"What a strange sword technique... To be able to wield sword energy to such a level—what a terrifying junior," Rayleigh muttered as he took another sip of wine. His glasses glinted faintly in the sunlight.
He had been keeping an eye on Weiss, the rising star known as the Sword Demon. Even in retirement, news of a promising new swordsman added a little excitement to his otherwise dull days.
But fight him? Not likely.
They had no grudges or history. Besides, Rayleigh was retired now—it was even more unlikely.
If Weiss truly wanted a match between swordsmen, then...
Send him to Shanks instead!
His thoughts, likely fueled by the alcohol, began to drift far and wide. That's just how it was with old age—memories came rushing in like waves.
"Since you're already here, no need to hide. Sneaking around like that doesn't suit your status," Rayleigh suddenly called out as he turned around, looking toward a branch below.
There stood a young man looking up at him, flanked by two women.
It was Weiss.
He had been on his way out when his Observation Haki picked up a formidable presence nearby. Curious, he came to investigate.
...
...
He had been hoping to run into the old man who specialized in ship coating. The guy's technique was excellent.
And sure enough—it really was the lively old man himself!
"Status means little to you, doesn't it? After all, who on the seas could compare to the right-hand man of the Pirate King, the Dark King Rayleigh?"
Rayleigh jumped down from the tree, finishing off the last drop of wine in his bottle before tossing it aside.
This was the same old man who once sold himself to human traffickers just for alcohol money—he truly was a drinker through and through!
"Wait, Weiss—did you say that's the Rayleigh? The Dark King Rayleigh??"
Karina's eyes widened in disbelief at what she'd just heard. She thought she was hallucinating.
"Yeah, that's him. The same man you've only read about in old legends and tales," Weiss replied calmly.
Joanne, standing nearby, went completely blank. Her instincts had been screaming that the man was dangerous, but she never expected him to be Rayleigh.
Her breath caught. She wanted to say something but instead just tugged on Weiss's sleeve, trying to get him to leave.
To her, the Dark King was a ruthless pirate—every story painted him as a cold-blooded killer.
Of course she was scared.
Weiss patted her hand reassuringly. "Don't worry. He's just a retired old man now. Besides, don't you trust your captain?"
"Your captain's right, little miss. I'm just a retired coater these days—no need to be scared. I wouldn't last long against someone like the Sword Demon anyway," Rayleigh said with a good-natured smile, looking at Joanne like one would look at a younger generation.
"You're being modest. If you really wanted to fight, I doubt I could stop you. There are only a handful of people in this world who could," Weiss said, playing along with the banter.
He knew Rayleigh wasn't being serious. Still, if things did escalate, he could at least protect the two women.
"So then, Sword Demon, what brings you to an old man like me? Here for a friendly spar between swordsmen?"
At those words, Weiss realized there had been a misunderstanding. He had only sensed a powerful presence—he hadn't known it was Rayleigh. Now the old man thought he wanted a duel...
"Not at all. I just wanted to see who it was. But if it is the Dark King himself… well, if you want a friendly spar, I wouldn't refuse."
"Nah, let's not. I'm retired, remember? I can't handle that kind of trouble anymore. But if you're looking for a good match, I can introduce you to someone else—a fellow swordsman. Maybe the two of you will click."
Seeing Weiss go quiet, Rayleigh prepared to leave. After all, they'd never met before—this was nothing more than a chance encounter.
"Wait a second!"
"Oh? So you do want to spar with this old man after all?"
Rayleigh's expression shifted slightly, taking on a dangerous edge. Even though his eyes weren't on them, Karina and Joanne felt like a wild beast had locked onto them.
Weiss quickly stepped in front of the two, shielding them. Immediately, the pressure they felt vanished and their breathing eased.
"Not exactly. I'm not the type to go around picking fights. I'm no battle maniac. But… I did hear you say you're a coater now?"
Hearing this, Rayleigh realized what Weiss was after. "If it's ship-coating you're after, not today. I'm off-duty right now."
"No problem. If I can get you to coat my ship, that's more than worth the wait. It'll be safer, too—I won't be leaving anytime soon."
With someone like Rayleigh handling the coating, Weiss had no reason to settle for less.
After all, even after coating, diving to 10,000 meters was never entirely safe.
There had been plenty of cases where the coating failed—and when that happened, the results were fatal.
Some were crushed by pressure, others devoured by sea kings. All of them lost to the abyss.
"Alright then. I'll coat your ship tomorrow."
Rayleigh figured he'd get paid and didn't have to fight—win-win. And someone as famous as the Sword Demon probably wouldn't skimp on payment.
With their arrangement made, Rayleigh turned and left alone.
It had been half a year since he last returned home. Today seemed like a good day to visit. First, though, he'd need to pick up some wine—the tavern's prices were ridiculous.
"Weiss, that really was the Dark King Rayleigh? The Pirate King's vice-captain??" Karina still couldn't believe it.
"Absolutely. The one and only," Weiss confirmed.
"Then doesn't he know where the final island is? Why didn't you ask him? That's where the Pirate King's treasure is!" Karina's first thought was—of course—money.
"Uh…"
What could Weiss say? Typical of the woman who once stole from the Grand Entertainment Ship of the Golden Emperor—she only cared about treasure!
Besides, did she really think Rayleigh would just tell them if they asked? They'd only just met today!
But in truth, most people in the world thought like Karina did. Very few cared about that "forgotten hundred years" mystery. They just wanted treasure.
"Stop dreaming. If you really want treasure, I'll take you somewhere one day—where the ground is littered with gold and no one even bothers to pick it up."
"Really?"
Weiss didn't answer.
After all that, he no longer felt like taking photos. The sun was setting anyway. Finding food took priority now.
Meanwhile, deep in the Sabaody Archipelago, inside a grand and opulent palace, groups of people bustled about, busy with various tasks.
This was the Celestial Dragons' temporary palace—rarely occupied, but still maintained in full splendor.
At that moment, a man rushed in from outside, whispered something to a butler-like figure, and then left with his head bowed low.