Bang bang bang bang bang...
On one of the islands in the lawless zone, in a fairly open spot, a rapid flurry of blows rang out.
"Hand over all your cash, then get lost. All of you."
Holding back his strength, Karl dropped a crew of slavers and floored a band of bounty hunters. He glanced at the bounty-hunter boss, impatient.
"...S-sir, we know we were wrong."
Led by their boss, the bounty hunters hurriedly laid their money on the ground, then scrambled away on hands and knees.
"Less than a million Berries in total? These guys are dirt poor," Nami griped after counting the haul.
"Normal. If they had money, they wouldn't be doing dirty work," Carina said. "Everyone knows the mongrels of the underworld are the poorest; for cash they'll do almost any black job."
"In that case, why let them go?" Perona asked, hugging the chibi dragon.
"Because compared to those idiots, I'm more interested in that person," Karl said meaningfully.
"?"
Perona didn't get it.
Sssht—snap!
A sharp whine cut the air. Karl's lips curled, his eyes lighting with fighting spirit. He turned toward the sound just as a pebble struck his forehead—only to be powdered by his steel-hard flesh.
But though bullets and blades left no marks on Karl, the pebble still left a faint red dot on his brow.
"K-Karl…"
"No way… Karl actually got hurt!"
Carina and Nami both widened their eyes at the sight.
"Roooar—"
Seeing its master wounded, the chibi dragon in Perona's arms loosed an earsplitting roar.
"Little White, Carina—protect Nami and Perona."
As the little dragon prepared to grow, Karl's voice cut in.
"Watch from inside the barrier and enjoy the show. I'll be fine."
"Come on out. That strong aura already gave away your position."
"I thought you'd use Observation Haki to evade that just now."
Rayleigh stepped from behind a big tree, idly tossing a few stones in his right hand. Studying the way Karl had ignored the pebble, he murmured, "No ripple of Armament Haki—this kind of inhuman physique, I haven't seen it in years."
"From the East Blue, after so long, has another monster finally walked out?"
"H-hey… seriously?"
Taking in the man's easy elegance layered over an inexplicable kingly pressure, Carina's pupils tightened. "Why would… a figure like that appear here?"
"Eh? Carina, you know him?" Nami and Perona stared at her.
"Yeah…" Carina nodded slightly, voice low. "The Pirate King's right hand—'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh."
"Hiss…"
Nami and Perona drew sharp breaths; the former blurted, "A legendary great pirate—why is he targeting us? Why attack Karl?"
"Uncle, that one stung!"
Karl rubbed the red dot on his brow, savoring the rare twinge. There was no anger on his face—only a grin. "Courtesy for courtesy. Try a move of mine!"
Swwsh—
A dazzling white radiance gathered before Karl's lips, veined with tiny arcs of lightning, condensing into a sphere.
Under Rayleigh's gaze—and the wide-eyed stares of the three girls seeing the technique for the first time—it stretched into a massive beam and roared toward Rayleigh.
Without hesitation, Rayleigh slipped aside, cleanly avoiding the Gale Burst Shot.
Boom!
The beam struck where he'd stood and blossomed into a white firework. An invisible shockwave shattered countless giant bubbles nearby and, mixed with splinters of mangrove floor, fanned out in all directions.
Feeling the gale howl past, Carina hastily spread a barrier, doming all three girls and the dragon.
"Light and lightning—an ability?" Rayleigh reappeared, giving Karl another measuring look.
"No comment."
Karl drew his knight's sword, wreathed it in Armament Haki, and charged in, eyes alight.
That sight surprised Rayleigh again. "So you've mastered both colors of Haki and handle them freely? Had them even before entering the Grand Line? With physique and talent like this, you'd shock quite a few people I know."
Aside from peak monsters like Charlotte Linlin and Kaidō, there had once been someone aboard the Oro Jackson like Karl—monstrous strength before coming of age.
"The 'Heir of the Devil,' former Roger Pirates crew—Douglas Bullet."
At the same age of fifteen, Douglas Bullet had been a monster rookie of his era.
Now, Karl was the monster rookie of this one.
In that instant, Rayleigh made his choice: he would not kill a boy with monstrous gifts.
Pirate or bounty hunter—it didn't matter.
The Great Pirate Era Roger opened needs youths like this.
And Rayleigh's Observation Haki at the summit told him something else: killing Karl wouldn't be easy.
Since that's so, he'd give the youngster a lesson—broaden his horizons.
Rayleigh drew the Western blade at his waist and moved to meet Karl.
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