Kuina's footsteps paused slightly as she turned her head to glance back.
But it was just a glance—a brief look—before she turned away again, continuing toward the shore and leaving behind only a calm remark:
"You're not worthy."
"Hah?!"
Sasaki's wild laughter froze on his face, veins bulging at his temples. "Don't look down on me, bastard! Who the hell do you think I am—"
Before he could finish, his figure had already lunged forward, his blade slashing straight toward Kuina's back!
Thud!
A dull impact rang out as Sasaki was abruptly halted mid-air. He blinked in surprise, then looked up.
A massive shadow, towering like an iron fortress, stood before him. A pitch-black hand, coated in Armament Haki, gripped his blade like an unyielding vice.
"Oh? A fellow Fish-man, huh?"
Jack grinned, baring his fangs. "You've got some strength, but your ears must not be working too well. Didn't our Vice-Captain make it clear enough…?"
"Trash like you isn't even fit to challenge her!"
His right hand clenched violently.
Crack—
In an instant, Sasaki's blade shattered under the crushing force.
"How?!"
Sasaki's pupils contracted in shock, but before he could react, Jack's counter punch had already slammed into his chest!
BOOM!!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted as Sasaki's body was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing through several Pirate ships docked at the harbor before finally crashing into the trunk of a distant Red Tree.
As the dust settled—
Sasaki collapsed limply to the ground, blood gushing from his chest. His limbs twitched weakly before he lay motionless, his fate unknown.
"..."
The entire dock fell into dead silence.
The faint pop of soap bubbles sounded unnervingly loud in the stillness.
Countless uneasy gazes flickered between Jack and Kuina.
After a long pause, hushed whispers finally broke out.
"What monstrous strength… Who is that giant?"
"No idea. Don't you have the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates' bounty posters? Check them!"
"Already did! None of the photos match—must be a new recruit…"
A new recruit?
The surrounding Pirates collectively sucked in a sharp breath.
That was Sasaki! The second-highest bounty among the five Supernovas, a renowned Master Swordsman and fleet commander—yet he'd been one-shot by a rookie without even a bounty?!
If even a newcomer was this terrifying…
Just how strong were the veteran members of the Falling Stars Adventure Pirates now?!
"…"
At the forefront, Garette wiped cold sweat from her brow, exchanging a glance with Haruta beside her.
"What now?" she asked hoarsely. "Sasaki's out. Do we retreat?"
"No way. That'd be total humiliation."
Haruta took a deep breath, watching Kuina and the others walk further away before turning his gaze to Jack, who stood blocking their path. Gripping his sword hilt tightly, he muttered:
"No matter what, we have to take this guy down."
They couldn't embarrass themselves like Sasaki had!
They had to fight—though their goal might need to be adjusted… just a little.
From the three of them joining forces to try and annihilate the entire Falling Stars Adventure Pirates, it had now become just the two of them teaming up to see if they could defeat this newcomer in front of them.
Still want to fight?
Jack grinned and took a step forward.
He was actually quite eager to see whether these two combined were even worthy of forcing him into his Mammoth Form!
However, at that very moment, two more figures descended from the Sunset.
One was an elegant and mature woman, while the other was a stunning girl with fiery orange hair.
"Hey, Jack!"
Nami called out to the eager Jack, grinning. "Don't hog all the fun for yourself! How about you leave these two to me and Sister Robin?"
"No problem, Boss Nami!" Jack immediately stepped aside without hesitation.
"...If you want to show off, don't drag me into it without asking," Robin sighed.
"What's wrong with that, Sister Robin? The three of us are way behind in bounties—don't you want to catch up to them?" Nami blinked playfully. "You've gotten so much stronger after two months of training. Don't you want to test out your new moves?"
"And besides..."
She leaned in closer, lowering her voice:
"Since we didn't leave any CP9 survivors in Water 7, the World Government still hasn't noticed you're on our ship. We can't let that continue! If you make a big scene with me, it'll announce to the whole world that you've been one of us for a long time!"
"..."
Robin glanced at her and finally let out a helpless chuckle:
"That reasoning... is impossible to refuse."
————
The four figures clashed.
Whether it was the sudden surge of roaring flames or the countless arms sprouting from the ground, the onlookers gasped in shock.
No one noticed.
High above, on the tallest building, a young figure watched the scene with an amused smile.
Leaning lazily on the edge with his chin propped on one hand, his black hair fluttered slightly in the sea breeze.
"As expected, they've already surpassed the level where mere Supernovas can challenge them..."
These five Supernovas weren't weak by any means. The two obvious members of the Mink Tribe aside, he also recognized the other three.
Sasaki, one of the Flying Six of the Beast Pirates.
Haruta, the 12th Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Garette, the Butter Minister of the BIGMOM Pirates.
In the future, all three would become high-ranking officers under the Four Emperors—especially Sasaki and Haruta, who would even reach bounty levels of 500 million berries.
