Eli Winters was happily rummaging through the fifth treasure vault when the distant sound of battle broke through the silence. He froze.
Could it be that Fisher Tiger had run into trouble? Or worse had his own cover been blown?
Without hesitation, Eli swept every last bit of treasure into his spatial storage and tossed two compact bombs behind him for good measure. Then, in a flash of mist and light, he vanished toward the source of the commotion. If Tiger had been discovered, he might still have a chance to turn the tide.
What Eli didn't know was that, at that very moment, someone else had entered the vault he'd just emptied a very unlucky someone.
That unfortunate man was none other than Silvers Rayleigh, the legendary "Dark King," former right-hand to the Pirate King himself. His broad frame and hawk-like eyes radiated the quiet, effortless menace of a man who'd seen the heights of the sea.
Right now, though, the great Rayleigh was standing in the middle of a ransacked treasure room, glaring down at the two unexploded bombs Eli had left behind. His veins bulged with disbelief.
"Damn it! Who the hell moves this fast?" he cursed under his breath. "Not even a single coin left! Cleaned out like a tax office unbelievable!"
Grumbling, he crouched down to pick up one of the bombs. For a brief moment, he considered taking it maybe it could come in handy. But then a thought flashed across his mind. With a sigh, he gently set both bombs back on the floor.
He knew full well that these were no ordinary explosives. They were most likely part of Fisher Tiger's escape plan a distraction meant to draw attention away at a critical moment.
Rayleigh had once owed a favor to the Fish-Man Kingdom. Just weeks ago, Neptune had sent him a letter, pleading for his help and describing Tiger's mission in detail. Out of both debt and admiration for Tiger's courage, Rayleigh had agreed to watch from the shadows. He'd followed Tiger's route all the way up the Red Line, even scaling the same perilous path to Mary Geoise. His plan had been simple: grab some gambling funds from a few noble vaults while waiting for the right moment to intervene. Instead, he'd found only dust and despair.
Then, without warning, his instincts screamed a single word run.
He didn't hesitate. In one smooth motion, Rayleigh launched himself backward just as the entire vault exploded in a roaring burst of fire and smoke.
"BOOM!"
The sound shook the holy city. And somewhere amid the smoke, the Dark King's voice could be heard cursing the heavens.
Meanwhile, Eli stepped through a ripple in space and arrived at the scene of the battle. The first thing he saw was chaos a muscular man hammering his fists into a massive bull-like creature.
"Wait, what… Constant Wei fighting Lai Fu? Oh, never mind," Eli muttered, squinting. The "bull" turned out to be a raging, horned beast of a man, while his opponent cold-eyed and ruthless was a CP0 agent whose movements blurred with impossible speed.
The agent dodged the bull's charge and, in the same motion, shot forward like a ghost. His hands darkened with Armament Haki as he seized the bull's horns, lifted, and slammed the creature into the ground with brutal precision.
Before the beast could even groan, the agent's fingers stiffened into spearpoints. "Shigan!" he barked, unleashing a blinding flurry of thrusts that tore bloody holes across his opponent's hide.
Two allies Ami Han and Salman reacted instantly. Salman's arm morphed into a steel whip and lashed out toward the agent.
"Pathetic," the CP0 operative spat. With one hand, he caught the incoming whip mid-swing and yanked hard. Salman stumbled forward, just as the agent vanished from sight
"Rankyaku!"
A slicing arc of air tore through the whip, severing the restraints binding the Celestial Dragon on the ground. In one swift motion, the agent scooped up the noble and retreated to safety. Other CP0 members immediately closed ranks, surrounding Tiger's group in a tight formation.
The freed noble, Saint Steedru, screamed furiously. "Gamobai! You useless trash! How could three filthy rats infiltrate Mary Geoise right under your nose?! You dare show your face to me, and you're late?! Pathetic! You worthless dogs are raised by the Celestial Dragons and THIS is how you serve us?!"
Gamobai's jaw tightened. Normally, a man of his status would never take that kind of abuse but today, he had failed. There would be no excuses, not before his masters.
