Sparring

Rayleigh burst into hearty laughter, his voice bright and booming, carefree and bold.

"I never thought an old man who had been living in seclusion for so many years would still be so well-known in the Navy."

His smile faded as his gaze settled on Beiyuan Heng, carrying a hint of understanding and approval as he spoke.

"I heard your name. Not long ago, you deliberately let a group of fish-men who came here go, didn't you?"

Beiyuan Heng raised an eyebrow slightly, surprise flashing through his eyes. "I didn't expect Mr. Rayleigh to pay attention to such trivial matters."

Rayleigh waved a hand, his tone casual yet somewhat serious.

"Just now, I ran into Hatchan by the shore. He once saved my life. He specifically came to ask me to help the shipful of freed slaves."

"He also mentioned a Marine named Beiyuan Heng, saying he was kind-hearted and deliberately let them go instead of allowing the Navy to recapture them."

"I see."

Beiyuan Heng nodded in understanding, and the lingering doubt in his heart completely vanished.

With Dark King Rayleigh stepping in to help, the freed slaves on that ship naturally no longer had to worry about being captured again.

However, his gaze slowly shifted to the two girls behind Rayleigh, confusion flashing in his eyes.

As for the three Snake Princess sisters, they must have been too wary. The moment they came ashore, they had gotten separated from the other slaves and hidden away by themselves, which was why they had not left with the others.

"Don't worry. Your sister is here."

Beiyuan Heng spoke to the two girls still hiding behind Rayleigh, their eyes full of vigilance. His tone softened considerably as he tried to appear gentle and harmless.

Hearing this, the two girls instinctively followed Beiyuan Heng's gaze and finally noticed Hancock lying on the nearby sofa.

The worry they had been suppressing instantly erupted. No longer caring about their fear, the two girls rushed out from behind Rayleigh and gathered tightly around Hancock.

"Don't worry. She's only unconscious right now. Her life isn't in danger, and she'll wake up soon."

Seeing how anxious they were, Beiyuan Heng gently reassured them.

Then he turned to Shakky and Rayleigh, his expression returning to calm steadiness.

"They are children of Amazon Lily, and their backgrounds are pitiful. That is why I brought them to you, Ms. Shakky. I hope you can help them return safely to Amazon Lily."

Rayleigh looked at Beiyuan Heng, and the scrutiny in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by deep admiration. He slowly spoke.

"You're very unusual, Beiyuan Heng. Nothing you've done benefits the World Government in the slightest. You might even offend those Celestial Dragons perched high above everyone else. It is nothing but harmful to your own career."

Beiyuan Heng's expression did not change, and his tone was resolute. "The World Government has never represented ordinary people. It is merely a tool the Celestial Dragons use to oppress all living beings and preserve their own privileges."

"The justice I uphold has never been for the World Government. It is for the ordinary people who are oppressed and bullied."

After hearing that, Rayleigh burst into laughter once more.

He stepped forward and lightly patted Beiyuan Heng on the shoulder. "I think highly of you, young man."

Beiyuan Heng smiled. Meeting Rayleigh's gaze, a spark of eagerness flashed in his eyes. "Actually, I came here for another reason as well."

"That is, I wanted to properly 'spar' with the legendary Dark King and witness the strength of a true top-tier powerhouse."

"Sure!"

A sharp gleam flashed in Rayleigh's eyes, and he readily agreed without showing the slightest contempt for Beiyuan Heng.

Young people ought to have the courage to challenge established powerhouses.

Just as the two were preparing to leave, Shakky frowned beside them, her tone carrying a trace of helplessness.

"If you two are going to fight, go outside."

Rayleigh smiled and waved at Beiyuan Heng. "Come on, let's go outside."

At that moment, the open ground outside the bar had long since lost its former tranquility.

The once lush, level grass had become riddled with pits. Dirt sprayed everywhere, grass clippings flew through the air, and it was obvious that an intense clash had already taken place.

Clang... clang... clang...

The crisp yet heavy sounds of weapons colliding rang out continuously. Every clash was accompanied by a piercing roar, and shockwaves scattered in all directions, blowing the surrounding weeds flat.

Beiyuan Heng moved like a phantom, his footwork light and swift as he pushed his speed to the limit. He was nearly reduced to an afterimage, making his movements impossible to see clearly.

