The Kuja warriors of Amazon Lily ultimately did not stand in the way of the Sky Pirates.
Yemu's arrogant words had infuriated them, but their Empress made no move. In the end, they could only watch as the pirates were allowed to leave.
Still, the Kuja warriors understood. They had absolute confidence in their Empress's strength, but the man before them was Rayleigh, the Dark King. More importantly, this was the Calm Belt, the nesting ground of Sea Kings. Any excessive commotion that drew those monsters' attention would spell disaster.
...
For the Sky Pirates, the encounter with the Kuja was nothing more than a brief detour.
The Twin Goddesses continued sailing through the Calm Belt. After a little over four hours, they finally reached their destination.
What appeared before them was a massive, bizarre island. At its center stood three volcanoes, shaped like giant chimneys, continuously spewing thick smoke.
According to Rayleigh, Rusukaina was a volcanic island.
Its extremely complex climate, with seasonal changes occurring once a week, was entirely tied to the activity cycles of these volcanoes.
When the volcanoes entered a stable, dormant phase, the island's temperature would plunge in an instant, bringing winter.
When they became active, the temperature would rise sharply, ushering in summer.
Molten lava from eruptions mixed with the moisture evaporating from the surrounding sea, forming vast expanses of incredibly fertile land around the volcanoes. The island's entire primeval forest grew upon this foundation.
That fertile forest, combined with the harsh climate, had given birth to countless ferocious beasts.
As the ship neared the shore, distant roars of those beasts could already be heard echoing across the island.
After gathering their belongings, the crew disembarked. Kuromu then used the power of the Doa Doa no Mi to hide the pirate ship within another dimension.
After all, this was the Calm Belt. Better safe than sorry. If the noise from their training attracted Sea Kings and the Twin Goddesses ended up being eaten, that would be a real problem.
"This is it."
Led by Rayleigh, the group arrived at a very distinctive spot near the edge of the island.
There stood an enormous plant, towering upright and shaped almost exactly like a giant white radish.
"That's a huge white radish!!!"
Flare's eyes lit up at the sight, and she walked over excitedly. The next moment, however, a powerful stench hit her.
"Uh… that smell is really weird."
Flare recoiled with a look of disgust. Seeing her reaction, Rayleigh laughed.
"It's precisely because of that strange smell that the island's beasts refuse to come near this place. This is the only truly safe area on all of Rusukaina. You can set up camp here. That said, how long is Yemu planning to stay?"
"Well…"
Yemu didn't answer right away. Instead, he extended his Observation Haki, sensing everything around him.
In an instant, the roars of countless powerful beasts flooded his perception, giving him a clear grasp of the situation.
"Three months."
Yemu looked at his crew, meeting each of their gazes one by one.
"Let's treat this as a promise between us. After three months, I want to see a version of you all that's different from before."
Everyone nodded. Even Flare, who had still been a little annoyed at Yemu's earlier antics, responded with complete seriousness this time.
No more words were necessary.
Seeing this, Rayleigh's eyes were filled with admiration.
"Three months isn't a lot of time. Since that's the case, let's not waste a second."
"No problem. Then we'll be relying on you, Rayleigh-san!"
Everyone began making preparations. At that moment, Flare asked thoughtfully,
"Rayleigh-san, if you don't go back for three months, won't Shakky-san get worried?"
Rayleigh laughed.
"Hahaha, no need to worry. To be honest, I'm using this as a chance to lie low."
"Lie low!?"
"Yeah. Ever since Roger died, the Marines and the World Government have been trying every possible way to erase all traces of his existence, including us former crew members. That's why I leave the Sabaody Archipelago every so often to avoid attention."
"So that's how it is. Even so, thank you, Rayleigh-san."
...
As the only safe area on the island, this place was obviously not suitable for training. Resting here was fine, but if they trained and accidentally destroyed it, that would be a problem.
So, under Rayleigh's lead, the group headed into the forest. With a faint yet unmistakable pressure of Conqueror's Haki radiating around them, no ferocious beasts dared come close.
"Alright, this spot will do."
Rayleigh looked around. The surroundings stirred memories of five years ago, when he first met Yemu and the others on Skypiea. Time had passed, and things were no longer the same, but seeing these young people before him filled Rayleigh with renewed energy.
Perhaps this was the reason he was here.
To guide the new era into the New World!
"Then…"
Rayleigh's expression turned serious, as if he had returned to his prime from five years ago. He raised his arm, his gaze sharpening as he looked straight at Yemu.
"Come, Yemu. Just like five years ago, attack me with everything you've got. Let me see how far you've come."
At that moment, Yemu felt his blood ignite.
"No problem. But be careful, Rayleigh-san. I'm not the same kid I was five years ago."
Blood surged through Yemu's body as power gathered in his right fist. The aura he released distorted the air itself, whipping up violent gusts that forced Flare and the others to squint, barely able to keep their eyes open.
"So strong… Captain feels even stronger than back in Drum Kingdom!"
Erik raised an arm to shield himself from the gale as he spoke, sensing the pressure coming off Yemu.
Rayleigh's eyes lit up.
"Oh? You've already grown to this level? Don't worry about me. Come at me with everything you've got!"
"Understood, Rayleigh-san. Please be careful!"
In an instant, a thunderous explosion ripped through the air, and Yemu vanished from where he stood.
Almost at the same time, he appeared right in front of Rayleigh.
A fist coated in jet-black Armament Haki slammed straight into Rayleigh's palm, while Yemu's Conqueror's Haki poured out without restraint.
Time seemed to freeze.
Black lightning crackled violently, filling the air with sharp, explosive sounds.
The air turned thick, and everything around them seemed to slow to a crawl.
In that moment, it wasn't just their physical strength colliding. Their Conqueror's Haki was crashing into each other as well, pressing and grinding head-on.
Though neither of them moved, the ground beneath their feet began to collapse outward in widening rings.
The force of their clash traveled through their bodies and slammed into the earth.
Their clothes billowed violently under the surging pressure, rustling loudly.
Everything around them fell into chaos. Trees and rocks in the forest were crushed to pieces by the overwhelming force.
"Boom… boom… boom…"
"That's terrifying…"
Even though the others had already retreated far away and were prepared, they were still caught in the aftermath.
Fortunately, Kuromu reacted quickly, opening an air door so everyone could dive inside.
Even then, despite hiding in the alternate space, they could still feel the horrifying pressure radiating from the two of them. Worse still, visible cracks began to spread through the space created by the Doa Doa no Mi.
"Even the alternate space is being affected…"
"This… this is just unbelievable…"
"Boom…"
At last, as the accumulated power was fully released, a massive air explosion erupted across Rusukaina Island.
The entire island shook violently. The terrifying shockwave sent beasts and birds fleeing in panic in every direction…