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A head of slightly curled silver hair, a white beard, glasses perched on his nose, and a long scar over his right eye—the man standing before Arashi was the former first mate of the Pirate King, the Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh.
"Well, I do apologize," Rayleigh said, his eyes serious as he stared at the tall, robust man before him, who looked no different than he had twenty years ago.
Time had flown by. Rayleigh had fallen from his peak, his hair now fully gray, his body aged, no longer what it once was.
But Arashi looked completely unchanged, as if frozen in his twenties.
"What a monster…" Rayleigh muttered to himself. Only those who had once fought Arashi or knew him could sense how his body had changed.
"It's been twenty years." Arashi's voice was tinged with nostalgia.
"You've gotten old, Rayleigh." He recalled their first fight when the Dark King radiated with Haki, short golden hair, and overwhelming strength.
"People grow old," Rayleigh replied calmly.
"But you… seem to be the exception." Arashi raised an eyebrow.
"So, have you come here to save the Straw Hat crew?" He didn't seem surprised at Rayleigh's sudden appearance.
Rayleigh drew a long breath, then slowly unsheathed the saber at his waist. "We've got to leave something for the next era," he said. "You Marines have gone too far."
Arashi narrowed his eyes and glanced at Luffy, who was sitting with his head lowered and muttering strange, incoherent sounds.
The sound of war drums still echoed, but it was clear he was the only one who could hear them.
That sleeping will inside Luffy… no one knew when it might awaken.
"You're already an old man," Arashi sighed.
"Wouldn't it be better to retire peacefully somewhere?" He gripped the sword at his waist and drew Ace. "Or do you believe you can stop me?"
"This isn't twenty years ago," he added coldly.
Rayleigh's eyes locked onto the blade. "You're right. Time has passed, the world has changed… and even that sword ended up in your hands."
He took a deep breath, and the sharp light returned to his eyes. "Maybe you have become too powerful for me to handle," he admitted.
"But even so, I will not let you do as you please," Arashi smirked, a chill flashing in his gaze.
"Then be ready to die here, old man." Rayleigh chuckled in response—and in the next instant,
Crack! Lightning flashed through the air as Arashi appeared before him in a blink. A brilliant arc of light slashed down, distorting space itself.
"So fast!" Rayleigh's pupils shrank. He raised his sword to block.
Clang! Their blades collided, crackling with blue electricity, illuminating everything around them.
The clash had only begun, yet Rayleigh's face had already changed. "Such strength… He's gotten stronger."
The difference from twenty years ago was overwhelming. With just that first strike, Rayleigh felt sweat forming on his brow.
"You don't have to force yourself, Rayleigh," Arashi said quietly. Unlike Rayleigh, he felt no pressure at all.
If anything, he sensed only how much weaker his opponent had become. The roles had completely reversed—he was now the stronger one.
"Old doesn't mean dead," Rayleigh replied with a grin. "I've still got a little fire left in me."
Arashi shook his head and shifted his stance, swinging his blade again. Rayleigh raised his sword to meet it.
Clang! The impact sent ripples outward, flattening the grass in every direction.
Not far off, two other figures were also clashing swords. Zoro turned briefly toward the intense battle, his expression darkening.
"Curly brows… Luffy, Robin, Chopper!" The sight shook him deeply.
At that moment, Kuina came leaping toward him. The blade raised high for a vertical strike.
Zoro lifted all three of his swords to block. Buzz! The air trembled violently. "Don't get distracted during our duel," Kuina said firmly. "If you do, you'll lose for sure."
Zoro clenched his teeth, concern still clear in his eyes.
"Don't worry about them," Kuina added. "I don't know why, but our teacher won't hurt them."
A whisper followed. "What…?" Zoro looked up in shock, locking eyes with her, hoping for confirmation. Kuina nodded.
"Phew…" He let out a long sigh, finally reassured.
A smile crept onto his face. "You guys are strange," he said. "You and Arashi… I still can't figure out what you are after."
"But if that's the case," he added with a grin, "let's have a real fight!"
Kuina smiled, too. "If you're holding back, even if I win, it won't be fun."
"That's true," Zoro said, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.