The famed blade Demon Cutter at his waist danced with supernatural precision in his hand. Its sharp gleam slashed toward Rayleigh, his attacks ruthless yet orderly.

Meanwhile, Dark King Rayleigh stood firmly in place, immovable as a mountain, his expression calm and composed.

No matter how fierce or sharp Beiyuan Heng's attacks were, Rayleigh easily deflected them with the blade in his hand, without the slightest effort.

Whether it was the fierce collisions of their weapons or the occasional close-quarters exchanges, Beiyuan Heng remained at a disadvantage. Even giving it everything he had, he could not break through Rayleigh's defense or even touch the edge of Rayleigh's clothes.

Clang—

As the long blade and short sword clashed violently once more, determination flashed in Beiyuan Heng's eyes. Powerful Rankyaku gathered beneath his feet in an instant, all his force concentrating in his right leg. Seizing the gap as Rayleigh blocked, he ruthlessly kicked Dark King Rayleigh in the chest.

Bang!

The immense recoil exploded instantly. Beiyuan Heng felt a vast force rebound from Rayleigh's body, numbing him all over as it sent him flying backward at astonishing speed. He crashed hard into one of the Sabaody Archipelago's iconic giant tree trunks.

Crack—

A huge hole was smashed into the thick trunk. Wood chips flew everywhere as the tree groaned and creaked under the strain.

Beiyuan Heng let out a muffled groan, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth as he slowly rose from the hole, his body swaying unsteadily.

He panted for a moment before barely managing to stand firm. His blood and energy churned within him, and it felt as though his organs had all shifted out of place.

A piercing pain came from the right foot he had kicked Rayleigh with. He did not need to think to know that it was most likely fractured.

His once-neat white suit was already covered in sweat and dust, torn in numerous places to reveal purple bruises beneath.

Yet his eyes shone exceptionally brightly as he stared fixedly at the unmoving figure ahead. There was not the slightest hint of discouragement in them. Instead, they burned with unprecedented excitement and fervor.

He was truly too strong. Ridiculously strong!

Compared to him, Beiyuan Heng was not even in the same league.

As long as Rayleigh exerted a little force, he could almost crush him to death.

Was this the gap between a top-tier powerhouse and himself?

It was so vast that it shocked him, yet also strengthened his resolve to become stronger.

Rayleigh's physical strength had reached an unimaginable level. Beiyuan Heng's all-out kick had not injured him in the slightest; instead, it had severely injured Beiyuan Heng himself.

The physical condition he had attained through years of grueling training, coupled with the bonuses from his traits, was almost not worth mentioning before Rayleigh. He could not even break through Rayleigh's defense.

Rayleigh had not used any Armament Haki at all. Relying solely on the strength of his body, he had effortlessly blocked all of Beiyuan Heng's attacks.

His swordsmanship had also reached the stage of returning to simplicity. Rayleigh had not used any flashy techniques whatsoever. With nothing but fundamentals honed to the utmost extreme, he had completely crushed Beiyuan Heng's swordsmanship.

He finally understood how Zoro had felt when facing Hawkeye's little knife.

That helplessness of giving everything he had yet still being unable to touch his opponent, that shock of being crushed by absolute strength—at this moment, he understood it all firsthand.

Beiyuan Heng secretly felt fortunate. From today's battle alone, even without the bonuses from his traits, the experience and insights he had gained were worth a full year of arduous training. This fight had been more than worthwhile.

"You're pretty strong, kid."

Rayleigh's voice slowly carried over, his tone relaxed and full of praise for Beiyuan Heng's strength.

"At your age, it is already exceptionally rare to possess this kind of strength and mindset."

At Beiyuan Heng's age, reaching this level truly showed extraordinary talent. If he continued working hard in the future, making a name for himself in the New World and carving out his own territory would surely be inevitable.

"As expected of Mr. Rayleigh, the man known as the Dark King."

Beiyuan Heng gave a bitter smile, his tone full of helplessness.

"Compared to you, I am still far too lacking. You are on a completely different level from every opponent I have faced before."

Rayleigh smiled and waved a hand. "Don't belittle yourself. The future still belongs to you young people. We old men are remnants of the old era. In the end, you will replace us."

Beiyuan Heng took a deep breath, suppressing the severe pain and churning blood within him. His eyes once again became resolute and blazing.

He raised his head and looked intently at Rayleigh.

"Mr. Rayleigh, can you let me see exactly how great the gap between us is?"