Panic spread through the ranks of both Marines and slavers. More than half the personnel they had brought along to ravage the island had succumbed to the overwhelming pressure from a single man.
"Isn't he supposed to be dead? Why the hell is the Dark King here?" The vice-captain of the largest slaver ship bellowed in terror. More than the Marines, these slavers from the New World knew the true terror of the man named the Dark King. Not just anyone could be acknowledged by the Pirate King himself; Rayleigh was an apex predator of the sea.
"Retreat! Use the other ships as cover! We have to escape that man's wrath," the captain screamed in sheer terror. Although the Roger Pirates were not known for their cruelty on the seas, if you threatened one of their own, they would turn into the vilest of beasts that even the most bloodthirsty pirates would tremble before. The Dark King before them was currently in such a state. What everyone didn't know was that Rayleigh was releasing his pent-up anger, his frustration, and his inability to save his best friend's life from the grip of fate.
"Dark Descent!!" Rayleigh roared as a flying slash severed cleanly through the lead Marine ship.
"Madman! He's a madman! Why doesn't he negotiate? Doesn't he see that we have already sounded the signal for retreat?" The Vice Admiral, a lackey of the World Government, couldn't help but scream in fear.
Next to him, the Rear Admiral who had opposed the Marines' actions in yesterday's meeting stood calmly. He knew their end had come. He could tell that the Dark King was not in the mood to spare anyone; he wanted to bury all these fifteen thousand Marines in a watery grave. It would be a grand feast for the Sea Kings. He chuckled to himself.
The few slaver ships in the rear, which still had a few of their crew standing, tried to turn around as the Dark King started a massacre. He sank one ship after another, cutting down one Marine after another. His golden blonde hair was already crimson, and even his entire attire was soaked red with blood. He truly was like a god of slaughter. The resistance some mustered was cut down with a single slash from the Dark King. Even the Marines experienced with Haki stood no chance against such a man.
Amidst the screams for help and mercy, another cry tore through the skies, enveloping the slaver ships that were planning to escape. More than a dozen large snake-type Sea Kings encircled the massive fleet. Lined on the back of each Sea King were hundreds of Kuja warriors, armed to the teeth. With the arrival of the Kuja, the Marines and the slavers had no way out.
"KUJA!!!!" Shakky bellowed, leading the other Kuja warriors from the front. She leaped onto one of the slaver ships, her blades coated with Armament Haki dancing through the slavers, separating limbs and heads. Following her like hungry lionesses, the entire Kuja tribe descended on the slavers like a tide, following their former Empress into battle. The slaver ships were already disoriented by the overwhelming Haki of the Dark King. Now, with the arrival of the bloodthirsty Kuja warriors, the slavers were slaughtered like pigs.
Even those who had succumbed to the pressure of Conqueror's Haki were not spared as the Kuja warriors decapitated everyone under Shakuyaku's orders. Blood flowed on the decks of the slaver ships and Marine ships alike. However, the scenes where the Kuja fought were the most brutal. They ripped into the slavers with a savagery that left no room for mercy. The other slavers, witnessing this, had no thought of resistance.
Shakky moved with lethal grace, her twin swords carving through flesh and bone effortlessly. "For our sisters!" she cried, her voice a battle hymn. The Kuja warriors echoed her cry, their voices rising in a fearsome chorus that drowned out the screams of the dying.
One slaver, his face twisted in terror, tried to beg for mercy. "Please, have mercy!" he wailed. Shakky's response was swift and unforgiving—a single slash that ended his pleas.
The Kuja warriors fought with a ferocity that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying. They moved like a coordinated storm, each warrior a force of nature. The slavers, who had once dreamed of capturing the Kuja, now found themselves overwhelmed by the very prey they had sought.
Blood splattered across the deck as Shakky cut down another slaver. She turned to her warriors, her eyes blazing with righteous fury. "Leave none alive!" she commanded. "These men sought to enslave us. Show them the price of their ambition!"
The Kuja warriors answered with renewed vigor, their weapons flashing in the light of the rising sun. They were relentless, showing no mercy to the slavers who had dared to threaten their home. Limbs were severed, heads rolled, and the screams of the dying filled the air.
