After putting some distance between himself and the port, Rayleigh finally slowed his pace. He glanced back over his shoulder, confirming that no one was pursuing him.
"A Marine Admiral sneaking into Sabaody Archipelago..." he murmured, frowning. "Is he planning another raid on this damned place?"
Despite his words, Rayleigh actually liked Sabaody quite a bit.
The archipelago offered companionship and a leisurely lifestyle. More importantly, since it fell directly under Celestial Dragon jurisdiction with no actual government oversight, the chaotic mix of people provided perfect cover. He could hide in plain sight.
The location was ideal too. Well-connected routes in every direction, easy travel to anywhere he wanted. And if trouble arose, the sheer diversity of criminals meant he could slip away in the confusion.
That's why Rayleigh had chosen Sabaody for his retirement. Paradoxically close to both Marine Headquarters and Mary Geoise, yet perfectly suited for living incognito.
"Rayleigh?" A familiar voice called from behind him.
He turned to find Shakky approaching. They'd been together for years now. She'd been a pirate once, retiring even earlier than Rayleigh. They'd fought each other on the seas back in the day. After a few subsequent encounters, mutual respect had blossomed into genuine affection.
When Rayleigh had finally retired, Shakky's establishment had become his home.
She ran a bar in the lawless zone, selling information to various factions across Sabaody on the side. A local power broker in her own right.
Before Rayleigh could speak, Shakky's tone turned sharp with disapproval. "What are you doing? Didn't you say you were going to work coating jobs this morning? Now you're wandering around again, wasting the day..."
Rayleigh ignored her chiding and cut straight to the point. "I need to leave the island."
Finn had genuinely spooked him. A Marine Admiral appearing secretly on Sabaody was not something to take lightly.
Shakky's frown deepened. "What do you mean? Why would you need to run?"
"I was just at the port. Guess who I saw?"
"Who?"
"Rodriguez Finn."
"Finn? The Marine Admiral?" As an intelligence broker, Shakky obviously knew the name well.
"That's right." Rayleigh nodded grimly. "I haven't encountered him much personally, but you've studied the man. He's cunning. Calculating. If he's appeared on Sabaody without fanfare, something's about to happen. My guess? Another sweep of the island. I'm going to disappear for three to five months, let things settle down, then come back when it's safe."
"Not necessarily..." Shakky considered for a moment. "Maybe he's just passing through? On some kind of secret mission?"
"Possible," Rayleigh acknowledged. "But do we really want to gamble on that? There's no need to take the risk."
It was true. Finn might simply be using Sabaody as a transit point. His secretive arrival could indicate he was on covert business and couldn't reveal his identity. But why bet on that interpretation?
The safe move was to get out and lay low.
Unless absolutely necessary, Rayleigh had no desire to fight a Marine Admiral on this island. Fighting the Marines at all was something he'd prefer to avoid.
"You're right," Shakky agreed after a pause.
She didn't need to flee herself. After all, she wasn't nearly as famous as Rayleigh. Years of maintaining her cover meant no Marine had bothered her in ages.
"Just three to five months. It'll pass quickly." Rayleigh smiled.
He continued, "I was planning to go back to the bar to say goodbye properly, but since we've met here, I'll head out now. No point delaying."
"Yeah, that's fine." Shakky nodded.
Then something occurred to her. "Where are you going?"
"The New World, I think. Haven't been back much in recent years. Might as well take this opportunity to visit." Rayleigh's smile was genuine. The prospect of travel appealed to him.
"The New World is about to descend into chaos. If you go there now..." Shakky hesitated, then laughed. "Forget it. You're a stubborn old man who can take care of himself. If you want to go to the New World, that's actually convenient. You can leave from Port Number Three..."
"Why there specifically?" Rayleigh asked, curious.
"I ran into Hatchan earlier when I was buying supplies at the port. He and his crew just arrived today, said they'd be heading back soon. I'd feel better if you caught a ride on Hatchan's ship to Fish-Man Island. It'll be safer, and Hatchan's trustworthy."
Rayleigh nodded. "Alright, I'll do that. I'll be gone for a while and back in three to five months."
Hatchan. The octopus fishman. When Rayleigh had first retired, he'd challenged himself to free-swimming and encountered a storm. Or maybe a tsunami. Either way, he'd nearly drowned. Hatchan, young at the time, had saved his life. They'd stayed in contact ever since. Hatchan occasionally snuck up to Sabaody to visit, and Rayleigh watched out for him.
In short, Hatchan was a friend Rayleigh could trust.
There was no emotional farewell. Rayleigh wasn't that type, and Shakky was a strong woman in her own right. She stuffed some money in his pocket, waved him off with a few instructions, then sent the old man on his way.
Rayleigh didn't need luggage. The trip to Fish-Man Island would only take half a day. He could buy whatever he needed when he arrived.
After parting ways, Rayleigh headed directly to Port Number Three.
It didn't take long to spot Hatchan. The octopus fishman was wrapped up tightly, trying to look inconspicuous and failing completely.
"Rayleigh?" Hatchan's face lit up with happiness.
"Long time no see, Hatchan." Rayleigh smiled warmly.
