"Bullying kids isn't fun."
"Let Sengoku do it instead."
Rayleigh glanced at the middle-aged man beside him and waved lazily.
Though Xiao Zizai's aura was deep and well-contained—clearly not weak—
Rayleigh was confident he could end the fight in three moves.
Ron tapped his chin.
"You don't need Conqueror's Haki. Just test his strength a bit."
Rayleigh wasn't wrong.
Fighting Xiao Zizai was bullying.
The combat scale of the One Piece world far surpassed The Outcast.
Of course, if the opponent were the Heavenly Master… that'd be a different story.
The old Taoist was practically a cultivator.
"Anything you spend today is on me."
"And if you don't fight, I'll find someone else."
Sengoku sweetened the deal, smiling like a man trying to hire a hitman.
"Allow me!"
Rayleigh patted Xiao Zizai's shoulder and stood up.
Just before leaving, he turned around:
"Oh, right. Pack me five bottles of Tiger Whip Wine and ten bottles of Goji Wine."
"Tonight I will battle until dawn!"
Sengoku's face darkened immediately.
Three huge characters appeared on his forehead:
"Total sucker."
"Be careful," Akainu murmured.
"No worries. Treat it like an entrance exam."
A faint red glint passed through Xiao Zizai's eyes as he stepped outside.
In the past, he would've refused a meaningless fight.
But in a new world, testing the average power level was necessary.
The other customers followed to watch the show.
Some were excited. Some delighted. Some eager for chaos.
Tu Shan Yaya pumped her tiny fists.
"Fight! Fight! I looove watching people fight!"
Outside the tavern.
"Uncle," Xiao Zizai asked softly, "should someone shout 'start'?"
Rayleigh shook his head.
"No need. The game has already begun."
The moment he spoke—
A giant, crushing force dropped from above.
Great Mercy Palm.
Not playing fair at all.
Rayleigh's pupils shrank.
He instinctively coated his arms with Armament Haki and crossed them in front of himself.
The next second—
It felt like a mountain slammed into him.
BOOOOM!!!
Dust erupted.
And Xiao Zizai didn't stop.
He unleashed palm after palm—
dozens of enormous, hand-shaped blasts hammering Rayleigh into the ground.
Akainu raised an eyebrow.
Brutal.
I like him.
Sengoku stroked his chin.
"Still not enough. This won't seriously injure Rayleigh."
The explosions were loud and destructive—perfect for wiping out mobs.
But against a legendary pirate? Far from enough.
Then—
A shadow burst through the smoke, skimming low across the ground,
and appeared before Xiao Zizai in an instant.
"Young man."
"Was that fun?"
Covered head-to-toe in dust, Rayleigh grinned.
He didn't attack.
"Fun or not," Xiao Zizai's eyes flashed red, "depends on whether you can handle what comes next."
He raised his right hand.
A powerful suction force erupted—dragging Rayleigh forward.
Then—
His fingers curled into a claw.
He struck toward Rayleigh's throat.
"You're in too much of a hurry."
Rayleigh sighed.
A thin strand of Ryou wrapped around his index finger—
and he tapped.
Puff.
A tiny muffled sound.
Xiao Zizai's Dragon Claw… stopped dead.
As though hitting an invisible wall.
No matter how much force he poured in—
it wouldn't move forward.
Before he could continue attacking—
Sengoku's voice cut through the tension.
"Enough."
"You weren't fighting seriously. You were testing him."
"Why?"
Xiao Zizai lowered his hand and adjusted his glasses.
"That's right. I was testing him—to see how strong he actually is."
"And I was observing your reactions."
"After a few exchanges, I understood something clearly—"
He glanced at Rayleigh.
"Even if I fight with everything I have, I cannot defeat him."
His pupils darkened to crimson.
"As for the other reason…"
"It's because I fear losing control of my killing intent."
"And so, I accepted Ron's offer. I'll join the Marines—so I no longer have to suppress this instinct."
Sengoku frowned.
"Will this… desire… cause harm to civilians?"
Pervert.
Everything Xiao Zizai said radiated the aura of a dangerous, unhinged killer.
Sengoku couldn't help the thought.
Xiao Zizai raised his hands, expression serious.
"I only kill those who deserve to die—the wicked, the abominable."
"A simple execution is far too lenient."
"That's unfair to the victims."
"From a civilian perspective, someone like me is necessary."
"To give the worst criminals the punishment they deserve. Torture isn't off the table."
Sengoku fell silent.
He couldn't deny it.
In many cases, the system of the Marines inexplicably protected pirates.
And the civilians murdered by pirates—
Would their families not want vengeance?
Would they not want someone like Xiao Zizai?
This was an impossible question.
Was Xiao Zizai wrong?
Or was the Marine system flawed?
There was no correct answer.
"Don't worry."
"If I cannot rid myself of this nature…"
"Then—"
"I'll turn my blade only on those who should die."
Xiao Zizai spread his arms—
as if embracing the world—
or praising scripture like a devil preacher.
A demon cloaked in Buddhist robes.
Black devouring black—
that was the last bit of light inside him.
His Buddha-nature.
Akainu suddenly stepped forward as if he'd found a soulmate.
He extended his right hand.
"Welcome to the Marines."
"I can feel it—your arrival will bring true justice to this world."
"You will become a hero in the eyes of the people."
Sengoku frowned deeply.
Xiao Zizai was a monster—
but also a perfect weapon.
Mishandled, he'd be a catastrophe.
Used correctly, he'd be unstoppable.
Xiao Zizai clasped Akainu's hand.
He looked up with a calm smile.
"I'm not trying to be a hero."
"That has nothing to do with me."
"I'm a patient."
"I only enjoy killing. It's the seasoning of life—without it, everything tastes bland."
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