Hachinosu Port.
"Yohohoho, yohohoho..."
"Yohohoho, yohohoho..."
"Gather up all of the crew, it's time to ship out Bink's Brew..."
"Wind it blows, to who knows, the waves will be our guide..."
Silvers Rayleigh sat alone on the railing of the Oro Jackson. He hugged a guitar, strumming a melancholic version of the pirates' anthem.
His eyes were fixed on the island—specifically, in the direction of the new bar.
His gaze held deep affection, but also fear.
The "Dark King," the man who could swim through the Calm Belt and fight admirals, was terrified.
Should he agree to Shakky's request? What about the crew? What about his freedom?
"Is it really necessary to be so hesitant?"
A voice cut through the song like a knife.
Rayleigh stopped strumming. He didn't turn around.
York leapt onto the deck, leaning casually against the railing beside the first mate.
"If you want her, take her. If you don't, leave," York said coldly. "Being this indecisive... it doesn't suit the Vice-Captain of the Roger Pirates."
Rayleigh sighed. "What are you doing here, York?"
"To fight you."
Rayleigh finally turned. "Is it because of Shakky?"
"Sort of," York grinned, his thumb popping his katana from its sheath. "But mostly... I intend to take her for myself. And I have no reason to let a woman like that go to a coward."
Zzzzt.
The air pressure dropped instantly.
Rayleigh's eyes sharpened. The melancholy bard vanished; the Dark King appeared.
He was timid about facing Shakky, but if someone tried to steal her? He would kill them.
York grinned wider. Perfect.
Fighting an enraged Rayleigh was dangerous, but it was the only way to test his limits. He couldn't fight his own crewmates seriously, and Marine Vice-Admirals were too weak. He needed a legend.
Rayleigh put down the guitar. He slowly drew his blade.
"Your ability is dangerous, kid. And I really dislike people like you lurking around Shakky."
"Don't give me that moral high ground!" York laughed, drawing his own blade. "There is no 'despicable' or 'noble' among pirates! There is only strong and weak!"
CRACKLE!
Red-black lightning erupted from Rayleigh's blade. The wood of the deck began to splinter under the pressure.
Conqueror's Coating.
York's eyes narrowed. "So that's the color of the Supreme King..."
York couldn't use it yet. He had been beaten by Rocks for years, sensing it, touching it, but never grasping it. It was like a veil he couldn't tear.
So he gripped his sword with both hands. He poured dense, flowing Armament Haki into the steel until it turned obsidian black.
"Blade of the Other Shore!" Rayleigh roared. "Go to hell!!"
York didn't have a fancy name. He just swung with everything he had.
"You want to finish me in one move?! You're looking down on me, Dark King!!"
CLANG!!!
The two swords collided.
A massive shockwave of red lightning and black steel exploded. The ocean surface depressed into a bowl shape.
BOOM!
Both men were blasted backward.
York, wrapped in lightning, smashed through the wooden railing and flew like a cannonball, crashing through three warehouses on the docks.
Rayleigh was launched in a parabolic arc, splashing into the sea.
York pushed a pile of timber off his chest. He stood up, dusting off his coat.
He was out of breath, his arms numb, but he was grinning. He had tanked a Conqueror's infused attack and lived.
In the harbor, Rayleigh's head popped out of the water. He shook his wet hair, looking at the destroyed warehouses with astonishment.
"Rocks' 'Artillery Swordsmanship'?!"
He hadn't expected the kid to master Xebec's brute-force style.
Rayleigh swam to shore in seconds. As he climbed up the dock, York was already waiting.
No words were exchanged.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
They clashed again.
The surrounding pirates were blown away like leaves in a hurricane.
Rayleigh was faster, his Haki stronger. The red lightning suppressed York's armament, forcing him back step by step. But York refused to break. He used the sheer, unreasonable physical strength he had cultivated to parry the blows.
"Wave Slash!"
York was knocked back by a heavy strike. He flipped in mid-air, landing on a roof. Instead of recovering, he immediately swung his sword, unleashing a massive, golden crescent of energy.
"Golden Lion's style?!"
Rayleigh was startled. He deflected the golden slash, sending it into the sea, and immediately countered with a black-red flying slash of his own.
York didn't block. He dodged sideways.
The red slash tore through the town, slicing buildings in half. It was heading straight for the main street.
BOOM!
A figure appeared from nowhere and punched the slash into nothingness.
"YORK! YOU BASTARD! THIS IS MY ISLAND!!"
Rocks D. Xebec stood on a rooftop, his face twisted in rage.
ZZZZT!!
Terrifying Conqueror's Haki flooded the area. It wasn't just pressure; it was physical force. It slammed into York and Rayleigh, freezing their blades in mid-air from a distance.
"York!!"
Rocks roared. Behind him, the executives of the Rocks Pirates appeared, watching the spectacle.
"Did you forget the rules of this island?!"
"Rayleigh!"
On the other side, Roger appeared with his crew.
"Are you alright, partner?"
Roger wasn't looking at York; he was worried about Rayleigh, who was dripping wet.
Rayleigh shook his head. "I'm fine. Just a spar."
The tension shifted. Everyone looked at York. He had started a fight that destroyed half the port.
York stood calmly under the pressure of two legends. He rested his sword on his shoulder.
"Of course I remember the rules, Captain!"
York held up two fingers.
"Rule One: Acknowledge Xebec as Captain."
"Rule Two: Do not attack comrades on the island."
York pointed his blade at Rayleigh.
"He is not my comrade. He is a rival pirate on our turf."
York grinned.
"I haven't violated a single rule."
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