"Rayleigh, seriously? You were about to surrender to the Marines?"
Jabba strode up to him, giving the older man a playful punch on the shoulder before laughing heartily.
Seeing his old comrade again, Rayleigh finally exhaled a long breath of relief—then pulled Jabba into a firm embrace.
It had been two years since they'd last met.
"Jabba, thank goodness you showed up," Rayleigh said with a grin. "Otherwise, I'd be joining Shiki in Impel Down by now!"
He hadn't expected salvation to come just when he'd made up his mind to surrender to protect Mislanda and the others. Fate really did have a twisted sense of humor.
"Hah, enough talking—once we're out of here, let's have a proper drink!"
"Deal. My treat. Drink till we drop!"
With a smirk, Rayleigh pulled his sword from the ground and stood shoulder to shoulder with Jabba.
Back in the Roger Pirates, they had been the Captain's left and right hands. Their teamwork wasn't just experience—it was instinct.
Even twenty years later, Akainu and Aokiji at their peak would've struggled to handle the two of them together.
And right now? Kuzan was already half-crippled.
First Rayleigh's blade, then Jabba's axe—poor Aokiji could only grit his teeth.
Why is it always me getting beaten up?!
Not far away, Dragon had finally landed with his crew, stepping onto Ohara's shores.
Facing the wary Marines, he walked straight up and said calmly:
"Stand down, Marines. Ohara will be under my protection today."
Rayleigh. Jabba. Dragon.
Three men—each one a storm in human form.
Together, they could wipe out an entire Buster Call task force.
Seeing that trio standing side by side, the Marines visibly faltered.
They might not have recognized Dragon, but they knew Rayleigh and Jabba all too well.
When word reached Marineford that Jabba had joined the fight, Sengoku nearly spat out his tea.
In pure strength, Jabba might not surpass Rayleigh—but he was still a name that sent shivers down even an admiral's spine.
"Admiral Sengoku, what do we do?" a vice admiral asked nervously.
Kuzan was badly injured, and none of them wanted to be the next casualty.
Akainu, for his part, burned with frustration—he wanted to fight, but even he wasn't arrogant enough to think he could take on all three of them alone.
In the end, after a quick exchange between Sengoku and Steel Bone Kong, the order was given: retreat.
There was no other choice.
If they stayed, they'd die.
As the Marine warships slowly withdrew into the horizon, Rayleigh sank down onto the ground, exhausted.
"Today… that was way too close," he muttered, rubbing his temples.
Then he looked over at Mislanda, still half-encased in melting ice, and couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh.
"Why the hell did I listen to that brat and come here in the first place…?"
He shook his head.
"No, that's it. From now on, I'm not listening to a single one of his crazy ideas. These old bones still want a few peaceful years left in them."
Decision made, Rayleigh walked over to join Dragon and Jabba.
After a long talk, he finally understood how and why they'd arrived.
It turned out that after their meeting two years ago, Dragon had been watching the Navy closely.
Recently, he'd learned that they'd captured a group of scholars studying the secrets of the World Government—and that five vice admirals had been dispatched to the West Blue.
A Buster Call, without question.
So, Dragon had set sail immediately—and ran into Jabba along the way.
When Jabba heard that Rayleigh was in danger, he didn't hesitate for a second to join them.
Rayleigh let out a low whistle. "That was a damn close call."
"Thanks to both of you," he said sincerely. "I won't forget this favor. If you ever need me, you know where to find me."
Dragon smiled faintly. "Then this trip wasn't in vain."
They turned their attention to the surviving scholars, discussing where to take them next.
Ohara was finished—staying here meant death. The Marines would return sooner or later.
After some thought, Dragon made a decision: he would take all the scholars and find a secret, safe place for them to live and continue their work.
Clover agreed wholeheartedly.
He knew there was no other choice—if they stayed, everything would be lost.
Two days later, Dragon's ship was packed with scholars and crates upon crates of rescued books.
Before leaving, Robin glanced at the still-unconscious Mislanda.
"Mom… Mr. Rayleigh… can't we stay together?"
She'd spent two years with Mislanda—he wasn't just a friend, but someone she'd come to rely on deeply.
Rayleigh sighed softly.
"Robin, you saw what happened. Mislanda doesn't have the luxury of choice right now."
"His dream is clear—to become the strongest in the world. And he's still far from it. If you want to help him, then wish him strength from your heart."
Robin wiped away her tears and nodded.
Olvia knelt and hugged her daughter tightly.
"Don't worry, Robin. You'll see him again someday."
"Mm-hmm."
And with that, Dragon's ship departed, carrying Ohara's last scholars and the legacy of its knowledge.
All that remained on the island were civilians—safe for now, as long as the Navy valued its public image.
"Alright, they're gone. Time for us to go too."
Rayleigh loaded supplies into a small boat, lifted Mislanda aboard, and pushed off from Ohara's shore.
As for where they were headed—he didn't know.
"Where to next, Jabba?"
"No idea," Jabba chuckled. "Maybe I'll wander around for a while—settle somewhere quiet."
Rayleigh smiled. "As long as you're happy. Just don't wait too long before we meet again."
"Bah, enough of that. Take care, old man."
With that, Jabba waved farewell as Rayleigh's small boat drifted away from Ohara, disappearing into the endless sea.
The West Blue was no longer safe. They had to move on.
Ding!
System notification: Congratulations, Host — Mission Complete: "Repel the Buster Call."
Half-conscious, Mislanda's eyes shot open.
"—Huff! Huff! Huff!"
He clutched his chest, breathing heavily.
"Damn it, stupid system… scared the life out of me!"
Looking around, he realized he was lying on a small boat, with Rayleigh sitting quietly at the bow.
Sensing movement, Rayleigh turned and smiled faintly.
"You're awake. Good—eat something."
"Where are we?" Mislanda asked, grabbing a piece of roasted meat and taking a big bite.
The last thing he remembered was being frozen solid by Aokiji—everything after that was a blur.
"The Calm Belt." Rayleigh replied. "We're almost at the Grand Line."
After days of sailing, he'd finally left the West Blue behind.
Thinking it over, the Grand Line was still the best place to disappear.
"And Robin? The scholars?" Mislanda asked.
"They're safe," Rayleigh said reassuringly. "Dragon took them. The World Government won't find them anytime soon."
As Mislanda ate, Rayleigh recounted everything that had happened since his blackout.
By the time he finished, Mislanda could only whistle softly.
"That… was way too close. You almost ended up in Impel Down."
He paused, then smirked. "Didn't think Jabba would show up too. That was a surprise."
Rayleigh chuckled. "Yeah. Lucky us."
The small boat drifted steadily onward—toward the Grand Line,
and toward the next chapter of Mislanda's legend.
~~--------------------------
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