One Piece: New Order-Chapter 121: Death of Rayleigh

Rayleigh’s expression grew heavier as he watched his opponent’s aura and killing intent surge.

He raised his sword, coating the blade with Haki while activating his Observation Haki to the fullest.

Across from him, Bullet’s arm, now three times its original size, lifted as he clenched his giant fist. The air cracked loudly. Grinning, he shot a glance at Rayleigh.

Bang!

A sudden blast erupted right in front of Bullet.

The pirate’s pupils shrank, and in a flash, he slashed diagonally upward with his sword. A compressed air bullet rocketed toward him, crashing into the blade and detonating on impact.

Boom!

The shockwave sent Rayleigh flying backward. After landing, he took a few steps back to dissipate the force, then steadied himself and fixed his gaze on Bullet.

"Terrifying," he muttered. "Those arms, three times the size...and the speed and power have multiplied just as much."

That attack looked like it came from nowhere, and Bullet hadn’t even visibly moved. But the truth was, with that enormous arm, he had punched fast and hard enough to fire an air bullet that couldn’t be caught by the naked eye.

Only his advanced Observation Haki had allowed Rayleigh to detect the strike in time and defend himself.

Bullet’s voice rumbled, low and feral.

"You blocked it? Impressive, as expected of the Dark King, Rayleigh. Then next... it’s time for you to die."

He pulled back both arms, inhaled deeply, then threw a flurry of punches.

Fist-shaped afterimages bloomed before him like overlapping shadows and the very air warped and solidified around them.

White shock bursts followed the fist images as more and more formed, each piling onto the last. Then the early ones, still suspended in midair, suddenly reacted—shooting forward all at once.

The air distorted violently in their wake, detonating with invisible force.

At that speed, dodging was impossible. Rayleigh could only meet the barrage head-on with his sword.

Clang!

Boom!

He redirected one of the air bullets behind him, where it exploded in a deafening roar. A towering mushroom cloud erupted, and the shockwave trembled through the earth itself, shaking Rayleigh’s footing.

Bullet kept punching without pause. Blow after blow. Hundreds of them.

The explosion sounds never stopped as the landscape around them twisted and churned. It was as if the entire mountain range was beginning to collapse.

When the dust finally settled, a crater nearly a kilometer wide had opened up. Just the small patch of ground beneath Rayleigh’s feet remained untouched.

Crack!

The dust-filled air was sliced open by surging sword aura and Rayleigh burst forth, trailing behind several sword slashes over a hundred meters long.

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, Bullet appeared before the pirate and the incoming sword waves. His arms blurred as he slashed through them, shattering the sword aura instantly.

Next, with a single leap, he lunged toward Rayleigh in the air. Both palms stretched wide, he clapped them together, aiming to crush the pirate’s head between them.

Sensing the danger, Rayleigh kicked Bullet square in the chest.

Bang!

As the kick connected, the pirate used the recoil to push himself back just a little. That small retreat allowed him to narrowly avoid the crushing palms targeting his head.

But the threat wasn’t over.

A chilling realization flashed through Rayleigh’s mind. His pupils contracted sharply.

’No...!’

The massive palms brushed past his eyelashes and clapped shut.

CRACK—!

The thunderous sound exploded in his ears like a bomb, rupturing his eardrums. Blood streamed from his ears as dizziness overwhelmed him. His mind blanked for a split second.

Splat!

Bullet’s enlarged finger stabbed into Rayleigh’s stomach with the force of a bullet. A gaping wound burst open as blood sprayed from the impact.

Awakened by the searing pain, Rayleigh released a wave of Conqueror’s Haki and forced Bullet back.

The two men dropped to the ground.

The pirate clutched his abdomen with one hand, breathing heavily. His sword trembled in the other, and sweat poured from his brow.

Staring at him, Bullet crossed his arms and sneered. "That’s it? You’re done already, old man?"

Rayleigh chuckled weakly. "You’ve still got a long way to go, brat."

As he spoke, he slipped his hand into his coat.

Whoosh!

A dagger laced with sharp sword aura flew from his sleeve, hurtling straight for Bullet’s right eye.

