"Interesting. To think a figure like you would be deployed," Sriya remarked, his eyes cold and fixed on the man before him. "It seems the Revolutionary Army is determined to take the Kingdom of Bivins!"
He knew he was no match for Sabo, just as he had been no match for Jack the Drought. But evasion was not in his nature. He could accept death, but he would never allow the Chris Pirates to lose face, nor would he ever do anything to bring shame upon their name.
Those who do not rejoice wildly in victory, nor panic in defeat; those who maintain a heart like a raging storm while keeping a face as calm as a placid lake—such are the ones worthy of being appointed High General!
Sriya was exactly that kind of man. Though he had his moments of madness, the more chaotic things became, the calmer he grew. This, coupled with his absolute loyalty to Aeridar, was precisely why Aeridar trusted and valued him so highly.
Clack— Sizzle— Sizzle—
A squad from the Elite Strike Team's super soldiers arrived, surrounding the area. In perfect unison, they activated the electromagnetic cannons mounted on their left arms, locking their sights onto Sabo.
Sabo's eyelid twitched as he sensed an immense crisis.
While these soldiers were formidable, rare experts even by the standards of the Revolutionary Army, they were still not his match in raw power. What triggered his sense of danger were the strange weapons on their left arms. Given that terrifying speed and destructive force, a single shot would be enough to heavily wound him. If he were hit by several in succession, his only end would be death on the spot.
"The No. 2 of the Revolutionary Army... a young talent just like our Captain," Andrei remarked. He was clad in the same black Warrior-T13 Offensive Exoskeleton Combat Suit, resting a nearly two-meter-long zanbato against his shoulder as he sized Sabo up.
"I wouldn't dare call myself a 'young talent,' and I certainly wouldn't dare compare myself to Aeridar-san," Sabo replied with a modest smile. Even surrounded by so many enemies, his expression remained unchanged.
"I'll give you some face." Sriya looked at Sabo expressionlessly and spoke in a deep voice: "Stop the pursuit. Call back the 'Dragonians'!"
"Then you have my thanks!" Though surprised by Sriya's concession, Sabo accepted the gesture.
Andrei felt the same surprise, yet he did not question Sriya's decision. Without a word, he turned to leave to recall the 'Dragonians'—biological weapons still hunting down the rebel army. Permission to command these six Dragonians rested solely with Sriya and Andrei.
"Don't thank me. Consider today a greeting from the Revolutionary Army. From now on, stay away from our crew!" Sriya said indifferently.
With a wave of his hand, Sriya signaled his subordinates to carry the soldiers Sabo had wounded and led his men away.
Sabo stood alone on the scorched, corpse-strewn battlefield. Inhaling the scent of gunpowder and blood, he watched the retreating backs of Sriya and his group. He understood Sriya's meaning: the time for an all-out war between the two sides had not yet arrived.
Furthermore, while Sabo was confident he could take down Sriya, he didn't know what price he would pay if he were besieged by over a hundred super soldiers, each with a Doriki over 500, and six Dragonians, all backed by those piercing weapons. A single mistake could lead to his death. Those weapons were no joke; a single hit would likely leave a permanent scar.
Shortly after, Koala, also wearing a dark coat, ran toward him.
"Are you alright, Sabo?" she asked worriedly.
"We have a real rival now," Sabo replied, his words heavy with implication.
"Have you made up your mind?" Koala asked, unsurprised.
"Matters of the battlefield must ultimately be settled on the battlefield!" Sabo looked at Koala and said in a low tone, "We are determined to overthrow all unequal rule. A temporary obstacle cannot stop our footsteps!"
…
The Calm Belt. Ruskaina Island.
This was a deserted island, also known as the Island of 48 Seasons. It was said a kingdom existed here in ancient times, but humanity ultimately lost to nature and could not survive. Currently, the island was inhabited only by massive, ferocious beasts, creatures that even the warrior Kuja tribe held in awe.
To Aeridar, however, this was nothing. A mere flare of Conqueror's Haki was enough to intimidate these beasts.
"Gomu Gomu no—Jet Pistol!!!"
BOOM!
A massive roar echoed through the forest as a plume of dust shot into the sky. Aeridar, sitting on a rock by the shore, glanced toward the forest before turning back to Rayleigh.
"He really is working hard, isn't he?" Aeridar said with a smile.
Behind him, Mina also peered curiously at the dust-filled forest.
Gulp…
Rayleigh took a swig of liquor, casually wiped a stray drop from the corner of his mouth, and laughed heartily. "Hahaha! His talent is quite decent!"
Aeridar grinned. 'Quite decent'?
As the protagonist, Luffy could master Soru, one of the Rokushiki, after seeing it only a few times. Even Rob Lucci of CP9 didn't have that kind of innate genius. Furthermore, Luffy was on the verge of developing Gear 4: Boundman, a form that would eventually give Doflamingo a massive headache. The sheer power of Boundman would make even Doflamingo hesitate to trade punches.
And one had to remember how young Luffy was compared to Doflamingo's age and experience! This was far beyond "decent talent."
"The straw hat belonging to the Pirate King, Roger... passed to Red-Haired Shanks, and now to Monkey D. Luffy. It's a certain kind of legacy, isn't it? For example..." Aeridar looked at Rayleigh with a knowing smile and whispered, "The Will of D.!"
"That... who knows?" Rayleigh's expression remained unchanged, though he took another few gulps of his drink.
Aeridar narrowed his eyes and suddenly said, "I recently obtained a strange Poneglyph. I wonder if Rayleigh-san could clear up some confusion for me?"
"A strange Poneglyph?" Rayleigh's eyelid twitched, and his hand holding the flask paused. A moment later, he raised an eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid the World Government will cause you trouble for possessing such a thing?"
Aeridar smirked. "I can't help it; my desire for a collection is too strong. Especially when it's such a valuable item! A red Poneglyph... it's the first time I've ever seen one colored like blood."
"A red Poneglyph!"
In an instant, Rayleigh's eyes widened.
Seeing Rayleigh's reaction, Aeridar confirmed it immediately: Rayleigh definitely knew the purpose of the red Poneglyphs (Road Poneglyphs).
"How did you get it?" Rayleigh asked solemnly.
"I can't say how for now," Aeridar replied, staring directly into Rayleigh's eyes. "But I want to ask: how many of these red Poneglyphs are there? What is their purpose? Or rather... what do they record?"
Rayleigh was thinking.
He was weighing whether Aeridar was telling the truth. He was considering the fact that every Road Poneglyph has a master. How could Aeridar have obtained one? He was debating whether or not he should answer Aeridar's questions.