The clouds above Dawn Island grew ever heavier, as if invisible pressure were descending from the sky. Rayleigh stood before the window of the Spectrum Temple, gazing out at the darkening sea. Ace had already left, carrying that weighty mission and hope with him, while those who remained were about to face an unavoidable storm.
"Rayleigh, you can't do this!" Comps's voice was full of anxiety. "Akainu's fleet is still at least six hours away. We can use this time to evacuate everyone."
Rayleigh turned around, his gaze calm yet resolute. "And then what? Let Akainu know we received advance warning and arouse his suspicions? Ace has only just left. He needs more time and room."
"But Steel Bone Kong's envoy..." Comps hesitated. "We know nothing about him. What if it's a trap?"
"Steel Bone Kong would not casually send someone to see me," Rayleigh said, removing his glasses and gently wiping them. "Especially at such a sensitive time. Whoever has come, they are at least worth hearing out."
The moment he finished speaking, the monitoring system sounded an alert. A small, unmarked vessel was approaching Dawn Island, its route showing that it was attempting to avoid the usual patrol paths.
"Only one ship, small in size, unarmed," Comps confirmed. "It seems they're trying to avoid drawing attention as well."
"Prepare to welcome our guest," Rayleigh said, straightening up and putting his glasses back on. "At the same time, begin destroying all critical data. No matter how this meeting turns out, we cannot risk letting these materials fall into Akainu's hands."
At a concealed dock near the shoreline, Rayleigh stood alone, waiting for the approaching visitor. Waves crashed against the reefs, while thunder rolled low in the distance, like an ominous warning.
The small vessel docked without a sound, and