"Comfortable, Dark King?" Akainu sneered as he approached. "You know what I want. Tell me where the keys are, especially the two in Lin Ye and Ace's hands, and I might consider giving you a quick death."
Rayleigh raised his head. Though his body was restrained, his gaze remained sharp as an eagle's. "Sakazuki... no, you're no longer Sakazuki, are you? Who are you? Or rather, what are you?"
Akainu's smile vanished instantly. He bent closer to Rayleigh, purple light flickering in his eyes. "Clever old man. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that you will tell me everything. The Five Elders can't wait any longer. The Ascension Ritual requires every key."
"Ascension?" Rayleigh sneered. "What you want isn't ascension, but destruction. That thing is merely using you. Once the Void Gate opens completely, this world will cease to exist."
Akainu suddenly seized Rayleigh by the collar, his voice becoming hoarse and distorted. "Do you think I don't know that? So what? The old world must be destroyed before a new order can rise. Now, tell me where the keys are!"
"I don't know anything," Rayleigh answered calmly.
Furious, Akainu raised his hand to strike, only to force himself to stop. He took a deep breath and suppressed his rage. "You think this is over? Don't worry. We have plenty of ways to make you talk. Dr. Vega's new reagent can even react with Seastone."
With that, Akainu turned and left, leaving Rayleigh alone in the interrogation room.
After the door closed, the weariness in Rayleigh's eyes abruptly vanished. He subtly moved his wrist. One link of the chain had already begun to loosen. The old pirate's lips curled into a mysterious smile—everything was under control.
On the sixth underground level of Marine Headquarters, a hidden laboratory lay