"Yohohoho, yohohoho..."
"Yohohoho, yohohoho..."
"Bring Binks' sake to you..."
"Like the sea breeze, free as the wind, riding the waves..."
...
Hachinosu Port Dock.
Rayleigh sat alone on the ship's rail, cradling a guitar and singing heartily.
His eyes gazed towards the interior of the island, in the direction of Shakky's Rip-Off Bar.
There was deep affection, but also timidity.
At this moment, he didn't know what to do.
Accept Shakky's request?
What about the brotherhood with Roger, Gaban, and the others?
Explicitly reject Shakky?
He was indeed somewhat unwilling.
That was Shakky, after all!
Although Rayleigh didn't want to be bound by romance, Shakky was different; she was special.
Amidst the singing, a young, tall figure approached from the direction of the island.
Rayleigh snapped out of his passionate singing. Although his mouth continued the song, his gaze shifted to the approaching figure.
"Is it necessary to hesitate so much?"
York leaped onto the Oro Jackson, leaning against the railing beside Rayleigh.
"If you want it, you want it. If you don't, you don't. This indecisiveness doesn't suit Roger's first mate at all."
Rayleigh stopped singing and asked without turning his head: "What are you doing here?"
"Came to fight you!"
York was straightforward.
Rayleigh turned to look at York.
The latter flicked his left thumb lightly, and the long sword he held unsheathed an inch.
Rayleigh sighed lightly: "Because of Shakky?"
"Partly, but mainly because there's no reason for me to let a woman like her go."
Rayleigh's eyes instantly sharpened.
Although he was hesitant when facing Shakky's passionate feelings, if someone truly tried to take her from him, he could harden his heart and kill!
York grinned; this was the effect he wanted.
Fighting an angry Rayleigh was dangerous, but it was also the best way to test the results of his years of effort.
After all, infighting was forbidden on the island by the Rocks Pirates, and during missions, York didn't dare to let himself get seriously injured.
In this situation, Rayleigh of the Roger Pirates was the perfect target.
Seeing the intense battle intent emanating from York's entire body, Rayleigh turned to set his guitar aside and slowly drew the long sword from his waist.
"Your ability is very dangerous! Let me say this first: I really hate people like you lingering around Shakky!"
"Spare me the self-righteous words! Pirates have no distinction between卑劣 and noble!"
York also drew his long sword from his waist.
His sword was relatively ordinary compared to Rayleigh's; he hadn't had time to find good materials and a master swordsmith to custom-make one.
However, once Armament Haki wrapped around the blade, the gap with Rayleigh's famed sword was no longer that significant.
*Zzzzt!*
A sharp, piercing sound of lightning friction suddenly erupted from Rayleigh's blade, with dazzling red lightning seemingly tearing through the air.
"Conqueror's Infusion..."
York had been getting beaten by Rocks for years and was very familiar with this power.
But perhaps due to average talent, he hadn't fully mastered it in four years; he was always just a step short.
It was like there was a layer of gauze separating him—hazy, so close to seeing clearly, yet unable to grasp the true form.
Gripping his long sword with both hands, dense Armament Haki flowed over the blade like rippling water.
"Other Shore Blade Pestle!!" Rayleigh shouted lowly, "Go to the underworld!!"
York had no named technique; he simply slashed with full power.
"You think one strike can finish me?! You're still short!!"
The two swords collided, lightning exploded, and both were sent flying backward simultaneously.
York's body was wrapped in electricity, just like the countless times he had been slashed flying by Rocks, crashing into the island's buildings.
Rayleigh leaped from the warship's deck in a parabolic arc, landing in the sea.
York had anticipated his own outcome.
He shoved aside the rubble pressing on him and stood up easily.
Aside from slightly labored breathing, he was unharmed.
On the other side, Rayleigh's head emerged from the seawater, looking somewhat shocked towards the island.
"Rocks' cannon-fire swordsmanship?!"
He truly hadn't expected York to have mastered Rocks' sword technique.
Of course, he wasn't injured either; he had just been blasted away by the shockwave.
His hands churned in the seawater, and in just a dozen seconds, Rayleigh climbed ashore smoothly.
His opponent, York, was already waiting on the shore.
Without any wasted words, the two clashed again. Swords collided, unleashing violent shockwaves.
Countless surrounding pirates were sent flying, but the two themselves stood firm like rooted trees, unmoving.
*Clang clang clang clang clang...*
Their long swords danced as afterimages. Black-red lightning wrapped around Rayleigh's entire body, pushing his attack power to the limit.
Although York hadn't fully mastered Conqueror's Infusion and was suppressed by Rayleigh, the swordsmanship learned from Rocks wasn't without resistance.
The commotion from their battle gradually destroyed the surrounding buildings, and more and more pirates were blasted away.
The experts drinking in Shakky's bar all narrowed their eyes.
Rocks and Roger exchanged glances.
"It's York!"
"It's Rayleigh!"
"They're fighting?!"
The group could no longer focus on drinking, set down their glasses one after another, left the bar, and rushed towards the battle's origin like a swarm.
"Slash Wave!!"
York was slashed flying by Rayleigh. After landing in a backflip, he countered with a golden flying slash.
"Golden Lion's swordsmanship?!"
Rayleigh was startled. After using his sword to deflect York's slash, he returned a flying slash wrapped in black-red Haki.
York didn't block it head-on but sidestepped to dodge.
The crescent-shaped black-red slash plowed through the island town. Rocks smashed the incoming slash with a punch, his face dark.
"York, you bastard! This is my island!!"
The furious Rocks directly erupted with terrifying Conqueror's Haki.
Black-red lightning pierced heaven and earth, striking from afar onto the blades of York and Rayleigh as they prepared their next swings.
The two in heated combat froze simultaneously.
"York!!!"
An angry roar sounded. Rocks led the Rocks Pirates members and appeared on the rooftops surrounding the battlefield.
"Have you forgotten the island's rules?!"
"Rayleigh!"
On the other side, Roger also arrived with his crew.
"Are you alright?"
Compared to Rocks, Roger was more concerned about Rayleigh's condition.
Rayleigh shook his head lightly, "I'm fine."
Then everyone's gazes focused entirely on York.
York remained completely calm, showing no worry about Rocks' questioning.
He rested his long sword on his shoulder and smiled at Rocks: "Of course I remember your rules!"
"First rule! Admit you are a member of the Rocks Pirates! And admit you are the captain!"
"Second rule! Don't make a move on comrades on Hachinosu or on the pirate ship!"
"I haven't violated either of these two rules!!"