"I just saw Sister Shakky! Did you come here to see me?" Hatchan asked with innocent enthusiasm.
Rayleigh didn't bother lying. "No, I'm heading to the New World and need to hitch a ride on your ship. Is that convenient?"
"Should be fine, I think?" Hatchan considered briefly.
That morning, Boss Jinbe had gathered a few trusted friends, Hatchan included, and sent them to Sabaody Archipelago to collect valuable goods for transport to Fish-Man Island's free trade zone.
Jinbe was a cautious man. Even with trustworthy friends, he hadn't explained the full situation. Better to maintain operational security.
So from Hatchan's perspective, this was just another cargo run. They'd done plenty of these lately, especially after Boss Jinbe had become a Warlord and established the deep-sea free trade zone. Life on Fish-Man Island had become genuinely prosperous.
Hatchan trusted Rayleigh completely. He didn't think for a second that the old man would steal their cargo, so he agreed readily.
Hearing that Hatchan was just transporting goods put Rayleigh at ease. He didn't think Hatchan would lie to him, and he had zero interest in Fish-Man Island cargo anyway. Without false modesty, he smiled and nodded. "Thanks for the help."
"No problem! Come on, follow me, I'll get you on the ship..." Hatchan grabbed Rayleigh's arm and led him toward the vessel.
Hatchan's enthusiasm and clear respect got Rayleigh aboard quickly.
Due to space limitations, Rayleigh's cabin was somewhat cramped, but he didn't mind. He settled happily by the window, watching the port activity. He lit a cigarette, exhaled smoke with satisfaction, and murmured, "Done..."
He hadn't even finished the cigarette when his expression changed dramatically.
A group of people approached from outside the port. They'd concealed their features and dressed to blend in, but Rayleigh recognized them immediately. The figure leading them was none other than Admiral Rodriguez Finn.
"Sold out?" Rayleigh's first thought lasted only a heartbeat before he shook his head. "Impossible. Hatchan would never betray me..."
He watched carefully. Finn and his companions were walking directly toward the ship, clearly intending to board.
Rayleigh's heart sank. He still believed Hatchan wouldn't betray him, but Hatchan's companions might not have recognized who he was. They might have mentioned to someone that they were taking a passenger...
Sitting around waiting for disaster was not Rayleigh's style. He needed to stay low and assess the situation.
Moving quickly, he stubbed out his cigarette and slipped out of his cabin. He avoided the other crew members and relocated to a different room.
From this new position, he could hear noise from his original cabin. If Finn and his group boarded and headed straight there, he'd know he'd been compromised. And he could escape from here.
Rayleigh pressed himself carefully behind the door and listened intently.
Soon, he heard Finn's voice carrying across the ship.
"How are we arranging things?"
"Just pick a room. It's only half a day's journey."
Rayleigh caught fragments of conversation. He heard Jinbe's name mentioned...
So Jinbe himself had come? The Warlord's relationship with the Marines must be closer than we thought...
"Then I'm going to sleep," Kuzan's voice said, growing louder as he approached. "Don't wake me until we arrive."
Kuzan was inherently lazy, and Finn had dragged him to Sabaody early in the morning. Now he was ready to catch up on sleep. By the time he woke up, they'd be at Fish-Man Island...
Without much thought, Kuzan pushed open a door.
The room Rayleigh was hiding in.
Fortunately, hearing the footsteps and door handle turning, Rayleigh had already rolled under the bed. Kuzan didn't spot him.
Kuzan was careless. He didn't bother scanning the room properly. He simply saw the bed, kicked off his shoes without even removing his clothes, and collapsed onto the mattress.
Half his leg hung casually over the side.
A completely natural, relaxed posture. Nothing unusual about it.
Except that beneath that dangling leg, beneath the crack under the bed, Rayleigh was hiding.
Rayleigh didn't dare move. Any sound, any disturbance, would spell disaster.
His space felt suffocating. A sour smell emanated from Kuzan's bare foot, dangling barely a foot from Rayleigh's face. The Dark King wanted desperately to stab the Admiral through the mattress.
If he didn't understand the situation by now, he'd be an idiot.
Obviously, he should have gambled after all. Finn and his group weren't coming to raid Sabaody at all. They wanted to enter the New World secretly.
Through sheer bad luck, Rayleigh had ended up on the same ship as them. And now he was hiding under a bed, enduring Kuzan's stinking feet.
This is absurd.
When have I, the mighty Dark King Silvers Rayleigh, ever endured such humiliation?!
He wanted to slice off Kuzan's foot with a blade. But at this moment, Rayleigh could only hide beneath the bed, swallowing his indignation.
The ship lurched a few times. As a coating expert, Rayleigh recognized the sensation immediately. They were about to dive.
Sure enough, moments later, the vessel began its descent.
The most frustrating and helpless journey to Fish-Man Island in Rayleigh's entire life had begun.
He lay perfectly still beneath the bed, listening with mounting irritation as Kuzan's snoring filled the cabin.
Finally, Rayleigh closed his eyes.
"Half a day. Just half a day to reach Fish-Man Island. I can endure this," he told himself silently, trying to maintain some shred of dignity.