Chapter 161: All Eyes on Deck, the Players Take the Stage
"Such powerful Haki,"
Rayleigh said, adjusting his glasses, the shock in his eyes still not fading. "And you've even mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion. Are you really not even twenty years old?"
Shane strode forward, his black hair whipping in the aftershock of his Haki.
With every step, the uneven ground beneath his feet parted, creating a trench, as if paving a path for him.
"Regretting it now?" he grinned. "You thought you could just push around a rookie, act like a senior, but now you've realized you've bitten off more than you can chew?"
"..."
Rayleigh was silent for a moment, and then he also burst out laughing. "I really did misjudge you!"
He had come to keep his promise, and his intentions were not so despicable.
As for whether he regretted underestimating Shane's strength…
Perhaps a little. But there were no second chances in this world!
Since he had taken this step, there was no turning back.
Today, even if a Marine Admiral or one of the Four Emperors were standing before him, he would still have to seek justice for Hachi's soul.
"Then let's fight! Let our strength do the talking!"
Rayleigh gripped his longsword and laughed loudly. "Let this old man see for himself just how far the junior who has turned Paradise upside down has come!"
VWOOM!
The moment he finished speaking, Rayleigh's own Conqueror's Haki erupted from him. His long, silver hair whipped wildly in the air, and massive bolts of black and red lightning shot out in all directions!
BOOM!
The two terrifying Conqueror's Haki clashed under the heavens. In an instant, the sky over the previously sunny Sabaody Archipelago was filled with dark clouds, and thunder rolled.
And the entire Grove 1 was plunged into a stormy darkness.
"Move up! All of you, move up!"
"Take down all the troublemakers, no matter who they are!"
The large contingent of guards from the auction house, led by their captain, were just charging out the main entrance.
They were looking to see what kind of idiot would dare to cause trouble at the well-connected Human Auctioning House.
But the moment they stepped outside, the scene that greeted them was like the apocalypse.
"Th-This is…"
They were all stunned, frozen in place. Before they could even react, the aftershock of the Conqueror's Haki clash washed over them.
Thump!
The hundreds of guards' eyes rolled back in their heads, and they collapsed like stalks of wheat, all of them knocked unconscious.
RUMBLE—!!
The clash of the two Haki grew more and more intense.
The ground trembled, and the air distorted.
Even the giant mangrove trees in the distance were cracking under the pressure, groaning as if they were about to break.
The front wall of the auction house, which had been taking the brunt of the impact, completely collapsed, revealing the scene within—
In the massive auction house, the audience seats were almost completely empty.
But the slaves on the stage, because of the special collars they were wearing, which would explode if they left the auction house, were all huddled together in the corners of the stage, trembling in fear as they watched the scene outside.
Among the slaves were various rare races, such as the Longarm Tribe, Fish-Men, Half-Giants, and Snake-Neck Tribe.
There were also beautiful and strong humans.
All in all, there were dozens of them, and they were a very conspicuous group. Shane and Rayleigh noticed them at the same time.
And their reactions were surprisingly similar.
SWISH!
At almost the same instant, they reined in their auras and used Moonwalk to charge toward the auction stage.
One went left, and the other went right. Their speed was incredible, and in the blink of an eye, they had both landed on either side of the stage.
Only then did they turn and look at each other.
"..."
Rayleigh narrowed his eyes.
In the end, he said nothing and began to unlock the slaves' collars one by one.
His method was simple and brutal. He just crushed the collars with his bare hands and then quickly tossed them into the empty space behind him, letting them explode.
And Shane was even more efficient.
He just had to gently brush his fingers over the collars on the slaves' necks, and they would automatically unlock, without even triggering the explosion.
"We're saved! We're finally saved!"
"Thank you! Thank you both!"
The slaves were in tears, thanking them profusely, but the two of them just waved their hands and urged them to leave the area.
This large, open space, with the auction house at its center, was a good battlefield. They had both tacitly agreed to continue the fight here, and if these ordinary people stayed, they would eventually be caught in the crossfire.
By the time Rayleigh was done, Shane had already been standing there, waiting for a while.
"If not for the grudge with Hachi, I think you and I could have been good friends," Rayleigh said, taking out a bottle of liquor from somewhere and taking a large swig.
"But he was indebted to you, and I to him. From the moment you drew your sword, some things could no longer be reversed,"
Shane said, shaking his head calmly.
After waiting a little longer, he slowly clenched his right fist, and black and red lightning once again wrapped around it. He grinned. "Those people are far enough away now, and you've had enough to drink, haven't you? Let's stop the small talk, old man. Let's continue!"
"That's what I was thinking!"
Rayleigh laughed, tossing the empty liquor bottle aside. His longsword was suddenly drawn, and its blade was also wrapped in a blinding, black and red light!
"Divine Departure!"
