The person who appeared before El was an old man with long, curly white hair, a short white beard on his chin, round glasses, and a straight scar running down his right eye.
Dressed in plain clothes and holding a wine bottle in his hand, he looked unremarkable at first glance.
Yet—
From his body emanated a pressure so calm, so restrained, that it made El instinctively tense.
Interesting…I didn't expect to meet someone like you in a place like this.
El recognized the man instantly.
At the same time, by reading the subtle fluctuations of the man's intent—and combined with his future knowledge as a transmigrator—El immediately understood why he had appeared.
He had overlooked a crucial detail.
He remembered Mary Geoise.He remembered Marineford.
But he had forgotten—
Silvers Rayleigh, who lived in seclusion on the Sabaody Archipelago.And Shakky, who specialized in intelligence gathering.
More importantly—
He had forgotten that back in East Blue, Nami had killed Hatchan, the octopus Fish-Man who had known Rayleigh since childhood… and once saved his life.
Even after realizing all of this, El showed no panic.
Instead, a faint smile appeared on his face.
Jumping down from the massive bubble above, El landed steadily and looked at Rayleigh.
"Let's talk somewhere else," he said calmly."I'm also curious why a big shot like you would come looking for someone like me."
Rayleigh took a long look at him.
Without changing his expression, he took a sip of wine, then turned and walked away.
"Young man," he said quietly."Follow me."
Following Rayleigh, the two soon arrived at an empty, deserted area.
El broke the silence first.
"Senior, do you have something you want to say?"
Rayleigh stopped.
Turning to face El, he put away the wine bottle. His expression remained calm—but his eyes were sharp.
"Young man," Rayleigh asked,"In the East Blue… did you encounter a group of Fish-Men?"
"You mean the Arlong Pirates?"
El raised an eyebrow deliberately, then nodded.
"If you're talking about the Arlong Pirates," he said evenly,"then yes. I met them—and I killed them all."
The moment those words fell—
Rayleigh's gaze sharpened.
El noticed it instantly. His hand moved to the hilt of his sword as a grin spread across his face.
"Looks like I killed an acquaintance of yours," El said."Or perhaps… a friend?"
"Good."
Rayleigh nodded.
"Among them was an octopus Fish-Man.He wasn't just my friend—he once saved my life."
"No wonder," El said slowly,"a figure like you would take the initiative to seek out a nobody like me."
With a resolute expression, El slowly drew his sword.
"But I won't apologize," he continued."They chose to become pirates—and to do evil. That means they must be prepared for death."
"If you want revenge for your friend…"
El lifted his blade.
"Then come."
Well said.Worthy of someone who awakened Conqueror's Haki at such a young age.
Rayleigh praised him silently.
After that brief moment of admiration, Rayleigh drew the sword at his waist.
Pointing it at El, he spoke in a firm, pirate's tone.
"As you said—once you choose the path of piracy, you must be prepared to die at any moment."
"And likewise," Rayleigh continued,"you must also be prepared to face retribution."
"You and I are both pirates."
"For all grudges and hatred—"
"Let's settle this the pirate way."
"That's exactly what I want!"
Just as he had done against Shiki, El answered with his blade.
Armament Haki surged forth, coating Shusui completely.The crimson zigzag patterns along the blade turned jet-black.
El swung with all his strength.
In an instant—
A cyan flying slash burst into existence, soaring skyward like a meteor.
A hundred-meter-tall Tobu Zangeki roared forward, carrying power capable of tearing the land apart.
BOOM!
The massive flying slash tore through the air, racing straight toward Rayleigh.
A flash of surprise crossed Rayleigh's eyes.
Even though his Observation Haki had already told him that the young man's life force far exceeded what his age suggested—
He still hadn't expected El's Tobu Zangeki to reach this level after just three years.
Mastery of all three forms of Haki…And swordsmanship at this level…
A genius like this appears only once in a century.
Rayleigh sighed softly.
His sword was coated in Armament Haki as well.
But instead of launching a flying slash of his own—
He casually swung his blade.
With that simple motion—
El's massive Tobu Zangeki was deflected.
The slash veered skyward, exploding into a cyan firework that scattered across the heavens.
In an instant, the violent wind pressure and lingering Armament Haki destroyed every bubble within several miles.
When the light faded—
There were no bubbles left above their heads.
Seeing his flying slash blocked so easily, El felt no emotional fluctuation.
Because—
He could do the same.
After fighting Shiki, the former world's greatest swordsman, and witnessing his final strike, El had already realized something:
Ordinary Tobu Zangeki—even when infused with Armament Haki—posed no real threat to a true master swordsman.
Only when advanced Armament Haki, or even Conqueror's coating, elevated a flying slash to a higher dimension—
Only then could it threaten swordsmen of the same tier.
Otherwise—
Victory between master swordsmen could only be decided through direct combat.
A contest of physique, Haki, skill, and experience.
The moment the cyan fireworks faded—
El charged forward.
His speed was so fast that even Rayleigh's dynamic vision could only catch a faint afterimage.
For the weak, this speed was nothing short of a dimensional strike.
Even fallen legends like Shiki or Gecko Moria—if stripped of their Haki—would feel overwhelming pressure.
But for Rayleigh—
It was nothing.
Under the perception of his Observation Haki, El's trajectory, timing, and intent were all perfectly clear.
CLANG!
The two blades collided.
Both swords, wrapped in Armament Haki, struck with tremendous force.
A violent shockwave of Haki erupted from their bodies, sweeping outward in all directions.
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