Parting Words, a Huge "Surprise"!

Faced with Rayleigh's question that seemed to pierce straight through his soul, Chen Ye coughed up a mouthful of blood-tinged spit. The fervent Fighting Spirit on his face gradually faded, replaced by a depth utterly mismatched with his age.

"Tell me. What exactly were you after, going to such lengths and even risking your life to fight an old man like me?"

Rayleigh's voice echoed through the silent forest.

Chen Ye grinned, his smile carrying both a trace of bitterness and a hint of relief.

"Perhaps..."

He raised his head to meet Rayleigh's scrutinizing gaze and said, word by word, "It was to make up for some regrets—regrets that are about to happen, or have already passed."

"Regrets?"

Rayleigh frowned slightly. The answer had caught him off guard, leaving him thoroughly puzzled.

With this young man's strength and age, what regrets could he possibly want to change?

Yet Chen Ye offered no further explanation. He merely snorted softly and smiled. "You'll understand someday, Mr. Rayleigh."

That deliberately enigmatic manner left Rayleigh unable to make sense of the young man before him for a moment.

Seeing that their objective had been achieved, Marco knew that staying any longer would only invite complications.

He immediately stepped forward, perfectly displaying the disappointment and helplessness of a failed mission as he gave Rayleigh a slight bow.

"Since Mr. Rayleigh has decided not to involve yourself in this conflict, we won't force the matter."

"Please forgive us for disturbing you."

"We'll take our leave."

With that, he helped Chen Ye up and turned to leave.

The entire performance was flawless. He had perfectly played the part of someone who had come seeking aid, only to be turned away.

Rayleigh watched their retreating figures, his heart still full of confusion.

These two—one unfathomably powerful, the other impossibly mysterious—had gone through all this trouble just to fight him, say something inexplicable, and leave?

However, just as Marco was about to transform into the Phoenix and fly away with Chen Ye, Chen Ye suddenly stopped.

He turned halfway around and looked back at Rayleigh, that teasing, mysterious smile returning to his face.

"Oh, right, Mr. Rayleigh."

"Even if you don't intend to join the battle, I personally suggest that you watch the Live Broadcast when the time comes and see what happens at Marineford."

Rayleigh's gaze sharpened.

The corners of Chen Ye's lips lifted slightly as he dropped a bombshell powerful enough to set off towering waves in Rayleigh's heart.

"I guarantee you'll see an enormous surprise."

He paused, lowering his voice slightly, but every word still reached Rayleigh's ears with deadly temptation.

"Perhaps... you might even see an 'old friend' you miss very much."

BOOM!

The words "old friend" exploded in Rayleigh's mind like a thunderbolt!

His breathing stopped for an instant!

For the first time, those eyes that had seen through the changing tides of the world showed an uncontrollable, violent upheaval!

Who else on these seas could Silvers Rayleigh possibly call an "old friend" he missed very much?!

That man who wore a Straw Hat, smiled like a fool, and yet turned the entire world upside down!

Gol D. Roger!

How could that be possible?!

He was dead! Rayleigh had watched with his own eyes as he ushered in a mad era from the Execution Platform in Loguetown!

What the hell was this brat talking about?!

Before Rayleigh could recover from the immense shock, Marco had already understood. Azure flames shot into the sky, instantly enveloping the two of them. They transformed into a dazzling streak of light, soared into the clouds, and vanished beyond the horizon.

Rayleigh alone remained where he stood, like a petrified statue, frozen there for a long, long time.

The wind rustled through the Mangrove Forest.

After an unknown amount of time, a graceful figure lightly descended from the treetops and landed beside Rayleigh.

It was Shakky.

She extinguished her nearly burned-out cigarette, exhaled a faint ring of smoke, and looked in the direction Chen Ye had disappeared, her voice carrying a trace of emotion.

"What a terrifying Newcomer."

"That old bastard Whitebeard really struck gold this time."

Rayleigh slowly came back to himself. He Took a Deep Breath, then slowly exhaled, as though trying to forcibly suppress the raging waves in his heart.

"Terrifying..."

Rayleigh repeated the word, shook his head, and gave an even higher assessment.

"No. More accurately... bizarre and terrifying."

"Oh?"

Shakky raised an eyebrow in surprise.

"It's rare to hear you say something like that."

Rayleigh raised his right hand and spread his palm, staring at the faint redness left from exerting too much force earlier. His expression turned graver than ever.

"That boy named Chen Ye is unfathomable."

His voice was low, every word carrying unquestionable weight.

"My final sword strike may have lacked Killing Intent, but the power of Conqueror's Haki infusion was real. That blow would have seriously wounded even an Emperor or Admiral-level powerhouse."

"I could feel that, in that instant, every bone in his arms had shattered, and his internal organs had taken a severe impact."

Shakky nodded. She had seen that much as well.

But what Rayleigh said next froze the lazy smile that usually lingered on her face.

"However..."

Rayleigh lowered his voice, as though recounting the most absurd fact imaginable.

"At the moment he stood up and thanked me, I could clearly sense that his injuries... were healing at a speed beyond comprehension!"

"Not only that, his aura didn't weaken in the slightest because of his grave injuries. Instead, it had grown far stronger than when he first began fighting me!"

Even Rayleigh himself found it unbelievable.

He looked up at Shakky, and a trace of wariness flickered in his eyes—something even he had not noticed.

"Shakky, I have a feeling..."

"If he had challenged me again just now..."

"This old man... might have lost."

Silence.

A deathly silence.

The fresh cigarette between Shakky's lips fell to the floor with a soft tap.

Her eyes widened, as though she were seeing the man she had lived with for decades for the first time.

Lost?

Hearing that word from the Pirate King's right-hand man, the Dark King Silvers Rayleigh, was even more unbelievable than the World Government announcing its dissolution!

"Terrifying" was no longer enough to describe this.

He was a monster!

A complete and utter monster, one beyond all reason!

Rayleigh paid no attention to Shakky's shock. His thoughts were entirely occupied by the words Chen Ye had left behind before departing.

A surprise...

An old friend...

His fingers unconsciously rubbed the hilt of the sword at his waist. His heart, dormant for over twenty years, began pounding violently beyond his control.

It was a complicated emotion mixed with anticipation, doubt, tension, and a trace of... fear.

"Let's wait and see."

After a long while, Rayleigh slowly spoke, a fire called curiosity flickering in his eyes.

"This old man is becoming more and more interested in that day."

"I want to see just what kind of 'surprise'..."

"That brat will bring me!"