Carl had warned him before, but the warning didn't seem to sway his decision.
Silvers Rayleigh, the "Dark King," despite being in his late seventies, was still in terrifyingly good shape. Even after the disbandment of the Roger Pirates, his legendary strength had not waned.
The man once swam across the Calm Belt, through an ocean teeming with Sea Kings, just to reach Amazon Lily. The ship he'd chartered had been destroyed en route, and instead of retreating, Rayleigh chose to swim the rest of the way. Within a day, he reached the shores of Daughters Island to meet Monkey D. Luffy.
That alone had proven how freakishly capable he still was, even without a crew or a ship. He hadn't declined with age—if anything, he'd become more seasoned and dangerous.
"And a few more over there," Carl muttered, glancing back.
A band of Kamabakka Kingdom okamas and ghosts darted among the disoriented Marines, while a horde of giant insects—likely summoned by Coffey's ability—had already been reduced to scattered carcasses. The Marine garrison on Sabaody Archipelago, despite often dealing with pirates and criminals, wasn't prepared for this level of chaos.
These weren't ordinary pirates. The okamas attacked with erratic rhythm and wild physicality, while Perona's Horo Horo no Mi (Hollow-Hollow Fruit) ghosts were a psychological weapon.
The Negative Hollows worked like a cheat code. Just by passing through a target, the ghost would send the victim into a paralyzing spiral of depression and despair. Marines collapsed in droves, thinking themselves useless, their will to fight obliterated.
So, considering all that, the disarray among the troops was understandable.
"Really, one after another… You all just love giving me a headache," Carl said, lifting a finger lazily.
"Scatter—Senbonzakura."
From the sky, a cascade of gleaming pink cherry blossom petals began to fall.
"That's…" Perona, hovering in mid-air, widened her eyes in alarm.
She had spent the last two years on Kuraigana Island, under the unwelcome mentorship of Dracule Mihawk. During her time there, she had been absorbing bits of world news—especially anything about Solomon Carl, the Vice Admiral nicknamed the "Oak Dragon."
So even she knew—those cherry blossoms weren't decorative.
They were deadly.
Carl's Senbonzakura, a manifestation of his advanced weaponized Observation and Armament Haki fused with his unnamed Devil Fruit ability, transformed his blade into thousands of razor-thin petals. Beautiful but lethally sharp.
With little choice, Perona extended a pale hand. Ghosts leapt from her body and condensed into miniature forms, flying toward the descending petals.
She clicked her fingers: "RAP!"
Boom!
The mini-ghosts exploded mid-air, creating a blast wave that temporarily cleared the cherry blossoms.
Taking advantage of the moment, Perona vanished into the distance, floating as far as she could from the battlefield. She knew she wouldn't last if she stayed.
But the okamas weren't as lucky.
Chi! Chi! Chi!
One after another, razor petals cut through flesh, slashing deep into muscle and bone.
"Such beautiful petals…" One okama collapsed in shock, blood pouring from multiple puncture wounds.
"Behind beauty… there is always death," murmured Di Barney, his arms laced with fine slashes as he covered his comrades.
In a flash, the Marines—once in retreat—regained their momentum.
"It's the Oak Dragon Vice Admiral!!"
Cheers erupted across the plaza. The moment Carl had activated Senbonzakura, the tide had turned.
"Push forward! Capture them all!" shouted Commander Brett, his voice strained with fury and desperation.
How shameful!
Carl rarely visited Sabaody, and when he did, the Marines under his watch had already been losing. Brett clenched his teeth. As the commanding officer here, he couldn't afford more disgrace.
While Senbonzakura swirled across the battlefield like a cherry-blossom typhoon, Carl's focus had narrowed.
He slowly turned to face the real threat.
"You're next, old man," Carl said flatly.
A blood-red gleam flickered in his eyes—his Kenbunshoku Haki intensifying.
His hand moved to the hilt of Sakura Ten, the elegant yet deadly katana hanging at his waist.
"'Pluton' Rayleigh… Tch. It'd be easier if you stayed retired."
As the right-hand man of Gol D. Roger, Rayleigh's name still carried enough weight to make admirals hesitate. Even decades after the Pirate King's death, the mere mention of the Dark King struck fear into the hearts of Marines.
Carl wasn't afraid. But he wasn't foolish either.
"I've been out of the game for years," Rayleigh admitted with a sigh. "But even an old man like me has a mission."
His eyes sharpened with a flash of Conqueror's Haki.
Monkey D. Luffy was the one he had placed his faith in—the next to inherit Roger's will. And Rayleigh would not allow anyone to destroy that hope before it fully bloomed.
Clang!
Their swords collided.
Sparks danced in the air as black lightning crackled around them—a clear sign of Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) clashing at high intensity.
But the momentum was uneven. Sakura Ten pressed forward relentlessly, each strike heavier and more precise than the last.
"Old man, your stance is faltering," Carl said calmly, gauging Rayleigh's rhythm.
Despite his sharp technique and hardened Haki, Rayleigh was slower than two years ago.
"There's no helping it," Rayleigh grunted with a grim smile. "Age catches up with us all."
