Chapter 81: The Miserable Kizaru

In the shocked eyes of the entire world, cold sweat formed on Sengoku's forehead, his gaze filled with disbelief. The strongest combat force of the World Government, Admiral Kizaru, had just appeared, only to be cut down by two swordsmen, transforming into a ray of yellow light that exploded violently on the sandy ground.

"!!!"

"'Dark King', Silvers Rayleigh."

As the dust from the explosion settled, Kizaru looked at the two figures, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

"Boom!"

The whole world erupted in chaos. The legendary pirate, the right hand of the Pirate King, 'Dark King' Silvers Rayleigh, had made his appearance! Newsrooms across the globe went into overdrive, rushing to print stories of this monumental event.

"Damn it!"

Sengoku stared at the screen, veins bulging on his forehead. That was Silvers Rayleigh, the very same Rayleigh he had faced countless times as an Admiral. Sure enough, in the Sabaody Archipelago? Why couldn't this retired legend just remain in the shadows? Why act now, of all times?

Sengoku gritted his teeth, sweat continuing to drip from his forehead. Recently, he had been overwhelmed by the Flame Emperor, the Red-Haired Pirates, and Kaido. In the midst of this turmoil, he had neglected the intelligence that reported Rayleigh's presence in the Sabaody Archipelago, where he was even rumored to have sold himself into slavery. Marine had opted not to pursue the retired legend, calculating that the cost of capturing such a figure outweighed the benefits.

Yet now, Rayleigh stood defiantly in the Sabaody Archipelago, seemingly his chosen place of retirement. Damn it! Rayleigh's actions under the world's watchful eyes suggested he was ready to re-emerge.

"Why, Silvers Rayleigh? The bloodline of Portgas D. Ace shouldn't be enough for you to act so openly before the world! Why?"

Sengoku gritted his teeth, eyes bloodshot. He knew Rayleigh and the Roger Pirates well enough to understand that they valued the inheritance of will more than blood. Rayleigh would not act simply because of Ace's bloodline unless he believed Ace carried some profound will—perhaps the "Will of D."

As Marine Fleet Admiral, Sengoku knew little about the "Will of D." He only knew it was a will the World Government could not tolerate, a great secret hidden by the World Government. Even his authority as Fleet Admiral did not grant him access to this knowledge. Any bearer of the "D" initial was to be erased by the World Government, just as they attempted with Gol D. Roger, whom they forced to change his name to Gold Roger.

If Portgas D. Ace truly inherited this will, would the old members of the Roger Pirates reappear because of him? Such a possibility was troubling, as it could draw many powerful individuals back into the fray. The Entei Pirates alone were already a significant headache for Marine. If Ace absorbed the old Roger Pirates, the trouble would multiply exponentially.

Sengoku gritted his teeth and stared at the screen. The situation was already dire. 'Dark King' Rayleigh's involvement had shifted the balance of the conflict significantly. But it wasn't just Rayleigh. Standing beside him was a burly, blind middle-aged man whose strength, displayed in a single stroke, was undoubtedly of Admiral-level combat power. Yet Marine had no information on this individual, who seemed to appear from nowhere and now sided with Portgas D. Ace.

Sengoku's forehead continued to perspire. The situation was worsening by the minute. With Kizaru and Akainu in danger, he barked orders into his phone, directing the Marines to hurry them to the Sabaody Archipelago and urging the Shichibukai to mobilize swiftly.

The Entei Pirates, Silvers Rayleigh, and the blind middle-aged man—Portgas D. Ace's side now boasted at least three top-tier combatants. Meanwhile, Marine had only Akainu, Kizaru, and a few Vice Admirals at the scene. The balance of power had been shattered.

"Tell Kizaru to use his speed to hold those two down until we arrive!"

Sengoku commanded Kizaru's subordinate urgently, feeling on the brink of madness. What began as a simple encirclement had transformed into a potential rescue mission for the Marines.

Garp and Aokiji stood silently, understanding why Rayleigh had intervened—it likely related to Ace's declaration to become the king of the world and create a world where everyone could have enough to eat and celebrate together. However, they had no clue about the blind middle-aged man. Nonetheless, it seemed they would have to step in.

