Silvers Rayleigh

"What's this, gotten used to kneeling?"

Ulquiorra glanced sideways at the slave kneeling on the ground, at a loss.

"Sir, please leave quickly! You killed a Celestial Dragon—the Marine Admirals will be mobilized!" The slave finally snapped back to reality, his expression frantic. "I can't escape anyway. There's a collar bomb from the Celestial Dragons around my neck, and the key is with another Celestial Dragon!"

A mere collar bomb. Rayleigh's method of dismantling bombs was nothing more than a certain application of Haki. Ulquiorra's Spiritual Pressure could do the same.

He set the blade against the collar around the slave's neck, gave it a light flick, and the collar came loose, then exploded in midair.

The slave touched his own neck, found the collar truly gone, and stood up in joy. He wanted to say something to thank Ulquiorra, but choked up, unable to speak.

"Go now. You said it yourself—the Marine Admirals are coming." Ulquiorra casually tossed aside the longsword in his hand. "Oh, by the way, do you know where Shakky's Rip-off Bar is?"

The slave shook his head. Ulquiorra was about to bypass him and find a more crowded place to ask for directions.

The slave watched Ulquiorra's calm, unruffled demeanor, then suddenly dropped to his knees: "Sir, please allow me to follow you!"

"Come find me when you can stand on your own one day."

Ulquiorra shook his head, spoke only a single faint sentence, and walked past him, heading toward the crowded area he sensed ahead.

The slave froze, tears streaming uncontrollably down his face. He pressed his forehead hard against the ground and shouted:

"My name is Yute Bligh! One day, I will stand before you, a man who can truly help you!"

Ulquiorra paid no heed. With a light push of his feet, he vanished from the slave's sight.

Half an hour later, after employing the power of money, Ulquiorra finally found Shakky's bar in Area 13.

He pushed open the bar's door. The shop was empty. Aside from Ulquiorra entering, there was only a woman with short black hair, wearing a spider-patterned top, a cigarette dangling from her lips, looking young as she wiped a glass.

"You must be Shakky. I hear you're well-informed. I want to ask about something." Ulquiorra walked to the counter and sat down.

"Little brother, killing a Celestial Dragon is a huge problem. If you stay here, you'll bring trouble to my bar." Shakky stopped wiping the glass and took a deep drag of her cigarette.

"I want to know the whereabouts of the Small-Small Fruit."

Ulquiorra hadn't forgotten his promise to help Shirahoshi with her size issue. The Small-Small Fruit was a good option. Of course, he always kept a backup plan—he also intended to find time to chat with Dr. Vegapunk.

"What a domineering little brother," Shakky said. Though she couldn't gauge Ulquiorra's strength, seeing how utterly unafraid he was of an Admiral gave her a fair guess. "So what about the payment? You don't expect me to dig up information for free, do you? Intelligence circulation is expensive."

"One year." Ulquiorra spread one hand toward Shakky. "Find me the fruit's location within a year, and I'll give you 500 million Belly."

Shakky frowned slightly. Just the whereabouts of a practically useless fruit was worth 500 million? And it didn't seem like he intended to put down a deposit.

Just as Shakky was about to ask for a deposit, the sound of slippers shuffled from the back door, accompanied by laughter.

"500 million, is it? I'll accept on Shakky's behalf. But let me be clear—we might not be able to find it." A gray-haired old man wearing elderly spectacles and holding a liquor flask ambled in.

Since Rayleigh had already agreed, Shakky naturally wouldn't undermine him. She made an excuse to go out shopping and strode briskly out of the bar.

She knew it was time for the men to talk.

"Young man, that sword strike just now—the sword aura startled this old man," Rayleigh said with a smile at the corner of his mouth. It had been a long time since he'd seen such a strong, razor-sharp youth. "I am Silvers Rayleigh. What's your name?"

"Ulquiorra Cifer. Just a traveler." Ulquiorra looked with interest at the former right hand of the Pirate King. "As for you, the legendary 'Dark King' has turned into a slovenly old man?"

"Hahaha, what 'Dark King'? Just an old man left behind by the times. The future belongs to you." Rayleigh took a swig from his flask. "So, having killed a Celestial Dragon, what do you plan to do next?"

"The world is vast—nowhere I cannot go, nothing I cannot do. A mere Celestial Dragon, a fat pig—what of it if I killed one?"

Ulquiorra's words were light and casual, but to Rayleigh, they radiated an overwhelming dominance. The aura of looking down on the world—he hadn't even seen that in Roger.

At that moment, Rayleigh deeply doubted whether he was truly already old.

"The younger generation is formidable!" Rayleigh couldn't help but sigh at the relentless passage of time. "This place is close to Marineford. I'm sure the Marine Admirals are already on their way. You're strong, but not strong enough compared to an Admiral."

"Isn't you here too? What's there to fear with the Pirate King's right hand around?" Ulquiorra lounged back, teasing.

"Spare me. At my age, if I really had to fight, my whole body would be shaking." Rayleigh shook his flask—there wasn't a drop left.

"Pour me a good drink. Sitting in a tavern without drinking doesn't seem right, does it?"

Ulquiorra's calm demeanor left Rayleigh a bit puzzled, but he didn't press further. Without a hint of reluctance, he took out a bottle of fine liquor he'd been eyeing from behind the counter—after all, it would go on Ulquiorra's tab.

He filled a large bowl for Ulquiorra and poured the rest into his own empty flask. The two clinked bowls and drank, never mentioning leaving again, as if it hadn't been Ulquiorra who killed a Celestial Dragon.

Meanwhile, at the area where the Celestial Dragon had died.

"This is the sword that killed the Celestial Dragon! It carved out such a terrifying slash—it must be a Supreme Grade Sword!"

The Celestial Dragon's corpse had long been taken away by World Government agents, leaving only the nameless armored guards' bodies scattered everywhere. At that moment, a bold pirate picked up the longsword Ulquiorra had casually discarded, his face full of excitement.

"The sword that killed a Celestial Dragon~ I can't just let you take that away."

A chill swept over his heart. When the pirate tried to turn around, he found his entire body frozen in place.

"Area 13, Shakky's Rip-off Bar? Sounds like a troublesome place~" A tall, broad-shouldered man scratched his head and strode straight toward his destination. A gust of wind blew, and the word "Justice" on his coat gleamed brilliantly in the sunlight.

"A real monster is coming!" Rayleigh no longer had the leisure to drink and chat. His Observation Haki had given him a strong warning.

Ulquiorra said nothing, but the aura around him grew deeper and deeper. In the blink of an eye, what Rayleigh saw before him was Ulquiorra after his Resurrección.

"Such immense power. No wonder you're sitting here so leisurely." Rayleigh wasn't startled by Ulquiorra's transformation—as a powerhouse from the old era, he had seen too many incredible things.

"Ara ara~ Found you. The culprit is still sitting here drinking so leisurely!"

The door swung open, and a tall man with a full head of curly hair stepped inside.