He trusted Kuina's words, and Arashi's strange actions during their encounters made him believe the man had no real malice.
Their eyes locked, both brimming with the desire to battle.
....
Elsewhere, Arashi's relentless strikes forced Rayleigh to keep retreating, the weight on his face growing heavier with every step.
Time and aging have changed everything. Even the most powerful warriors lost their edge once past their prime.
Their stamina, Haki, and speed would all deteriorate. Maybe they could still burst with strength, but couldn't maintain it. That was the hard truth.
"You seem to be underestimating your current limits, Rayleigh," Arashi said softly.
"Perhaps," Rayleigh admitted. He could feel it—each of Arashi's blows grew stronger and stronger.
The last one had pushed him to the brink. But what disturbed him more was how limitless Arashi's power seemed—endlessly growing.
"I'll give you a chance," Arashi suddenly said.
"Leave this place." It was clear he didn't want to waste time on Rayleigh.
Luffy's inner drumbeats had begun to stabilize, seemingly on the verge of breaking into the next stage… but not quite.
It was obvious—he needed one final push.
"Thanks for the offer," Rayleigh replied, "but for the sake of these young ones, I can't walk away." With a heavy breath, his gaze sharpened.
He suddenly leaped forward, his sword flashing as it descended on Arashi again. Arashi raised his blade and blocked.
"Then I'll just have to bring you down," he said coldly, a glint in his eye. "I don't want to waste too much time. So…"
In the blink of an eye, dazzling arcs of lightning burst out around him, growing fiercer by the second. Rayleigh's expression changed, and he quickly retreated.
Just as he moved back, a bolt of lightning crashed down on the spot where he had been standing.
"You forgot… I'm still a Thunder Fruit user!"
"The strongest of all Logia Fruits, huh?" Rayleigh muttered, tightening his grip on the sword.
He knew this would be a brutal battle. The man before him may have even surpassed Roger, reaching a realm no one ever had.
Suddenly, Rayleigh's pupils shrank, and shock flashed across his face.
Before him, the man cloaked in lightning began to change. A long ribbon floated behind his neck, trailing around both arms and legs.
His eyes turned cold and ruthless, like a divine being gazing down from above. His hair and beard grew long, flowing to his waist.
"They say Logia Fruits can't awaken," Arashi said faintly. "But I believe within the Logia class… dwells the true power of gods. And I've taken that step."
As his body subtly trembled, faint thunder echoed around him. "Logia… awakening!" Rayleigh inhaled sharply, deeply shaken.
It was the first time he'd heard of such a concept, let alone seen someone awaken it. Paramecia awakenings could affect the surrounding matter.
Zoan awakenings unlocked primal instincts and massively boosted strength, speed, endurance, and healing. But Logia… what kind of power would it grant its wielder?
"This fight will be over quickly!" Arashi said. "What I'm truly looking forward to…" He paused, his gaze drifting toward Luffy, seated nearby with his head bowed.
Perhaps drawn by the force of Arashi's awakening, steam began rising from Luffy's body. His skin flushed red as though scalded by boiling water.
Only he could hear that pounding heartbeat, now close to the sound of drums. It was a sign… Joy Boy was awakening.
"Seems your arrival was well-timed, Rayleigh. You'll be the perfect key to draw him out." Arashi grinned.
"Draw him out?" Rayleigh frowned, confused. He didn't understand what Arashi meant.
"No matter—you'll witness it soon enough!" Arashi declared. "The will from 800 years ago… is about to awaken. But first—"
As he vanished, electric light exploded from Arashi's body, reappearing instantly before Rayleigh.
"Zzt!" A brilliant flash—blue lightning arcs shone brighter than the sun. Arashi extended his arm, summoning a ten-meter spear of lightning.
"Longinus: Gae Bolg!"
Crackling with black-and-red lightning, the weapon radiated invisible Conqueror's Haki. As it passed Luffy's body, his head twitched.
His lowered face now glowed with two red beams from his eyes. His long black hair began flowing as if caught in a breeze.
"So fast!" Rayleigh's pupils shrank. Arashi's speed had reached the unimaginable—too fast for the eye to follow.
