Chapter 28: Ripples of a Catch
If Rayleigh had been holding onto a final sliver of a gambler's hope before, it evaporated the moment Levi spoke. The young Admiral's deduction had cut too close to the bone.
Rayleigh's exterior remained a masterpiece of composure. Decades of life at the pinnacle of the world had forged a poker face that could withstand interrogation. His expression didn't flicker.
But under the relentless, soul-perceiving pressure of Levi's Reiatsu, that composure was a translucent veil. Levi didn't need to see a twitch or hear a change in heartbeat. He could feel the minute, instinctive tightening of Rayleigh's spirit—a silent confirmation louder than any shout.
So I'm right. Levi thought. It's all tied to that rubber-brained kid. Interesting, but irrelevant.
"Seems my guess hit the mark," Levi said aloud, his tone dismissive. "But what does it matter? You're my commendation now. That's the only relevant fact. Whatever grand design you're nursing is your concern, not mine."
He turned away, losing interest. Extracting secrets from a will as ironclad as Rayleigh's was a futile exercise, even with torture. The objective was achieved: a legendary capture. The 'why' behind Rayleigh's actions was just background noise.
This young man… Rayleigh watched Levi's retreating back, a new layer of wariness settling over him. The power was terrifying, but this cold, transactional focus, this ability to identify a hidden motive and then dismiss it as unimportant to his own goals… it was uniquely disconcerting.
BLU-BRU-BRU-BRU…
The shrill cry of a Den Den Mushi broke the deck's quiet. Levi picked up the receiver.
Before he could even say a word, Fleet Admiral Sengoku's voice, stripped of all its usual gravitas, erupted from the shell in a frantic torrent.
"Levi! Is it true?! You actually captured him? Silvers Rayleigh?! I knew he was lurking on Sabaody, but for him to show himself… and you defeated him? How? Are you injured? How is he? What's his condition? Talk to me, boy!"
The questions piled on top of each other, a waterfall of stunned anxiety.
Levi held the receiver away from his ear, a faint look of annoyance crossing his features. When the barrage paused for a half-second, he spoke.
"Calm down. Call back when you can form a coherent sentence." Click.
He hung up.
A profound silence fell on the Marine ship. Gion stared. Sentomaru blinked. Even Rayleigh's eyebrows lifted a fraction. Hanging up on the Fleet Admiral… so casually?
At Marine Headquarters, Sengoku stood frozen, the silent Den Den Mushi in his hand. He looked at it, then at Kizaru, who was watching with barely concealed amusement.
"He… hung up on me."
"Brother Levi… truly sets a new standard," Kizaru mused, his lips curling. He felt a pang of aesthetic appreciation. He'd always wanted to do that.
Sengoku's adjutant found a sudden, intense interest in the grain of the wood on the far wall.
"Ahem." Sengoku cleared his throat, his face settling back into its familiar, stern lines. He took three deliberate, deep breaths. Fleet Admiral. Composure. Authority. He redialed.
This time, when Levi answered, Sengoku's voice was its usual measured, if slightly strained, self. "Admiral Black Crow. Confirm your report. You have secured Silvers Rayleigh and all eleven Supernova targets, including the primary instigator, Straw Hat Luffy?"
"Correct," Levi's voice came back, flat and clear.
"Understood. Impel Down will be notified to expect your arrival. You are to personally oversee the transfer. Do not let that old fox slip away. I will… pay him a visit once he's secure."
The call ended. Sengoku placed the receiver down slowly, a tumult of emotions warring within him.
"Porushalino," he said, his voice quieter now. "Do you ever feel… that we are becoming relics?"
Kizaru adjusted his glasses. "Perhaps. Are you considering retirement, Sengoku-san?"
"A tempting thought some days. Interested in the desk?"
"No, thank you," Kizaru declined instantly. He'd seen the mountain of paperwork and political headaches that came with the title.
"However," Kizaru continued, his tone turning practical, "if the Straw Hat brat is indeed captured, Garp may become… volatile. And if the Celestial Dragons demand an execution…"
Sengoku massaged his temples. "We will cross that bridge. Garp's status affords some protection. No one died. It's not an irreversible situation." It was a thin hope, but he clung to it. The alternative—an enraged Garp and furious Celestial Dragons—was a nightmare.
"And Rayleigh? And what of Blackbeard's earlier proposal? Sakazuki hasn't reported in yet. It's unlikely he's met trouble in Paradise. Perhaps Blackbeard's 'gift' is substantial enough to warrant secrecy."
"Rayleigh will be for the Elders to decide," Sengoku said. "A public execution is unlikely. He'll be buried in Impel Down's deepest level, and CP0 will likely pick his brain for whatever he knows about Raftel and the Void Century. As for Sakazuki… we wait."
He leaned back, a genuine, weary smile finally breaking through. "But that boy… Levi. He's done something extraordinary. Any lingering doubts about his promotion within Headquarters will be silenced now. The prestige of the Marines has just received a massive boost." The pride was evident, mixed with relief. He had staked his own credibility on Levi. It had paid off.
Holy Land, Mary Geoise.
The chamber of the Five Elders was shrouded in the soft light filtering through high windows.
"The Fourth Admiral. Sengoku's appointee. He has captured Silvers Rayleigh." The statement hung in the opulent air.
"Confirmed?" the elder in the center asked, his finger pausing on the handle of his pristine sword.
"Multiple confirmations. Direct from Sengoku. The prisoner is en route to Impel Down. Once within those walls, escape is a statistical zero."
A ripple of subdued satisfaction passed between them. "All the pirates who assaulted a Celestial Dragon were also apprehended? The ringleaders?"
"Straw Hat Luffy, Eustass Kid, Trafalgar Law. All in custody."
"This 'Black Crow'… his performance exceeds projections. Sengoku may have unearthed a genuine asset."
"His loyalty profile remains under evaluation. CP0 integration would be optimal, in time."
A skeptical grunt came from one side of the room. "A trap, perhaps? Rayleigh has been a ghost for two decades. Why surface now, for this?"
"The intelligence suggests he intervened to protect one of the rookie crews. Miscalculated, and was ensnared himself."
"Which crew?" The question was sharp, laden with unspoken implications.
The reporting agent did not hesitate. "The Straw Hat Pirates. Captain: Monkey D. Luffy."
The name landed in the quiet room. The five powerful men exchanged glances. In that single name, the capture of a legend became entangled with older, more complicated histories. The victory was decisive, but the waters it had stirred were deep and dark.
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