The balance of combat power was broken, and Garp and Aokiji's expressions grew increasingly complex as they contemplated the escalating conflict.

On the Shichibukai warship, Hancock's beautiful eyes flashed as she watched Rayleigh appear on the screen.

"Rayleigh, did you really take action?" she thought. "It seems my decision was correct."

"Using speed to stop two top combat forces? Fleet Admiral, have you misunderstood something?" Kizaru muttered as he received the phone message from Sengoku. Half-crouched, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and cold sweat dripping from his forehead, he felt the pressure mounting.

"Bah! Boom! Boom!!!"

A terrifying roar resounded across the sky, accompanied by a flash of thunder.

"Logia's Thunder Fruit…" Kizaru's forehead dripped with even more sweat. This fruit ability was immensely troublesome. Its speed was nearly on par with his Sparkling Fruit, but its attack power far surpassed it, rivaling Sakazuki's Lava-Lava Fruit. Overall, the Thunder Fruit's abilities exceeded both the Sparkling Fruit and the Lava-Lava Fruit.

What made Kizaru even more frightened was his Observation Haki sensing the strength of the girl who had appeared. Though not quite at his level, she was undoubtedly strong enough to reach the threshold of an Admiral.

"Bastard! I've never heard of such a thing!" Kizaru thought. "In addition to Portgas D. Ace, does the Entei Pirates have another Admiral-level fighter? Along with 'Dark King' Rayleigh and this blind man, who I don't know but also has Admiral-level combat power, and now this Thunder Fruit user who can match my speed... I'm outnumbered, one against three!"

Kizaru's face turned a little green.

"Your name is Nami, right?" Rayleigh asked, a smile on his face as he looked at the girl.

"Well, Uncle Rayleigh," Nami replied with a playful smile.

"Uncle...?"

Rayleigh's eyes widened for a moment before he caught on. What a clever girl! Referring to him as Ace's uncle was a smart move.

Nami's smile grew even sweeter. "That's right, you are the vice-captain of the Roger Pirates and the right hand of the Pirate King. Isn't Ace's uncle my uncle too? There's no problem with me calling you that."

Rayleigh couldn't suppress his smile. "Uncle, let's take this guy down first. My Haki isn't strong enough, so I'll need you to deliver the final blow. By the way, that strike with Haki you just did was amazing. Could you teach me how to do it?"

Nami's sweet voice and pretty face calling him "uncle" left Rayleigh grinning uncontrollably. "Okay! Just smile and let's go together!"

Rayleigh swung his sword, and with a buzz and clang, Conqueror's Haki fiercely wrapped around it, causing the sky and earth to tremble.

"Dark King" Rayleigh was ready to show his full strength.

"Can't we just leave the Marine Admiral alone and prevent him from affecting Mr. Ace?" Fujitora muttered, cold sweat dripping from his forehead. Moments ago, Rayleigh suggested sparing Kizaru, but now he seemed ready to cut him down.

"What are you talking about? As an elder, of course, I must show my skills to the younger generation. Besides, didn't you just take action?" Rayleigh said, his Haki-infused eyes gleaming.

"Mr. Ace's philosophy deeply moved me. Though I may not have made up my mind completely, I drew my sword subconsciously. I have no regrets about this move. There's always a moment in a person's life when they subconsciously want to draw their sword," Fujitora replied in a deep voice.

"I drew my sword subconsciously. That's very well said," Rayleigh agreed, his admiration evident. "I am very happy now! Of course, I have to draw the sword!"

"Then stop talking nonsense and capture Kizaru first!" Rayleigh decided, ready to give Kizaru as a gift to Nami. "If you don't take action, I can't guarantee Kizaru's survival, Fujitora."

The smile on Rayleigh's face was intense, and he was eager to teach the younger generation. When Kizaru's Sparkling Fruit met Nami's Thunder Fruit, their speed advantage would cancel each other out, making Kizaru's defeat inevitable. However, Kizaru's life meant little to Rayleigh. What he valued was Fujitora's strong and upright character.

