Everyone present felt the temperature surge in an instant. The air itself seemed to ignite, turning scorching and oppressive.
This time, Rayleigh was truly taken aback.
"Incredible, Yemu. To think you could fuse a Devil Fruit ability with Haki. It's a clever approach, but by doing so, you've allowed Armament Haki to take on part of fire's inherent nature. This is indeed Armament Haki's Internal Destruction."
At last, Enel understood as well. After giving it some thought, he spoke.
"So if I were to fuse the Goro Goro no Mi with Armament Haki, giving Armament Haki the properties of lightning, would that also count as a form of Internal Destruction?"
Rayleigh nodded.
"That's exactly right."
At that moment, Flare raised a different question.
"Then… how do those without Devil Fruit abilities learn this technique?"
Rayleigh turned his gaze toward Erik.
"It's simple. Through extreme refinement and transformation, Armament Haki itself already possesses certain fundamental traits. Take this as an example. Every swordsman who has reached the level of Great Swordsman in this world knows this technique: coating a blade with a layer of fine, razor-sharp Haki. It doesn't just harden the weapon. It makes the edge incomparably sharp. Alongside its tremendous defensive power, it allows the wielder to cut down anything within their sight."
In that instant, everyone understood. Erik's eyes shone brightly.
...
There was no denying it. Rayleigh truly deserved to be called an outstanding teacher.
His breadth of knowledge was so vast that even Tiger felt humbled by comparison.
As for strength, aside from not possessing a Devil Fruit, Rayleigh was a master who combined physical techniques, swordsmanship, and Haki into one. A flawless all-rounder, more than qualified to guide them all.
With Rayleigh's help, everyone began to grow rapidly, each in their own way.
...
Rusukaina Island.
When they had first arrived, it had been the height of summer, warm enough for short sleeves. Yet just over a month later, the entire island was blanketed in silver.
Thick, heavy snow drifted through the air, and the temperature continued to fall.
Fortunately, the air currents within the Calm Belt were stable, preventing the weather from turning into a full-blown blizzard.
High above, on a massive plant shaped like a towering mushroom that pierced the clouds, Rayleigh sat in a clean clearing formed by enormous branches and leaves. Wrapped in thick cotton clothing, he drank fine wine while his eyes surveyed the entire island.
Under the reach of his Observation Haki, not a single movement escaped his awareness.
At first, Rayleigh had needed to guide them one-on-one. But now, he had already said everything that could be said and taught everything that could be taught. How far Yemu and the others would go from here depended entirely on their own effort and talent.
Just then, something entered his perception. Looking into the distance, he saw it at the edge of the sea.
A familiar red ship appeared on the horizon.
That was a Kuja pirate ship, and its course was set straight for Rusukaina Island.
A trace of confusion flashed through Rayleigh's eyes. Still, he brushed the snow from his clothes, stood up, leaped down from the towering mountain, and headed toward the shore.
As the ship docked, the Kuja's female warriors disembarked.
This time, however, they clearly weren't here to fight. Far fewer people came ashore than before.
At the front was the same Kuja Empress Rayleigh had met previously, Galahad Anne. Her eyes were as indifferent as ever, carrying that familiar look of disinterest in everything around her. Behind her stood the eleven warrior women.
But this time, there were four additional figures around Galahad Anne.
One was a rather short elderly woman. The other three were small girls who looked incredibly adorable.
"So cold! Anne-sama, is this Rusukaina Island?"
Among the three girls, one with glossy black hair, wrapped in a thick coat, rubbed her small hands together and blew warm air into them as she spoke cheerfully.
Just from her cute features alone, it was obvious that once she grew up, she would become a breathtaking beauty.
Rayleigh, however, wasn't paying attention to her. His gaze was fixed instead on the short old woman standing to the Empress's left.
He walked over at an unhurried pace, quickly drawing everyone's attention.
When she saw Rayleigh, the most excited of them all was the little girl.
"Wow! Anne-sama, is this what a man looks like? He seems so… rough!"
Rayleigh's face darkened instantly.
He, the Dark King Rayleigh, had always been known in women's conversations as a handsome blond man. This was the first time anyone had ever called him crude, and it was coming from a little girl no less.
Still, there was no point in getting angry. He stepped forward and greeted them.
"Gloriosa, it's been a long time. And Kuja Empress, may I ask what brings you here?"
Galahad Anne's expression remained as detached as ever. Her gaze stayed fixed on the distance, as if she had no intention of speaking at all.
At that point, it was the elderly woman named Gloriosa who spoke, first scolding the little girl.
"Don't be rude, Hancock."
Hancock puffed out her cheeks in irritation and quickly hid behind Galahad Anne's long legs.
Only then did Gloriosa turn back to Rayleigh.
"It's been a long time, Rayleigh. I was the one who asked Anne to bring me here."
"Oh?"
That caught Rayleigh by surprise, but Gloriosa soon explained her purpose.
"I'm truly sorry to trouble you, Rayleigh. After hearing from Anne and the others about your encounter, I felt I had no choice but to come visit you. I heard that you arrived here aboard a pirate ship."
Rayleigh immediately understood her meaning, and with it, the reason the Kuja had come.
Sure enough, Gloriosa continued.
"Rayleigh, you know that Amazon Lily has been able to exist safely for centuries precisely because the Calm Belt's unique geography prevents both pirate ships and Marine vessels from approaching. So when I heard that your pirate ship was actually able to sail through the Calm Belt, I couldn't ignore it."
"I understand what you're worried about, Gloriosa," Rayleigh said calmly.
He didn't make things difficult for her and answered directly.
"There's no need to worry too much. From what I know so far, the only one who has mastered the technology to sail through the Calm Belt is Yemu and the Sky Pirates' ship, the Twin Goddesses."
At the mention of the Sky Pirates, Gloriosa's expression changed instantly.
"So it really is that dangerous group. Rayleigh, would it be possible for you to arrange a meeting for me with their captain, the man named Yemu?"
"Well…"
Rayleigh thought for a moment. He understood Gloriosa's concerns clearly. If she didn't meet Yemu and get everything straight from him personally, this matter would never truly be settled.
"I understand. Come with me. I'll take you to meet him."
And so, amid the vast world of white snow, under Rayleigh's guidance, the group from Kuja trudged forward step by step through the thick snow, heading deeper into the island…