"Damn it! How dare he attack Usopp!"
Among the Straw Hats, Luffy was the first to lose his temper. The anger he had suppressed for over two years erupted like a volcano, no longer containable.
Boom!
A massive Conqueror's Haki was unleashed from Luffy, with sound waves roaring like a disaster, gathering into an even more terrifying momentum under Luffy's command.
"Luffy! Don't be reckless!" Robin's face was filled with worry.
"He's an Admiral!"
However, Robin's words seemed to have no effect.
Zoro's lone eye narrowed, and his hand was already on his sword hilt.
Sanji's eyebrow twitched, and sparks were already igniting on his leg.
Under Robin's worried gaze, Luffy just said resolutely, "Admiral! Two years ago, we could only run when we saw an Admiral, but that's in the past."
Boom!
"Isn't two years of training for this very moment?!"
Luffy's eyes glared in fury, and a powerful Conqueror's Haki roared directly towards Renji.
"Is that… Conqueror's Haki?!"
"Admiral Seiryu!"
Marine soldiers still some distance from Luffy were knocked unconscious. Those who remained conscious all showed nervous expressions.
Seeing this, and feeling the strength of her companions, Robin's worry lessened slightly, then she smiled faintly. "Yes."
However, in the next second, Robin's smile suddenly froze.
Looking at the oncoming Conqueror's Haki, Renji's smile remained. He extended one hand and uttered a single word, "Scram."
The word exploded like thunder in the ears of the Straw Hats, shaking their hearts with continuous echoes.
Boom!
The Conqueror's Haki from Luffy was instantly destroyed like a small flame meeting a tornado. Its owner, Luffy, was filled with disbelief, his body struck by a force and sent flying.
Bang!
He crashed into a hill, buried by rubble and dust, causing a violent tremor.
"Luffy!" Sanji and Zoro shouted in unison, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.
Robin's face was pale and blank, her pupils unfocused, stunned in place.
One-hit knockout. That scene from two years ago was replayed today, two years later.
On the hill, Rayleigh's pupils trembled violently.
The power Renji had just displayed...
Was it Conqueror's Haki, or his Devil Fruit ability?
However, despite his shock, Rayleigh had already flashed into motion the moment Renji made his move, moving so fast that he drew a bright silver path in the air.
His blade was wrapped in Conqueror's Haki. The black lightning, combined with the sword, converged into a heaven-splitting impact.
In the next instant, Rayleigh's figure appeared above Renji, and the heaven-splitting impact in his hand slammed down fiercely.
Renji said, "Straw Hat is one thing, but if you do this too, how will others admire my heroic self?"
Deep in his azure eyes, the black Conqueror's Haki lightning was reflected. Kurai hummed as it was unsheathed.
"My apprentice is still watching from behind."
Buzz! Clang!
Two Conqueror's Haki clashed in the air, creating an impact like furious thunder striking the sky.
Clang... Clang...
Explosions and visible ripples shattered in the air. A vast wave of impact swept through, causing the thick tree trunks of Shambles to sway continuously, then, with one surge, it rushed into the clouds.
Bang!
The sky cracked, and the surging power shattered the white clouds gathered above Sabaody Archipelago with a single blow.
"Not bad, for your age, to still have such power." Renji smiled, speaking coldly.
Kurai in his hand continuously unleashed astonishing Conqueror's Haki, fiercely intertwining with Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki.
Clang... Clang...
Zzzzzz!
Under the terrifying clash of Conqueror's Haki, Rayleigh was horrified to discover that while Renji was fighting him, he also transformed a portion of his Conqueror's Haki into a shield, enveloping the Marine soldiers behind him. This protected them from the residual effects of the Conqueror's Haki attack.
He could control Conqueror's Haki to such an extent?!
Rayleigh marveled inwardly, and at the same time, the killing intent in his eyes grew thicker.
"What! Are you so afraid of the dawn of a new era?! If you want to be my opponent, prepare to die! Kid!"
"You've misunderstood me. I came here today specifically to send them to the sea, but…" Renji curled his lips, his eyes watching Rayleigh's arm, which was trembling violently from exertion.
"For the dawn of a new era, if an old guy like you makes a sacrifice, their motivation will be even stronger, don't you think?"
"Heh heh!" Rayleigh, hearing this, laughed in extreme anger.
"Then I'd like to see how you, a brat who doesn't understand respecting elders, teaches me to sacrifice."
Zzzzzzz! Clang!
The clash of their powers reached its limit. The vacuum zone where they collided in mid-air suddenly contracted, then rapidly collapsed, exploding with a dazzling "Boom!"
"Admiral Seiryu!"
"Rayleigh!"
Under everyone's tense gazes, the Marine soldiers' eyes gradually grew fervent, while the Straw Hats' faces were grim.
The smoke and dust slowly cleared. Renji's cloak of justice was spotless, and his expression was relaxed.
In contrast, Rayleigh was gasping for air, his clothes tattered, blood oozing from the corner of his lips, looking somewhat dishevelled.
"He's… that strong?!" Zoro, now holding two swords and biting down on Wado ichimonji, had eyes full of apprehension.
Sanji also entered combat mode, the hellish memories continuously flashing through his mind.
"As expected of Admiral Seiryu."
"He truly is just as the rumors say. Such formidable combat power, even the living legend, Silvers Rayleigh, was defeated in a single move and fell into a disadvantage."
Swoosh!
A massive black-purple figure shot forth, its speed far exceeding what the human eye could perceive.
"Gomu Gomu no Kong Gun!"
Accompanied by countless layers of sonic booms, a huge black-purple fist, imbued with extremely dense Haki, appeared before Renji, then blasted towards the latter's face.
Thud!
Luffy had activated Fourth Gear. With the nearly awakened-level rubber elasticity, his already astonishing strength increased exponentially. Coupled with powerful Haki, this terrifying attack could blast through a small hill.
"Admiral Seiryu!"
Amidst the worried shouts of countless Marine soldiers as they reacted, Miguel's fist clenched slightly.
Such a punch would be difficult for even the elite Vice Admirals of headquarters to withstand.
Luffy, had he become this strong?!
Countless plumes of smoke rose, and as Luffy's Fourth Gear punch stirred up a commotion, the Straw Hats' faces grew excited.
Luffy's face showed confidence. With the power of this punch, he was confident that even if he couldn't knock Renji out in one hit, he could at least make him taste some hardship.
"That punch just now, it hit." Zoro stated with certainty.
"Luffy is this strong now. With such power, even that Marine Admiral should be…" Sanji's words trailed off, his expression freezing.
Luffy's face also showed disbelief. "He… didn't even take a step back?!"
As the smoke cleared, Renji hadn't even made any defense, allowing the heavy punch to smash into him, yet his body hadn't suffered a single injury.
Looking at the smile on that figure, the Straw Hats felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.
"What separates you and me is an infinite distance, just like two years ago."