But right now, having just completed the first half of the Grand Line, their strength hadn't yet developed enough to warrant his personal intervention.
So, he didn't reveal himself, leaving this chance to shine to Kuina and the others.
And Kuina's group, following his example, tacitly held back as well, passing the opportunity to the three with the lowest bounties on the ship.
This was good.
It would help Jack and Robin's fame and bounties catch up to the ship's average.
As for Nami's Flame-Flame Fruit abilities, displaying them at full strength in front of so many people should also make those idiots in the Marine Intelligence Division realize just how wrong they'd been before.
Xiano then turned his gaze toward Kuina's group.
The young Master Swordsman was leading the rest of the crew toward the shipyard.
Following his earlier orders on the ship, they were going to negotiate with the coating craftsmen.
After settling on the price, they went their separate ways. While the ship was being coated, it was the perfect time to explore this archipelago filled with fantastical scenery.
As for him, the hands-off boss, of course, he had his own matters to attend to…
—Can't forget the serious business of fleecing the sheep.
Xiano slightly closed his eyes, and his Observation Haki instantly spread outward like a tidal wave, extending in all directions.
The scale of Sabaody Archipelago was too vast—even his Observation Haki couldn't cover it entirely.
But enveloping a dozen or so islands near Grove 52, including all the shipyards and coating workshops, in one go was no problem at all.
"Tch, skipping work again?"
Failing to detect any particularly notable presence, Xiano opened his eyes with some regret.
Not exactly surprising, though.
Pluton Rayleigh, that old recluse hiding here, never seemed particularly dedicated to his job as a coating craftsman.
In his free time, he was either drinking or gambling, and when he ran out of money, he'd sell himself to slave traders for fun.
"Guess I'll just head straight to Grove 13."
Xiano shook his head.
He couldn't be bothered to waste effort searching all over. It was almost dinnertime anyway—might as well wait at Shaki's Rip-off Bar and see if the old man would show up.
No way a booze-craving geezer wouldn't come eventually.
With a light tap of his toes, his figure instantly vanished from the edge of the high-rise, turning into a blur as he silently streaked across the town's skyline, heading toward the lower-numbered groves.
...
Roughly a few dozen kilometers away from Sabaody Archipelago, out at sea.
A large Marine warship was cutting through the waves at full speed, advancing toward the islands.
Chaton puffed on his cigar at the bow, exhaling smoke with a somewhat sour expression.
Over the past week, following Sengoku's orders, he had searched every island along the flight path Doflamingo had taken—yet found no trace of Xiano.
In the end, he had no choice but to give up and return to headquarters to report.
What a letdown.
Chaton clicked his tongue in disappointment.
It had been months since his promotion to Vice Admiral candidate, yet he still lacked any notable achievements to his name. Naturally, some unsavory rumors had started circulating below.
He had been hoping this time, he could capture a bounty worth a billion Berries and make a name for himself…
"Understood… What? Got it!"
His Lieutenant's voice suddenly rang out beside him.
Once the Den Den Mushi call ended, Chaton lazily glanced over. "What is it? A signal from headquarters?"
"No, Mr. Kaji, it was from the Sabaody branch."
The Lieutenant shook his head with a smile. "Seems like a group of Pirates started a brawl at one of the shipyards, causing quite a commotion. The branch is mobilizing troops to handle it."
"Though our ship is headed for Marine Headquarters, we're close enough that we picked up their emergency signal. Should we go check it out, Mr. Kaji?"
"Is that so…" Chaton raised an eyebrow.
Pirates causing trouble on Sabaody was nothing unusual—normally, the branch could handle it without needing someone of his rank to step in.
But… he had just wasted an entire week on a wild goose chase, and his hands were itching for action.
"Eh, nothing better to do. Let's take a look."
Chaton exhaled a plume of smoke, grinning. "Consider it stress relief. Those Pirates are just unlucky enough to cross my path."
"Yes, Mr. Kaji!"
...
At the same time, at Grove 1.
Swish!
A figure suddenly descended from the sky.
It was Xiano.
He hadn't appeared at Grove 13 but instead arrived outside the human auction house on Grove 1, crouching on the grassy slope with one hand propping his chin, observing the auction house below with keen interest.
The reason he stopped here was simple.
The Devil Fruit Detection Radar had lit up.
Even before arriving, the radar had already activated, and as he approached the auction house, it turned a bright yellow.
This indicated that a Devil Fruit was within ten kilometers.
Given the vast open grassland surrounding the auction house, it was almost certain that the fruit was inside—likely one of the items being auctioned.
Selling slaves… and Devil Fruits too?
This made things easier.
Since it belonged to villains, he could just take it outright. Along the way, he might free some slaves and clean out those despicable slave traders inside the venue.
A shame, though.
No Celestial Dragons in sight.
Xiano's gaze swept over the various vehicles parked outside the entrance, finding nothing particularly noteworthy. He couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment.