"Godslayer!"
In the next instant, both of them vanished!
CLANG—!!!
The sound of metal on metal echoed through the heavens. In mid-air, fist and sword clashed, and with a deafening roar, countless black and red lightning bolts collided, engulfing everything in sight.
A terrifying shockwave exploded outward, and the ground for several kilometers around rippled like a wave.
The entire Human Auctioning House was completely leveled in the impact!
"Divine Departure? That's Roger's move, isn't it?"
The two of them were locked in a stalemate, their blades crossed. Shane sneered. "So you know it too… Rayleigh. But compared to your captain, an imitation of this level is not nearly enough to defeat me!"
"And your move, it's also a little lacking, isn't it?"
Rayleigh grinned. "But considering your age, it's still quite impressive… speaking of which, is it called 'Godslayer'? What an arrogant name!"
BOOM!
The clash was a stalemate. Neither of them could overpower the other, and to continue to hold was pointless.
So, their figures crossed and separated, and then they charged at each other again.
BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!
For a time, the vast, empty space was filled with the sound of explosions, and the battle was gradually reaching its climax.
————
"What did you say?"
In the headquarters of the Sabaody newspaper, behind the boss's desk, an old man with graying hair and black-rimmed glasses stared with wide eyes. "Shane? That Shane is still alive?"
"Yes, President!"
the young subordinate in front of him said excitedly, pulling out a photo. "This is a photo that a reporter on the front lines took at great risk! You'll see for yourself! There's no mistake! It's Shane! The great pirate who was declared dead by the World Government two months ago!"
The old president took the photo skeptically.
The moment he saw the black-haired young man in it, he shot to his feet.
And when his gaze shifted to the silver-haired figure with the longsword, his eyes widened in shock. "Rayleigh?!"
"Huh?" The young subordinate was taken aback, not understanding.
"Young people these days, they don't even recognize this old geezer anymore! It's Rayleigh! The first mate of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger! The Dark King, Rayleigh!"
Either one of these two, just appearing, would be big news! And now they're not only appearing at the same time, but they're fighting?!
This is a world-shaking, major news story!
Whether or not they can become the second-best-selling newspaper this year depends on whether they can seize this opportunity!
The old president was so excited his beard was trembling. He slammed his hand on the table. "Quick! Activate the highest-level emergency news plan! Get all of the most advanced video Transponder Snails over there! I want a live broadcast to the entire island!"
"Also! Call back all the editors and printers who are on vacation! Even if we have to pull an all-nighter, we have to get this new issue out!"
"Before that guy Morgans can react, I want everyone in the Sabaody Archipelago to be clamoring to buy my newspaper!"
"Yes, President!"
————
Splash, splash!
Most of the Sabaody Archipelago, due to the dark clouds that had gathered, was now in a torrential downpour.
The rain was a little lighter on Grove 33.
This was the world-famous Bubble Park. After dealing with the Supernovas who had provoked them at the docks, the girls had unanimously decided to come here first.
But it was the peak season, and the place was packed.
After finally buying tickets and waiting in a long line for the roller coaster, they saw the terrifying celestial phenomenon caused by the Conqueror's Haki in the distance.
That familiar aura…
There was no mistaking it. It was their captain.
"No way~!" Nami's heart skipped a beat, and she was on the verge of tears. "Who is my brother fighting now?! To make such a big commotion! Is my trip to the Bubble Park ruined…?"
"Mmm, to be able to make Lord Shane use his Conqueror's Haki, he must be an incredible powerhouse,"
Kuina said, narrowing her eyes. She turned decisively. "Let's go. The plan has changed. We have to go and see what's going on first."
"Dammit! I knew it!"
Nami was furious, and then she looked at Kuina pitifully. "Kuina! We waited in line for so long, and we finally got tickets! Can't we just ride one ride before we go?!"
"Less talk, let's go!"
Kuina was merciless. She grabbed Nami and ran for the gate, the young girl's screams echoing behind them.
Nojiko and Robin, behind them, exchanged a look and, without a word, put away their tickets and followed.
As for where the other crew members were at this moment…
Smoker's first stop had been the tobacco shop to restock on cigars. Gin had followed Zeff to buy strawberry milk.
And Jack, who was worried about The Curtain Call, which was being coated, had stayed behind at the coating workshop to guard the ship.
Kuina had called all of them and told them to hurry and meet up at Grove 1.
The moment they stepped out of the Bubble Park gate.
"Hey, wait! Look over there!"
Nami suddenly stopped and pointed at the giant screen in the center of the square.
The others followed her gaze and were stunned.
"It's the captain!"
"And the other one? Who's that old man?"
Kuina let go of Nami and rushed to the front of the screen. Nami, forgetting her complaints, also ran over, rubbing her wrist.
