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Chapter 162: Rayleigh Defeated, Chaton Blocked
🕑 Added 2025-08-31 14:33:44 +0000 UTCChapter 162: Rayleigh Defeated, Chaton Blocked
Rayleigh looked at Shane.
Even with him going all out, he couldn't gain any advantage against this young man who wasn't even twenty.
Isn't that talent a little too outrageous?
Even the current Four Emperors… no, even Roger, at his age, was nowhere near this strong.
At this moment, his opponent's condition, on the surface, seemed to be about the same as his.
He was also covered in blood and wounds, especially on the right side of his neck, where a sword wound ran deep into his shoulder, revealing the bone beneath.
But… what was impossible to ignore was that, in the brief pause, the edges of that gruesome wound had already stopped bleeding, and the muscle fibers, like living things, were writhing and healing at a visible rate.
"Such outstanding regenerative ability…"
Rayleigh's pupils constricted, and his grip on his sword unconsciously tightened.
He had roamed the seas for many years and had seen countless legendary figures in his youth, including many with monster-like physiques.
But the self-healing ability that the young man before him was displaying was on a whole other level.
It could only be described as terrifying!
"What, scared?"
Shane strode forward, a grin on his face. "Still talking nonsense? Or is the great Dark King, Rayleigh, so old that he needs the Marines to bail him out?"
"Brat, I'm just explaining the situation to you…"
Rayleigh frowned. Is this guy another reckless fool?
Or is it that young pirates are just supposed to be this arrogant, and it's he who has gotten old and started to overthink things…
Before he could finish his sentence, Shane suddenly grinned at him, and his figure vanished.
Rayleigh's face changed. He didn't hesitate. A red light flashed in his eyes, and he quickly swung his sword to the left to meet the attack.
THUMP!
Rayleigh's sword was a split second too late, and Shane's punch slammed into his chest.
He grunted, and he was sent flying hundreds of meters, tumbling like a rag doll for who knows how many times before he finally came to a stop.
"You're getting slow,"
Shane said, casually flexing his wrist. He then sneered and closed in again, his aura as solid as ever, without a hint of disruption. "I see. Your stamina is running low, and you're starting to have a hard time keeping up with my attacks, aren't you?"
It seemed to be a common problem among the powerhouses of the pirate world.
After reaching a peak, their strength would not be able to be maintained and would decline with age.
In terms of attack power, the gap might not be that big. They could still unleash wave after wave of terrifying attacks.
But in terms of physical defense and endurance, they were no longer on the same level as they were in their youth.
Just like the Rayleigh before him.
Although he had been going all out from the start, with no room to hold back, and the two of them had been in a close-quarters brawl, with every sword slash drawing blood and every punch landing, the intensity of the fight was at its absolute peak.
But… they had only been fighting for less than two hours.
And Rayleigh was already panting, and his condition was clearly declining. It was doubtful if he could even last until nightfall.
And what about him?
The more he fought, the more exhilarated he became, his fighting spirit boiling!
At this rate, he could have kept going for at least three days and three nights!!!
"Your chances of winning are getting smaller and smaller, old man!"
Shane attacked again with a punch. This time, Rayleigh reacted in time and dodged to the side, then blocked with his sword.
And as the two of them were locked in a stalemate, Rayleigh seemed to notice something else and looked in another direction with a little surprise.
There were seven or eight auras approaching, but they didn't come directly to them. Instead, they lined up at the edge of the battlefield, blocking the path of the Marines, who had been standing by.
"Are those your comrades, showing up at a time like this?"
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. "You're not worried about the Marines interfering because of them?"
"Is that so? They're already here?"
Shane grinned. He had only just noticed.
Sure enough, Rayleigh's Observation Haki is still much stronger than his.
But it didn't matter. He was used to his weakness in Observation Haki. When he got to the New World, he would find a way to improve it!
This insignificant gap wouldn't affect the outcome of the fight for the time being. If the winner was decided by Observation Haki alone, Katakuri would have been standing on a mountain of Nika corpses!
"More or less!"
Shane laughed heartily. "The Marines are their problem! And you? Rayleigh! Stop being so scared! It's unbecoming! You've already been pushed this far! Just bring out all your trump cards! Let me see how much of your peak strength you still have!"
"You have a lot of faith in your comrades,"
Rayleigh said, and a hint of a cold, resolute look finally appeared in his smile. "But a man who doesn't believe in his comrades doesn't deserve to be a captain either. Hahaha… good! Very good!"
He tore off his tattered shirt, revealing his scarred, powerful physique. His previously flagging aura once again surged!
"In that case, I will cast everything aside today and fight you to the very end!"
VWOOM!
A powerful Conqueror's Haki erupted again, and Rayleigh's figure instantly vanished. A sharp glint appeared in Shane's eyes, and he didn't hesitate to meet him.
