A Deal with Rayleigh

By the time they arrived where Rayleigh was, night had already fallen.

Rayleigh, who had been coating the Thousand Sunny, sensed Ryan and the others approaching. He set down his tools, turned around, and greeted them. "Ryan, you're here. That battle earlier sure caused quite a spectacle—lightning, fire, and darkness. So, did you drive Kizaru away?"

Rayleigh walked over with a teasing look on his face. Ryan chuckled softly. "I was lucky enough to win."

Without dwelling on the subject, Ryan glanced at the ship and said, "Mr. Rayleigh, I think you can put your coating work on hold for now."

"What do you mean?" Rayleigh was slightly taken aback.

Ryan explained, "Something unexpected happened to Luffy and the others. While I was dealing with Kizaru, Seven Warlords Bartholomew Kuma used his ability to send Luffy and the others flying away. By the time I arrived, it was already too late."

Seeing Rayleigh's expression abruptly change, he continued, "But don't worry. Mr. Kuma didn't harm Luffy or the others. He merely sent them to places suited to their abilities so they could train."

"To be honest, I also think Luffy and the others aren't strong enough to enter the New World yet. What Mr. Kuma did was somewhat high-handed, but it may not have been a bad choice for them."

Rayleigh's tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly. He rubbed his hands together and said, "That was this old man's oversight, then. Ryan, do you know which direction Luffy was sent?"

Though he had only known Luffy for a short time, the straw hat on Luffy's head, along with Shanks's recognition and his own interactions with Luffy, had made him see Luffy as a junior who might fulfill his captain's dream.

He had originally intended to find an opportunity to personally teach