"And focus is fading too," Carl murmured as his blade began forcing Rayleigh to retreat.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each swing drew more sparks. Every movement from Carl was a mix of youthful vigor and battle-hardened instinct. Meanwhile, Rayleigh had to conserve strength, relying more on defensive angles and counters.
But Carl wasn't going to give him space.
But if you don't focus on the battle, do you still want to win?"
Boom!
A heavy kick slammed into his side, and Silvers Rayleigh was sent flying, crashing into the ground and tearing two long gouges across the terrain before he managed to regain balance with his feet.
"Pfft—!"
Blood spewed from his mouth as he stood firm, his breathing ragged.
"You're right," Rayleigh muttered bitterly, leaning on his longsword, which was now embedded in the dirt to keep him upright. His gaze was sharp despite the blood on his lips.
'Do I dare lose focus against a monster like this?' he thought grimly. 'And I still want to save Luffy?'
He turned briefly toward the Thousand Sunny, now visible in the distance, anchored near the coastline. Aboard, Luffy, Zoro, and the others were already under T. Penn's control.
A flicker of urgency and clarity surged through Rayleigh's eyes.
Then it happened.
A tremendous aura burst out from the old man's body, as if his very soul had ignited. In an instant, Carl's advanced Observation Haki sensed a seismic shift—Rayleigh's entire presence had transformed.
If the old man had previously felt like a lion resting in the twilight of his prime, now he roared like a blazing sun at noon—unyielding, burning, alive with a vigor that scorched the battlefield.
"…He's letting go of his limits," Carl muttered, his brows tightening. Black lightning crackled around his body as he activated advanced Armament Haki fused with Conqueror's Haki.
"No matter how hard you struggle… it's useless."
The black Razer snakes encircled his limbs and shoulders, and his scarlet eyes gleamed with killing intent. In that moment, Carl looked more like a demon from the depths of hell than a man—a being forged in battle, exuding death.
Boom!
The ground beneath Rayleigh exploded as he charged. His speed had clearly surpassed its earlier limits.
Clang!
Their swords collided again, this time with an earth-shattering force that cracked the terrain and pushed shockwaves in all directions.
Winds screamed outward as Haki clashed. The heavens themselves seemed to tremble under the sheer pressure of their duel.
"Interesting, old man," Carl said, his eyes flickering with genuine battle spirit for the first time. "Then let's fight!"
Rayleigh's strength, now fully unleashed, finally made him worthy of Carl's full attention. The previous exchanges had felt like playing with an injured beast. This? This was a fight.
"…Hah." Rayleigh smiled wearily, blood dribbling from his mouth. "Old fool… risking your life again."
There was no regret in his eyes. Only quiet resolve.
"But even now," he whispered, eyes fixed on Carl, "I can't suppress you…"
The man before him—Solomon Carl—was an unrelenting monster. Two years ago, he had already shown signs of overwhelming potential. But now? Now his power didn't even feel fully drawn, and yet it was enough to push a former right hand of the Pirate King to the brink.
Carl was strong. Strong enough to breed despair.
Swoosh!
A black-gold slash sliced across Rayleigh's cheek. It wasn't deep, but the wound festered with microscopic black lightning erosion, proof of Conqueror's Haki infusion.
"So fast!" Rayleigh's pupils shrank. That speed—it reminded him of someone from decades past.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
More slashes tore through the air. Rayleigh was tense, his Haki perception pushed to its limit, yet even then, he couldn't dodge them all. Small but accumulating cuts appeared across his arms and chest.
Carl's movements were elegant, unforced. Like a master calligrapher painting chaos onto a battlefield.
Rayleigh's gaze darkened.
That style—those fluid motions—it was too familiar.
"Baroric Redfield…" he said in a low, hoarse voice, "How do you know that old bastard's moves?"
The defeat of Redfield in Sleeping Town, a legendary Level 6 criminal of Impel Down, had been recorded only via Bright's Den Den Mushi transmission. Though Marine HQ had reviewed it, the World Government classified the incident. The world never knew.
Carl's blade halted for a brief second. "Redfield? You must be seeing things, old man. Never heard of him."
He smirked, clearly lying.
Truth was, Carl had learned that style. In the past two years, he'd refined what he'd observed in that duel—taking Redfield's overwhelming finesse and fusing it with his own terrifying speed.
Rayleigh chuckled softly despite the blood. "Fine. Doesn't matter."
Then he disappeared.
A sharp shock burst behind Carl.
Judgment.
Rayleigh's famed twin blade, Sakura Ten, streaked across his shoulder with a sudden burst of blood!
Carl's eyes widened.
"No guard?"
The wound Rayleigh had inflicted wasn't blocked by Armament Haki. Carl's body hadn't hardened—he'd missed it.
Rayleigh dashed past him, and the momentum of the blade didn't slow.
Thud.
A forearm dropped to the ground—severed.
Carl stared in disbelief. Rayleigh hadn't even hesitated.
JOIN MY PATREON TO READ ADVANCE 100+ CHAPTERS
Patreon.com/Kora_1