yu?"
The four powerhouses were locked in a delicate standoff, tension thick in the air. Kizaru broke the silence first, turning to Bai Yu with a frown.
"Right under your nose, someone's busy saving lives," Bai Yu replied coolly, casting a sharp glance at Kizaru. "Don't tell me you didn't notice."
His words made more than just Kizaru raise an eyebrow. Even Rayleigh's expression twitched with amusement.
"Come on, you've seen him too. That's Silvers Rayleigh—the Dark King."
"Roger's right-hand man," Kizaru muttered with a rare note of seriousness. "It's not so easy for me to hold him back."
"Then switch targets," Bai Yu suggested without hesitation. "Watch Kuma. I'll take Rayleigh."
The moment the name left Bai Yu's lips, his eyes burned with anticipation. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance—facing off against the legendary vice-captain of the Pirate King. And better yet, Rayleigh was a swordsman.
As a swordsman himself, Bai Yu's fighting spirit ignited.
"This..." Kizaru stared at him like he'd grown another head. "You're serious?"
Most people, when faced with a monster like Rayleigh, would find any excuse to back off.
But not Bai Yu.
No—he looked more excited the stronger his opponent was. Now that even Rayleigh had taken an interest in him, Kizaru was genuinely unsure how to describe this guy.
"I'm serious," Bai Yu nodded, eyes never leaving Rayleigh.
And Rayleigh, for his part, had been sizing up Bai Yu all along.
There was something... different about him.
Something that felt oddly dangerous—even to someone of Rayleigh's caliber.
"Interesting..." Rayleigh chuckled suddenly. "The new generation is truly something else."
Not just pirates, but even the Marines were brimming with monsters these days. It was a far cry from the old days, when he and Roger ruled the seas.
Rayleigh glanced toward Bartholomew Kuma and gave a subtle nod.
Then his gaze locked with Bai Yu's once more.
Without a word, the two silently moved to a more open area nearby.
With Kizaru, Kuma, and Luffy all present, they both knew a full-power battle couldn't be waged in the middle of chaos. They needed space.
When they finally came to a clearing—flat, wide, and silent—Rayleigh drew his sword and pointed it straight at Bai Yu.
"Come then! Show me how strong the new Marine generation really is!"
Bai Yu grinned, stepping forward with both hands on his blades.
"I'd like to see how powerful the right hand of the Pirate King really is."
He gripped Sakuragi in his right hand, and with his left, unsheathed his other sword—the Shin Musou Tachi.
"A dual-wielder?" Rayleigh blinked in surprise.
While not unheard of, dual swordsmanship—or even three-sword style like that of Roronoa Zoro—was rare in the pirate world. Most swordsmen preferred the classic single blade.
Though Rayleigh had seen it before, it was far from common.
"To face someone like you... I have to get serious from the start," Bai Yu murmured, more to himself than to Rayleigh.
This wasn't like fighting Garp. With Rayleigh, there was no room for holding back.
Boom—!
Rayleigh made the first move.
With a casual sweep of his blade, a massive, compressed air slash burst forth. It screamed through the air with enough force to split solid rock, carving a long gash across the battlefield as it tore toward Bai Yu.
In response, Bai Yu crossed his two swords before him.
Fwoooom—!
Flames of sword intent ignited on both blades—one white, one crimson—flickering like twin dragons coiling around their respective weapons.
"You've already awakened sword intent?" Rayleigh's tone changed, his eyes sharpening.
Anyone capable of wielding sword intent was no ordinary fighter.
"Dual Sword Style: Azure Dragon – Cross Slash!"
Bai Yu roared as he slashed forward in an X-formation. Two arcs of energy—one fiery red, the other icy white—blasted from his blades, forming a cross-shaped attack that streaked toward Rayleigh's slash.
BOOOOM!
The two attacks collided in mid-air, detonating with a thunderous explosion that tore apart the ground beneath and sent debris flying.
Both slashes canceled each other out.
But Bai Yu didn't pause.
"Run Thunder!"
Zzzt—!
Electricity crackled around his feet as thunder-lightning enveloped his body.
Flash!
With a burst of acceleration, Bai Yu shot forward like a bolt of lightning, vanishing from view and reappearing instantly before Rayleigh, sword raised.
"What speed...!"
Even Rayleigh couldn't help but exclaim. That instantaneous burst of movement—amplified by the Run Thunder technique—was incredible.
But Rayleigh was no rookie.
His eyes sharpened, and with the focus of a seasoned warrior, he unleashed Observation Haki at full force.
Rayleigh's haki mastery was legendary—even capable of glimpsing slightly into the future.
"There!"
In a flash, he predicted Bai Yu's trajectory.
Rayleigh swung his blade toward his flank—right where Bai Yu appeared a heartbeat later.
CLANG!
Their blades collided with explosive force, sparks flying between them like a shower of fireworks.
ZZZTTT—!
The violent energy clash tore at the surrounding air, and their weapons trembled from the pressure.
Both fighters' blades were wrapped in Armament Haki, their clashing wills spilling out like shockwaves that cracked the ground and split nearby debris into pieces.
The collision held—for just a moment, neither side giving an inch.
"Rayleigh..." Bai Yu narrowed his eyes. "You're going too easy on me."
"No such thing," Rayleigh said with a small smirk. "You're stronger than I thought."
Suddenly—
Hummmmm—!
The color of Rayleigh's sword darkened. His Armament Haki shifted—liquid-like, as if it were flowing with life.
This wasn't just ordinary haki.
This was Advanced Armament Haki – Internal Destruction.
The black energy on Rayleigh's sword slithered like smoke, bypassing the outer defense of Bai Yu's blades and threatening to hit their core directly.
"As I said..." Rayleigh murmured, his tone deadly calm, "I don't plan to underestimate you at all."
Their next exchange would no longer be a test.
It was a true battle between monsters—between the new era and the old.
Join my Patreon to read advanced chapters.
Five new chapters uploaded on PATREON.
patreon.com/FrancisMWFosterHome
The next one chapter on webnovel will be uploaded in the next 2 days.
The next five chapters will be uploaded on Patreon in the next 2 days.
patreon.com/FrancisMWFosterHome