A Brother's Affection

"Gum-Gum, Giant Pistol!"

Luffy kicked off the ground and leaped into the air. He bit down on his right thumb, and his originally thin arm swelled up like a balloon!

"Ah!"

Luffy let out a roar, and that enormous fist came crashing down toward Teach!

A huge shadow covered Teach's entire body, while the force of the wind made his clothes flap! The fist was like a meteor falling from the sky!

"Gyahahaha! Looks pretty good! But it's too slow!"

Teach narrowed his eyes, and his entire body vanished from where he stood.

"Boom!"

The enormous fist slammed into the spot where Teach had been a second earlier. Cracks spread across the ground, and countless clods of earth flew into the air!

"What happened? That's the same move as that pigeon-raising guy's!"

Luffy's eyes widened as he warily scanned his surroundings.

"Watch yourself, brat! Iron Body Fist: Mountain Splitter!"

Hearing Teach's voice, Luffy looked up with wide eyes. Teach had appeared in the sky above him, diving downward like a falcon!

The fist, carrying the force to split mountains, slammed viciously into Luffy's head! The tremendous force sent Luffy's head bouncing hard into the ground, smashing thin cracks into its surface!

"Ouch!" Luffy clutched his head and shouted.

Although Luffy, as a rubber man, had tremendous resistance to blunt-force attacks, there was still a limit!

The force contained in Teach's punch had exceeded what Luffy could currently withstand. Slowly, a tender lump rose on Luffy's head...

"Gyahahaha! You have to stay fully focused in battle! You need to consider all the ways your enemy might attack. Otherwise, you'll suffer badly in the future!"

Teach lectured Luffy in the tone of a teacher, leaving the surrounding Marines stunned.

"Blackbeard Teach! You're one of the Shichibukai belonging to our Marine faction! Stop fooling around and hurry up and capture the Straw Hat crew!"

The Marine captain could not help speaking up from the side. Teach responded with a cold gaze!

"Marine, are you telling me how to do my job?"

Teach's voice carried boundless killing intent. The Marine captain trembled all over and hurriedly lowered his head, not daring to meet his eyes.

"I spoke out of turn! Please don't take offense!"

The captain gritted his teeth as he spoke. He did not dare gamble on Teach's reaction; he feared Teach might kill every Marine present in a fit of rage. He had long since lost the fiery passion of his youth. Nowadays, he could barely even feel his own heart...

"All right, Luffy. Let's ignore everyone else around us and continue our fight!"

Teach turned toward Luffy as an invisible aura spread through the air...

"Young swordsman, your slashes are quite good!"

Shiryu looked at Zoro. Every time he swung Raiu, another wound appeared on Zoro's body!

"Don't underestimate me! I won't lose again! One-Sword Style: Stream!"

The clothes on Zoro's body were already tattered beyond recognition. His chest, once slashed by Hawkeye, was exposed, the hideous scar revealing the path he had walked and displaying his resolve!

A blue slash surged toward Shiryu, its sharp aura making even Shiryu widen his eyes in surprise.

"Clang!"

Facing the slash, Shiryu sheathed Raiu and instantly drew it again. The blade slowly passed across the slash, and in the next second, the sound of tearing gradually rang through the air!

The slash Zoro had unleashed was split in two by that utterly ordinary-looking sword stroke!

Yet the divided slash did not stop its assault. It continued speeding toward the area behind Shiryu!

"One-Sword Style: Stream!"

The calm voice was accompanied by the sound of the slash striking the earth. A monstrous storm instantly arose in Zoro's heart...

"Wahahaha! Your kicks are a little weak!"

Burgess, with his thick, rugged body, was savagely pounding Sanji back and forth. Not a single blow had connected, but it sure looked intimidating...

"Damn it! How is this guy's defense so tough?"

Sanji cursed inwardly. With his current strength, kicking Burgess was like scraping an itch—barely causing any damage!

Burgess: What? You're asking why my defense is so tough? Well, I'm the captain's sparring partner. If my defense were too weak, would I have survived until now?

Actually, Burgess was fast too. He was only holding back at his captain's request, that was all...

"Come on, earth! Immortal Battleship: Sunless Elbow Strike!"

As for the battles between everyone else, how should one put it? Saying they were holding back a little would be unrealistic. They had merely released several Pacific Oceans' worth of water!

Teach continued fighting Luffy. Although it looked as if he was playing with him, he was mainly teaching Luffy battle experience!

Finally, after Teach knocked Luffy down again, a powerful aura entered the range of his Observation Haki!

"Gyahahaha! Looks like someone incredible has arrived!"

Teach turned toward the auction house. Sure enough, a thin figure slowly appeared.

"That person... feels so familiar!"

The Marine captain seemed to have thought of some terrifying existence, as his whole body began trembling uncontrollably.

"Haha! I'm no important figure. I'm just an old man who retired and wants to spend the rest of his life here!"

The newcomer had long, curly hair, a beard on his chin, silver hair and facial hair, a pair of glasses, and a conspicuous vertical scar over his right eye!

"I'm merely a humble coating mechanic! There's no need to be so nervous!"

The old man's smile was kind, but the Marine captain only grew more tense.

"'Pluton' Silvers Rayleigh! Why has a remnant of the old era like you appeared here?"

The Marine captain's words sent shock through the ordinary Marines. They stared wide-eyed at the kindly old man.

This was the legendary King of the Pirates' right-hand man!

"Gyahahaha! Mr. Rayleigh, it's been a long time!"

Teach looked eagerly at Pluton Rayleigh. When Teach had first boarded his old man's ship, Rayleigh had already been a great pirate renowned across the seas!

Even now, despite his advanced age, his strength had not diminished by much!

"Yes, it really has been a long time! Back then, you were only a lowly trainee on Whitebeard's ship. I never expected that you would become a great pirate capable of standing on your own!"

Rayleigh smiled, then said to Teach, "Could you do an old man a favor and spare these fresh recruits?"

"A favor? Gyahahaha! In my world, only strength gives one the right to speak!"

Teach looked at Rayleigh with burning excitement. "How about we have a little spar? If you win, you can take these people away. I won't interfere!"

"And what if I lose?"

Rayleigh looked at Teach with a half-smile.

"Then I'll kill the other two pirate crews from the Worst Generation watching nearby!"

Teach pointed toward the Heart Pirates and the Kidd Pirates.

Luo: ...

Kid: ...

"Then it seems this old man has no choice but to win!"

Rayleigh's eyes widened, and incomparable Conqueror's Haki burst from his entire body! It was as if the entire sky had changed color!

"Conqueror's Haki!"