Rayleigh looked at Shano.
Despite going all out, he couldn't gain any advantage over this young man who was not even twenty years old.
Such talent, isn't it a bit too exaggerated?
Even the Four Emperors of today... No, even Roger wasn't this powerful at this age.
At this moment.
The opponent's condition, on the surface, seemed similar to his own.
Both were covered in blood and wounds, especially on the right side of the neck where a sword mark cut deep into the shoulder, exposing the stark white bone within.
But...
What couldn't be ignored was that after just a brief pause.
The edges of the grim wound had already stopped bleeding, muscle fibers wriggling like living things, healing rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
"What extraordinary healing power..."
Rayleigh's pupils contracted slightly, his hand gripping the sword tightened unconsciously.
Having roamed the seas for years, he had seen many legendary figures in his youth, including those with monstrous physiques.
Yet the self-healing capability exhibited by this young man in front of him surpassed them all.
It could only be described as terrifying!
"What, are you scared?"
Shano walked over step by step, flashing his white teeth, "Starting to babble already, could it be that mighty Netherworld King Rayleigh is old enough to need the Navy to get out of trouble?"
"Kid, I'm explaining the situation to you..."
Rayleigh frowned; was he another reckless person?
Or maybe young pirates were inherently this arrogant and self-important, and perhaps he really had gotten old, starting to worry about everything...
Before he could finish speaking.
Shano suddenly grinned at him, his figure disappearing from the spot in an instant.
Rayleigh's face changed, not daring to hesitate. As a flash of red light appeared in his eyes, he quickly drew his sword and slashed to the left, meeting the attack with all his strength.
Thud!
Rayleigh's blade was just a moment too slow, allowing Shano's punch to land heavily on his chest.
He let out a muffled groan, his whole body blasted back several hundred meters by the punch, rolling on the ground like a rag doll for an unknown number of times before finally stopping.
"You've gotten sluggish."
Shano flexed his wrist a little, then once again approached with that feral grin, his aura as solid as ever, showing no signs of disorder.
"I see, your stamina is running low, and you're slowly starting to fall behind my attack rhythm?"
This seemed to be a common ailment among the strong in the Pirate World.
After reaching a peak state, their strength couldn't be maintained indefinitely and would decline with age.
In terms of attack intensity, the gap might not be too large, still capable of unleashing waves of fearsome assaults that shook the spirit.
However, in terms of physical defense and endurance, it's no longer the same level as in youth.
Just like the Rayleigh in front of him.
Although he fought with all his might from start to finish, with no room to hold back, and the fight between them was all about close combat, every sword drawing blood, every punch hitting flesh, the intensity of the battle could not be higher.
But...
In the end, they had only been fighting for less than two hours.
Rayleigh was already panting, with a noticeable decline in his condition in all aspects, and it was uncertain if he could hold out until dark.
As for him?
The more he fought, the more invigorated he became, his fighting spirit boiling over!
At this pace, he could easily fight for another three days and nights!!!
"Your chances of winning are steadily shrinking, old man!"
Shano swung another punch, but this time Rayleigh reacted in time, quickly sidestepping, and then countering with his sword to steadily meet the attack.
And as the two remained locked in combat, Rayleigh seemed to notice something and looked in another direction with some surprise.
There were seven or eight notable presences approaching, but they did not come directly towards them, instead lining up at the edge of the battlefield, standing in front of the unmoving Navy.
"Showing up in that position at this time... Are they your allies?"
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow, "You're not worried about the Navy interfering because of them?"
"Oh? They've arrived?"
Shano grinned, realizing it only after being reminded.
Sure enough, Rayleigh's Observation Haki was still far superior to his own.
But it didn't matter, he was long used to his shortcomings in Observation Haki, and once he entered the New World, he'd find ways to gradually improve!
This insignificant gap wouldn't affect victory or defeat for now. If the strength of Observation Haki directly determined the outcome, Kage would have countless Nikas' corpses beneath his feet by now!
"Probably!"
Shano laughed heartily, "Let the Navy be their problem. As for you, Rayleigh! Stop being so afraid of this and that, it's disgraceful! You're already this cornered, just unleash all your cards! Let me see, how much of your peak skill you still have!"
"You have a lot of confidence in your companions."
Rayleigh withdrew his gaze, his smile finally taking on a few cold, resolute undertones, "But someone who doesn't trust their comrades doesn't deserve to be a captain, hahaha... Good! Very good!"
He tore off his tattered shirt, revealing a robust and scarred body. The weary aura he had seemed to disappear, becoming powerful once more!
"Since that's the case, today I'll throw everything aside and fight with you until the very last moment!"
Buzz!
A powerful Supreme King Haki erupted once more, Rayleigh's figure vanished from where he stood, and Shano's eyes flashed with brilliance as he greeted him without hesitation.