Intense Battle

To be honest, only now does Teach truly acknowledge Rayleigh's strength; Rayleigh truly possesses power comparable to that of the Pirate King Roger.

This single sword strike was so terrifying, it was as if it brought him back to the peak clash between Roger and Whitebeard.

Fortunately, he managed to block it. The defenses of the two layers of Dark Jade were cut through, and cracks appeared on the third layer of Dark Jade.

It's not that he didn't want to use a "Black Hole," but using Black Hole to devour such a large-scale attack would undoubtedly be the most effective.

However, his intuition told him that even his all-consuming Black Hole could not withstand this sword strike.

His Black Hole might very well be severed by this sword, something he could hardly imagine. In that future, Teach witnessed this scene firsthand.

Faced with such a terrifying sword strike, there was no way to defend against it, at least not yet. His development of the Dark-Dark Fruit was still insufficient, whether it was the defensive power of the Dark Jade or the devouring power of the Black Hole.

However, this power allowed Teach to personally experience just how powerful the top experts in the ocean truly were, which completely ignited his passion.

The level is different now. He is on a completely different level now compared to when the Whitebeard Pirates fought the Roger Pirates. His power is also different.

Top-tier powerhouses are not so simple. There are many monsters in the New World, and basically anyone with a powerful reputation and combat strength can be called a monster. However, there are only a handful of top-tier powerhouses at the very pinnacle of the ocean.

With his gaze fixed on Rayleigh, after unleashing that terrifying sword strike, Rayleigh seemed to be the only being in the world, radiating immense terror.

Unlike his somewhat gentle old man appearance, Rayleigh now is his true self, in his full battle form.

From a distance, strange phenomena appeared around Rayleigh, and Teach seemed to see a ghost or god.

The title "Pluton" was earned through countless battles, a title built upon a sea of blood and mountains of corpses, and the deeds of countless losers.

Right now, Teach isn't fighting the Pirate King's vice-captain, but the real "Pluton".

While Roger was still alive, Rayleigh played a supporting role, rarely taking action and acting as a wise strategist.

Now, without Roger's restraint, Rayleigh has revealed his terrifying, true power in the face of Teach's challenge.

"Teach, witness the power of a true top-tier expert," Rayleigh said with Teach smile, his glasses now gone, his words carrying a palpable sense of pressure. "And don't die."

At this moment, an astonishing phenomenon is manifesting in an area around Rayleigh: a storm is raging, and Thunderclap is flashing.

"Haha, I couldn't be happier!" Teach exclaimed excitedly, his eyes wide, his muscles taut and his powerful aura exploding, causing the ground beneath his feet to shatter.

Faced with this terrifying Rayleigh, Teach felt as if he were facing a legendary god, truly confronting the heavens and earth.

A violent natural spectacle was strangely displayed around Rayleigh, like a mythical creature that had grasped the power of nature.

This brought Teach both immense pressure and unparalleled excitement.

Faced with such a powerful opponent, even though he already knew his ultimate fate, all he could do was not consider victory or defeat, but fight to the fullest, until he was completely exhausted.

This scene completely shocked the onlookers.

"He's actually getting serious." Shakky was somewhat surprised. She had truly witnessed Rayleigh's terrifying strength before, but even so, this was the first time she had seen Rayleigh's peak power.

After all, when she retired from the Rocks Pirates disbanded, and the era of the Roger Pirates had just begun.

On the Night Pirates' side, they felt the boundless might of the heavens from afar, almost suffocating them, while also having to withstand the constant onslaught of strong winds. Each of them stared wide-eyed in disbelief.

"How terrifying, is this the Pirate King's right-hand man?"

"This is a true legend."

"I hope the captain will be alright."

Meanwhile, Shanks and Buggy were completely stunned by Rayleigh's behavior towards the Red-Haired Pirates and the Clown Pirates. The Rayleigh they knew was so different from the Rayleigh they had seen before; it was as if they were two completely different people.

"This... this is Mr. Rayleigh's true strength?"

"The first mate is amazing!"

Upon hearing Teach's words, Rayleigh chuckled softly, but then, in a flash, he swiftly attacked Teach with a fierce offensive.

Facing Rayleigh's charge, Teach also rushed forward, disregarding the consumption of his Haki, covering his body. The three Dark Jade turned into two, floating around Teach like armor, ready at any moment.

