Ten years.
It had already been ten years since Rayleigh had found Mislanda adrift in the sea.
In those ten years, the "Dark King" had treated the boy as his own flesh and blood.
And now, seeing Mislanda frozen solid in a block of ice, the rage boiling inside Rayleigh was unimaginable.
That sword strike he had just unleashed on Aokiji—he hadn't held back in the slightest.
He was at least a full tier stronger than Kuzan right now.
If that blow hadn't injured Aokiji, that would've been a miracle.
"Kh–khh!"
Kuzan coughed, one hand pressed against the ground while the other clutched his chest.
A long, bloody wound stretched across his torso from Rayleigh's strike, the wound still oozing.
He quickly ran his finger along the gash, freezing the area over with a layer of ice—numbing the pain and stopping the bleeding at once.
Only then did he wipe the blood from his lips and look up, his expression dark and wary.
"'Dark King'... Silvers Rayleigh."
He had recognized the man at a glance.
But even so, Kuzan still couldn't quite believe it.
Why would this man—the Pirate King's right hand—appear here, in Ohara?
At the sound of that name, every scholar and marine nearby froze.
Aside from Professor Clover, who finally exhaled in relief, everyone else stared in shock.
Of course they knew that name.
Silvers Rayleigh.
The man who had once sailed at Gol D. Roger's side, who had reached the very end of the Grand Line—Raftel!
"Professor," Olivia asked quietly, her voice trembling, "is this... the person you meant?"
Clover nodded heavily.
"Two years ago, Mr. Rayleigh came to Ohara with his son—Mislanda."
"Olivia, look—" he pointed to the girl cradled in Rayleigh's left arm, "the child he's holding is your daughter, Robin."
Olivia's eyes widened as she turned toward the little girl.
That face... that aura... it was unmistakably her daughter.
But Robin didn't look at her mother.
Her gaze was fixed on Mislanda's frozen figure instead, tears brimming in her eyes.
Rayleigh knelt beside the boy, checking his pulse.
A moment later, he finally let out a long breath.
"Still breathing…" he murmured, standing up.
He carried both children to Clover's side and set them down gently.
"Take them and leave," Rayleigh ordered, drawing his sword once more.
"I'll handle the rest."
With a single sweep of his blade, a deep fissure tore across the ground—cutting off any who might try to pursue.
Seeing that, Kuzan forced himself upright, clutching his side.
"Dark King Rayleigh... why are you here?"
"Why?" Rayleigh's eyes hardened. "You have the gall to ask why? I was only trying to live quietly with my son—until your Navy came storming in."
He stepped forward, his killing intent thick as the air around them shuddered.
"I've heard of you, Vice Admiral Kuzan. A prodigy, they say—so young, and already a leader among the Marines."
"But I never imagined you'd stoop so low as to attack a child. Is that how the Navy enforces justice these days?!"
Boom!
The moment his words fell, Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki erupted outward.
A thunderous shockwave of sheer will blasted across the battlefield, sweeping over every soldier and agent present.
Within seconds, dozens of World Government operatives collapsed to the ground, foaming at the mouth—including Spandine himself!
Even Kuzan staggered back several steps, his entire body trembling under the crushing aura.
He knew—he was not Rayleigh's match.
Especially not in this condition.
"Your... son?" Kuzan muttered hoarsely, his eyes flicking to Mislanda.
Now everything made sense.
If that boy was Rayleigh's son, then his terrifying talent was perfectly logical.
"You're lucky you didn't kill him," Rayleigh said coldly. "Otherwise, I'd have killed you where you stand."
He raised his sword again, swinging it in a wide arc.
A flash of sword light erupted, the pressure alone forcing Kuzan back several meters.
With Spandine unconscious and the Den Den Mushi fried by the Conqueror's Haki, Kuzan was now the highest-ranking man still standing.
Just as he was about to give the order to retreat, Rayleigh suddenly turned his head toward the forest—and slashed.
A massive wave of sword energy roared forward, slicing through trees like paper and colliding with a blast of molten heat.
A geyser of lava splattered across the battlefield, scorching the earth and setting the woods ablaze.
A tall man in a crimson Marine coat stepped out from the inferno, magma dripping from his fists.
"Humph. 'Dark King' Rayleigh," he growled, "you're not leaving this island alive. The remnants of Roger's crew—all of you deserve to die!"
The newcomer's presence was suffocating.
Vice Admiral Sakazuki, future Admiral Akainu, had arrived.
Another monster of the same rank as Kuzan—yet entirely different in temperament.
Seeing him, Kuzan actually felt a strange sense of relief.
With Sakazuki here, they might have a chance to take Rayleigh down.
Of course, even the two of them together weren't confident in victory—but the Buster Call fleet wasn't far offshore.
Even Rayleigh would have trouble against that.
Rayleigh frowned, his sword gleaming under the rising flames.
"So, that's how it is... Seems like I won't be leaving without a fight today."
He tightened his grip on his blade, his aura surging again.
Akainu sneered. "You think you can still run?"
Boom! Boom! Boom!
No sooner had he spoken than the distant thunder of naval cannons shook the island.
From the horizon, the warships of the Buster Call unleashed a barrage toward Ohara.
Rayleigh's brows furrowed deeply.
"Sakazuki, what's going on? Why are they opening fire?!" Kuzan shouted.
But Akainu only gave a cold snort.
"I don't know. Sengoku contacted you earlier, but you didn't respond. He reached me instead. Said the Five Elders have ordered it personally—initiate the Buster Call on Ohara!"
Even without the golden Den Den Mushi, a direct order from Admiral Sengoku was enough to trigger the bombardment.
"But there are civilians on this island!" Kuzan protested. "If the Buster Call continues, they'll—!"
"Justice doesn't wait for casualties," Akainu interrupted, his tone ice-cold. "The priority is capturing the Dark King. The rest can burn."
With that, he raised his magma-clad fists and charged straight at Rayleigh.
Rayleigh met him head-on, his sword flashing in the firelight.
He couldn't drag this out.
The bombardment had already begun—and once the island was engulfed, even he might not make it out alive.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Their blows collided again and again, shockwaves flattening the forest around them.
Lava hissed against steel, and the very air trembled beneath the force of their clash.
Meanwhile, in the distance—
Using Rayleigh's stand as cover, Saul limped heavily toward the shore, carrying the scholars one by one onto his massive raft.
"Rayleigh is strong," the giant said grimly, "but the Buster Call spares no one. We must leave—now!"
"No! The library—those books are humanity's greatest treasure!"
Professor Clover's voice rang out, desperate and pained.
He had heard of the Buster Call before.
Once unleashed, it would wipe everything from the face of the island.
If they didn't act now, not only would the Tree of Knowledge be destroyed, but centuries of history would vanish with it.
He couldn't let that happen.
There was a large pool near the base of the Tree—yes, perhaps he could hide the books there!
Resolved, Clover turned and sprinted back toward the library.
"Professor, wait—!" Olivia called, chasing after him.
"No, Mother! Professor! Come back!" Robin cried out from the raft, her voice breaking.
Moments ago, she had finally reunited with her mother after years of separation—only to watch her run back toward danger.
"I'm sorry, Robin," Olivia said through tears, not daring to turn around.
"It's my fault... I'm not worthy to be your mother."
She vanished into the burning forest, following Clover toward the doomed Tree of Knowledge.
And high above them, the shadow of the Navy's cannons drew ever closer
~~--------------------------
Patreon Advanced Chapters:
patreon.com/FrostWarden