"What's going on?"
"What's happening?"
Gion and Stussy hurriedly rushed out from the castle.
At the same time, figures dressed in black suits and white shirts, exuding an aura of sharpness, appeared in various corners with a series of whooshing sounds. In an instant, they completely surrounded the social plaza.
"Stop."
Mihawk, who had already been standing outside the plaza, raised his arm to block the two women and said in a deep voice, "Lord's orders. Do not disturb."
"That person is..." Gion's pupils constricted to the size of pinpricks the moment she saw Rayleigh's face in the plaza, and a name instantly surfaced in her mind.
As a woman who aspired to become the world's greatest swordsman, she was naturally familiar with the existing powerful swordsmen.
"Silvers Rayleigh, the former vice-captain of the Roger Pirates, known as the 'Right Hand of the Pirate King,' and nicknamed the 'Dark King.' He is likely the strongest swordsman in the world since Golden Lion Shiki was imprisoned."
Mihawk's sharp 'Hawkeye' gaze burned as he stared at Rayleigh, speaking softly. He was not only speaking to others but also to himself.
Because he had originally planned to challenge Rayleigh once he broke through to the level of a Great Swordsman.
But now, it seemed there was no chance. Rayleigh would surely die this time!
Meanwhile, the black-clad figures who had appeared around the plaza seemed to have received some command. They once again vanished in unison, but they only retreated from the social plaza, taking up positions around Pangaea Castle to maintain vigilance and prevent the Holy Land Garrison from barging in to provide reinforcements.
"So, you're the rumored Holy Shield of the Celestial Dragons?"
Rayleigh forced a casual smile as he felt the overwhelming aura emanating from the other party's supremely arrogant words, both on his body and in the air.
But the pressure in his heart did not ease in the slightest. At this moment, he felt as though he were submerged several thousand meters underwater, with the crushing water pressure and a bone-chilling coldness causing a faint, stinging sensation all over his body, as if blades were pressing against him.
"This aura is even stronger than Roger's, and he is undoubtedly an extremely powerful swordsman!"
Rayleigh could feel the slight trembling of the longsword in his hand.
"Pathetic. You enjoy the honor of an audience with this Saint, yet you fail to recognize my identity and nobility. How does a foolish insect like you deserve to live in this world?"
Imu, in the form of Nerona Saint, stood with his hands behind his back, looking down as he spoke with an arrogance so extreme, so domineering, that it sounded utterly natural and justified.
When he was serious, every detail—his gaze, his expression, his posture—radiated an air of supremacy and self-importance.
Rayleigh, upon hearing this, suddenly understood and laughed, "Ah, I see. I never expected there to be someone as strong as you among the Celestial Dragons. Truly unexpected..."
But before his words could fully settle, the corners of his smiling eyes suddenly erupted with intense killing intent. The nameless longsword in his hand trembled, and a dazzling silver blade light instantly appeared.
The blinding light forced Gion and Stussy outside the plaza to instinctively close their eyes, while Mihawk squinted, forcing himself to keep watching.
In his eyes, Rayleigh transformed into a golden-tinged silver streak of light, charging toward Lord Imu in the air. Yet the latter did not move a muscle, nor did his expression change in the slightest. His gaze remained as cold and arrogant as ever.
Suddenly.
With a metallic clang, the silver-gold light inexplicably recoiled. The entire process happened so quickly that Mihawk didn't even know what had occurred.
"Again..."
Rayleigh's expression darkened. In that brief moment, all he saw was a flash of pure moonlight, followed by an overwhelming force transmitted through his blade.
"What is this? It feels like a blade, but the fleeting sense of dissipation upon contact feels more like some kind of gas... Is it Haki?"
"Or is this some kind of Devil Fruit ability?"
But he knew that the most urgent matter now wasn't engaging with this powerful Celestial Dragon in front of him, but finding a way to escape as quickly as possible. It was just a pity that the purpose of this trip hadn't been achieved.
"Thinking of running?"
"You have no way out."
At this moment, Imu, standing under the full moon, seemed to have read Rayleigh's thoughts. That aloof and icy voice echoed once again.
"No, you foolish one, bewitched by the will of D, never had a future to begin with. When an ant steps into a realm that does not belong to it, its fate is to be crushed."
"However, your courage to commit an unforgivable sin just to catch a glimpse of the Holy Land's brilliance is indeed worthy of praise from this Saint."
"This Saint has decided to grant you one last chance to gaze upon this Saint, to converse with this Saint, and to burn your final light under this Saint's watchful gaze. Then, extinguish yourself in the river of history, you feeble and insignificant little flame!"
Gion and Stussy were completely baffled. For some reason, they felt that Nerona Saint had become different. This wasn't how he usually acted.
The aura emanating from this Lord now was so overwhelming that they didn't dare to look directly at him, and even their breathing felt somewhat suppressed.
But Mihawk, standing to the side, showed no surprise. He was only looking forward to the upcoming battle.
"Heh heh heh, quite the impressive speech, huh?"
Just as Rayleigh was about to say something, a flash of red light appeared in his eyes. His longsword instinctively moved to block in front of him, and with a loud clang, a powerful force erupted.
[Whoosh whoosh whoosh————]
But it didn't end there. Rayleigh's ears caught the faint sounds of something cutting through the air from all directions. His expression changed, and he quickly swung his sword into a whirlwind, using his Observation Haki to adjust his steps continuously, engaging in a fierce battle with the countless invisible forces around him.
For a moment, the clashing sounds of metal rang out incessantly.
In Mihawk's eyes, Rayleigh's movements were like spinning silver leaves, each blade strike as sharp as the wind, crisscrossing around him in a dazzling display. It was the best live demonstration he could ask for.
Although he didn't understand what ability Lord Imu had used, he could tell from the scene that there were countless attacks relentlessly assaulting the 'Dark King' from all angles. The speed and strength of these attacks forced Rayleigh to take them seriously and defend with all his might.
"Amazing... such incredible swordsmanship."
Gion murmured, covering her mouth with her hand. Although she couldn't clearly see Rayleigh's movements, the residual sword light lingering in the air was still immensely enlightening for her.
Beside her, Stussy remained silent, her expression grave.
"Hmph!"
At that moment, a cold snort filled with obvious anger echoed through the arena. It turned out that Rayleigh, who was usually known for his good temper, had been provoked by the relentless group attacks.
[Boom————]
Suddenly, a dark red aura, flickering with streaks of silver lightning, erupted from his body. It surged like a massive wave, sweeping across the entire battlefield.
In the process, thin, sharp, sword-like outlines began to appear in the air, as if scanned by radar.
However, as Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki gradually condensed and wrapped around his long sword, bringing forth streams of flickering silver currents that continuously vanished, these outlines once again disappeared from everyone's sight.
"So, it's invisible Sword Aura, huh? Quite a troublesome technique. Is this some kind of Devil Fruit ability?" Rayleigh asked in a deep voice.
But to his words, Imu offered no response. He simply stood with his hands behind his back, looking down at Rayleigh from a lofty position, seemingly uninterested in further conversation.
"In that case, I'll just have to take you down before I leave. It's been a while since I've gone all out."