—BOOM!
…
The rain was falling harder and harder, pounding the muddy ground and splashing up turbid water.
Chaton slowly looked away from the earth-shattering clash in the distance and at the seven figures who were standing on the high ground.
Just seven people.
In the very center was a black-haired girl with a high ponytail, her hand on the hilt of her sword. When she saw him looking, she met his gaze with an impassive expression.
"It seems… I'm being a little underestimated,"
Chaton's cigar had long since gone out. He took a cup of tea from his adjutant and, after taking a sip to moisten his throat, he said unhurriedly, "Goliath, my memory is not what it used to be. Remind me, what are the bounties of these officers of the Curtain Call Pirates?"
"If we exclude the outliers, their average bounty is over a hundred million, which is quite a formidable level in the first half of the Grand Line,"
the young adjutant immediately replied. "The one with the highest bounty is the girl in the middle, Vice-Captain Kuina, at exactly 200 million Berries."
"200 million Berries. How scary,"
Chaton said with an exaggerated gasp. "No wonder they dare to stand in my way with just a few little kids. Goliath, you tell me, such powerful pirates…"
BOOM!
Before he could finish his sentence, Chaton's figure had suddenly vanished.
In the next instant, he was already in front of Kuina, his black right leg, like a battle-axe, cutting through the air with a sharp whistle, aiming for the young woman's head!
"—how many seconds will it take me to defeat them!"
CLANG!
A gleaming blade precisely blocked the Haki-hardened leg-axe. In a shower of sparks, the ground beneath Kuina's feet exploded, and a spiderweb of cracks shot out for over a dozen meters.
The force of Chaton's blow was immense.
But Kuina stood her ground.
She placed her left hand on the back of her blade, her arm muscles tensing, and, with an impassive expression, she held Chaton's slash in mid-air.
Hmm?
Chaton was taken aback. How is that possible?
He didn't have a Devil Fruit, nor did he practice swordsmanship. He had reached his current position through pure physical strength and physical arts. This kick, though it seemed ordinary, was powerful enough to instantly crush the head of a Supernova-level pirate.
And yet, against this young woman, he hadn't even been able to push her back?
He didn't believe it. He spun in mid-air and swung his right leg down again like a whip, this time with even more force.
CLANG!
The scene was no different from before. The young woman before him, her expression unchanged, steadily blocked the blow.
"...Err, Mr. Gion?"
Under the stunned gazes of his adjutant and the countless Marine soldiers behind him, and especially when he noticed that one of the video Transponder Snails was aimed in his direction, Chaton's face turned a shade of green, and then it completely darkened.
He slowly retracted his right leg, landed on the ground, and put a few meters between himself and Kuina.
"Interesting…"
Chaton narrowed his eyes, the usual smile on his face completely gone, replaced by a cold, fighting spirit. "It seems I really did underestimate you, 'Rain-Slicer' Kuina. A bounty of 200 million is not nearly enough to match your strength."
"You are stronger than me,"
Kuina said calmly. "But unfortunately, not by much. You won't be able to get past me. Don't even think about interfering in Lord Shane's duel. I alone am enough to stop you."
With that, she looked at her comrades. "You just keep an eye on the others. You don't need to interfere."
"Honestly, you're just hogging all the fun. You're becoming just like Boss Shane,"
Smoker said, shaking his head with his cigar, but he still followed her orders. "Alright, you're the vice-captain, after all."
The others also smiled and spread out a little.
Grove 1 had become the focal point of the entire Sabaody Archipelago. It wasn't just the Marines. At this moment, on the outskirts of the battlefield, there were also some pirates with their own agendas, and even some greedy bounty hunters.
They would not let a single one of them interfere with their captain's duel.
"Huh? Just one of you? Isn't that a little much!"
The rain dripped from the brim of his hat. Chaton slowly raised his hands, and Armament Haki, as dark as ink, wrapped around them, covering his entire arms.
His aura suddenly surged, and the puddles at his feet were pushed away by an invisible force, creating a vacuum.
"To even say that I'm only a little stronger than you, you've really underestimated me. In that case, I'll just have to get serious and show you what I'm really made of!"
SWISH!
Chaton's figure vanished again.
This time, he was even faster than before, almost a black afterimage as he closed in on Kuina! His fists shot out like cannonballs, each blow making the air tremble and distort, with the terrifying force to shatter a large warship!
BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG—!
Kuina's gaze sharpened, and the Wado Ichimonji became a blur of silver light, her blade clashing fiercely with his fists, sparks flying in the rain!
Her figure was constantly pushed back, and with every step, she carved a deep trench in the muddy ground.
Clearly, with Chaton going all out, it was a little difficult for her to completely block his assault.
But Kuina's eyes were still calm, and there was even a hint of excitement in them.