Rayleigh's instincts pulled him a step back just in time. The divine spear missed his nose by a hair and slammed into the earth.
"Buzz!"
As the tip hit the ground, it rippled like waves before the ten-meter spear plunged underground. Only a dark, round crater was left behind. Then—
BOOM!
The earth, within several kilometers, shook violently.
Cracks split the surface as countless arcs of lightning erupted upward, like thousands of blue flashes piercing the sky.
"Getting hit by that would be fatal!" Rayleigh thought grimly. But even more alarming, Arashi moved again.
"Swish!" He disappeared once more, his speed too fast for the eye. He was in front of Rayleigh in a blink, his right hand splayed open.
"Zzzzzzz!"
Lightning arcs wove into a blinding column of thunder. Rayleigh's eyes widened, filled with radiant light and electric sparks.
Death loomed before him. Every hair on his body stood on end. He moved too—his right hand swinging his sword, now coated with Armament Haki, directly into the thunder.
BOOM!
A deafening shockwave. The lightning pillar lit up everything around it.
A tremendous force surged forward, launching Rayleigh hundreds of meters away.
He crashed to the ground, skidding dozens more before finally stopping.
Then, his eyes glowed red again. Twisting his body mid-air, he swung his sword a second time.
At the same moment, Arashi emerged from the lightning, his right foot crashing down with thunder.
BANG!
The earth trembled. Rayleigh's body shook, and blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
"You're old… but your instincts are still sharp," Arashi murmured.
"You underestimating me?" Rayleigh grinned. His sword flashed, striking at a sharp angle. Arashi jolted, then turned into lightning and retreated a hundred meters.
"How many rounds can you last, old man?" Arashi said with a calm smile. Then, in a streak of lightning, he closed the distance again.
Fists flew. Kicks. Knees. Elbows.
Arashi's powerful martial arts, enhanced by lightning, pushed his speed to the extreme.
He became pure electricity. His attacks came at such speed they defied understanding.
Rayleigh was forced back, dodging at his limits. His eyes glowed red, his movements fluid but strained.
The two clashed so fast that the battlefield fell eerily silent. All anyone could see were flickers of light and two phantoms locked in a deadly dance.
Bartholomew Kuma narrowed his eyes and stepped forward. He bent down, checking the injuries of the Straw Hat crew.
After a moment, his eyes revealed a strange glint. Then he turned to look at Luffy.
Suddenly, Kuma's massive body trembled. A trace of shock flickered in his eyes.
BOOM!
The fight erupted with a thunderous blast. Rayleigh flew backward, crashing through a dozen trees before hitting the ground.
Huff… huff… huff…
Struggling to rise, Rayleigh panted heavily. Sweat poured down his face, and his chest heaved like a bellows. His aging body was nearing its absolute limit in this battle.
"Zzzt!"
Lightning streaked toward him again, blindingly fast. Before he could react, a heavy punch struck his face and knocked him down.
"Your arrival changed nothing… Rayleigh." Arashi smiled calmly.
His open right hand gathered brilliant electricity between his fingers, forming a blinding light.
Rayleigh lay on the ground, staring at the glowing energy centimeters from his forehead.
His breath was ragged, his vision spinning from exhaustion. He couldn't deny it—Arashi was far stronger.
As he aged and weakened, the gap between them only grew wider.
"People… must act without regrets. Wouldn't you say so, Arashi?" Rayleigh suddenly smiled.
"That's amusing," Arashi said with a soft chuckle. "But like I said—Straw Hat dragged everyone down. His friends… and you, too."
The lightning flared again, transforming into a spear. Its tip lowered slowly, now less than a centimeter from Rayleigh's brow.
"Heh…" Rayleigh chuckled once more. Even facing death, there was no fear in his eyes.
"Goodbye, Rayleigh."
"What a shame... someone like you dying in a place like this." Arashi sighed softly. He thrust his lightning spear down without hesitation.
But the very next moment, an overwhelming force stopped it mid-air, preventing it from going even an inch further.
"Are you done playing around?" A cold, deep voice came from the side. Arashi smiled and slowly raised his head, gazing at the bubbles floating in the sky.
"Pop!" One after another burst as they reached their limit.