"Yaochi-onna!"

The claws, capable of tearing through anything, viciously clawed at Rayleigh, but now, Teach's movements slowed slightly. The oppressive aura emanating from Rayleigh constantly affected Teach, like a domain.

Faced with such pressure, Teach unleashed his Conqueror's Haki to defend himself, while simultaneously utilizing the power of his Devil Fruit, creating a gravity field twenty times stronger than normal and forming a gravity field around Teach.

Twenty times the force of gravity, though not much, can still have some effect on Rayleigh.

Rayleigh was somewhat surprised, not expecting Teach to have such methods. Teach could now undoubtedly be regarded as an opponent that he needed to take seriously.

The ultimate black claws clashed with Rayleigh's Black Blade.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Storms gathered on the sea, clouds churned, and white waves surged. With each strike of Rayleigh's sword, the entire Sky Sea trembled.

The black blade, like a scepter of a god, was stirring up the wind and clouds and tearing through space.

Only by facing Rayleigh's sword directly can one know how fierce and terrifying Rayleigh strikes are, how immense and powerful his swordplay is, and how it constantly exerts a tremendous sense of pressure.

Teach launched a full-scale attack instead of defense, but even so, he still couldn't hurt Rayleigh and was blocked by Rayleigh's longsword.

Teach could feel his arms trembling slightly, and there were streaks of blood on his palms, wounds inflicted by Rayleigh's attacks.

Even with Conqueror's Haki swirling around him, Haki's defenses were breached, demonstrating just how terrifying Rayleigh was.

However, Rayleigh was even more surprised by Teach's strength. His powerful physical skills and physique, as well as his high level of Haki, made Teach very strong overall. He could be said to have no weaknesses, making him a very difficult opponent for Rayleigh.

Dark Jade's defense and offense always created opportunities for Teach at crucial moments, slowing down Rayleigh's offensive and giving Teach a chance to catch his breath. Teach's claws were bleeding, but the wounds healed completely in a short time.

Rayleigh's terrifying sword strike earlier wasn't something that could be done casually.

This was a battle. After learning that Teach had blocked that sword strike, Rayleigh knew that such a sword technique wouldn't be very effective. Battles between strong individuals couldn't end in an instant; they usually required a long time.

Rayleigh is still at his peak and has not weakened. Even in his old age, he can still withstand powerful opponents at the peak of the Admiral level, although none of them are using their full strength.

Teach's long, slightly wavy black hair flew high in the air, and her face revealed a look of madness, as if she were possessed.

Its long, narrow claws seemed capable of piercing anything, and even Rayleigh had to be cautious, not daring to easily take a direct hit.

Faced with this overwhelming pressure, Teach stood alone against it. Compared to the astonishing natural disasters and strange phenomena around him, Teach's figure seemed extremely small.

However, Heavenly Might alone was not enough to overwhelm Teach.

Endless darkness surged from Teach's body, spreading rapidly in all directions and devouring everything. Soon, most of the island was swallowed by darkness.

So what if it's divine will? Teach doesn't believe in the heavens; he only believes in himself. His darkness is enough to devour everything.

In the center, Rayleigh stood alone amidst the churning waves of darkness, a massive vortex of darkness that swirled and emanated an immense, dark gravitational pull.

The entire sky darkened at a visible speed, and the light was being swallowed up continuously.

Teach truly made his move, displaying his terrifying abilities; the title "Dark Emperor" wasn't given lightly.

The situation seemed to have reversed, and Teach had become the home Teach.

At this moment, the onlookers came to their senses and looked at the dark waves. They remembered how terrifying Teach was, and the members of the Night Pirates suddenly had confidence in Teach.

That's their captain, after all.

The dark vortex spun and devoured Rayleigh incessantly, circling around him in the center, trying to consume him.

However, around Rayleigh, storms and lightning flashed continuously, as if transforming into a tornado, forming a domain that carried a powerful pressure, blocking the invasion of darkness and preventing Teach's darkness from getting close.

In this world that seemed to have turned into darkness, Rayleigh was like the only light, his domain like a pillar of light reaching straight into the sky.

If you look up, you'll see a magical sight: in the dark sky, it's as if a pair of bright eyes have opened.

