"What a dangerous move."
Within the shattered remnants of the Dark Realm, Silvers Rayleigh clearly understood how terrifying that technique truly was.
Without absolute strength, no one could defeat Teach inside that domain. And very few people in this sea possessed that kind of power.
The Dark Realm was not only suppressive, it was sturdy. Combined with Teach's relentless offense, it became suffocating. If Rayleigh had not deliberately traded injury for time to gather strength, breaking through it would have been far more difficult.
Teach's development of the Dark-Dark Fruit was frightening. One ability after another, each refined, each deadly.
All he lacked was time.
If allowed to continue growing, these techniques would become nearly impossible to counter. Even Rayleigh might struggle then.
His gaze briefly shifted toward Shanks and Buggy, watching from afar. They were the same age as Teach, yet the gap in growth was obvious.
In the future, they would have to face this monster head-on.
They needed to grow faster.
Rayleigh believed in their potential. But potential alone did not survive the New World. Staying in obscure waters was one thing. Entering the struggle for supremacy was another. Without sufficient strength, they would be devoured.
After this, he would train them properly.
But now, there was no time for distractions.
Teach was charging again.
Rayleigh's blade swung, carrying immense pressure. The wind howled with killing intent, as if heaven itself had declared judgment.
Teach did not retreat.
Black energy wrapped around him. Haki flared. His claws tore forward, black and red lightning dancing at the tips.
Rayleigh never underestimated those claws. His blade carved a crescent arc through the air.
Claw and sword collided.
Their figures vanished from sight, reappearing elsewhere in a thunderous impact.
Rayleigh gripped his sword with both hands.
His assault was like a storm.
Teach answered like a madman.
His claws were already bloodied. Deep cuts lined his hands. Their bodies flickered across the battlefield, leaving craters in their wake. Stone shattered. Debris scattered like rain.
There was no breathing room.
Two Dark Orbs floated at Teach's sides, constantly interfering, constantly creating openings. Black spears of condensed darkness shot toward Rayleigh's vitals without pause.
Rayleigh had to divide his attention.
Teach pushed his Observation Haki to its limit. In a direct clash, he was slightly inferior. Rayleigh's swordsmanship gave him the edge.
But battle was not just about strength.
When wounded, Teach used the Dark Orbs to counter. Rayleigh was not untouched.
To most spectators, the fight was a blur. Only a handful could follow the movements. Others saw nothing but flashes.
This was combat at the summit.
Wind and thunder gathered again, driven by Rayleigh's will, striking toward Teach.
Teach clenched his claws into fists.
His muscles bulged beneath torn sleeves. Veins throbbed visibly. Haki condensed to the extreme, compressing darkness to its limit.
He threw a punch so fast it distorted the air.
Fist met blade.
The island suffered most. The ground cracked endlessly. Seawater burst through fissures, forming streams that cut across the land.
"This island can't take much more," Pouf reported as he flew overhead. "If this continues, it might sink."
Redyat stared at the battlefield. "It should end soon. How long depends on Teach."
Half a day had passed. Dusk approached.
Teach was clearly at a disadvantage. His wounds far outnumbered Rayleigh's.
Without the Dark Orbs, he would likely have already fallen. Rayleigh's years of experience and accumulation were unmatched.
Teach's momentum looked strong, but it came at a cost.
He was burning through stamina and Haki at an alarming rate.
When those ran dry, defeat would come.
Redyat's eyes focused on Rayleigh's sword.
He understood something.
Rayleigh's swordsmanship was not simply skill.
It was Conqueror's Haki fully fused into every strike.
Another slash came.
Even exhausted, it carried overwhelming oppression.
The greatest threat was not the cutting force.
It was the will behind it.
The moment the sword moved, it locked onto you. Escape felt impossible.
Conqueror.
The word echoed in Teach's mind.
Suddenly, clarity emerged.
Rayleigh had perfectly integrated Conqueror's Haki into his swordsmanship. That was the source of its oppressive dominance.
The blade amplified the Haki.
The Haki elevated the blade.
Together, they formed something greater.
A domain.
A Conqueror's Domain.
It influenced natural phenomena. It altered climate through sheer will.
Teach had no intention of pursuing such swordsmanship. It required supreme talent and lifelong dedication.
But this battle revealed the broader potential of Conqueror's Haki.
Beyond physical destruction, it could crush the spirit.
In the future, one man would push that path further than anyone.
Shanks.
Shanks' Conqueror's Haki was innately suited for physical devastation.
Teach's, however, leaned toward mental erosion.
Against Rayleigh, though, he had no advantage. His current Conqueror's Haki was inferior.
Still, the lesson was invaluable.
"Eight Maidens!"
Teach charged again.
Several finger bones fractured during previous clashes. Using Life Return, he forcibly reconnected them. Pain stabbed into his brain. Sweat streamed down his face.
Rayleigh saw the resolve in Teach's eyes.
He smiled faintly and advanced.
Claws and blade collided once more.
Night fell. Spectators strained their eyes under moonlight, refusing to look away.
Teach retracted most of his darkness to conserve stamina, shrinking it to a ten-meter radius. Even then, Rayleigh's domain suppressed it.
Under the moon, the storm raged.
At its center, two figures refused to fall.
Rayleigh dodged the Dark Orbs again and felt genuine admiration.
After fighting so long, Teach's mental focus had not wavered. The orbs remained precise.
Rayleigh, meanwhile, felt fatigue creeping in.
He almost forgot.
Teach was a sleepless monster by nature.
The battle lasted until dawn.
Rayleigh's storm phenomena faded. Maintaining Conqueror's Domain consumed immense mental strength.
Now the end approached.
Teach was soaked in blood. More than half his body was stained red. Most of the bones in his hands were fractured.
Rayleigh's condition was better, though not untouched. Claw marks crossed his torso. A bloody wound marred his waist, the deepest injury Teach had managed to inflict.
Teach's stamina and Haki were exhausted.
Rayleigh raised his sword one final time.
The slash fell.
Teach could not resist.
A black flash carved across his chest.
The wound ran diagonally from right to left, crossing the old scar on his chest and forming a distinct X.
Teach collapsed.
He did not lose consciousness.
His body simply refused to move.
"You're the second swordsman to leave a scar on me," Teach said weakly.
He would remember this mark.
He could heal it completely with Life Return.
But he would not.
Scars were warnings.
Rayleigh raised an eyebrow. "Second? And the first?"
"You may hear about him someday," Teach replied with a faint chuckle. "He's retired now."
He did not mention Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto.
The storm faded.
The fierce battle ended.