At a Sabaody auction, running into that workaholic Charlos should have been an unavoidable encounter, right?
"Hmm?"
A flash of crimson light flickered in his eyes, as if he had sensed something, yet he remained seated without moving.
The next moment.
A long, slender blade rested against his shoulder.
"Blade Swordsman Xiano, with a bounty of one billion Berries… If I were you, I wouldn't move recklessly."
A low, slightly hoarse voice came from behind him. The blade pressed down slightly, its cold edge almost grazing Xiano's neck.
"I'm not moving, am I?"
Xiano still didn't turn around, his tone casual. "What an unexpected way to meet… Dark King Rayleigh."
"You recognize me?"
The voice behind him carried a hint of surprise.
"The right-hand man of the Pirate King, vice-captain of the Roger Pirates—hard to miss, isn't it?"
Xiano glanced at the blade near his neck. "I thought we'd meet in a bar, share a drink or something. Never imagined it'd be like this… Mind telling me why?"
Reflected in the cold gleam of the blade was Rayleigh's aged face, his hair and beard silver-white.
"Have you forgotten?"
Rayleigh narrowed his eyes at him. "About four or five years ago, you killed some Fish-men in the East Blue. One of them, an octopus Fish-man named Hachi, once saved my life in the sea. From then on, I swore never to let anyone harm or bully him. Yet he died by your hand."
"Hachi…"
Xiano searched his memory.
What a distant name. Among the Arlong Pirates, he only really remembered Arlong. Hachi did ring a bell, but the other officers… Kuroobi? Chew?
"Ah, now I remember."
Xiano grinned. "That guy invaded my hometown alongside Arlong. I tore him to pieces—as he deserved. Should I have invited him for a drink instead of killing him?"
"Of course he deserved to die."
Rayleigh, however, shook his head unexpectedly. "That boy was inherently kind and reliable, but he followed the wrong person. Once he chose to leave the Sun Pirates and ally himself with scum like Arlong, whether intentionally or not, he was bound to commit many evil deeds."
"Then I don't understand."
Xiano tilted his head slightly. "If you also believe he deserved to die, and know that I was right to kill him, why are you pointing your sword at me now?"
"If you had stayed in your hometown and remained a civilian, I would never have come after you. In fact, five years ago, I read in the papers about the complete annihilation of the Arlong Pirates, yet I never once sought you out in the East Blue."
Rayleigh paused before continuing:
"But now things are different. You've become a Pirate and walked right into my path. If I still did nothing, I would be failing both my promise and the debt of saving my life."
"Choosing to be a Pirate means accepting that death could come at any moment, just as Hachi paid the price for his crimes, no?"
Rayleigh sighed. "But in the end, Hachi was the one in the wrong, and I truly don't wish to see a promising new generation capable of stirring up the New World cut down so soon. So, I don't intend to take your life."
Xiano finally turned his head fully, narrowing his eyes at the old man before him. "Then what exactly do you want?"
"Your little finger as recompense."
Rayleigh's expression was complicated. "I need it to honor Hachi's spirit. Just this small thing—surely that's not too much to ask? You can do it yourself, or I can lend a hand."
Xiano stared at Rayleigh for a few seconds before suddenly laughing.
"My little finger as recompense?"
The corner of his lips curled into a mocking sneer. "And you expect me to offer it willingly? Do you really think that's possible, Rayleigh? Or have you grown so old and secluded that your mind's gone dull?"
Rayleigh's brow furrowed slightly, but the tip of his sword remained steady against Xiano's neck. "Young man, I'm not here to negotiate with you."
"Funny, neither am I."
Xiano's smile vanished in an instant, his gaze sharpening like a blade:
"All that rambling, and in the end, it's just about making me pay for some worthless trash. And yet you have the gall to stand there preaching at me—"
As he spoke,
his right fist clenched abruptly, and a surge of black-red Conqueror's Haki materialized around it like a tangible force. The violent energy distorted the very air, sending ripples of pressure outward!
"—Cut the act, Rayleigh!"
Rayleigh's pupils contracted—his Observation Haki screamed warnings—but before he could react—
BOOM!!!
Xiano's fist was already crashing toward his face!
Rayleigh barely managed to raise his sword in defense.
But the force behind the punch was beyond anything he'd anticipated. The blade bent on impact, and the sheer shockwave tore through him, sending his entire body hurtling backward!
SHHHH—!!!
Rayleigh's form carved a trench hundreds of meters long through the grassland before smashing violently into the grand entrance of the distant auction house.
THUD!
The entire structure trembled violently. The ornate, classical doors shattered under the impact, and as dust billowed into the air, the nobles inside screamed in terror, scattering like a panicked tide.
Within the swirling dust...
Rayleigh slowly stood up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. He raised his head, staring in shock at the black-haired youth approaching step by step.
(End of Chapter)