"Dark Realm!" Teach's voice rang out, and black mist rose continuously from the ground, forming a huge hemispherical domain in a short time, enveloping Rayleigh's entire body.

Teach was also among them, making it impossible to see what was happening inside the dark realm.

This world, like being in Black Hole, strips away light and sound. The two most important senses of a person are directly deprived, and even the Observation Haki, which is an extension of the five senses, is suppressed.

Furthermore, one cannot move within this area; no matter which way one goes, one will remain in the same place.

Even Rayleigh couldn't ignore such an effect. At the same time, in this dark world, his aura was ineffective and couldn't directly isolate the darkness as before.

The moment they entered this world, Teach launched a powerful offensive, having the absolute advantage of Teach on home turf.

Endless darkness had risen, coiling around Rayleigh's legs, and was still rising, seemingly trying to seize Rayleigh entire body.

With his powerful intuition, Rayleigh sensed danger, a deadly threat, immense strength, and with the aid of Haki, Rayleigh broke free from the shackles of darkness with a slight movement.

Immediately following, relying on his instincts, Rayleigh fended off Teach's attack.

In such a world, Rayleigh's Observation Haki was suppressed far too obviously; Observation Haki is, after all, the power of hearing.

Battles between strong individuals rely heavily on Haki. Rayleigh's Observation Haki was severely weakened, as if he had lost an arm.

In a short time, facing Teach's fierce offensive, a scratch appeared on Rayleigh's chest, and he felt a slight stinging pain. Rayleigh hadn't been injured in a long time.

He knew this couldn't go on; he had to break through this dark world, otherwise the initiative would fall into Teach's hands, and he would gradually become the weaker party.

Teach knew what Rayleigh was thinking, but would he give Rayleigh a chance?

The figure silently appeared behind Rayleigh. Rayleigh's sense of touch was still intact, and he felt the sharpness behind him. Rayleigh reacted instantly, and with a burst of Haki, he dispersed the black energy that was trying to bind his legs.

He turned and swung his sword.

A smile appeared on Teach's face. Dark Jade appeared and blocked the sword. The sharp sword left a sword mark on Dark Jade, but it had no effect because dark matter is fluid and can be easily restored.

He flashed to Rayleigh's right side and slashed down with his claw. Rayleigh raised an arm to block, and a flowing Haki covered Rayleigh's arm.

Sparks flew as their Haki clashed. After a brief stalemate, Teach's claws broke through Rayleigh's Haki defense, the sharp claws piercing Rayleigh's flesh. Lightning and fire intertwined, burning Rayleigh's wounds and causing intense pain, making Rayleigh involuntarily wince.

However, he had already achieved his goal; the powerful impact of the collision sent Rayleigh flying backward.

Although he was unable to move in the darkness, Teach was unrestricted. He used Teach's strength to his advantage, and thus withstood one of Teach's claws.

By creating distance between himself and Teach, Rayleigh gained time. Teach had truly guessed Rayleigh's actions and scheme, but it was too late; he couldn't stop him.

Outside, a dark sword light suddenly flashed, splitting most of the Dark Realm in two. The powerful sword strike was too much for the Dark Realm to withstand and was thus breached.

Rayleigh's figure leaped out from the shattered Dark Realm.

The Dark Realm was shattered and slowly disappeared. Teach did not continue to use this move. The same move cannot be used a second time against the same enemy, and it was no longer effective against Rayleigh.

The Dark Realm was a completely dark closed loop, and it lost its function the moment it was broken. Rayleigh then regained his powers of movement, sight, and hearing.

With the disappearance of the Dark Realm, Teach and Rayleigh reappeared.

A powerful aura erupted from Rayleigh's body, and the vanished anomaly reappeared, dispelling the surrounding darkness and once again forming a domain unique to Rayleigh.

In a short period of time, it seems that things have returned to the way they were before.

However, the Dark Realm also had an effect. Onlookers could see that Teach had the upper hand in the battle within the Dark Realm, and several scratch marks appeared on Rayleigh's body, which was originally unharmed.

Although I don't know what kind of move "Dark Realm" is, even Rayleigh was suppressed by it, so I can imagine how threatening it is. I secretly memorized it and will have to face it with caution in the future.