“Oh, kowai ne… so you are the ones who attacked a Celestial Dragon on this island,” Borsalino said lazily, his tone dragging as his eyes swept across the group.
“A former slave girl, two brats, and… Silvers Rayleigh, the Dark King, right-hand man of the Roger Pirates.
How troublesome.”
Borsalino, who had only recently risen through the Marine ranks and was currently serving under Admiral Sengoku, showed a flicker of surprise when he saw Rayleigh standing there.
However, that expression vanished almost instantly, replaced by his usual indifferent demeanor as if nothing in the world could truly alarm him.
“So tell me,” Borsalino continued, tilting his head slightly, “was this attack on a Celestial Dragon… also part of some plan by the Roger Pirates?”
Rayleigh rested his hand lightly on the hilt of his sword and gave a relaxed smile.
“Not at all.
I just happened to be traveling with them.
Coincidences happen, you know.”
Borsalino adjusted his glasses slightly, his lips curling faintly.
“Is that so… then that makes things even more troublesome.”
Rayleigh’s smile didn’t fade.
“So, young Marine, how about letting us pass?
It would save everyone a lot of effort.”
“Of course not,” Borsalino replied casually.
“If I let criminals walk away after attacking a Celestial Dragon, I’d be the one in trouble.”
Before his sentence even fully ended, a blinding beam of light shot out from his fingertip at terrifying speed, tearing through the air toward Rayleigh.
Rayleigh didn’t move an inch in panic.
In one smooth motion, he drew his blade and swung it forward, releasing a powerful crescent slash that collided head-on with the laser, splitting it apart effortlessly.
The remaining force of the slash continued forward, cutting through several massive mangrove roots in the distance before dissipating.
Roy, watching from the side, couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement.
“So this is the level of a true top-tier swordsman… that attack just now, I have to learn something like that.”
Meanwhile, Borsalino’s body, which had been split by the residual slash, dissolved into particles of light before reassembling perfectly without a single injury.
“Kowai ne… I’m completely outmatched,” Borsalino said, though there was no fear in his voice, only mockery.
Tesoro, seeing this, couldn’t hide his anxiety.
He subconsciously stepped back while Stella clutched tightly onto his sleeve, her face pale.
Roy, however, remained calm.
His gaze stayed fixed on Borsalino as he analyzed him carefully.
“So he already has the Pika Pika no Mi… a Logia-type user.
That explains the speed and intangibility.
But he hasn’t reached his future level yet.
That means… there’s still room to deal with him.”
Turning slightly, Roy asked, “Mr.
Rayleigh, how far is the ship?”
Rayleigh glanced ahead briefly.
“Not far.
Just beyond that cliff.”
“Good.”
Without wasting another second, Roy activated his telekinetic ability.
An invisible force wrapped around Tesoro and Stella, lifting them off the ground as he surged forward at high speed toward the cliff.
“Boss, are we really just leaving him behind?” Tesoro asked nervously.
“Relax,” Roy replied without looking back.
“Rayleigh can handle himself.
We need to leave before reinforcements arrive.”
Stella lowered her head, guilt filling her voice.
“Lord Roy… this is all because of me…”
“Don’t say that,” Roy interrupted firmly.
“You’re someone I chose.
If I saved you, then I’ll make sure you stay free.”
Just then, a group of Marines appeared ahead, blocking their path.
The officer in command froze for a brief moment upon seeing them, but quickly reacted.
“It’s them!
Open fire!”
Roy’s eyes narrowed as his telekinetic power surged outward.
Broken wood, stones, and debris around the area rose into the air before raining down violently toward the Marine squad.
Cries of alarm rang out as the Marines scattered to avoid the attack, and Roy used that opening to break through their formation without slowing down.
Behind them, furious shouts erupted.
“Don’t let them escape!”
Roy gritted his teeth.
Continuous use of his ability was draining, especially while carrying two people.
He couldn’t keep this up for long.
Through his Observation Haki, he sensed a powerful presence rapidly approaching.
“Damn it… he’s coming already.”
Tesoro’s voice trembled.
“Boss… what do we do?”
“We reach the ship first,” Roy replied.
“If it comes to it, I’ll throw you both onto it and hold them back.”
“But”
“Not now,” Roy snapped.
“Move.”
They reached the cliffside and immediately spotted a small sailboat below.
Roy wasted no time, guiding both of them down and boarding the vessel.
As Tesoro and Stella hurriedly began preparing the ship to depart, a massive explosion echoed from the direction of the forest.
Roy’s expression tightened.
“So he’s already fighting Sengoku…”
He turned toward the sea, then slowly rose into the air again.
“You two go first.
I’ll catch up.”
Before they could respond, Roy shot back toward the shore.
The moment he landed, a flash of light streaked through the trees and stopped right in front of him, condensing into Borsalino’s figure.
“Kowai ne… staying behind alone to cover your companions?
That’s quite brave.”
Roy felt irritation rise at his tone.
“Rear Admiral Borsalino, user of the Pika Pika no Mi… if you want to stop me, then come.”
Without hesitation, Roy flicked his fingers.
Several stones shot forward at high speed, piercing straight through Borsalino’s body, leaving only empty holes as light scattered.
“Tch… Logia users are really troublesome,” Roy muttered.
“Without Armament Haki, physical attacks are meaningless.”
“Oh my… that was close,” Borsalino said casually.
“Yata no Kagami.”
Light reflected instantly, and in the next moment, Borsalino appeared right beside Roy, delivering a kick at near light-speed.
Before the strike could land, Roy’s telekinesis reacted instantly.
A powerful invisible force slammed into Borsalino, sending him flying backward before he reformed again at a distance.
Roy’s eyes sharpened.
By reading Borsalino’s intent with Observation Haki, he had managed to predict the attack and counter it in advance.
Borsalino straightened up, a hint of seriousness finally appearing.
“What kind of ability is that?”
Roy smirked slightly.
“Not something I feel like explaining.”
Clapping his hands together, Roy focused his power.
The surrounding debris began to converge rapidly, forming a massive sphere that trapped Borsalino within.
Just as the situation escalated further, a powerful shockwave burst from the forest behind them.
Rayleigh emerged moments later, moving at incredible speed before landing beside Roy.
He glanced at the massive sphere and chuckled.
“I didn’t expect you to be this capable, kid.”
Roy exhaled slowly, keeping his focus.
“We can talk later.
Let’s move.”