The one-sided slaughter continued for hours, with the sun rising to its peak, casting golden rays that glistened on the blood-soaked decks of the calm seas. Each deck was littered with hundreds of bodies, and the entire sea had turned a deep crimson. The Sea Kings, massive and terrifying creatures, waited at the edge of Rayleigh's Conqueror's Haki range, too wary to approach. The man's bloodlust suppressed even their primal instincts, making them patiently wait for the slaughter to end.
Rayleigh let out a weary sigh as he cut down the last Marine. He surveyed the carnage around him, feeling a faint sense of satisfaction that his anger had been somewhat sated. He turned to the Kuja, who were peculiarly cutting and collecting the severed heads of all the slavers and Marines. The bodies were tossed into the sea, where the Sea Kings eagerly awaited their feast. Close to fifty thousand souls had been lost, but Rayleigh didn't bat an eye.
Shakky, drenched in blood and exhausted, stepped onto the ship where Rayleigh stood with the last Marine alive—the Vice Admiral who had been loyal to the World Government. "Please! Please end it... I beg you to kill me," the man pleaded, missing two of his limbs. Shakky disregarded the man's pleas and addressed Rayleigh. "Thank you!" was all she said, knowing he would understand the depth of her gratitude.
"You should thank Ross. He was the one who asked me to rush here. The kid knew the World Government would come down with force," Rayleigh replied while cleaning his blade with the Vice Admiral's coat.
"What now? The World Government will not take this lying down," Shakky said, surveying the carnage around her. If things could be helped, she did not want to carry out such a massacre, but her talk with young Ross made her realize that some things couldn't be avoided, and she might not always be there to defend Amazon Lily.
Rayleigh turned his attention to the Vice Admiral, who was still begging for a quick death. "Do you have a transponder snail connecting to your HQ?" he questioned. The Vice Admiral whimpered and nodded. Rayleigh rummaged through the man's jacket and found the transponder snail.
Rayleigh jumped to the coast, leaving the Vice Admiral behind. The man continued to plead for mercy, and Shakky, with a sigh, beheaded him with a swift swing of her blade.
Gloriosa was waiting near the shore as Rayleigh landed. He connected the call, and after a brief silence, he spoke, "This is Rayleigh. Have the Elders call back within five minutes, and let them know if they don't, I will share the location of Raftel with the world." Before Kong on the other end could grasp what was happening, Rayleigh disconnected the call.
He sat back on the boulder, Shakky landing beside him. Even Gloriosa seemed wary of the two, especially Rayleigh, because of the bloodlust they were emitting; their very breath carried the stench of blood. Gloriosa sighed and left to attend to other matters as Shakky gestured for her to do so.
Rayleigh couldn't help but turn his attention to the Kuja warriors, who were collecting the heads of both Marines and slavers. Intrigued, he asked Shakky, "What's with the heads?"
Shakky smirked and replied, "You'll see." This was young Ross's idea. She had already conveyed the plan to the current Empress, who would declare that they were in an alliance with the Donquixote family, claiming that Amazon Lily was now under Donquixote's domain. Rayleigh had promised to handle the matter with the World Government, providing double assurance. With this, Shakky could rest assured and plan her new store in Dressrosa.
A few minutes later, the transponder snail in Rayleigh's hand rang. He picked it up, and a voice akin to a low growl echoed from the other side: "Silvers Rayleigh!"
Rayleigh's eyes narrowed, and he responded with a cold edge in his voice, "Five Elders, I hope you're all listening because I won't be repeating myself. I'm sure the Fleet Admiral must have passed the message. I don't want your World Government and the Marines interfering in the matters of the Kuja ever again. If you think I'm bluffing, feel free to test me."
There was nearly a minute of tense silence over the call. Finally, Elder Saturn spoke, his voice dripping with cold menace, "Rayleigh! Are you keen on opposing the World Government? Others might not know our strength, but you must be aware. How long do you think it will take us to bury the entire island of Amazon Lily?"
The coldness in his voice was palpable, and it seemed as though both their wills clashed even across such a distance.
"And how long do you think it will take for me to disclose the truth about this world that you've been hiding for centuries?" Rayleigh shot back with equal intensity, not backing down.
"Rayleigh, you bastard! Do you have a death wish? Do you know who you are talking to?" Elder Saturn roared, his Conqueror's Haki bursting with anger. The entire room of authority shook. The other Elders sat with gloomy expressions, unbothered by the fate of the forces that had been sent but deeply unsettled by the call from Kong and the message it carried.
