Chapter 379: Rayleigh’s Shock

Chapter 379: Rayleigh's Shock

"Look! What is that?!"

On Jaya Island, countless people turned their eyes toward the horizon in response to the startled cry.

"Th-The sky… it's tearing apart!"

Gasps of horror rippled through the crowd as the clouds above split in two, crackling with lightning.

The sea roiled beneath them, and the weather darkened with alarming speed.

Out at sea near Jaya—

Sharlo and Roger clashed, their blades locked, eyes fixed on one another.

Roger's mouth curled into a grin, revealing eight gleaming white teeth.

Sharlo's smile was calm and composed, watching the pale hue of Roger's face.

Crimson-black lightning and red-green lightning crackled wildly around them—

The distinct sign of Conqueror's Haki infusion.

Clang!

Their swords collided again, the sound sharp and resounding!

Each blow sent shockwaves outward in every direction.

Even the ice battlefield Esdeath had created began to crack and shatter beneath the pressure.

"These two… they're too wild!"

Rayleigh sighed as he watched Roger and Sharlo fight.

But then—

"You look bored. Why don't you keep me company?"

A cold voice rang out.

Rayleigh suddenly felt a huge shadow looming over him.

His expression changed in an instant.

"Douglas Bullet… Rockefeller Sharlo's right-hand man!

The Devil's Successor… the Nation Destroyer…"

Rayleigh muttered the identity of the figure before him.

"I didn't expect the Dark King himself would know of a 'small fry' like me,"

Bullet replied expressionlessly.

Rayleigh chuckled.

"If you're a small fry, what does that make me?"

He drew the saber from his waist.

"Then let me test your strength."

Rayleigh charged and slashed.

A fearsome blade of energy flew straight at Bullet.

Bullet didn't flinch.

He calmly raised a fist, now coated in pitch-black Armament Haki.

Boom!

He punched the flying slash, shattering it with explosive force.

Not even his glove had a scratch.

Rayleigh's eyes narrowed.

"What terrifying physical strength… and astonishing Haki!"

Even someone as seasoned as Rayleigh couldn't help but marvel.

And it wasn't just him.

Even Sharlo had always been astonished by Bullet.

Raised under Sharlo's own guidance, Bullet had honed his body and strength to near-unnatural levels.

His physical might could rival even Sharlo's.

What shocked Sharlo most was Bullet's bottomless reservoir of Armament Haki.

He'd seen it himself—

Bullet's awakened "Devil Form," a towering hundred-meter giant with Haki coating every inch of him.

It nearly gave Sharlo a heart attack.

So much Haki, so casually wielded—

Even Sharlo was envious and grateful that Bullet stood by his side.

"Your sword's sharp," Bullet said, flexing his fingers,

"But you're lacking in power."

Rayleigh laughed awkwardly.

"Haha… I'm getting old. This world belongs to the young now."

Bullet raised an eyebrow at the old man's golden hair.

"Old? You must be joking, sir."

He smirked.

But in the blink of an eye, his expression changed.

A ferocious aura burst from him—

Purple-black Conqueror's Haki exploded skyward.

"You don't look old at all!"

In a flash, Bullet leapt at Rayleigh with a devastating punch.

Rayleigh's eyes widened.

That's Conqueror's Haki infusion!

He dropped his relaxed posture.

His saber flared with black and red lightning as he slashed upward.

Clang!

Fist and blade didn't even make contact—

Bullet's pressure alone crushed downward.

Rayleigh's body began to bend beneath it.

The ice beneath his feet cracked dangerously.

"How can someone this young already master infused Conqueror's Haki?" Rayleigh exclaimed.

This was the first time Rayleigh took Bullet seriously.

Hanging upside down in midair, Bullet pressed his fist forward, grinning.

"Is Conqueror's Haki infusion really that rare?"

He pushed harder.

Rayleigh could feel the force bearing down on him—

And the ice below him finally gave way.

Crack!

Rayleigh retreated with a flash-step, regaining distance.

The shattered ice began to reform instantly.

Rayleigh's gaze flicked to the battlefield's center—

To the one maintaining the ice: Esdeath.

"You Rockefeller Pirates really are full of monsters…"

Rayleigh couldn't help but murmur.

His eyes scanned the rest of the battlefield.

Then—

He froze.

A young boy was evenly matched against Kozuki Oden?!

And that form… a massive blue eastern dragon soaring in the sky—

Wasn't that the same Mythical Zoan Fruit Kaido had six years ago?

Had it fallen into Sharlo's hands?

Rayleigh was stunned with envy.

A Mythical Zoan!

Even rarer than a Logia!

But how—

How did the Rockefeller Pirates have so many Logia abilities?

One child transformed into gas.

Another into mud.

A girl turned into snow.

If Rayleigh wasn't mistaken—

Those were the Gas-Gas Fruit, Swamp-Swamp Fruit, and Snow-Snow Fruit.

All Logias!

To even see one Logia in an era was rare.

And yet here, three stood before him at once.

Was this some kind of challenge to the Marine Admirals?!

Rayleigh's jaw nearly hit the floor as he watched.

He'd underestimated the Rockefeller Pirates.

Among the four legendary crews, he had thought the Rockefeller Pirates the weakest.

But now?

Forget the Flying Pirates.

Forget the Whitebeard Pirates.

Forget Big Mom's misfit circus.

Compared to Sharlo's crew, they were nothing.

Every one of his children wielded a Devil Fruit.

And they were just kids.

When they grew up?

Rayleigh could already see it:

The Rockefeller Pirates ruling the New World.

And when he glanced back at his own crew—

Rayleigh could only sigh with quiet sadness.

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