After ending the call, Ryokugyu rose from his chair and stretched lazily.
"Finally, a mission."
He ran a hand through his wild, curly hair and grinned, then strode out of the office.
"Vice Admiral Ryokugyu, are you heading out?"
A familiar voice stopped him just as he stepped through the door. He glanced back and saw Sentomaru.
"Hey, Sentomaru. I was just looking for you."
Sentomaru blinked in surprise. "You needed me for something?"
"The Fleet Admiral assigned me a mission. For the next couple of days, you'll take over Dr. Vegapunk's security."
Sentomaru frowned. "But your current assignment still has six months left. Why send you out now?"
Ryokugyu shrugged. "How would a 'mere' vice admiral know something like that?"
Sentomaru's mouth twitched. A "mere" vice admiral who was also a candidate for admiral and a member of the Zero Division. By that logic, what did that make him?
Shaking off the thought, he nodded. "Understood. I'll make sure Dr. Vegapunk is safe."
Ryokugyu waved him off and left the laboratory.
He had been stuck there for at least half a year already. He was long past ready to leave.
Soon after, he boarded a warship and set course for the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Dark King Rayleigh… I wonder how long you'll last against me."
Excitement flickered across his face as he muttered to himself.
Meanwhile, at Sabaody Archipelago
Rayleigh watched as Akainu's warship disappeared into the distance. Only then did he finally relax.
"Whew… that was close. I nearly died back there."
He glanced at his burned right arm and let out a wry chuckle.
"The Marines have gotten terrifyingly strong. Every single one of them…"
He had a good idea why. All signs pointed to Xu. But how Xu had managed it remained a mystery.
Still, now wasn't the time to dwell on that.
Rayleigh shook his head, clearing away the clutter in his thoughts, and headed quickly toward Shakky's bar.
The door creaked open as he stepped inside and made his way to the counter.
"Oh my, Rayleigh, what happened to you?"
Shakky frowned, a hint of concern in her voice.
Rayleigh waved it off with a smile. "Nothing much. Just saw my apprentice off."
Shakky raised a brow. "Don't tell me Luffy did that to you."
Rayleigh laughed. "Not a chance. That was Sakazuki."
Her expression immediately darkened. "Akainu? What was he doing at Sabaody?"
Rayleigh shrugged. "Isn't it obvious? Xu sent him."
He let out a quiet sigh. "Looks like Xu really intends to kill Luffy."
Shakky paused, then nodded slowly. It made sense. If Luffy had fallen into Akainu's hands, survival would have been impossible.
Rayleigh downed the rest of his drink and sighed.
"Xu trained Luffy for a while, but deep down… that man is ruthless."
Shakky began wrapping his arm while replying, "Not necessarily. He's the Fleet Admiral now. He can't afford to act on personal feelings. And hasn't he always treated pirates the same?"
She glanced at him. "Did you forget your fight with him two years ago? If you hadn't pushed past your limits, you wouldn't be sitting here now."
Rayleigh fell silent.
She was right. Back then, Xu had absolutely intended to kill him.
Shakky tied off the bandage. "There. Done."
Rayleigh looked down at his arm and saw a large, neatly tied bow.
His lips twitched. "Hey… was that really necessary?"
Shakky snorted. "You should be grateful I patched you up at all."
Rayleigh had no comeback for that.
"For the next few days, stay here," she added. "Put the coating business on hold. Let things cool down first. Otherwise, the Marines might recognize you and drag you away."
Rayleigh smiled and nodded. "Got it. I'll be in your care."
Shakky rolled her eyes. "It's not free, you know. Ten thousand Berries a day."
"Shakky!" Rayleigh groaned dramatically.
A few days passed in the blink of an eye.
Rayleigh stayed put, helping around the bar and keeping a low profile.
What he didn't know was that a warship bearing a bull insignia had already docked at the port.
Ryokugyu stepped off the ship, dressed in a green-striped suit beneath a white Marine coat.
"You all stay here. Guard the ship."
He didn't bother bringing subordinates along. A man known as the Dark King wouldn't be easy prey. Sending weaker soldiers would only get them killed.
His adjutant seemed to understand and nodded. "Yes, Vice Admiral."
Ryokugyu waved him off and walked into the archipelago alone.
"Rayleigh… where are you hiding?"
He didn't know Rayleigh's exact location, but that hardly mattered.
His Devil Fruit allowed him to sense through plant life, and Sabaody had no shortage of vegetation.
He closed his eyes.
A faint green energy seeped from his body into the ground beneath his feet.
An invisible wave spread outward, covering the entire area around Grove 15.
Moments later, the plants responded.
Ryokugyu's brows lifted slightly as his awareness followed the signal.
There, outside a bar, stood a silver-haired man.
A smile curved his lips.
Found you.
He cut off the connection and began walking toward his target.
At that same moment, Rayleigh felt a sudden chill run down his spine.
A bad premonition.
His Observation Haki expanded instantly, sweeping across the area.
What he sensed made his expression turn grave.
A warship at the port.
And a presence so vast, so overwhelming, it barely felt human.
"What kind of monster is this…?"
Even after sailing with Roger and witnessing countless legends, Rayleigh had never encountered an aura like this.
Then it clicked.
"So Xu finally sent the Zero Division…"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Now the question is… which one came?"
-----------------------------
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