"What a troublesome rookie."
Rayleigh sipped his drink calmly, never expecting this turn of events.
But as a swordsman and more importantly, as a senior how could he back down in the face of a challenge?
He set his bottle down, his weathered gaze locking onto those razor-sharp hawk eyes.
Buzzing filled the air.
Crackling surged.
In the next moment, his eyes sharpened like a blade drawn from its sheath. From the slouched figure of the scruffy, golden-haired uncle, torrents of black-and-red lightning erupted like a thunderstorm, surging outward in violent waves.
The sheer force of his Conqueror's Haki caused Mihawk's pupils to contract slightly. His expression grew grave.
It was every bit as overwhelming as Ozz's. Perhaps even more so.
A tyrannical will surged outward in all directions.
Within a hundred meters, everyone but Shakuyaku collapsed to the floor, eyes rolling back, mouths open, completely unconscious.
This was Dark King Rayleigh's peak Conqueror's Haki.
A level truly befitting a legend a master among masters.
Naturally, Mihawk wouldn't be cowed by such a display. He had his own Haki.
"The world's greatest swordsman doesn't sheath his blade because someone else's aura is stronger!"
Crackling blasts of black-and-red lightning continued to explode around them.
A clash between two generations.
One was the right hand of the Pirate King, the other the right hand of the Black Emperor.
Their clashing wills tore at the very ground, black lightning slicing the air. The explosive pressure could be felt even from kilometers away.
"What's going on…?"
The Sabaody Archipelago guards stared up at the sky, jaws slack, as pillars of lightning surged skyward.
Dark clouds rolled in. The heavens boiled like the end of the world.
"This level of Haki clash… are you kidding me? This is Black Emperor Ozz's turf!"
"Who would dare…?"
"What the hell is happening?! Is the world ending?!"
In every alley and market street, people dropped whatever they were doing and stared up at the sky in disbelief.
As chief steward, Sammi was the first to receive internal updates.
And naturally, her head was pounding.
"Rayleigh and Mihawk… want to duel? Honestly, what can you even say at this point?"
"At the very least, couldn't they fight somewhere other than Sabaody?"
She wasn't the only one thinking it.
Inside Shakky's Rip-off Bar, even the usually unflappable owner had a rare scowl on her face as she looked at the two titans radiating killing intent.
Her patience snapped.
She slammed her fist onto the bar counter.
"Hey!!! If you two are gonna fight, don't do it on this island!!!"
Rayleigh paused.
Mihawk blinked.
Shakky's outburst threw them both off. The mountain-crushing pressure in the air began to settle.
The raging lightning gradually dissipated.
"You two… just look at what you've done to my bar."
Rayleigh scratched the back of his head with a nervous chuckle, sweat trickling down his temple. Then he turned to Mihawk.
The young swordsman looked away awkwardly and sighed.
Then defaulted to his go-to escape move.
"Talk to Ozz. He'll pay double."
...
Mihawk was twenty-four. A young man, through and through.
But already, he had stepped into the ranks of Admiral-class strength, thanks to his unmatched swordsmanship and powerful Haki.
Rayleigh, on the other hand, had long since reached Emperor-level, with decades of battle experience under his belt.
If these two truly fought seriously, there was no telling how long the battle would last.
Whoosh
A massive emerald slash tore through the landscape, cleaving the ground cleanly in two.
Mountains shattered. Rock crumbled like tofu before its edge. The sheer sharpness was terrifying.
But from within the smoke and rubble, a burly figure emerged, draped in a white cape. Completely unfazed.
He walked forward slowly, his movements steady, hand resting on the hilt of his blade.
That was how true power always entered a battlefield.
One step at a time.
Calm, composed, deliberate.
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed. His body sparked with arcs of black lightning as he faced Mihawk head-on.
"I figured someone like you would come challenge me eventually. Just didn't think it would be this soon."
Mihawk's eyes narrowed slightly. His hand trembled, not from fear, but from excitement.
The thrill of crossing blades with a true master.
"Silvers Rayleigh…"
Night, the black sword, stirred on his back as battlelust surged.
Clearly, the feeling was mutual.
"If you're ready, then come at me."
Rayleigh met Mihawk's gaze. Cold, calm, but resolute. He slowly drew his blade, now wrapped in a thick aura of Conqueror's Haki.
He raised it to the sky.
At once, lightning exploded again, flashing across the dark clouds.
It reminded Mihawk of his past duel with Ozz.
Only this felt even more intense.
"Little Hawk from Ozz's crew. You're a bit ahead of yourself… but I did help train Ozz once. So guiding you a little wouldn't be completely unreasonable."
And just like Ozz had once done.
Mihawk responded with unwavering determination.
He tightened his grip on Yoru.
His own Conqueror's Haki erupted, colliding with Rayleigh's pressure. He didn't back down an inch.
Back down?
Not a chance.
He wasn't just aiming to be the greatest swordsman.
He would be the right hand of the strongest man in the world the future King of the World.
The black blade Yoru gleamed with Conqueror's Haki. Mihawk raised it overhead, his poised stance exuding noble grace.
The killing intent in his eyes locked onto Rayleigh, focused like a hawk zeroing in on prey.
And then.
A single, devastating downward slash.
Buzz... crack!
A strike laced with black-and-red lightning, even sharper than the last, shot directly at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh responded without hesitation. He struck back.
Their blades met.
So sharp were their attacks, so violent their clash, that even a moment of Haki resistance wasn't enough they made direct contact.
A deafening crash of metal echoed from the epicenter.
And somehow, the two were evenly matched.
High above, a specially trained king seagull, immune to Conqueror's Haki and raised by Morgans himself, snapped photos with blinding speed.
Naturally, he wouldn't let anyone else get the scoop on this headline.
Even though Mihawk's Haki was still slightly weaker, his sheer spirit and swordsmanship refused to yield.
Under immense pressure, he continued to evolve.
Rayleigh's attacks, each one cloaked in top-tier Haki, failed to drive him back. Their blades clashed again and again in a brilliant blur.
Of course, Mihawk's body began to accumulate injuries.
But a swordsman's pride wouldn't allow retreat.
He welcomed the pressure.
"Silvers Rayleigh! Come at me like you mean to kill me!"
Rayleigh's answer?
Another brutal, overwhelming slash.
"I've always been serious, boy."