His eyes darkened with venom as he turned back toward the battered rebels.
"Don't kill them," Steedru hissed. "I want them alive. I'll make them regret being born."
Gamobai bowed his head. "Yes, Saint Steedru."
The moment felt right. Eli stepped onto the palace rooftop, grinning from ear to ear.
"Evening, everyone."
The voice startled them all. Steedru's face turned beet red with rage. "Another one?! Are rats the new fashion? Gamobai, KILL HIM! Kill him now, you worthless worms!"
Gamobai dashed forward. Eli sighed. "So rude," he muttered, catching the agent's punch with casual ease.
A flicker of concentration crossed his eyes he sensed one of his old spatial marks had just been triggered. He smiled faintly. Ah, so the unlucky guy from before had found the bombs.
An instant later, an enormous explosion erupted in the distance.
Everyone froze. The shockwave rippled through the palace. CP agents exchanged terrified looks. They all knew what this meant someone high-ranking was going to lose their head over this mess.
Steedru, furious beyond reason, turned on his subordinates, screaming insults until spittle flew.
Gamobai took advantage of the chaos. In a flash, he disappeared and reappeared behind Eli.
"Rankyaku!" he roared, his leg slicing through the air.
But Eli was already gone. He sidestepped the attack as if he'd known it was coming, then raised his right hand coated in deep, shadowy Haki and slammed it down on Gamobai's face.
"Seabed Drop."
The impact thundered through the ground like an earthquake. Gamobai's body cratered into the marble floor, blood spraying from his mouth. Buildings around them cracked and collapsed under the force.
Eli exhaled in satisfaction. "Now that," he said, "felt good."
Everyone stared in horror. CP0 agents each one a fighter on par with a Marine Vice Admiral were legends of lethality. And yet, their strongest had just been flattened with a single blow.
"Kill him! KILL HIM!" Steedru shrieked, backing away in terror. The CP members charged out of sheer desperation.
Eli didn't even bother to dodge. A punch here, a kick there and within moments, the floor was littered with unconscious or broken bodies.
Only the terrified Saint Steedru remained. Eli strolled toward him with a cheerful smile. But before he could reach him, reinforcements arrived strong ones.
The leader stepped forward, wings unfurling from his back, eyes burning with fury. He glanced at Gamobai's body and let out a dark laugh. "Impressive. It's been years since anyone dared make trouble in Mary Geoise. I'll make sure you live long enough to watch everything you care about burn."
Eli tilted his head. "Big words. Let's see if you can back them up." He snapped his fingers.
Four explosions erupted across the city the last of his planted bombs. Perfect timing. By now, Tiger must have freed the slaves and begun their escape. The bombs were simply to make sure no one could follow too soon.
"You're dead," the winged man snarled. Twin feathers of light burst from his back as he lunged forward, spear in hand.
"Feather Lance!"
The air cracked like thunder as his weapon met Eli's fist. The collision unleashed a shockwave so powerful it leveled nearby buildings and sent rubble flying.
The winged man hovered above the chaos, glaring down. "Your strength… How could someone like you remain unknown? Who are you?"
Eli squinted up at him, unimpressed. "You made me look up. That's rude." He launched himself upward with Moonwalk until they were eye to eye.
"My name?" he said with a grin. "Tell me yours first."
"I am Saint Figarland Shigdell, Supreme Commander of CP0! Now, state your name!"
Eli grinned wider. "Take a guess."
"Bastard!" Shigdell's feathers flared in rage as he dove again.
Elsewhere, Tiger led a desperate band of freed slaves through the forests of the Holy Land. Humans, fish-men, and even a few strange races ran together toward the ships he had hidden beforehand. But their escape was cut short when a powerful enemy descended upon them.
"Go!" Tiger roared. "I'll hold him off!"
He fought bravely but was quickly overwhelmed until a figure, charred black and smoking from head to toe, burst onto the scene and struck the enemy down.
"Thanks for the help, brother!" Tiger gasped in relief. "I'll repay this debt!"
The newcomer glared at him, his face dark with soot and irritation.
It was Rayleigh.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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