On the screen, Shane and Rayleigh's figures were a blur, and all you could see were the constant clashes of black and red lightning.
With every clash, a terrifying shockwave would erupt, tearing up the surrounding ground.
More and more people were gathering in front of the screen, both local residents and tourists, as well as pirates who were passing through and getting their ships coated.
There were many knowledgeable people among them, and soon, someone recognized Rayleigh, and a gasp went through the crowd.
"The Dark King, Rayleigh…"
Hearing that name, Robin's expression grew grim. "I never would have thought that a legendary figure like him was still alive. And why would he be fighting the captain…"
Just then, the live feed flickered and was momentarily filled with static.
When it returned, the camera had switched to the port of Grove 1.
On the sea, several Marine warships were rapidly approaching the port.
One of them was particularly conspicuous. It was a size larger than the others, and on its fluttering white sail was a giant, black "pig."
And in the live broadcast, a reporter's voice-over could be heard. "Breaking news! Ladies and gentlemen, it's getting more and more exciting!"
"As you can see now, it's not just the local branch's Marines, but also a warship from Marine Headquarters that has landed on Grove 1 and is heading this way!"
"And in the lead is Mr. Gion, who was just promoted to Admiral candidate a few months ago!"
…
A warship from Marine Headquarters?
In front of the big screen, everyone was a little surprised.
Even though Marineford was close, they had only just noticed the anomaly. How could they have gotten here so quickly?
"A coincidence?" Nojiko frowned.
"That's not important,"
Kuina said, staring at the warship on the screen, her voice cold. "What's important is that Lord Shane is still fighting. It looks like he's having a lot of fun. We can't let these guys ruin his fun."
An Admiral candidate?
Kuina snorted and tightened her grip on her sword.
Compared to Doflamingo, this seems to be a more challenging opponent.
"Let's go! We have to get there as fast as we can! Our mission is to stop these Marines for Lord Shane!" she said in a low voice.
"Understood!"
This time, everyone used Moonwalk, heading for the battlefield at full speed.
…
Grove 1.
At the port, the Marine fleet had already docked, and a large number of Marine soldiers had formed up in the rain.
But strangely, they didn't immediately march toward the Human Auctioning House. Instead, they just stood there, unmoving.
It seemed they were waiting for something.
"Hohoho, what a pleasant surprise,"
Chaton said, stepping onto the shore with a cigar. He looked up, through the curtain of rain, at the two figures who were fiercely clashing in the distance.
"Tsk, tsk, to think that I would be able to pick up such a bargain…"
Has his luck finally turned?
Just an hour ago, he had come up empty-handed at Grove 52.
The troublemaking Supernovas had already left, and he had been about to head back to Headquarters, bored, when he had run into this.
Shane, who he had been searching for for a week, with no luck…
…is now right in front of him!
And he's fighting that Dark King, Rayleigh.
Chaton took a long, satisfying drag from his cigar, a genuine smile on his face.
Fight, fight, you two. Fight a little longer. The more fierce, the better.
"Mr. Gion?"
the young adjutant beside him asked, a little nervously. "Such a major incident, do we really not need to inform Headquarters and request support?"
"You idiot, do we really need to tell them? The Sabaody branch has probably already informed them,"
Chaton said, unhurriedly blowing a smoke ring. "An Admiral should be on their way soon. Who will it be? Mr. Borsalino or someone else… tsk, it doesn't matter. They won't make it in time anyway. Can't you see? Those two are going all out with every move. This fight won't last much longer."
"And then, it will be my turn to reap the rewards."
Chaton shot a sidelong glance at his adjutant and said with a grin, "Don't underestimate the strength of an Admiral candidate. Don't worry, I can handle two exhausted opponents."
…
BOOM!
Shane and Rayleigh's figures clashed again, fist against sword, creating a series of visible shockwaves in the air.
The dust and smoke rose, and when they landed, they were both breathing heavily, and they stood there for a long time, unmoving.
After fighting at full power for over an hour, both of their conditions had changed significantly.
Rayleigh's long, silver-white hair was soaked with rain and sweat, sticking to his wrinkled forehead.
He was on one knee, his longsword embedded deep in the ground, his chest heaving. His gray robe was in tatters, revealing large patches of bloody flesh.
"Hah…"
After looking down at his chest, Rayleigh propped himself up with his sword and struggled to his feet, a bitter smile on his face. "You brat, not only is your Haki strong, but your physique and strength are also terrifying. It's been a long, long time since I've been in such a pathetic state…"
"Also, it seems some annoying people have arrived."
Rayleigh said, regulating his breathing and glancing toward the port.
"They think that if they stay in that position, if they don't get any closer, we won't be able to sense them? Hmph, there are a lot of them, and there's a troublesome character… should we stop for now, kid? I have no desire to fight to a draw, only to have the Marines take advantage of us."
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