"Okay, let's capture him then. As a gravity man with many powers, I can suppress his Sparkling Fruit speed to the greatest extent," Fujitora sighed, resigning himself to the situation.

"Buzz!" The gravity of Fujitora's fruit suddenly enveloped his knife.

"You... you guys!" Kizaru's face turned green. The combination of the Thunder Fruit and the Gravity Fruit was overwhelming. To make matters worse, Rayleigh was too excited, his Conqueror's Haki fully wrapped around him as he attacked.

"Bah! Boom! Boom!!!" "Buzz!"

The Thunder Fruit's power and the Gravity Fruit's force exploded simultaneously, plunging Kizaru into dire straits.

Ace captured everything happening with his Observation Haki, a confident smirk spreading across his face. He wasn't surprised that the Marines and World Government had discovered his true lineage. From the moment his name, Portgas D. Ace, became renowned across the seas, it was only a matter of time before they uncovered his connection to Gol D. Roger. By investigating the island where Roger spent his last days, and with the World Government's extensive intelligence network, the truth of his bloodline was bound to come to light.

When Akainu announced Ace's lineage to the world, Ace remained unfazed. To him, his bloodline was a part of his strength, no different from his Mera-Mera Fruit abilities or his mastery of Haki. He found it foolish to deny one's own bloodline, as it would be akin to denying an unchangeable fact and, by extension, one's own existence.

Unlike the Ace from the original timeline, who despised his lineage and even neglected his Conqueror's Haki, this Ace embraced his heritage fully. He may be a traveler from another world who had inherited not only Roger's bloodline but also a heaven-defying understanding and a natural king's Conqueror's Haki but still his goal was clear: to become the king of the world. To achieve this, he viewed every power he possessed, including his bloodline, as tools to be utilized.

This bloodline had influenced Rayleigh's decision to take action. While the old members of the Roger Pirates valued the inheritance of will over bloodline, the fact remained that Ace's lineage naturally drew them closer to him. The combination of Roger's bloodline and Ace's own strong will created a compelling force that even legends like Rayleigh couldn't ignore.

Even though Rayleigh and others, including Shanks, knew about "Joyboy" from their visit to the Final Island and had their own beliefs, Ace presented them with another option. His undeniable lineage and potential as Joyboy's successor offered a tangible choice in the face of uncertainty. While Shanks gambled on Luffy, Ace built a stage where all players—Rayleigh, Shanks, the Navy, the World Government, and the Four Emperors—were forced to participate, regardless of their willingness.

Ace's strategy was to dominate the stage he had set, forcing the world to revolve around him. He didn't fear that Shanks and others might ultimately choose Luffy, for Luffy was his beloved younger brother and destined to be his right hand. No matter their inner thoughts, all actions would ultimately serve Ace's grand plan.

Ace's understanding of true kingship was evident. Unlike manipulators such as Crocodile and Doflamingo, who sought to control everything through deceit and control, Ace believed in harnessing all available powers to serve his ultimate goal. He didn't seek to manipulate or play with people's hearts; he aimed to become a figure so powerful and inspiring that others would naturally follow.

Ace's confidence extended to his observations of Fujitora. Impressed by Fujitora's integrity and strength, Ace was sure that he would join his cause. Fujitora, influenced by Ace's ideals, had already shown his willingness to act subconsciously, a testament to Ace's impact. Ace's smile widened as he appreciated Fujitora's honesty and power, recognizing him as a valuable ally.

The awakening of Vivi and Kaya's Devil Fruits was another pleasant surprise for Ace. Despite the world's denial of his existence due to my bloodline, these young girls had grown stronger. With the help of Ace's understanding and guidance, they had completed the final step of their Devil Fruits' awakening. Ace felt a warm affection for them and pondered how to reward their loyalty and strength later.

For Ace, the world did not deny his existence; it was merely a stage for him to exert his influence and power. His self-assurance was palpable as he watched Rayleigh, Fujitora, and his other allies take action, each move reinforcing his belief in his destined path. The smile on Ace's lips reflected his unshakable confidence and his strategic mastery over the unfolding events.