Chapter 91

Chambord Archipelago – Xia Qi's Rip-Off Bar

Inside a dimly lit bar sat a man and a woman. The man, an aged figure with white hair and deep lines etched into his face, was slowly sipping a glass of wine. But he wasn't just any old man.

He was Silvers Rayleigh, former first mate of the Pirate King—Hades Rayleigh.

More than two decades had passed since the height of his notoriety, but his name still carried weight—enough to send a shiver down the spine of any pirate or Marine who recognized it. He was a legend in every sense of the word.

Yet here he was, drinking wine leisurely.

"Rayleigh, your glass of wine is worth a million Berries," joked the woman beside him, Xia Qi—his old flame and the bar's namesake.

Rayleigh chuckled. "Then maybe I should just sell myself to you. I wonder if these old bones are worth a million?"

To claim that he wasn't worth that amount was pure nonsense. But the truth was, Rayleigh often relied on his reputation to get credit for his drinks. If the old Roger Pirates crew heard about how often he freeloaded, they'd probably laugh themselves silly.

Xia Qi, ever shrewd, narrowed her eyes. "But Rayleigh… are you really going to let this go?"

"Killing a Celestial Dragon… That's no small act."

"And from what I've heard, the one who caused the commotion is linked to Shanks. It's his daughter's man."

Even after all these peaceful years, Xia Qi hadn't lost her touch for gathering intel. Though not on par with the World Government, she had sources. The moment she found out who was behind the murder of the Celestial Dragon, her instincts told her it was serious.

Shanks had mentioned his adopted daughter not long ago. If he hadn't brought her up himself, they'd have never known he even had one. And the man she'd fallen for—according to Shanks—was already fighting at an Emperor's level.

Back then, Rayleigh had laughed it off.

He and Roger hadn't even reached that level at such a young age. If the claim were true, then it simply meant... they were relics of a different time.

"Killing a Celestial Dragon… That son-in-law of Shanks sure has guts," Rayleigh muttered with a grin. Though amused, he was also slightly shaken. That kind of act was something only madmen like Rocks D. Xebec would dare pull off in his prime.

He sighed. "I wonder if these old bones can even stop the madness from getting worse. If this fight keeps going..."

"We might lose our retirement hideout."

With that, Rayleigh drained his glass, stood up, and quietly exited the bar.

Xia Qi watched him leave with a complicated expression.

BOOM!!!

BOOM!!!

BOOM!!!

Right now, who was really panicking on the Chambord Islands?

Not the pirates. They were already fleeing in droves.

No—the real panic came from the residents and shopkeepers. Years of hard-earned savings and livelihoods were at stake. But the deafening explosions and destruction had them all trembling with fear. They wanted to run, but couldn't bear to leave everything behind.

Meanwhile, in the sky above...

Kizaru and Vivi were locked in combat.

Each clash of their weapons sent bursts of energy flying. Kizaru's celestial blade, Ama-no-Murakumo, released dazzling flashes of light, while Vivi, backed by her dragon beast, countered with brilliant explosions and devastating force.

Their weapons had already collided more than a dozen times in just seconds.

"Gaia Force!!!"

Vivi hurled another pulsing energy sphere.

Kizaru blurred away using light-speed Photon Movement.

BOOM!!!

A massive mushroom cloud exploded from the impact.

Thankfully, it only struck the root of one of the mangrove trees and didn't destroy it completely. The remaining mangroves—many of which had already been leveled—might've filed a complaint if they could speak.

"Hey, hey... if we keep going like this, nobody's gonna win," Kizaru said, brushing dust off his shoulders. "How about we take a little breather?"

Frankly, this battle was exhausting, and he wasn't young anymore. He'd been forced to work overtime for this mission, and now he was going to need a full clothing reimbursement from Navy HQ just for repairs.

"Enough talk! Come fight me!" Vivi snapped, ignoring his plea.

With swift momentum, she launched two more instant-charged attacks.

Kizaru, now feeling the pressure, sighed heavily.

This woman was a total battle junkie.

"Yasakani no Magatama!!"

Resigned, he crossed his arms and fired a barrage of light bullets toward her.

BOOM!!!

The blasts struck the already-flooded roots of the shattered mangroves, water splashing sky-high.

But Vivi's Shield of Courage absorbed the impact like a wall of adamantium.

Kizaru gritted his teeth. That shield was ridiculously overpowered—his magatama couldn't even scratch it. In terms of defense, he had to admit: this was the strongest thing he'd ever seen.

"Gaia... that's enough, Vivi. I've neutralized the Buster Call. Let me handle the rest."

From out of nowhere, a figure flashed across several locations in the blink of an eye.

It was Kairos Flint.

He reappeared beside Vivi, placing a firm hand on her arm just as she prepared to unleash another Gaia attack.

The moment he touched her, Vivi calmed instantly.

"Fine…" she muttered, visibly disappointed.

She knew full well that if she ignored Kairos, she'd be in serious trouble later.

Kizaru let out a breath of relief.

Thank you, God.

This girl was relentless. He'd fought plenty of crazy enemies before—but she was on a different level.

"Wait a minute…" Kizaru's gaze sharpened. "Kairos Flint… Did you say you already dealt with the Buster Call?"

Kairos tilted his head. "You've been fighting me this long. Shouldn't you have guessed?"

Kizaru fell silent.

He had suspected it.

Vivi had tied him up long enough for Kairos to handle the Navy's ten warships. That meant the entire fleet of the Buster Call had likely been obliterated while he was distracted.

He stayed because Vivi was too strong to shake off… but also because deep down, he didn't want to see the Buster Call succeed.

He wasn't like Akainu, cold and brutal.

Nor was he like Aokiji, constantly trapped in a moral tug-of-war.

Kizaru was a realist. A smooth operator.

The war at Marineford? That was just politics to him. He didn't need to be a hero.

Now he was just hoping the damage from the Buster Call wasn't as catastrophic as he feared.

SFX: WHOOSH!

Suddenly, Kairos turned and struck with explosive force.

His blade, infused with Conqueror's Haki, lashed out in a surprise attack that temporarily blinded Kizaru's Observation Haki.

By the time Kizaru reacted, it was half a second too late.

SLASH!

Blood sprayed.

Kizaru barely escaped, photonizing his body at the last instant and reappearing several meters away.

He looked furious. "What… was that ability? It canceled out my Haki for a moment!"

Kairos held his blade calmly. "Impressive reflexes. Just a bit slower, and you'd be dead."

He wasn't surprised, though. Kizaru was a Navy Admiral. Killing him easily would've been unrealistic.

Among the Admirals, Kizaru's strength was the most elusive. While Aokiji and Akainu were clearly Yonko-level, Kizaru's full power remained a mystery.

But Kairos suspected it was at least equal to theirs—if not stronger.

Kizaru wiped blood from his lip and sighed.

"You're terrifying, kid."

"No wonder you killed a Celestial Dragon without blinking."

"If your allies are even half as strong as you… then I've really pissed off the wrong people."

Kizaru shook his head.

Thankfully, the wound was shallow. Just a graze. But the message was clear—Kairos was no joke.

He couldn't stay here any longer.

There was Vivi, a battle-crazed powerhouse.

Now Kairos, a Yonko-tier fighter.

If they both went after him, he'd be done for.

Kairos raised his sword. "Still want to fight, Kizaru?"

"Hell no," Kizaru said bluntly. "I failed the mission. I'm out."

With that, he burst into light and fled the battlefield.

Vivi: "…"

Kairos: "…"

Rayleigh, who had just arrived: "…"

"…Did I miss something?"