Then, he calmly turned to the boy sitting nearby—Straw Hat Luffy, who had just raised his head. Or rather, he could no longer be called that.
Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump!
The sound of a heartbeat echoed like war drums, resounding and soul-shaking. This time, it wasn't just Arashi who could hear it.
Everyone present could hear the thunderous rhythm. Luffy's heart was pounding powerfully from his chest, visibly pulsing through his skin.
Doom, Doom, Doom, Doom!
The Drums of Liberation began to play a joyful rhythm, causing the earth, trees, and even the bubbles in the air to tremble strangely.
Steam turned white around Luffy's body, and his black hair turned completely white.
White sashes wrapped around his back and shoulders. But what truly stunned everyone was the expression on his face.
His expression was solemn, his eyes full of an ancient weight, far from what a seventeen-year-old boy should have.
His body was no longer his own—like another soul possessed it. "Luffy?" Rayleigh called out in shock.
His current appearance bore a striking resemblance to Arashi's awakened form.
But with Luffy's strength alone, awakening should have been impossible. The bizarre sight filled Rayleigh with confusion.
Bartholomew Kuma, too, locked eyes on Luffy. His instincts screamed that something extraordinary had happened to the boy.
Suddenly, Luffy's right hand yanked with force. The lightning spear in Arashi's hand was dragged away and flung into the distance.
Doom, Thump, Boom, Doom, Boom!
With the beat of the war drums still echoing, Luffy sprang up from the ground in a powerful motion. His eyes locked onto Arashi—sharp and shadowed with intensity.
Arashi turned around and looked directly at Luffy. "So, what should I call you now?" he asked. "
The Warrior of Liberation, Joy Boy?"
"Or Monkey D. Luffy?" His calm, almost playful voice made Luffy's pupils contract, and a heavy seriousness surfaced in his eyes.
Rayleigh, still lying on the ground, felt his heart jolt. That look in Luffy's eyes wasn't the gaze of the same boy he knew.
"Joy Boy?" Rayleigh muttered.
"It's been a long time since I heard that name." Luffy's voice was deep and steady.
He stretched out his hand and glanced down at his body, a smile slowly forming at the corners of his mouth. "Haha!"
"Hahahahahaha!" Laughter burst from him—free, bold, and bright.
"You chose a boy like this, huh?" Arashi said softly. "He is another version of me." His eyes were fixed on the mysterious being before him.
Arashi knew clearly—this was the hidden will within the Nika Fruit. Maybe one day, when Luffy's strength matured, it would awaken naturally and merge with him.
But right now, under Arashi's overwhelming pressure, it had been forced to awaken early.
"You've shown me a glimpse of a different era," Arashi said.
"Eight hundred years, has it been that long?" Luffy smiled with a strange, unreadable expression.
He looked up toward the sky and narrowed his eyes as if sensing something far beyond this time.
"Then let me witness your power," Arashi said with a soft smile. "The power of the Warrior of Liberation."
"My power, huh?" Luffy repeated with a grin.
"Hahahahaha!"
"To be precise—it's the power of this fruit, the Sun God Nika!" Arashi repeated calmly.
"The Sun God?" Luffy's gaze sharpened. He seemed genuinely surprised.
Arashi simply smiled, offering no further explanation.
"You're something else," Luffy murmured. "You know so much—and you even managed to awaken me."
"I was supposed to drift with this fruit," he continued, "to become one with the host's body, their soul. Freedom and liberation were meant for my next successor."
Arashi laughed lightly, "No one should overestimate themselves. Maybe your role in this world isn't as important as you think."
Luffy looked at him in surprise, then burst out laughing again.
"Hahahahahaha!" "You know, you make much sense!"
Arashi stepped forward. After three steps, the space around them quaked violently. Black and red lightning blotted out the sky.
Buzz, buzz, buzz!
Everything began to tremble. The air grew heavier. "Enough talk. The reason I awakened you," Arashi said, "was simply to see this fruit's power for myself—before its time."
"So you're an enemy after all?" Luffy's gaze sharpened. Black and red lightning burst violently from his body.
Doom, Boom, Thump, Boom, Doom!
The sound of the Drums of Liberation shook the world again.
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