"It looks like Rayleigh is about to face some difficulty..."
Shakky, who had been hiding nearby to watch the scene, shook her head. In this short interaction, she had already observed that the young Marine before her truly matched the description from the information she received yesterday.
The recently promoted candidate for Admiral at the Naval Headquarters, codenamed 'Hakuryu'!
Certainly, Rayleigh, being the right-hand man of the Pirate King, is no pushover. The difference between powerhouses at the pinnacle of the world, like them, is quite small. If either side is committed to getting away, practically no one can prevent it. Perhaps the victor could be decided between them in due time, but at least half of Sabaody's land would vanish by then.
Hence, Shakky isn't concerned about Rayleigh's safety at all. After all, as his lover, how could she stand by and just watch the situation unfold?
In the battlefield.
Rayleigh rose gradually, activating his Observation Haki to the ultimate level. He remained vigilant, constantly monitoring the surroundings and warily observing Atlas.
'This guy's power is even more challenging than Shiki's!'
Even though Rayleigh wasn't aware of how Atlas honed his abilities to such an advanced level in such a short time, his instincts told him that the Marine's strength before him had significantly increased!
Atlas sneered arrogantly and abruptly vanished from Rayleigh's sight.
'Trouble!'
Rayleigh was taken aback. Feeling a rush of wind beneath his feet, he swiftly shifted his body to one side while gripping the blade tightly in his hand.
Boom!
A massive fist narrowly missed Rayleigh's head. The powerful gust of air made his blond hair flutter, and he heard a frightening explosion of air in his ears.
Simultaneously, the long sword in Rayleigh's grasp swiftly coated in Haki. Taking advantage of the momentum, he swung his arm upward, delivering a slashing attack!
Metal and iron clashed, producing a familiar vibrating sound.
'This old man is truly formidable...'
Atlas casually glanced at the blade beneath his ribs, and the black-red Haki erupted, blocking the premeditated diagonal cut on the surface of his skin, preventing it from advancing any further!
"Hey!" Atlas smiled disdainfully, took a deep breath, his fists cloaked in Haki, and his muscles bulging. " Tekkai kenpo Bakuhatsu Kudaku (Iron Body Boxing Technique Explosion Shatter)"
His body shifted slightly, and the suddenly enlarged fists transformed into a multitude of fist shadows, blanketing Rayleigh in an onslaught.
Observing this, Rayleigh withdrew his right leg slightly, attempting to create some distance between them. Simultaneously, he raised the long black sword in his hand to block.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The blade spun, preventing water from splashing in. It flawlessly intercepted each incoming fist every second, but Rayleigh's body couldn't halt its slide backward.
'This guy...'
Rayleigh seized the opportunity to glance at Atlas's stern face during the brief separation, unable to suppress a sigh in his heart.
Rayleigh sensed Atlas's extraordinary strength the last time they crossed paths, but he didn't anticipate that it would continue to grow at such a terrifying pace just a few months later. At his age, it was already quite rare for Atlas's power not to decline, so confronting Atlas's unusual strength seemed to pose a formidable challenge.
Observing Rayleigh's tight defense, a thought occurred to Atlas. The rock and soil beneath his feet surged, and a thick piton broke through the soil, stabbing directly between Rayleigh's legs!
Thrust!
Rayleigh's eyes sharpened, and his Observation Haki frantically warned him. Subconsciously, he shifted his feet.
However, the flaw often emerges precisely at this moment. Atlas seized the opportunity, and his fist stamped forcefully on Rayleigh's chest!
Boom!
Rayleigh soared backward without displaying surprise, while Atlas continued to press for victory. Springing up, he seized the moment, his legs and feet armored, and delivered a horizontal kick to the side of Rayleigh's face, creating a sound that sliced through the air!
Rayleigh, being shorter, barely evaded Atlas's sweep. Simultaneously, he turned slightly sideways, bending his free left hand, coating Haki over his sturdy elbow, and thrusting forcefully towards Atlas's lower abdomen to deflect the attack.
Seeing the missed blow and Rayleigh's elbow connecting once more, Atlas simply released his defense and slashed his legs and feet downward at Rayleigh's yet unrecovered lower body!
Bang!
Rayleigh had no choice but to retract his arm and position it on top of his head in a cross shape with the back of the sword.
A tremendous force struck Rayleigh's body, causing her legs to sink dozens of centimeters into the ground. Suddenly, rubble flew, and smoke billowed everywhere!
He withdrew his legs, stepped back, and his body shape instantly transformed in the air. His already robust physique suddenly swelled, rising to a height of five meters. Haki enveloped his body, and the black and red armored colors gradually traced patterns, with distinct muscle lines, radiating a potent sense of strength and beauty.
Seimei Kikan Bushintai (Life Return Martial God Body)
Atlas looked down at Rayleigh below, and his body suddenly spun. The high-speed rotation even generated blazing fire in the air!
Rokushiki: Rokuogan
The potent force concentrated on both fists, and Rayleigh descended directly below, unable to evade!
Boom!
The ground shattered, and a large pit instantly formed on the already devastated surface, with dense cracks spreading in all directions!
Rayleigh himself retreated wildly, and even broke countless trees along the way until...
"One more kick!"
Atlas' figure seemed to teleport, appearing behind Rayleigh in the blink of an eye. He raised his right leg slightly and welcomed him with a sweeping kick!
Boom!
At this moment, Rayleigh resembled a punctured sandbag, flying back along the same path once again.
Bracing to halt his body, wisps of blood spilled from the corners of his mouth. The Armament Haki behind him gradually faded. Rayleigh smiled bitterly, "Looks like I'm truly getting old..."
Even though his aura was only slightly damaged, he felt faintly unable to withstand Atlas's storm-like onslaught.
This guy has grown significantly compared to before, not just in terms of sheer power! Moreover, his experience in battling top powerhouses is steadily becoming more enriched!
"Haha... Then let me help you enrich your life in your later years!"
Atlas won't easily let go of such a vast experience pack. Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki infusion has not been used yet. As the Pirate King's right hand, he doesn't have just a few tricks up his sleeve!
Rayleigh suddenly regretted it. The Marine clearly didn't intend to chase after Tiger and the others back then. He had to interfere unnecessarily, causing such a significant problem. He feared that the rest of his life wouldn't be easy...
Contemplating this, Rayleigh asked in a tentative tone, "Can't you give some face to a retired old man?"
"Huh? Face?" Atlas sneered, "You didn't mention giving me face when you stabbed me last time."
"Moreover, do you believe you possess the ability of the Face-Face Fruit?"(T/N: Giving face means showing respect, and in many Chinese fanfics this term is used for Shanks, also that he ate the Face-Face fruit, meaning he gest respect from everyone)
Atlas had made up his mind today. Regardless of how much Rayleigh begged or pleaded, he was determined to test his own methods on him.
----------
A huge thank you to Happyftw for joining my Patr*on.
Also for the bonus chapters regarding the powerstones, please forgive me as I am too tired by continuously translating 10 chapters. (The $20 tier is where I upload my latest chapter). The power stones from now i.e. 150,175 and 200 will have bonus chapters.
Read 35 chapters in advance in Patr*on: patr*on.com/Cosmic_Kaminari