It wasn't physical exhaustion, though his body had indeed reached its limit.
It was exhaustion of the heart.
He was already sixty-eight years old.
He had sat in this position for over thirty years.
He had experienced countless battles, witnessed countless life-and-death situations, arrested countless pirates, and lost countless colleagues.
He was tired.
"Let this old man retire early, I really don't want to face that terrifying kid again," Kleist murmured to himself, his voice carrying a rare weariness.
Thinking that he still had two years left before his retirement date, he felt suffocated and powerless.
Originally, he had already stepped back to a secondary role, enjoying his twilight years.
If not for the Celestial Tribute incident, he wouldn't have been urgently recalled to return to the front lines.
Strangely enough—the Rocks Pirates had robbed the Celestial Tribute multiple times before, yet it never required his return.
It was only after Raiver Sky participated in that operation, when the Marines and the Five Elders showed great concern about the terrifying talent he displayed, that Kleist was reactivated.
Ultimately, it all came down to this damned Raiver Sky.
Kleist closed his eyes, and the image of Raiver Sky's final sword strike surfaced in his mind.
That slash that fused Ryuo with Conqueror's Haki, that Sword Qi transformed into a Black Dragon, those cold and determined eyes...
A monster.
A true monster.
Enough.
If the Marines and the Rocks Pirates were to engage in all-out war in the future, he would absolutely not choose Raiver Sky as his opponent.
Absolutely not.
...
One day later.
While Raiver Sky was piloting the "Divine Right" back to Hachinosu Island, an uninhabited wild island occupied by fierce beasts came into his view.
Even from several kilometers away, he could sense the primitive, wild, and ferocious aura emanating from the island.
Massive dark shadows circled above the island—strange birds with wingspans exceeding twenty meters.
Along the coastline, giant beasts comparable in size to Sea Kings were locked in combat, each collision causing the ground to tremble.
The island itself was overrun with colossal creatures.
Such islands were not uncommon in the New World.
Extreme environments bred extreme life forms, and this island had clearly formed a complete ecological cycle.
The weak were prey to the strong, and the powerful ruled.
It was the perfect place for training.
Raiver Sky's mind stirred slightly as he maneuvered the "Divine Right" to dock slowly by the shore of the deserted island.
The sound of the ship approaching startled the nearby creatures.
A group of beasts over five meters tall, with saber teeth and bone armor, charged out from the forest.
But they did not attack.
Because the moment the ship drew near, Raiver Sky released a trace of Conqueror's Haki.
That faint Haki acted like an invisible barrier, causing all the beasts that sensed it to instinctively halt, lower their bodies, and emit wary growls, not daring to approach any closer.
The top of the food chain had changed hands.
From within the ship, Jiexi and Jieming quickly ran up to the deck.
"Boss, what are your orders?" Jiexi asked respectfully, his eyes filled with awe and gratitude.
Just one day ago, they were slaves of the Celestial Dragons, constantly at risk of being tortured to death.
But now, they had gained freedom, gained strength, gained a new life.
All of this was given to them by the man before them.
Raiver Sky's voice was calm and serious:
"The New World is filled with powerful individuals. With your current strength, you are still inadequate."
He turned around, his gaze sweeping over the two brothers like a blade.
"Even after consuming the Ancient Zoan Fruit, you remain like this."
"Without mastering Two-Colored Haki, you will ultimately be at an absolute disadvantage in battles against true powerhouses."
"Moreover, your Devil Fruit Abilities are far from fully developed."
"I need you to become stronger. Only then can you be of assistance to me in the future."
"This island is teeming with fierce beasts, making it the perfect battlefield to temper yourselves."
"Only in life-or-death struggles can human potential be most rapidly unleashed, leading to genuine growth."
He retrieved a handwritten notebook from his Space Warehouse.
"This contains the fundamental methods for cultivating Observation Haki and Armament Haki, along with some of my personal insights."
Raiver Sky handed the notebook to Jiexi.
"The two of you shall remain on this island and devote yourselves to training. When the time is ripe, I will return to retrieve you."
Jiexi received the notebook with both hands and opened to the first page, where clear handwriting stated:
"Observation Haki: perceive the aura of all things. In the initial stage, close your eyes, focus your spirit, listen to the voice of the wind, feel the breath of life..."
Flipping further, there were explanations about Armament Haki, ideas for developing Devil Fruit Abilities, breathing rhythms and force application techniques during combat...
This was a priceless treasure.
In this world, the inheritance of power is often strictly guarded.
The Marines have systematic training systems, but those are reserved for "their own people."
Pirates might teach each other, but only to close companions.
Jiexi looked up, his eyes slightly reddened.
"Boss, this..."
"Keep it safe," Raiver Sky interrupted him. "Don't lose it, and don't die. I hope that by our next meeting, you will have at least mastered the basics of Haki."
Jiexi took a deep breath and carefully tucked the notebook inside his clothing, close to his chest.
Jieming also nodded heavily.
"Understood, boss."
The two brothers wore solemn expressions, their eyes burning with determined flames.
"We will spare no effort to become stronger—we must become people who are useful to you, boss!"
Raiver Sky gave a slight nod and said nothing more.
He turned and walked back into the cabin. Moments later, the "Divine Right" slowly departed from the shore.
On the shore, Jiexi and Jieming watched until the ship disappeared, then exchanged a glance before simultaneously turning to look at the island's forest behind them.
There, pairs of crimson eyes glowed in the darkness.
The fierce beasts had detected the departure of the king and were beginning to reassess the threat posed by these two intruders.
"Ready, Jieming?"
"Been ready, brother."
The two brothers simultaneously took deep breaths as their bodies began to transform.
Jiexi's body started to expand, muscles bulging, dark golden fur sprouting from beneath his skin.
In an instant, he transformed into a colossal golden ape over four meters tall.
He clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body.
Jieming was also changing, ultimately transforming into a five-meter-long saber-toothed tiger.
"ROAR—!!!"
The fierce beasts in the forest issued challenging roars.
A bloody battle was about to begin.
...
Meanwhile.
News of the intense battle between pirate Raiver Sky and Marine Admiral "Qiongqi" Kleist in the territorial waters of the Sinatu Kingdom shook the entire world!
The World Economic News printed a headline in its largest font on the front page:
[SHOCKING BATTLE! ROCKS PIRATES OFFICER RAVIER SKY SERIOUSLY INJURES MARINE ADMIRAL "QIONGQI" IN DIRECT CONFRONTATION!]
The subtitle was even more sensational:
[Marine Admiral Defeated, Pirates Sail Away Unscathed—The Tide of the New Era Is Unstoppable!]
The report detailed the course of the battle.
Of course, most of it was deduced from fragments of eyewitness accounts and traces left by the fight.
Yet even so, the descriptions were shocking enough:
"The sea was torn apart, the sky was split open, waves surged as high as a hundred meters..."
"In the end, Marine Admiral 'Qiongqi' Kleist fell into the sea severely wounded, while Raiver Sky departed safely aboard the Celestial Dragon's flagship, the 'Divine Right'..."
The report also included a blurry long-distance photograph.
--Enjoying the story? Want more chapters? Check out my Patreon and support me for 40+ advance chapters.
Just search for "LegendaryTL" on Patreon!"
Thanks!