"Why are you wearing a mask?"
Although Rayleigh immediately recognized Kaoru Tsubasa, he still couldn't understand why the young man insisted on concealing his face.
Rayleigh hadn't been in Loguetown for Roger's execution, so he had no idea about the agreement made between Tsubasa and Sengoku.
"Well… it's a long story. Let's talk about that another time," Tsubasa replied calmly.
He didn't want to explain too much — not here. If Rayleigh learned that Tsubasa had taken Roger's body from the Navy, he might very well insist on following him to Raftel. It wouldn't be a major problem, but Rayleigh had once been the Pirate King's right hand. His presence in the New World would surely draw unwanted attention from the Marines.
"By the way, Rayleigh," Tsubasa said, changing the subject, "how did you end up like this after retiring?"
Rayleigh chuckled awkwardly, scratching his head. "Ah… ran out of money for wine. So, I figured I'd earn a little cash to buy some."
Even for the famed Dark King, the explanation was embarrassing. As Roger's former first mate, Rayleigh couldn't help but feel self-conscious being caught in such a ridiculous situation — especially by someone who knew him.
Tsubasa gave a small, knowing smile. "I see. Well, don't worry about it. I already gave a million Berries to Shakky. You might want to avoid doing this kind of thing again."
Rayleigh didn't say anything in response, though he knew what that meant — out of the million Berries Shakky received, maybe only a fraction ever made its way to him. If she had been willing to give him even a bit of alcohol, he wouldn't have needed to go this far for pocket change.
"I heard from Buggy that you promised to give him all your treasure," Rayleigh suddenly said.
Tsubasa nodded without hesitation. "That's right. When I was in Loguetown, I promised Buggy I'd hand him one of my treasures."
Rayleigh blinked. "Huh. So that idiot wasn't lying after all." He then grew noticeably more serious, his tone shifting.
"There's one more thing."
Seeing the change in Rayleigh's demeanor, Tsubasa stopped smiling and straightened slightly.
"When Shanks came to the Sabaody Archipelago," Rayleigh said slowly, "he told me you took Roger's body from the Navy."
The air around them grew heavy. Rayleigh's eyes locked onto Tsubasa's — sharp and unwavering, as though he was ready to strike if the answer displeased him.
Tsubasa didn't flinch. "Yes," he said simply. "I took Roger's body. That's also why I wear this mask now. I made a deal with Sengoku — that I wouldn't appear on the seas for the next ten years."
Rayleigh's hands clenched slightly. His Haki began to surge unconsciously. "Then… where is Roger's body now?"
In an instant, Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki exploded outward. The overwhelming pressure swept across the entire Grove 1 of the Sabaody Archipelago. Everyone nearby — pirates, civilians, even Marines — collapsed instantly.
"What the hell…?"
A Marine wearing a dog-headed mask froze mid-step as the shockwave hit him. His expression hardened, and in the next second, he disappeared from sight — sprinting straight toward the source of the aura.
"Rayleigh! Calm down!" Tsubasa called out sharply. He hadn't expected such a fierce reaction from the old man.
Before he could finish, however —
BOOM!
A jet-black fist came crashing out of nowhere, slamming Rayleigh straight into a nearby wall.
"G–Garp?!" Tsubasa's eyes widened beneath his mask. He recognized the man immediately — that dog-headed mask could only belong to Vice Admiral Monkey D. Garp.
"Well, well… I remember you," Garp said, cracking his knuckles. "You were Roger's crewmate, weren't you?"
He turned slightly, noticing Tsubasa standing there. "And you… boy, what the hell are you doing here?"
He squinted, a hint of recognition flashing in his eyes. He'd met this masked man several times before — back on Baterilla Island.
Tsubasa smiled politely and gave a small bow. "It's been a while, Mr. Garp."
Rayleigh groaned, pushing himself out of the cratered wall. "Garp, you old brute — you really don't hold back, do you?"
The two men locked eyes. Titans of a bygone era — the Pirate King's right hand and the Hero of the Marines.
"You… Rayleigh?" Garp blinked, then burst out laughing. "Hah! So it really is you! I didn't think you'd be hiding here, of all places — right under Marine Headquarters' nose!"
Rayleigh brushed the dust off his clothes. "Long time no see, Garp."
Garp grinned. "Yeah… not since Roger disbanded his crew." His expression softened for a moment as old memories flooded back. He remembered the endless chases across the Grand Line, the countless battles, and finally, Roger's quiet surrender.
"Time flies," Rayleigh sighed, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "Feels like yesterday, doesn't it?"
"Yeah," Garp replied quietly. "Too fast for my liking."
After a brief silence, Garp's gaze turned serious again. "So tell me, Rayleigh — what are you doing here? Don't tell me you're up to something."
He pointed at the unconscious young man lying at their feet.
Tsubasa raised both hands innocently. "Don't look at me. This was all Rayleigh's doing. Has nothing to do with me."
Rayleigh scratched his head awkwardly. "Ah… yeah, that's on me."
He looked genuinely embarrassed. After all, being caught robbing someone for wine money wasn't exactly something the Dark King wanted added to his reputation.
Tsubasa smirked. "You know, Garp, you might want to hear the full story. It's actually quite funny."
"Kaoru…" Rayleigh muttered, already sensing where this was going.
But Tsubasa continued, clearly enjoying himself. "He sold himself at an auction just to buy alcohol — then knocked out the buyer afterward to get his money back."
Rayleigh sighed deeply, wishing he could disappear into the ground.
If it were anyone else teasing him, he'd have thrown a punch. But against Kaoru Tsubasa — the man who'd once fought both Roger and Whitebeard to a standstill — even the legendary Dark King knew better than to try.
So, all he could do was stand there, arms crossed, silently enduring the humiliation while Tsubasa and Garp laughed about his "dark history."