"Such a powerful Haki."
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, the shock in his eyes still lingering. "And you've even mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion… You, are you really not even twenty?"
Shano walked forward with steady steps, his black hair fluttering in the lingering pressure of Haki.
With each step, the uneven ground beneath him parted to either side, cracking and sinking as if paving a road for him.
"Regretting it now?"
He grinned. "Thought I was just some rookie you could lecture while playing the wise old man—only to realize you picked the wrong guy?"
"..."
Rayleigh was silent for a while, then suddenly laughed. "I really misjudged you!"
He had come here to honor a promise, but he hadn't expected things to spiral like this.
As for regretting it…
Maybe a little—but in this world, there are no regrets that can be undone.
Since he chose to take this step, he wouldn't retreat. Not even if the Admirals or the Four Emperors stood in his way. He would still seek justice for Hachi's soul.
"Then let's settle this with our fists!"
Rayleigh gripped his sword and laughed. "Let me personally test just how far the new generation that shook Paradise has come!"
Buzz!
The moment he spoke, Rayleigh's body burst out with explosive Conqueror's Haki. His long silver hair whipped wildly in the air, and countless streaks of black and red lightning surged in all directions!
Boom!
The two mighty forces of Conqueror's Haki clashed fiercely in the sky. Instantly, the once-clear skies over the Sabaody Archipelago were engulfed in dark clouds and thunder.
All of Grove 1 was plunged into gloom and storm.
"All units, move out!"
"Take down all troublemakers, no matter who they are!"
Led by the captain, a large squad of auction house guards charged out of the gate in full force.
They expected to deal with just another reckless troublemaker, but the sight that greeted them—
"This… What is this?"
They froze in place, stunned. Before they could react, the shockwave from the Haki clash surged toward them.
Plop!
Hundreds of guards dropped unconscious in unison, like wheat cut down in a field.
RUMBLE—!
The two powers clashed more violently.
The ground shook, air distorted.
Even the enormous red mangroves in the distance cracked under the pressure, groaning loudly.
The front wall of the auction house collapsed entirely under the impact, revealing the interior—
A vast auction hall.
Most of the audience had already fled in terror.
But the slaves on stage wore explosive collars that would detonate if they left the auction area. None dared move.
They could only huddle in fear at the corners of the stage, trembling as they watched the chaos unfold.
Among them were rare races like longarms, fishmen, half-giants, and snake-headed people.
There were also strong humans and stunning women.
Dozens of them, all clearly visible. Shano and Rayleigh spotted them at once.
Their reactions were surprisingly in sync.
Swish!
In the blink of an eye, both shot toward the stage with Moonwalk—one to the left, one to the right.
Moments later, they landed on either side.
They glanced at each other—
"…"
Rayleigh narrowed his eyes.
But he said nothing. He began to remove the collars from the slaves.
His method was brute force—crushing them barehanded, then tossing them behind him to let them explode safely.
Shano, on the other hand, was far more refined.
With just a brush of his fingers, each collar unlocked on its own, not even triggering the failsafe.
"We're saved! We're finally saved!"
"Thank you! Thank you both so much!"
The slaves sobbed with gratitude, but both men waved them away quickly.
They had to leave. This wide clearing around the auction house was about to become a battlefield. Ordinary people would be crushed if they stayed.
Once Rayleigh finished, Shano stood waiting, arms crossed.
"If not for Hachi, I think you and I might have been friends," Rayleigh said, uncorking a bottle of wine and taking a long swig. "But favors and grudges… there's no reversing it after the sword has been drawn."
Shano calmly shook his head.
After a moment, he slowly clenched his fist again—black and red lightning wrapped around it—and a cold smile curved his lips:
"Everyone's far enough away now. You've had your drink. Enough chit-chat, old man—let's go!"
"That's what I'm talking about!"
Rayleigh laughed, flung aside the bottle, and drew his sword in a flash. It crackled with black-red energy.
"Divine Departure!"
"Divine Punishment!"
In the next instant, both vanished!
CLANG—!!!
The clash rang across the island. In midair, fist and sword collided. Black and red lightning exploded, swallowing the battlefield.
Shockwaves rippled out in layers, making the land quake like an ocean.
The entire auction house was flattened by the impact!
"Divine Departure? That Roger's move?"
Their blades locked midair. Shano smirked. "So you can use it too, huh… Rayleigh. But compared to your captain, this imitation's not enough to beat me!"
"And your move's not much better," Rayleigh replied, smiling. "But for your age, it's impressive… Still, that name—'Divine Punishment'? Quite arrogant."
BOOM!
The deadlock broke. Neither could overpower the other.
So they split and clashed again.
BOOM—BOOM—BOOM!
The clearing was swallowed by constant explosions. The battle had fully entered its fever pitch.
⸻
"What did you say?!"
At the headquarters of the Sabaody News Agency, an old man in black-rimmed glasses jumped to his feet.
"Shano? That Shano is still alive?!"
"Yes, President!"
The young employee eagerly pulled out a photo. "Our field reporter risked his life to snap this! Please look, there's no mistake—it's Shano, the one the World Government declared dead two months ago!"
The old man examined the photo.
The moment he saw the black-haired youth, he froze.
Then his gaze shifted to the other figure—a silver-haired man with a sword—and his eyes widened even more.
"Rayleigh?!"
"Huh?" the subordinate blinked.