Raising his right arm, the marine casually swatted it aside. The dagger spun off into the distance.

Simultaneously, from directly ahead came a ripping sound. Rayleigh was already closing in, sword gripped tightly, slashing toward Bullet’s chest.

Clang!

The same hand that had knocked away the dagger came crashing down, striking the blade and sending sparks flying.

Bullet grinned viciously and pressed harder, generating a concussive blast that hurled Rayleigh backward.

The pirate landed in a spin, and before even regaining full balance, he dashed forward again.

Flashes of white and blue danced across the scarred battlefield.

After they clashed and separated once more, Bullet took a deep breath and swung a fist. A compressed air bullet, dozens of meters wide, tore through the rocky terrain toward Rayleigh.

The pirate lifted his sword, wrapped it in Conqueror’s Haki, and slashed downward.

Whoosh!

The air bullet split in two, flying past him on either side.

Boom! Boom!

Both halves exploded violently behind him.

Bullet then crossed his hands into claws, threads of Conqueror’s Haki crackling around them. His body blurred into a blue streak as he lunged.

Rayleigh’s gaze sharpened, his resolve clear in his eyes.

He brought his sword behind him and launched forward. His blade shimmered with deep, concentrated Armament Haki, leaving a dark trail in the air.

Clang!

The two figures collided and froze.

A thunderous boom echoed for a long time.

In front of Bullet, the forest split into ten deep trenches that stretched far beyond sight.

Far ahead of Rayleigh, a towering mountain had been split in half by a single wave of sword slash. It collapsed with a deafening crash.

Bullet exited his Demon Mode state as huge sword wounds cracked open across his chest and arms. Fatigue rushing in, he fell to one knee and coughed up blood.

"That was one hell of a slash, but too bad... I still won."

On the other side, Rayleigh stood holding his blade. That final strike, filled with all his Haki and strength, had still failed to kill Bullet.

He sighed deep within his heart. Looking up at the sky, his vision was beginning to blur.

’Sorry... Roger...’

Ten sharp lines abruptly appeared across his neck.

Pop!

A head tumbled to the ground.

Only a headless body remained, still standing, sword in hand.

The "Dark King" Silvers Rayleigh... had fallen in battle.

* * *

South Blue, a thousand meters above the skies outside Baterilla Island.

Two of the Marines’ most powerful warriors were unleashing their fury without restraint.

Sakazuki, in his Crimson Lotus Mode, cloaked in Armament Haki, landed a punch straight into Garp’s stomach. A raging shockwave tore through the man’s body and shredded the clouds behind him.

Garp was blasted away but charged right back within seconds. His fist, coated in dark Armament Haki, smashed toward Sakazuki’s head.

The vice admiral, sent flying for a moment, caught Garp’s fist midair and swung back with a punch of his own.

Bang! Bang!

Their furious blows scattered the clouds overhead. People far below stared up at the sky in horror, unsure of what was happening.

Boom!

A jet-black fist struck Sakazuki in the gut.

"Urgh..."

Blood burst from his mouth as he grabbed Garp’s fist with his left hand and, with a flick of the right, summoned a magma hammer—one-handed and burning with Haki.

He brought it down on the older man’s skull.

Boom!

Lava exploded and Garp’s mind went blank for an instant as blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

But the powerful impact snapped him back to awareness. He seized Sakazuki’s left arm with his trapped right hand. Then his other fist, covered in Armament Haki, slammed into the man’s chest.

Crack!

Bones shattered under the force as Sakazuki grimaced in pain, clenching his teeth hard.

He twisted his body, coating his entire right arm in Haki. A volcanic burst surged through it as he struck back at Garp’s chest.

Crack!

Another sound of bones breaking followed.

Both men were fully consumed by battle fury now. Eyes bloodshot, they coated their heads with black Haki and clashed once more.

Crack!

A sharp snap rang out from their skulls.

Foreheads pressed together, they glared into each other’s eyes.

Then, energy coursed wildly through Sakazuki’s body.

"Magma Burst."

BOOOOOOM!!!

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