"I know exactly who you people are," Rayleigh said, his voice cold and soft. "If you think I'm bluffing, try me. Don't think for a second that I don't know what you've done. I know about the two crewmates you've already silenced. That needs to stop. If one more person related to Roger ends up dying, then I will be the least of your worries. I will share with the world what you fear: the true history, the meaning of D, and the existence that rules over you. Don't test me."
"Are you threatening us, Silvers Rayleigh?" Elder Saturn growled. "You should understand what happens to everyone who challenges us if you truly know the history."
Rayleigh's grip tightened on the transponder snail. "Consider this your only warning. Next time, there will be no next time, because by then you will be facing the whole world. Don't think of yourselves as unkillable. There is always a way, and don't make me personally make it my life's goal to find a way to end your immortality."
Within the Room of Authority, the temperature turned so low that a layer of frost spread and the marbled floor began to crack. The Elders realized they were dealing with a desperate man, someone they couldn't easily control, and someone who already knew about the fate of two of his crewmates—information that was supposed to be top secret.
Silence lingered in the room for a long while. Finally, Saturn calmed down with a sigh. "What do you want, Rayleigh?" The anger and killing intent in his tone were evident.
"Stop hunting Roger's crew, especially those who have already quit. Stay away from Amazon Lily. And I want to know what you have done with Roger's corpse." Rayleigh made his three demands. He knew he couldn't make too many requests, as that would simply backfire.
He was confident in his strength, but he also knew he couldn't defend Amazon Lily if the World Government was determined to destroy it. Despite his desire for revenge for the deaths of Roger's crewmates, Ross's words echoed in his mind, reminding him of his important role in this world.
Rayleigh's eyes blazed with fury as he listened to Elder Saturn's words. The silence was thick, almost suffocating, as the Elder's voice came through the transponder snail, tinged with reluctant acquiescence.
"Very well, Rayleigh. We will cease our pursuit of Roger's crew and stay away from Amazon Lily. As for Roger's corpse, I'm afraid we can't help you with that matter. The body was lost after the execution during the commotion in Loguetown. We have no idea who took possession of Roger's corpse. You should know Roger had too many enemies. For all we know, someone might be using his skull to drink wine from."
Rayleigh's grip on the transponder snail tightened, his knuckles whitening. Elder Saturn's cold, mocking tone didn't go unnoticed, and although he recognized Rayleigh's dangerous resolve, he aimed to assert his own authority.
"Silvers Rayleigh, you can't just expect us to meet your demands without expecting something in return," Saturn smirked. "We will meet your first demands, but you should quit piracy and take the secrets you've learned to the grave with you."
Rayleigh was momentarily stunned, still reeling from the Elder's vile taunt about Roger's skull being used as a wine cup. It was an unforgivable insult to his friend, one that cut deep.
"Are you testing me, you undead bastard?" Rayleigh's voice was low and dangerous, every word dripping with menace. "Are you so eager to meet your maker? The Ancient Weapons aren't the only things you should fear, or have you already forgotten what my moniker, 'Dark King' truly means?" Rayleighys tone even unnerved the Elders within the Room of Authority because that was the voice of a man with conviction, who would go to any length to see things done.
"Pray that what you said about Roger's corpse is the truth. If it turns out you were lying, I swear on Roger's name, I will find a way to kill you and drink from your skull, even if it's the last thing I do." With that, Rayleigh crushed the transponder snail in his hand, the remnants falling into the sea with a finality that echoed his resolve.
The air was thick with tension as Rayleigh turned his gaze to the horizon, his eyes burning with a fierce determination. He knew that his words would reverberate through the halls of power, a chilling reminder of the strength and resolve of the man once known as the Dark King.
Shakky stepped forward, her presence a calming influence amidst the storm of emotions. "What now, Rayleigh?" she asked, her voice steady despite the lingering bloodlust in the air.
Rayleigh sighed, his anger simmering beneath the surface. "We prepare for the future. The World Government will stay away for now, but they will come eventually when they think they have their chance. And our presence here will only agitate the World Government further, and for now we need to lay low and find a new place we can call home; it is not yet the era where we fight in earnest against the true rulers of the world."
*****
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Currently updated until Chapter 216.
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