One Piece : The Strongest Fleet Admiral

Today, Rayleigh was gambling heavily with the money he earned from selling items at the casino.

Suddenly, he felt a few vague eyes focused on him. Although Rayleigh was old, his senses were still very sharp.

When the Drake Pirates discovered him, they realized something was wrong. Rayleigh thought people from the World Government were starting to cause trouble for him again.

To prevent the situation from getting worse, he found an opportunity to sneak out of the casino. Then he wandered around outside and successfully escaped from being followed by the Drake Pirates.

Finally, he walked leisurely to his small bar. But as he approached the bar's entrance, he noticed a plume of thick black smoke rising from it. He also sensed two unfamiliar powerful auras inside, along with Shakky's weak aura.

Rayleigh was immediately furious, and Conqueror's Haki exploded from him. After his Haki gradually dissipated, Sakazuki calmly walked out of the bar.

In his old age, Rayleigh had long curly silver hair and a beard on his chin, both completely silver. He wore glasses and had a straight scar on his right eye.

When Rayleigh saw that this strange, strong man was Sakazuki, he couldn't help but feel shocked. Ever since the Roger Pirates disbanded, he hadn't seen this magma imp in years.

"Akainu! What are you doing here? Let Shakky go!"

Seeing Shakky being held hostage by Drake behind Sakazuki, Rayleigh shouted angrily. He instantly pulled out the sword hanging from his waist and pointed it directly at Sakazuki.

"Silvers Rayleigh! If you don't want your lover to die here, throw the sword in your hand over," Sakazuki demanded. Drake, very understanding of the situation, pushed the Western sword in his hand an inch deeper into Shakky's neck. Blood began to flow instantly.

"Despicable Marine! The Marine Fleet Admiral actually took a woman as a hostage. Aren't you afraid of the ridicule of the world?" Rayleigh looked at Sakazuki, his eyes filled with killing intent. Rayleigh never expected that a Marine would stoop to such tactics—the same methods used by pirates.

"Do not talk nonsense! After three seconds, if you don't abandon the sword, collect your lover's corpse!" Sakazuki shot back, his tone unwavering. Marines had no mercy toward pirates. As for being ridiculed by the world? Both Rayleigh and Shakky would die here today, so no one would ever know.

Sensing Sakazuki's overwhelming murderous intent, Rayleigh didn't wait for the count to begin. He threw the sword in his hand away. For the wife he had lived with for over a decade, Rayleigh held feelings he couldn't let go of. Even if it meant sacrificing his own life, he would do it to save Shakky.

But Rayleigh's plan to exchange one life for another was doomed to fail. Sakazuki picked up the sword Rayleigh had thrown and examined it carefully. It was clearly a famous blade, a great sword of the highest level. As a former skilled swordsman, Sakazuki instantly recognized its quality.

He handed Rayleigh's sword to Drake. Sakazuki then slowly removed his gloves, his feet flashing. In the blink of an eye, he appeared in front of Rayleigh.

"Great Eruption!"

Fiery magma burst forth. Rayleigh hadn't expected Sakazuki to attack without warning. He quickly retreated, barely moving out of the magma's range.

Already furious, Rayleigh became even angrier now. Covering his right arm with top-grade Armament Haki, he pressed his feet to the ground and pushed back hard. His figure shot forward, and he delivered a powerful punch aimed at Sakazuki's head.

Sakazuki remained unfazed. Seeing that Rayleigh dared to retaliate, he covered his left hand with top-notch Armament Haki and blocked the punch. At the same time, his right fist, already charged with strength, struck mercilessly toward Rayleigh's waist.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A series of collisions sounds echoed through the space. The airwaves from their clash ravaged the ground beneath them, sending sand and rocks flying. Luckily, Shakky's bar was in a remote area with no houses or passersby nearby. Otherwise, countless innocent lives would have been at risk. This was also why Sakazuki could attack without restraint.

Drake watched the battle in awe, his mouth open and eyes wide with shock. Although he had seen Sakazuki's devastating clash with Whitebeard during the Marineford War, witnessing such a confrontation firsthand was far more intimidating.

The confrontation between two emperor-level combatants was truly terrifying. Drake's shock soon turned into admiration. Only a Fleet Admiral as powerful as Sakazuki could lead the Marines to absolute victory.

In the blink of an eye, Sakazuki and Rayleigh had exchanged hundreds of blows.

"Old guy, you're strong!" Sakazuki admitted. The right-hand man of the Pirate King truly lived up to his reputation.

Sakazuki used Dark Hound to force Rayleigh back. He relaxed his slightly sore arms and, without waiting for a response, launched another relentless assault. Sakazuki was ruthless and didn't waste time talking.

As Sakazuki's attacks rained down like a storm, Rayleigh rubbed his waist, smiling bitterly to himself. He had no choice but to keep resisting.

Their fierce battle continued into the evening. As the sun began to set, Sakazuki and Rayleigh landed simultaneous punches and pulled back momentarily . Looking at Rayleigh, Sakazuki noted the older man's declining stamina. Even in his prime, Rayleigh couldn't surpass Whitebeard, and now, in his old age, he was no match for Sakazuki.

Rayleigh, out of breath and weaponless, realized he couldn't keep this up. He took a deep breath, his eyes narrowing as a dazzling white light shone behind his glasses. A powerful aura erupted from him, sending a white airwave rippling hundreds of meters in all directions, with faint black lightning crackling through it. The terrifying aura shocked everyone present.

"What is that!?" Drake exclaimed, feeling a wave of dizziness overcome him.