"You youngsters! That's Pluto Rayleigh! Roger's right-hand man! You don't know that?"
The old man's hands trembled with excitement.
If it were just one of them, that alone would be headline material.
But both? Fighting?
This was front-page, world-shaking news!
Whether their paper could outpace Morgans this year—this was the moment!
"Activate the emergency news plan! Send the best Den Den Mushi! We're broadcasting this LIVE across the entire island!"
"And call every editor and printer off vacation! I want the next issue out tonight!"
⸻
Whirl—!
Heavy rain fell over most of Sabaody Archipelago under the dark clouds summoned by Conqueror's Haki.
It was lighter in Grove 33.
Here, the girls had gone to the famous Bubble Amusement Park after dealing with the Supernova on the docks.
But peak season meant huge crowds.
Just as they finally lined up for the roller coaster, they saw the terrifying celestial phenomena caused by Conqueror's Haki in the distance.
That familiar aura…
There was no doubt—it was their captain.
"Nooo~!" Nami nearly cried. "Who's Onii-chan fighting again? The weather turned into this! My whole amusement park day is ruined!"
"Hmph, anyone who makes Lord Shano use Conqueror's Haki must be extraordinary."
Kuina narrowed her eyes, turned decisively. "Let's go. Change of plans. We need to see what's going on."
"Dang it! I knew it!"
Nami groaned pitifully, clinging to Kuina. "Sister Kuina! I waited forever to buy those tickets—can't I ride just one thing?"
"Stop whining, move it!" Kuina didn't hesitate, dragging Nami out while her dramatic protests echoed behind.
Nojiko and Robin exchanged looks, said nothing, and followed.
Meanwhile, the others…
Smoker went to restock cigars.
Gin followed Zeff to buy strawberry milk.
Jack stayed to watch over the ship at the coating workshop.
Kuina called everyone: regroup at Grove 1.
Just as they stepped outside—
"Hey, look!" Nami pointed to the massive screen in the center of the square.
They all turned—and froze.
"It's the captain!"
"And who's that old guy?"
Kuina let go of Nami and rushed forward. Nami rubbed her sore wrist, watching with a mix of awe and frustration.
On screen—
Shano and Rayleigh's figures were barely visible, flickering among flashes of black-red lightning.
Every clash sent out terrifying shockwaves, pulverizing the landscape.
More and more people gathered—residents, tourists, passing pirates.
Some began recognizing Rayleigh.
"Pluto Rayleigh…"
Robin's face grew serious. "A legend… still alive. But why is he fighting the captain?"
Then—
The signal flickered. A brief burst of static.
When it returned, the camera had shifted—to Grove 1's port.
Navy warships approached rapidly.
One was especially large, its white sails bearing a bold black "豚" character.
A reporter's voiceover came on:
"Breaking news! This just in!"
"As you can see, local marines and even Headquarters warships are arriving at Grove 1!"
"And leading them is Mr. Kake, recently promoted to Admiral candidate!"
⸻
Navy Headquarters warships?
People watching the screen were shocked.
Even this close to Marineford, how had they arrived so quickly?
"Maybe they just happened to be passing by?" Nojiko guessed.
"Doesn't matter," Kuina said coldly, eyes fixed on the screen. "What matters is Lord Shano is still fighting. We can't let those guys ruin his mood."
Admiral candidate?
Kuina scoffed, gripping her sword.
"Let's move! Our job is to stop the Navy and protect Lord Shano!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Everyone activated Moonwalk and sped toward the battlefield.
⸻
Grove 1, port.
The Navy fleet had docked. Soldiers formed ranks in the pouring rain.
But strangely—they didn't advance immediately.
They waited.
"Well, this is quite the surprise."
Kake stepped onto land, cigar in hand, gazing toward the distant battle.
"Tsk… What luck."
Just over an hour ago, he had nothing. The Supernova had retreated, and he was bored, ready to go home.
Then this fell into his lap.
A week of chasing Shano with no results…
And now, here he is—fighting Pluto Rayleigh, no less.
Kake smiled as he puffed on his cigar.
Keep fighting, you two.
The more you wear each other down, the better for me.
"Sir?"
His adjutant leaned in nervously. "Shouldn't we inform headquarters?"
"Use your brain. The branch probably already did. HQ will respond soon enough."
Kake blew a smoke ring. "Maybe it'll be Borsalino… Doesn't matter. They won't arrive in time."
He narrowed his eyes.
"If they keep going like this, they'll be exhausted soon. That's when I step in and clean up."
⸻
BOOM!
Shano and Rayleigh clashed again—fists and swords exploding in midair.
Dust filled the battlefield. When they landed again, both were panting heavily.
They'd been going all-out for over an hour.
Rayleigh's long silver hair was soaked with rain and sweat, clinging to his forehead.
He knelt on one knee, sword planted in the ground, chest rising and falling.
His tattered robe clung to bloodied skin.
"…Whew."
He glanced down at his injuries, then slowly stood, leaning on his sword. He gave a bitter smile:
"You little brat… Not just your Haki, but your physique and strength are ridiculous. I haven't been this beat up since I retired…"
"And looks like more trouble's arrived."
Rayleigh looked toward the port.
"You think we can't sense them just because they're hanging back? There's quite a crowd, and even a tricky one among them… Want to stop here, kid?"
He gave a tired sigh.
"I'm not interested in fighting to the point we both fall, just to let the Navy take the win."