The bell above the bar door chimed softly as Ren stepped inside.
The scent of alcohol, wood polish, and sea salt lingered in the air, familiar and steady.
From behind the counter, an amused voice greeted him.
"Well, if it isn't our little Ren. Who has been training with Hancock for months."
Ren's lips curved slightly as he met her gaze.
"Well, as expected of your intelligence network. And as a former Empress, it's normal you'd know I was there. Right, Miss Shakky?"
Shakky laughed, long and entertained, already liking the boy more than she let on.
"So tell me, young man, how did you get lost at sea? I tried finding information about you and—boom—nothing. Like you came out of nowhere."
Ren shrugged lightly, calm but evasive.
"Well… you could say that."
He leaned against the counter casually.
"Anyways, I want some info. A ship that's going to Fishman Island."
Shakky studied him for a second, her smirk deepening as if she saw through the topic change.
"Straight to business, huh? You really are different from most boys your age."
She gave him the details without resistance.
A coated vessel would depart soon, discreet but reliable.
Ren ordered food and juice, ignoring the shelves of alcohol entirely.
He never touched alcohol in either of his lives, and he had no intention of starting now.
As he finished eating and placed the payment on the counter, the air inside the bar shifted.
A presence entered quietly, yet it felt heavier than the room itself.
"Well," came an old yet mischievous voice, "since you're here, let's see the results of your training."
Ren didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"Yo, Dark King," he replied calmly, eyes glinting with interest.
Rayleigh smiled, adjusting his glasses slightly.
"Call me old man at least. Makes me feel younger."
Ren chuckled and stepped outside without protest.
There was no hesitation in his stride.
They moved toward an isolated grove, far enough from civilians to avoid unnecessary casualties.
Sabaody's giant mangroves loomed overhead like silent witnesses.
Ren pulled a strand of hair from his head.
It shimmered for a second before transforming into his crimson-gold staff.
Rayleigh slowly drew his sword.
The steel caught the light as both men looked at each other.
They didn't speak further.
Their greeting came as kings.
Conqueror's Haki exploded outward from both of them.
The air cracked, trees bent, and distant creatures collapsed unconscious.
Rayleigh's smile faded into something more serious.
He knew this brat had awakened Conqueror's only months ago.
Yet the force pressing against him now was stronger than many pirates in the New World.
That alone made his eyes sharpen.
They moved at the same time.
Sword and staff collided with a thunderous impact.
Armament Haki coated both weapons in deep black, layered with the invisible flow of internal destruction.
Shockwaves tore through the grove.
The ground split beneath their feet.
Rayleigh narrowed his eyes as he parried Ren's next strike.
"What kind of monster is this kid?" he thought grimly.
Internal Destruction at peak level.
In six months.
They exchanged blow after blow, neither yielding ground.
Ren's staff shifted in length mid-swing, shrinking to slip past Rayleigh's guard before expanding again with explosive force.
Rayleigh responded with precise swordsmanship refined over decades.
Each slash carried weight, technique, and killing intent.
The clash intensified as Rayleigh began using Future Sight.
His blade moved before Ren's strikes even fully formed.
Ren laughed, exhilarated rather than pressured.
"Is that it, old man? I thought the Pirate King's right hand would hit harder!"
Rayleigh snorted.
"You've got a big mouth for someone your age."
Their weapons blurred.
Haki flared with every impact.
Ren continuously adjusted the staff's size and balance, forcing Rayleigh to re-evaluate spacing with each exchange.
At the same time, he refined his own Future Sight mid-combat.
The air vibrated from the pressure of their battle.
Shockwaves rippled outward into neighboring groves.
Marines stationed nearby noticed immediately.
Some nearly fainted at the sight before them.
Dark King Silvers Rayleigh… fighting a young man.
And not dominating him.
Reports were sent in a panic.
Den Den Mushi echoed with urgent transmissions.
Ren noticed the commotion but didn't care.
His blood roared with anticipation.
He could feel it.
He was on the verge of a leap.
Rayleigh felt it too.
He had initially intended to stop after a brief exchange.
But the boy in front of him was evolving with every second.
With a sigh, Rayleigh increased his power.
His blade flashed as Conqueror's Haki coated it.
The black lightning crackled violently around the sword.
One massive swing sent Ren flying through multiple mangroves.
The impact shattered wood like glass.
Rayleigh exhaled slowly.
"Alright, that should be enough—"
Conqueror's Haki erupted again.
Ren stepped out from the debris, eyes sharper, aura heavier.
He entered his Human-Beast form seamlessly.
His staff rose.
Black lightning coiled around it.
Rayleigh froze for half a second.
"What kind of freak is he?" he thought. "Why did I have to run my mouth and challenge him?"
He had only wanted to stretch his muscles.
This brat had no manners at all.
Ren didn't wait for Rayleigh to finish thinking.
He was already moving.
This time, when staff and sword swung toward each other, they didn't touch.
The black lightning collided in midair.
The sky above Sabaody cracked visibly.
Every pirate, civilian, and Marine on the island looked up.
Even those who didn't understand Haki felt their instincts scream.
Rayleigh's expression hardened completely.
Now he couldn't afford distraction.
The boy in front of him wasn't just talented.
He was dangerous.
They fought for hours.
Mangroves were carved apart.
The ground cratered under their feet.
Ren's Future Sight sharpened mid-battle, extending further, clearer.
His movements grew more refined.
Rayleigh adjusted constantly, meeting growth with experience.
Their clash was not teacher and student anymore.
It was two kings testing each other.
From a distant vantage point, Shakky watched with a cigarette between her fingers.
She laughed softly, shaking her head.
She knew exactly what Rayleigh was thinking.
And she was enjoying every second of it.
The commotion escalated beyond control.
Marine reinforcements were mobilizing.
An Admiral might be dispatched.
Rayleigh noticed first.
"No need to fight an Admiral for no reason," he muttered.
Ren exhaled slowly, letting the Conqueror's coating fade.
He felt the leap he'd been chasing settle firmly into his core.
They both understood.
The duel had served its purpose.
Rayleigh sheathed his sword.
"You're trouble, kid."
Ren grinned.
"Coming from you, that's a compliment."
Without another word, they disappeared from the shattered grove before the Marines could arrive.
Only the destroyed battlefield remained as proof.
Across Sabaody, whispers had already begun.
A new monster had just announced himself to the world.