Rayleigh felt the overwhelming force erupting from Green Bull's body, and his pupils shrank.
"This power… it's the same power Ezra has!"
He recognized it instantly.
Green Bull raised a brow, a faint grin tugging at his lips.
"Well now… I didn't expect the Dark King himself to recognize this kind of power."
How could Rayleigh forget?
The last time, it was this very force that left him gravely injured at Ezra's hands.
"So Ezra has already passed this power on to you."
Rayleigh's expression grew serious. Not fear for himself, but for Luffy.
"Dark King Rayleigh… accept your judgment."
Boom!
The pressure around Green Bull surged again, doubling in intensity. His spiritual force expanded violently, crushing outward like a storm.
Rayleigh's eyes hardened. His Conqueror's Haki flared in response, rising to meet it head-on.
The clash between the two forces warped the very sky.
The heavens seemed to split apart.
The ground beneath their feet collapsed.
Even far across the island, civilians trembled in fear.
"What… what is this?!"
"Is it a natural disaster?!"
"No… I've seen this before!"
"This is power colliding!"
"You're kidding… humans can do this?!"
As panic spread, a group of Marines rushed onto the island. They were Green Bull's subordinates.
They were supposed to stay back, but the scale of the battle left them no choice.
"Hurry! Everyone gather here!"
"Move! Evacuate as fast as possible!"
"Don't block the way!"
Even so, many civilians stood frozen, stunned by the terrifying spectacle in the distance.
Meanwhile, at what used to be the tavern…
It had already collapsed under Green Bull's overwhelming pressure.
Rayleigh was drenched in sweat.
Conqueror's Haki and spiritual pressure were not on the same level. One shook the will. The other crushed the soul itself.
Rayleigh clenched his teeth.
"I can't keep clashing like this… if it continues, I'll be the first to fall."
The moment the thought crossed his mind, he moved.
In an instant, he vanished.
"Armament Haki!"
He reappeared beside Green Bull, his fist coated in black Haki as it slammed down.
Green Bull did not dodge.
He simply stood there, as if inviting the attack.
Boom!
The punch landed squarely.
"Got him… no, wait!"
Rayleigh's brief flicker of triumph vanished.
The impact felt wrong.
It was like striking reinforced steel. Green Bull didn't move at all.
Before Rayleigh could react, Green Bull casually grabbed his fist and pulled it aside.
A faint smile crossed his face.
"That's all you've got? And you call yourself a pirate?"
Before Rayleigh could respond, Green Bull's fist shot forward.
It slammed into Rayleigh's abdomen.
A brutal, direct blow.
Rayleigh spat blood as his body was launched backward, skidding across the ground for dozens of meters before crashing into a massive boulder.
Coughing violently, he forced himself up, one knee on the ground.
"What kind of monster… is this?"
He looked up.
Green Bull walked toward him at an unhurried pace, cloak fluttering behind him.
Rayleigh pressed a hand to his aching stomach and slowly stood.
"…Looks like I really have to risk everything."
Green Bull stopped a short distance away.
He rolled his neck, bones cracking, then raised a hand and beckoned mockingly.
Rayleigh's expression darkened.
"Even for a monster… that arrogance goes too far!"
With a sharp motion, he drew his sword.
In the next instant, he was already in front of Green Bull, blade descending with deadly force.
Green Bull smirked and summoned a spear of thorns from the ground, effortlessly blocking the strike.
"If you want to use a weapon, then I'll take a proper look at the swordsmanship of the Dark King."
Their figures blurred as they clashed again and again. Sword and thorn spear collided in a relentless storm.
Far away, the last of the civilians had been evacuated.
The island was now empty, save for the two of them.
Their battle intensified.
Hours turned into a full day and night.
The sounds of their clashes never ceased.
Out at sea, the waiting Marines silently cheered for Green Bull.
As time dragged on, stamina became the deciding factor.
Rayleigh, already outmatched, had now burned through more than half his strength.
He knocked aside the thorn spear once more and stared at his opponent.
Green Bull looked exactly as he had at the beginning.
Not a drop of sweat. That same calm, irritating smile.
In contrast, Rayleigh was soaked, his breathing heavy. Even the hand gripping his sword had begun to tremble.
Green Bull noticed.
"Dark King Rayleigh… can your body still keep up with this fight?"
Rayleigh snorted.
"Not even close… I'm the Dark King Rayleigh!"
With a roar, he charged again.
Green Bull clicked his tongue.
"…I'm getting bored."
Then he did something unexpected.
In Rayleigh's stunned gaze, Green Bull tossed aside his spear.
He raised both fists.
"He's going to block my blade with his fists?!"
Rayleigh's veins bulged.
"Even if you're a monster… don't push it too far!"
His sword came down without hesitation.
But Green Bull's expression had turned completely serious.
"Rayleigh… this is respect."
"My strongest weapon…"
"…is these fists."
All of his spiritual pressure surged into his right hand.
"Second Star: Great Gate!"
-----------------------------
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