Watching Jabba's body collapse onto the beach, Shanks' eyes turned bloodshot as he roared, "Jabba!"
A violent wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from him, sweeping across the battlefield.
Jabba's death pushed the already struggling Red Hair Pirates into an even worse position. Consumed by rage, Shanks unleashed his Conqueror's Haki without restraint. Seeing this, Rayleigh and Beckman exchanged glances before releasing theirs as well.
Three overwhelming forces of Conqueror's Haki merged and pressed down on the Dawn crew.
The Devil Fruits possessed by the Dawn crew were far from ordinary. Even Pini, the most recent to gain his power, had already mastered both Armament and Observation Haki during his time in Paradise. After years of training and prolonged exposure to the Conqueror's Haki of Rayleigh and Scopper Gaban, the Dawn crew had long since developed resistance to such pressure.
Still, Ash frowned as sand and debris whipped through the air from the clash of Haki.
"I'm just standing here watching, who exactly are you trying to impress by making such a mess?"
He glanced at his panel. The Conqueror's Haki section displayed "Max." He curled his lip slightly.
As if they were the only ones who could use it.
If Shanks had not made such a display, Ash might have forgotten he even possessed Conqueror's Haki.
"So only you lot can use it?"
Boom!
Ash released his Conqueror's Haki at full force. It crashed directly into the combined Haki of Shanks, Rayleigh, and Beckman.
Black and crimson lightning clashed with streaks of deep violet. The sky seemed to tear apart under the pressure.
A moment later, Shanks, Rayleigh, and Beckman all groaned as blood seeped from their mouths and noses.
Shock filled their eyes as they looked at Ash, and beneath it, fear.
Very few people in the world possessed Conqueror's Haki. Most of them were either allies or enemies they already knew. Since Roger's death, they had believed Shanks held the strongest Conqueror's Haki alive.
They were wrong.
This young man, who had never revealed such power before, possessed something far more terrifying.
Even at his peak, Roger's Conqueror's Haki did not reach this level.
To Beckman and the others, Shanks had always been the benchmark. To Shanks, Roger had stood above all.
Yet even Roger was not the strongest Rayleigh had ever seen.
There had once been a monster the world called a devil, a man who forced Whitebeard, Shiki, Big Mom, and Kaido to bow their heads, a man who required both Roger and Garp to fight together just to hold him back.
And even that monster fell short of the young man standing before them now.
Ash was the real monster.
A man who possessed supreme Conqueror's Haki and had hidden it from the entire world.
Ash ignored their stunned expressions. Once he crushed their Haki, he withdrew his own.
To him, this kind of display felt pointless, like showing off for no reason.
Behind him, the Dawn crew stood frozen.
Pini, Youki, Kirk, and the others stared at Ash in disbelief.
Since when did he have Conqueror's Haki?
And how had none of them noticed?
Ash's Haki had been directed at Shanks and the others, but its residual pressure still affected the Red Hair Pirates. Unlike the Dawn crew, they lacked resistance to such overwhelming force.
Already outmatched, they now looked even more drained.
The Dawn crew, however, had no interest in pressing the attack. Instead, they all turned toward Ash with questioning eyes.
Ash caught their looks and his expression darkened.
"You want an explanation?"
He snorted.
"What is there to explain? I've awakened my Devil Fruit too. Should I explain that as well?"
"Stick your noses into everything and it will get you killed."
He glanced at the sky, clearly annoyed.
"It's already past mealtime. Are we finishing this or not? If not, wrap it up so we can eat."
That ended any hope of getting answers.
Kirk, still thinking about Beckman's gun, and Saff both rolled their eyes.
Without further delay, Youki moved first. He stepped in and drove a punch straight into Rayleigh, sending him flying.
Pini grinned and rushed toward Shanks again, reigniting their battle.
Seeing this, Youki increased his attacks, unwilling to fall behind.
Rayleigh steadied himself, his breathing uneven.
Like Jabba, he had already accepted death long ago. Back when they were rescued, he had been ready to die. Now that his old companion had fallen, his resolve only grew stronger.
As he fought Youki, his gaze occasionally shifted toward Shanks.
The boy who inherited Roger's will had grown older. Time had passed quickly.
Rayleigh knew he would not live to see the one Roger had been waiting for.
But he could still do one thing.
Create an opening for Shanks.
If they lost this battle, it would prove that the Dawn crew had the power to destroy an Emperor's crew alone. Given their stance toward pirates, it could mean the end of the Great Pirate Era Roger had started.
"I won't allow it."
A fierce light appeared in Rayleigh's eyes. His exhausted body surged with strength one last time. He fixed his gaze on Youki and slowly brought his sword back to his side.
"Shinbi."
He did not dodge.
He chose to stake everything on one final strike.
Youki did not expect such a desperate move. By the time he realized it, it was too late.
His fist slammed into Rayleigh's chest with crushing force. The impact shattered what little strength Rayleigh had left. He staggered back before collapsing to the ground.
But at the same moment, Rayleigh's blade cut into Youki's abdomen.
Even with Armament Haki and his partial beast form, Youki could not fully block the attack.
He was left with a deep, brutal wound.
Rayleigh's eyes remained open, fixed on Youki.
That was enough.
Even if Youki survived, he would not be able to fight again in this battle.
Yet something felt wrong.
Why had Ash not intervened?
The answer came quickly.
A streak of golden light flashed across the battlefield. A twin-tailed girl appeared beside Youki, her hands glowing with a soft white light.
She placed her hand over his wound.
The injury vanished instantly.
Youki straightened, patting his abdomen as if nothing had happened. He looked at Rayleigh and smiled.
"That one hurt. I'll give you that."
Rayleigh stared in silence as the girl vanished again in a flash of light.
Understanding dawned on him.
They had never been seen as a threat.
This battle, this resistance, none of it mattered.
The outcome depended entirely on whether Ash allowed it.
The reason he and Jabba had been spared before surfaced in his mind.
They had only been kept alive as tools.
Whetstones.
A bitter feeling filled his chest.
Memories flooded back. The past, the journey, the crew.
Finally, his thoughts settled on a woman with a cigarette and short black hair.
"I'm sorry… I couldn't keep my promise…"
The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh, closed his eyes for the last time.