When that group of mysterious attackers appeared, Takumi had no intention of getting involved. After all, with Smoker and Aokiji around, there was no way they'd allow anyone to cause major destruction in Loguetown.
But as soon as the attackers started their assault, a few of them decided to target him specifically...
Various weapons were hurled his way.
Takumi dodged repeatedly, but after a while, it got annoying. Finally, he coated his arm in Armament Haki and sent a few of the attackers flying with a single punch.
Seeing their comrades get taken down by a kid, the rest of the group shifted their focus to Takumi, swarming toward him.
Already frustrated by the gloomy weather, Takumi shot them a glare. Instantly, anyone rushing at him collapsed under the pressure of his Conqueror's Haki, dropping like flies.
Rayleigh, watching from the execution platform, saw the battle unfolding and noticed Takumi being chased down by those thugs. Yet, he made no move to help.
He didn't know the full extent of Takumi's abilities, but he could tell these goons were no match for him.
The moment Takumi unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, a glint of interest flashed in Rayleigh's eyes.
"Conqueror's Haki, huh?" Rayleigh smirked. "It seems you're even more impressive than I thought, Takumi. Roger... this kid, Takumi, might just be able to change the world in ways you did. If you were still alive, I bet you'd be eager to meet him."
Just as Rayleigh finished speaking, he sensed Smoker and Aokiji approaching from the nearby buildings.
Without a word, Rayleigh hopped down from the platform, carrying the two empty bottles, and walked over to meet them.
Smoker narrowed his eyes. "Was this your doing?"
Rayleigh pointed over to Takumi, smiling. "It was him."
Aokiji rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Conqueror's Haki, huh?"
"What?" Smoker was in disbelief. "Are you saying Takumi took out all those guys with Conqueror's Haki? That's impossible! Not just anyone can have Conqueror's Haki. Even if Takumi does have it, he's just a kid! How could he possibly wield it so effectively?"
"I'm surprised too," Rayleigh said with a grin. "But he really did it. If Roger were alive, he'd definitely be intrigued by him. Well, I've done what I came here to do. It's time for me to go. Farewell, everyone."
With that, Rayleigh laughed heartily and walked away.
Smoker gripped his jitte tightly, glaring at Rayleigh's retreating figure, his teeth clenched. "Damn it... I'm still too weak..."
He knew all too well the gap in power between himself and Rayleigh.
Even if Aokiji took on Rayleigh one-on-one, the chances of victory were less than fifty percent.
And if Smoker were to fight Aokiji, his own chances of winning would be less than one in three.
So, even if they teamed up against Rayleigh, it would likely end in defeat.
And then there was Takumi, an unpredictable factor.
Smoker had no idea which side Takumi was on.
If Takumi decided to help Rayleigh, their odds would drop even further.
"Oh, come on, Smoker, you're overthinking it," Aokiji said, reading Smoker's thoughts even though he hadn't spoken them aloud. "If Rayleigh wanted to cause trouble, he'd have done it already. Why wait until now? And as for that kid, Takumi, I've spent some time with him these past few days. We've taken naps together and chatted a bit. I can tell he genuinely has no intention of joining any side. There's no reason to worry about where his loyalties lie."
Snapped out of his thoughts, Smoker's face twisted in shock. "Wait, what? You slept with him?"
Aokiji sighed. "Why are you so surprised? We just took naps together, that's all."
Smoker coughed awkwardly.
By now, Smoker's subordinates had emerged from their hiding spots in the surrounding buildings.
"Hey, did someone already take care of these intruders? Lieutenant, what should we do with them?"
"Lock them all up," Smoker ordered. "When they wake up, we'll find out who they are."
"Yes, sir!"
The Marines quickly moved to round up the unconscious attackers.
Aokiji glanced in the direction Rayleigh and Takumi had gone, then asked, "So, we're just letting them leave?"
Smoker coughed again. "Let them go. And... I'll keep quiet about your... situation."
"Huh?" Aokiji looked puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"Nothing..." Smoker muttered.
"I'm heading out," Rayleigh said with a smile as they walked toward the harbor.
Takumi responded with a nonchalant "Hmm."
He was feeling a bit annoyed.
He'd expected to trigger some sort of mission progress.
But nothing happened.
Noticing Takumi's lack of enthusiasm, Rayleigh continued, "What about you? When are you leaving Loguetown?"
"Soon," Takumi replied indifferently.
"Care to see me off?" Rayleigh asked with a grin.
Takumi was about to refuse.
But Rayleigh pressed on, "After all the drinks I've treated you to, seeing me off is the least you could do, right?"
Takumi sighed. "Alright."
Rayleigh laughed heartily and kept walking.
Before long, they reached the harbor.
Even though the rain hadn't let up, there were still plenty of people in raincoats bustling about.
Rayleigh looked out at the various ships docked there and smirked. "Wanna guess which one's mine? I'll give you a prize if you get it right."
Takumi shot him a skeptical look.
A ship?
Was Rayleigh really the type to sail alone on a boat?
In Takumi's memory, Rayleigh was the kind of guy who swam from the Sabaody Archipelago, through the Calm Belt, all the way to Amazon Lily by himself.
Someone like that wouldn't need a boat.
When Takumi didn't respond, Rayleigh laughed again. "What's the matter? Can't figure it out? Just take a wild guess."
Takumi, not wanting to waste any more time, randomly pointed to a small wooden boat docked nearby.
Rayleigh burst out laughing. "Hahaha! I knew you'd get it right! That's my boat!"
Takumi blinked in surprise.
Rayleigh continued, "Since you guessed correctly, I'll grant you a favor. Whatever you need—good or bad—as long as it's within my power, I'll help you out."
Takumi was internally groaning.
How had he managed to pick the right boat?
But even if it was true, he didn't need Rayleigh's offer.
"No thanks," Takumi replied. "I don't need any favors from you."
"Don't be so quick to turn it down," Rayleigh said with a smile. "You never know what the future holds. It's not like you're taking on a debt. This is a freebie. So why not take it? Hahaha! It's settled then. If you ever run into trouble, come find me on Sabaody. Alright, I'm off."
With that, Rayleigh leaped onto the small wooden boat, waved at Takumi from the deck, and began sailing off toward the Grand Line.
Takumi watched Rayleigh's boat slowly disappear into the distance. He shook his head, ready to head back to the tavern, when a sudden shout caught his attention.
"Hey! Someone took my boat! Dammit, who's the idiot who stole my little junker of a boat?!"
Figures...
Takumi couldn't help but chuckle.
Just then, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Sending off Dark King Rayleigh. Progress +10%. Current progress: 80%.]
Takumi blinked, surprised.
Before he could fully process it, the system chimed in again.
[Ding! Earned the respect of Marine Lieutenant Smoker. Progress +10%. Current progress: 90%. Reward: Iron Body skill upgraded to Level 2.]
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