This guy, although he didn't look like much, and he didn't have the aura of a powerhouse, he was truly worthy of the title of Admiral candidate. His strength was far beyond that of an ordinary Vice Admiral, and he was even stronger than Doflamingo!
And what was even rarer was that he specialized in pure close-quarters combat. To fight a guy with a style that suited her so well, and for the sake of protecting Lord Shane, she was practically on fire!
"It's my turn to attack!"
Kuina roared.
Chaton's pupils constricted. Before he could react, Kuina's sword style suddenly changed!
"Steel Tempest: Twin Dragons!"
She took a step forward, and her blade traced a sharp, circular arc. A fierce wind kicked up!
Two tornadoes, wrapped in Haki, instantly formed, and they intertwined as they shot forward, tearing through Chaton's assault! Chaton was forced back, but Kuina's pursuit was close behind!
"Moonwalk!"
She leaped into the air, her figure like a bolt of lightning. She was instantly in front of Chaton, her blade aimed at his throat.
Chaton quickly raised his Armament Haki-coated arms to block, but the force of the blow was far beyond his expectations. It sent him flying back, and he crashed into the Marine ranks behind him!
BOOM—!
The dust and smoke rose, and the Marine soldiers scattered in a panic. Chaton slowly stood up from the rubble, a trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth.
He looked down at his slightly trembling arms, and his eyes finally filled with an unprecedented solemnity.
At the same time, Kuina floated down from the air and landed steadily.
"It seems you finally understand that what I said before was no idle boast."
She pointed the tip of her sword at the ground and, with a flick, the rain slid from the blade. She then tilted her head slightly and beckoned to Chaton. "Come on. Let's continue."
…
Grove 40.
This was the center of the entire Sabaody Archipelago's tourist district.
And in the most bustling street-corner square was the largest screen of the Sabaody newspaper.
To be precise, it was three screens, pieced together horizontally, and the image it displayed was large enough for the entire square to see clearly.
The square was already packed with people, and the Sabaody newspaper had even sent an experienced commentator to be in front of the screen to explain the situation and, at the same time, to promote the upcoming new issue.
At this moment, seeing the repelled Chaton on the screen, a wave of discussion broke out in the massive square.
"My god, she really blocked him?"
"That female swordsman is so strong!"
"A Marine Admiral candidate can't even beat the vice-captain of the Curtain Call Pirates?"
"You idiot! Can't you see?! They're just fighting on even terms! Of course the Admiral candidate is stronger!"
"But in any case, this guy can't take on the Curtain Call by himself! Is Marine Headquarters not going to do anything else?! The Admirals, send them over! Otherwise, the whole of Sabaody is going to be torn apart by these two!"
"Who knows! Maybe they're already on their way!"
Some people didn't care about the Marine Headquarters' actions and were just expressing their dissatisfaction with the Sabaody newspaper.
"Hey, this fight is exciting, but it's just a side-show, right?! Why are you giving it so much screen time?!"
"What's wrong with you guys?! Switch the camera back to the main event!"
"That's right! We want to see who's stronger, the Dark King, Rayleigh, or the Tachi Swordsman… huh? That's strange. Speaking of which, why has that Shane been using his fists this whole time? I haven't seen him draw the sword on his back once."
"That's true. Now that you mention it…"
The person beside him had just chimed in when he was interrupted by a voice from above. "Please be patient, everyone! Please be patient!"
The middle-aged reporter who was in charge of the commentary stood on a stage, his right hand down, trying to placate the audience. "Please rest assured, our broadcast is experienced and professional!"
"Because the two on the main battlefield are too evenly matched, and they've been at a stalemate for so long, we're just showing you what's happening on the other side for a bit! When the situation on the main battlefield changes, and the outcome becomes clear, the live feed will immediately switch back…"
ZAP!
The screen suddenly flickered with static, and when it became clear again, the people fighting in the center of the screen had once again become the silver-haired old man and the black-haired young man.
"As I was saying, it's now!"
The middle-aged reporter was quick to react. He immediately changed his tune and laughed, spreading his arms. "Come on, everyone! It seems the suspense of who will win is finally about to be revealed! Let's turn our attention back to this pinnacle duel—!"
…
Slap!
A large raindrop happened to hit the screen.
A hand from one of the front-line reporters frantically reached out and wiped the lens clean, then adjusted the angle of the Transponder Snail, turning the camera upward.
Through the shattered, dream-like landscape, in the gaps between the torrential rain, the camera focused and zoomed in, and the scene in the sky finally became clear.
—Rayleigh's battered body was plummeting from the sky, his silver hair a mess in the wind, blood constantly pouring from the corner of his mouth.
His sword had long since left his hand and was falling even faster, its gleaming blade cutting through the rain and embedding itself in the ground.
And his gaze seemed a little vacant, but it clearly reflected the figure of the young man, wrapped in black and red lightning, standing in the sky above.
