The citizens of the Darons Kingdom stood frozen, unsure why the butcher's accomplice had been sent flying.
Seeing Rouge unguarded before them, they gritted their teeth, mustered their courage, and charged.
The Dark King, bloodlust burning in his eyes, ignored his injuries and fought the impact, determined to rescue Rouge at once.
Just then, Raleigh's figure materialized in front of him.
Holding Mikazuki Munechika, a mocking smile played on his lips as he called out to the Darons citizens.
"I'll handle Rayleigh. Any objections?"
"Thank you so much!"
"We're deeply grateful!"
Amidst the chorus of thanks, a flood of citizens surged past the fissure that had blocked them—this time, no one stood in their way.
Terrified, Rouge fled toward the Dark King.
Her maid had long since vanished.
The Dark King's eyes were bloodshot, his face contorted with killing intent.
Glaring at Raleigh, he forced out through clenched teeth.
"Christian Raleigh, the child is innocent. Roger died at the hands of your Marines, and you desecrated his corpse. Why won't you spare his offspring?"
Waves of killing intent, fused with Conqueror's Haki, crashed against Raleigh.
Raleigh's cloak whipped in the gale, yet his stance remained unshaken.
He glanced at the Dark King and said, "I'm not the type to exterminate everything. I'm only here for you. As for Roger's child, I won't lift a hand—but I won't stop the people of the Darons Kingdom either."
The Dark King's pupils contracted, his teeth grinding as he spat out, "It was you! I should've known! If not for you, the Darons Kingdom would never have found Roger's hiding place—a spot even the World Government couldn't locate. That's why you're here now."
Raleigh gave the Dark King a strange look, inwardly acknowledging that as the vice-captain and strategist of the Roger Pirates, he had deduced the truth with just a few words.
Unfortunately, being correct earned him no reward—it only made Raleigh more pleased.
"Hahaha, I didn't expect you to figure it out. But what does it change? Today, you'll die here! The Pirate King's wife and his unborn child will both perish! This.... is the fate of pirates!"
Raleigh laughed.
He had painstakingly set this trap to locate and eliminate members of the Roger Pirates.
"Then let's fight!"
The Dark King's sword, coated with Conqueror's Haki, shot toward Raleigh's heart with swift precision.
The condescension in Raleigh's eyes vanished as he faced the assault.
Boom!
A Sword Beam grazed Raleigh's ear, slicing through a distant mountain peak with a deafening roar, yet it left Raleigh unscathed.
The Dark King grew frantic.
Seeing Rouge on the verge of being overtaken by the citizens of the Darons Kingdom, he burned with the urge to eliminate Raleigh.
His figure blurred into afterimages as he darted toward Rouge's location.
"Heh, trying to outpace me?"
Raleigh's abilities were no secret to the Roger Pirates, given their numerous clashes.
That the Dark King believed he could evade him amused Raleigh.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of collisions filled the air, stirring fear in the Dark King's heart.
His once-proud speed paled in comparison to Raleigh's swiftness.
Clang!
Every one of the Dark King's afterimages was intercepted.
The final clash was a direct confrontation between their true selves.
The Dark King snarled, "Raleigh! If you don't let me pass today, I'll make the Marines pay dearly in the future!"
At these words, the mockery on Raleigh's face twisted into disgust and hostility.
"Do you think you'll leave here alive today?"
Boom!
Raleigh's sword, enveloped in Conqueror's Haki, swung backhanded toward the Dark King's head.
Clang!
Though the Dark King blocked the blade, the Conqueror's Coating still carved a ghastly scar across his neck—mere millimeters from severing a major artery.
The Dark King took a deep breath.
He knew he couldn't continue like this, yet he couldn't allow Raleigh to bar his path and prevent Rouge's rescue.
Reaching into his coat, he produced a Den Den Mushi.
"I'm being held up by Raleigh. I can't rescue Rouge alone."
After a brief silence, a deep male voice responded through the snail.
"Understood."
Raleigh didn't need to guess whom the Dark King had contacted.
If it wasn't Garp, he'd eat the Den Den Mushi on the spot!
That fool Garp was mindful of the Marine's reputation.
He must've originally planned to arrive with Rayleigh—if no powerful opponent intervened, the Dark King would extract Rouge and hand her over to Garp.
That way, the world would blame the Dark King for her disappearance, and the World Government would hunt him instead of suspecting Garp.
But now, Garp's scheme had crumbled.
Raleigh's sudden appearance caught them both off guard, and his strength left the Dark King struggling to cope.
He never imagined that Raleigh, who had barely survived against them just a year ago, could progress so rapidly.
Even the Dark King found it difficult to defeat him now.
Raleigh kicked the rubble in front of him.
The debris shot toward his opponent like a howling gust of wind.
The Dark King's Observation Haki surged to its peak, his Famous Sword moving so swiftly that not a drop of water could cling to it.
"DIE!"
The Dark King unleashed a Sword Beam, infused with black-red Conqueror's Haki, shooting toward Raleigh's figure.
Simultaneously, he circled around to another direction.
His reasoning was clear: if Raleigh didn't intercept the Sword Beam, it would devastate the citizens of Darons Kingdom behind him.
But if Raleigh blocked it, the Dark King could exploit his speed to break through his defenses.
Raleigh took a heavy step forward, Armament Haki spreading over his right forearm and blade.
Hum!
A Sword Beam rivaling the Dark King's shot from the edge of Mikazuki Munechika, heading straight for the incoming attack.
At the same time, Raleigh stomped the ground with both of his legs.
"Soru!"
Combining Soru's speed with his Storm Fruit abilities, Raleigh reached the Dark King's side in the blink of an eye.
"Where do you think you're going? Stay right here."
Boom!
Raleigh's downward slash seemed poised to split his opponent in two.
"I think we should change locations." Raleigh swung Mikazuki Munechika, each strike carrying monstrous strength.
Though the Dark King parried the attacks, every blow sent him flying backward.
"NO!"
"Raleigh, I'll kill you!"
"You bastard, why won't you spare that innocent child!!!"
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