Rayleigh was stunned.
"He… he's not joking!"
Indeed, there was a technique even stronger than Flame Beacon, more impossible to counter than before.
Previously, the Fire Dragon Whirlwind was small and aimed at a single target. That was why Rayleigh had dared to risk everything with his Conqueror's Haki.
He had barely survived, only to realize that Ezra D. Vale's move had been just the opening strike.
Now, the inferno wall, wider, hotter, and deadlier, had completely engulfed him. Rayleigh's mind was on the verge of collapse.
But there was no time to dwell on that. The intense heat was roasting him alive.
Sweat dripped from his forehead as he desperately searched for a way out.
"The only option is to breach it from inside," he thought.
He exhaled sharply, discarded his damaged sword, and poured the last of his energy into his hands.
"Hyah!"
The black Haki on his arms flared brightly.
But that wasn't all. Crack! Crack!
Like black lightning, Conqueror's Haki wrapped around his hands.
A glint of fearless resolve appeared in Rayleigh's eyes.
He stepped into the inferno wall. The extreme heat nearly made him faint.
Clenching his teeth, enduring the searing pain and the smell of scorched flesh, he struck the blazing wall with both fists.
"Dual Haki Assault!"
Boom! Thud! Cough!
Multiple shadowy fists collided with the wall. Rayleigh's gaze never wavered.
"Almost… I can feel it… just a little more!"
He roared, "Break!!!"
A tiny gap suddenly appeared in the inferno wall, just enough for a single person to slip through.
Excitement lit up his eyes. There was no time to waste. With a powerful push from his legs, he shot through the opening.
Behind him, the gap vanished as quickly as it appeared.
He didn't linger. Not a glance at Ezra. Just a desperate sprint toward safety, disappearing into the distance of Port 13.
Ezra didn't pursue. There was no need. The Straw Hat Pirates had escaped, and his mind had settled once again.
"Red-Haired Rayleigh," he murmured, casually dismissing his Shikai. Ryujin Jakka returned to its sheath, and the inferno wall dissipated into the air.
"Tch… lucky this time."
Ezra vanished from the scene, leaving a group of Supernovas behind waiting for him.
Meanwhile, Rayleigh had made it to Shakky's bar.
"Rayleigh!? What happened to you?!"
Shakky's face paled at the sight. His clothes had been burned away, charred black patches covered his body, and smoke and burnt scent lingered around him. A large portion of his silver hair had been singed off.
"Shakky…" Rayleigh croaked, his throat damaged, barely able to call her name before collapsing to the ground.
"Rayleigh! Rayleigh!?" Shakky quickly rushed to tend to him.
Back on Island One, Ezra reappeared.
He sensed the location of Sentomaru and walked toward it. Soon, he reached the town where Sentomaru was commanding the Pacifistas, handcuffing the Supernovas that Ezra had knocked out.
"Admiral Flame," Sentomaru greeted respectfully. Even from Island One, he could feel the heat radiating from Ezra. He couldn't imagine the true extent of the Admiral's power. Could even Garp match him? Unlikely.
Ezra inclined his head slightly in acknowledgment.
"Have they all been captured?" he asked.
"Report, Admiral Flame. Eustass Kid, Apoo, Capone Bege, Killer, and Ulti are secured. The others have gone missing, likely escaped the Sabaody Archipelago."
Ezra nodded. "That is sufficient for now."
Sentomaru hesitated before asking, "Admiral Flame, what about the Straw Hats?"
Ezra waved his hand. "They encountered Red-Haired Rayleigh and were rescued."
Sentomaru's eyes widened. "Red-Haired… Rayleigh?!"
"Yes. That old man really is troublesome," Ezra said, a flicker of red in his eyes.
Sentomaru immediately fell silent, sensing the Admiral's displeasure.
At that moment, Ezra's Den Den Mushi rang. It was a shipboard communication line.
"Hello, Admiral Flame. We've arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago and are rounding up fleeing pirates!" Tina's voice came through.
Ezra nodded slightly. "Good. After the mission, meet me on Island One."
"Yes, Admiral Flame!" Tina replied before hanging up.
On the ship, Tina frowned and whispered to En: "En, Admiral Flame doesn't seem in a good mood."
En raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Let's focus on our task first."
"Yes, understood," Tina said, and they continued rounding up pirates.
Meanwhile, Ezra pulled out Sengoku's Den Den Mushi.
"Sengoku, how is the mission? Did you see the Celestial Dragon?"
"Tch. The Straw Hats were rescued by Rayleigh. I haven't seen the Celestial Dragon yet."
Sengoku paused, surprised. "Rayleigh?"
Ezra briefly summarized the events, including Kuma's intervention. "That's Kuma's ability in action."
While they spoke, a hooded figure approached, swearing angrily:
"You useless fools! Trash! They were just a few pirates, and you couldn't catch them! Who's responsible? Bring them here to kneel and apologize immediately!"
Sengoku's forehead broke out in sweat. This was serious.
"Ezra, don't act rashly," he began.
But Ezra had already hung up and started walking toward Charlos.