Rayleigh, wearing flip-flops, stood beside Gaban, his sword already drawn, its tip pointing diagonally downwards.
His arrival stirred up a gust of wind in the arena.
However, this wind was insignificant compared to the storm caused by Garp and Roger's great battle in the distance, almost imperceptible.
At this moment, Rayleigh had a smile on his face, but his eyes revealed intense fighting spirit.
But he didn't attack directly. Instead, he first glanced at Gaban beside him, and noticing the mud on the latter's mouth, he even had the presence of mind to jokingly remark.
"Such a disheveled Gaban is a rare sight."
"Hey! Rayleigh, don't tease me at a time like this!" Gaban was very displeased, his anger flaring.
"Hahaha! My apologies, I couldn't help myself for a moment." Rayleigh responded cheerfully, his eyes remaining clear.
Though he spoke and laughed, Rayleigh's target was always clear: it was Kenji.
Kenji also found it amusing. Are these two kids putting on a show for him?
He raised his head, his gaze passing over the two people in front of him, looking towards the distant battlefield.
The figures of Garp and Roger, fiercely battling in the distance, had moved from the sky to the sea and were now rapidly approaching Samo Island while fighting.
"Garp, Roger... neither of them is easy to deal with." Kenji's expression hardened.
When Garp fought, he would often destroy warships, even his own.
Roger, needless to say, could fight for days and nights without rest when he was in the mood.
"If they keep fighting like this, they might not be able to determine a winner for days and nights, right?" Kenji raised a hand and pointed to the distant sea battlefield, suggesting to Rayleigh and Gaban in front of him.
"Why not go help them? Hmm, this time I'll make a small effort to help them decide the victor. It's a pleasure to help others!"
Gaban was stunned, looking somewhat bewildered.
Rayleigh, beside him, grinned.
"Hahaha! You're still so humorous, Kenji!"
"How wonderful, such an optimistic disposition, no wonder you still look so young."
"But this time, let's not disturb Roger's battle... we will be your opponents!"
As he spoke, Rayleigh twisted his wrist, raising his sharp sword, and high-intensity Armament Haki flowed over the blade.
Gaban also raised his twin axes, seemingly in response to Rayleigh.
Their combined aura converged, transforming into a pressing current of air.
Kenji remained unmoving under the pressure of their aura, shaking his head as he looked at the two.
"You two can't stop me."
His voice was calm, yet it clearly entered the minds of the two opposite him through their ears, making them instinctively feel that he was stating a fact.
In reality, it was the effect of an invisible Haki pressure.
The strongest Conqueror's Haki silently accompanied his words, assaulting Rayleigh and Gaban's bodies.
Unbeknownst to them, both had already suffered a certain shock, their thoughts influenced, feeling that Kenji's words were absolutely correct.
"We might really not be able to stop him..." A hint of panic appeared in Rayleigh's eyes.
With Rayleigh and Gaban's strength, they might be unafraid of a direct shockwave impact from Conqueror's Haki, but Kenji changed his method of use, combining Conqueror's Haki with sound.
And the meticulous control of Conqueror's Haki was also a major key.
"Hmm, even if we can't stop him, we must fight with all we've got!"
Rayleigh and Gaban, after all, had experienced countless legendary battles and possessed unwavering resolve. Soon, their expressions cleared, and their gazes became even more resolute.
"How could I have just..." After regaining his clarity, Rayleigh sensed something was amiss.
But at this moment, he had no time to think further. Gaban, with his twin axes, erupted into action, charging forward recklessly.
"Conqueror's Haki application... the effect isn't ideal." Kenji slightly frowned, raising his palm to meet the attack.
Buzz!!!
Conqueror's Haki flowed and released from his fingertips.
Just like the Emission technique of Armament Haki, Kenji emitted Conqueror's Haki, striking Gaban from a distance as he charged forward.
Bang!
As if hit by a heavy blow, Gaban flew backward faster than he came, blood spurting from his mouth.
"That is... Haki Emission, but this Haki..." Rayleigh, from behind, clearly witnessed the entire process.
He seemed somewhat disbelieving at first, but after carefully sensing the aura again, a look of horror unconsciously appeared on his face.
"This domineering aura... absolutely no mistake."
"It's Conqueror's Haki!"
The essence of Conqueror's Haki is spirit shock, overwhelmingly powerful. But when Conqueror's Haki reaches a certain intensity, it can exhibit application techniques similar to Armament Haki.
And precisely because this power is extremely domineering and difficult to tame, the number of strong individuals throughout the world who have mastered Conqueror's Haki infusion is extremely low.
Conqueror's Haki infusion represented a powerful force in Rayleigh's mind.
As for Conqueror's Haki Emission similar to Armament Haki Emission?
Rayleigh had never even heard of it, let alone seen it.
"Perhaps, it's not what I imagine?" Rayleigh rose, sword in hand, preparing to confirm it himself.
With a flash of light, a slash rippled rapidly through the air like waves.
Kenji's figure flickered, easily avoiding the slash, and when he stopped again, he was already in front of Rayleigh.
"Your slash is too casual. Are you testing me, 'Pluton' boy?"
Kenji raised his hand and flicked his finger, Haki swirling.
Bang!
His finger struck Rayleigh's parrying blade, a massive force hitting through the air, and the latter immediately vomited blood and flew backward, falling to the ground like Gaban earlier.
"Heh, in front of you, I wouldn't dare call myself Pluton." Rayleigh quickly got up, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and said with a bitter smile.
"Cough cough, although this sounds a bit arrogant, we will absolutely not let you disturb Roger's battle."
Before his words finished, Rayleigh's entire body suddenly glowed with Haki, looking as if he were burning himself.
At the same time, Gaban, who had just gotten up on the other side, seeing this, didn't even bother to wipe the blood from his mouth. He also furiously released the Haki within his body, his expression extremely excited.
"Can we finally have a good fight?"
Their injuries seemed to further unleash the beastly nature within them.
Under the stimulation of a strong sense of danger, Rayleigh and Gaban unconsciously unleashed their potential, exhibiting power beyond their usual limits.
Boom!
Swirls of Haki enveloped their bodies, with faint traces of Haki around them. A dense, domineering, and fierce aura spread out.
The next moment, two figures sped like lightning, attacking Kenji from both left and right.
Sharp, cold light glinted from the sword and axe blades, almost piercing the naked eye.
Kenji remained unmoving, locking onto their auras with Observation Haki. Then he extended his palms, and invisible Haki erupted.
Boom!
"Ngh!"
With a dull thud, Rayleigh and Gaban were almost simultaneously struck by a heavy blow from a distance, falling far away, bleeding profusely.
"No mistake, that is absolutely... Conqueror's Haki Emission." Rayleigh fully confirmed it, a drop of blood flowing from his eyelid.