She certainly had the composure to keep it all inside.
While deeply worried, she also scolded herself inwardly for doubting Lord El's strength. For a moment, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock was deeply conflicted.
"Regardless… our course remains unchanged. Speed up! We must go and see what has happened!"
At Hancock's command, the Kuja Pirates' ships surged forward once more, cutting through the wind and waves.
And it was not only El and the Kuja crew who were affected.
This tsunami had caused massive disruption across a wide area.
The colossal meteor El had summoned had crashed down here—into a world dominated by oceans.
If it had fallen on a land-rich world instead, the destruction and casualties would have been unimaginable.
As the great waves surged outward, powerful currents began to flow back toward the center.
El noticed these returning currents instantly. While the outward waves had not troubled them much, the water flowing back seemed to have brought something unexpected along with it.
"Someone is coming…"
El stood at the bow. By now, their ship had stabilized enough to sail normally.
But Crocodile and Doflamingo could see clearly that their captain had no intention of leaving just yet.
What now?
"Who is coming?" Crocodile and Doflamingo tensed up.
Anyone who could make their captain speak with such gravity was certainly no ordinary or mediocre person.
"They will be here very soon. You should see them in a moment."
El's Observation Haki was unmatched.
From miles away, he had already sensed the immense, powerful aura drifting toward them across the sea. This was a power no ordinary person could possess.
"I have sensed the presence of a truly strong warrior."
"It is Conqueror's Haki—extremely rare!"
Several moments passed after El spoke before Doflamingo and Crocodile finally felt it too, faintly but unmistakably.
Someone really was drifting toward them.
It must have been because of the tsunami.
Before they could even begin to guess who it might be—or how strong—he had drifted close enough to be seen with the naked eye.
"Sorry, sorry! Would you folks mind giving me a lift?"
Even as he spoke, the man leaped from the sea and landed on El's ship in a manner that brooked no refusal.
"…My little boat got smashed up by that huge tsunami that came out of nowhere…"
It was an elderly man with a head of white hair, looking weathered and tough.
He began wringing the seawater from his clothes as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Only then could they see it: beneath his aged appearance lay a body of rock-hard, toned muscle, radiating unimaginable power.
Just now… he had swum all the way here across the open ocean!
Even with the returning currents helping him, this was the Calm Belt—an area where few dared venture at all!
"I thought I knew who had this level of Conqueror's Haki…"
El looked at the old man and smirked slightly.
"So it's you—Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King."
Indeed, swept toward them by the tsunami was none other than the former right-hand man of the Pirate King, the legendary pirate: Silvers Rayleigh.
"Hahaha! El!"
Rayleigh laughed heartily.
"Fancy meeting you again!"
They had met before—they had even fought each other once. Who would have thought fate would bring them together again like this?
"If I hadn't seen you here, I'd still be wondering what on earth could stir up such a storm near the Calm Belt!"
Rayleigh shook his head gently, wiped his glasses, and looked straight at El.
"But now I see it clearly…"
"The one who's always stirring up trouble across the seas… it's you, kid!"
"You young people these days… tsk…"
Rayleigh was one of the very few people in the world who truly had the right to speak to El like an elder.
"What are you doing here? Don't tell me you came to the Calm Belt just to fish for Sea Kings?"
"Not at all, not at all!" Rayleigh waved his hand.
To masters like them, the Sea Kings of the Calm Belt were not deadly threats. But their sheer numbers made them a massive nuisance.
Even the Dark King would rather avoid dealing with hordes of such beasts if he had a choice.
"It's just coincidence… pure chance that we meet like this…"
BAM!
Before Rayleigh finished speaking, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and slid backward across the deck, feet skidding across the surface.
"Whoa there… you little brat! Attacking an old man from behind? I caught you red-handed!"
The Armament Haki coating Rayleigh's body slowly faded away. He had just blocked a strike from El!
"Hmph!" El snorted coldly.
"Last time we met, our fight was cut short before I could really enjoy it. Now that I have another chance, I'm not letting an old-timer like you run away before we're done!"
As he spoke, El shot forward like lightning, thrusting straight toward the Dark King!
To be fair, that first strike hadn't even been a serious attack.
Between masters like El and Rayleigh, such a blow was barely more than a greeting—a way of saying "I'm starting now."
"Hey, hey… I didn't even agree to this!"
Rayleigh retreated steadily, parrying and blocking El's relentless attacks.
"You're on my territory now! You don't get to agree or disagree!" El pressed the assault even harder.
"EVERYONE, STAND BACK!!"
Doflamingo and Crocodile immediately stepped in to maintain order.
"Younger crew members, go below deck!"
"And nobody comes out until we say so!!"
Doflamingo and Crocodile were strong enough to safely watch such a battle. But they had sailed with many ordinary crew members who handled the ship and equipment.
While the regular members of El's crew were capable fighters in their own right, no ordinary pirate could simply stand and watch a fight between the legendary Dark King Rayleigh and their own captain El.
One wrong move, and the shockwaves unleashed by such top-tier masters would inflict unimaginable damage on normal fighters.
It could easily kill them instantly.
When gods fight, mortals stay far away. That was the rule.
Crocodile and Doflamingo had promised El they would take care of the ship and the crew. Now faced with this unexpected situation, they had their hands full.
When your captain starts an all-out brawl with Silvers Rayleigh… there wasn't much they could do.
They could only stand by and watch.
Getting the regular crew to safety was the best they could manage.
As for the ship itself… poor thing…
BOOM!
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