HST: Chapter 92/93

Chapter 92: Big News

Rayleigh was so infuriated by Caelan's expression that he wanted to argue.

This was knowledge he had gained from years of experience. How could it be brushed off so casually?

"You've taught me enough. Now it's time to hand you in for the bounty."

Caelan didn't give Rayleigh a chance to respond and cut him off directly.

Hearing this, Rayleigh's anger vanished, and his expression turned sour.

This brat flipped the script so fast. He had just been his student, and now he wanted to cash him in for a bounty.

Still, Rayleigh wasn't ready to give up just yet.

"Hey, I was your teacher a minute ago. Isn't this a little heartless?"

Rayleigh looked Caelan in the eye, trying to play the emotional card.

"That was the deal from the start, so stop talking nonsense."

Caelan rolled his eyes and responded flatly.

If Rayleigh's bounty had only been a few tens of millions of Berries, he might have let him go.

But this was Rayleigh—a bounty in the billions. There was no way he'd let that slide.

Besides, this might be his last chance to collect a bounty from the World Government, so he had to be extra cautious.

It had been two days since he killed Spandam. Even though he destroyed the body and left no trace, someone would eventually realize that Spandam had gone out on a mission.

With the World Government's intelligence capabilities, they would probably figure things out within the next day or two.

"Alright, alright, I give up."

Rayleigh went silent, helpless.

This brat was too stubborn, and he had no way of dealing with him.

He had no intention of resisting. Escaping from a Marine base would be easier than escaping from Caelan.

Anyway, as long as the Admirals didn't show up, he might still have a chance to slip away.

"Just wait here. Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon."

Caelan looked up into the distance and said calmly.

The Sabaody Archipelago was known as the Celestial Dragons' backyard. He and Rayleigh had stirred up such a commotion that the Marines were bound to respond.

Caelan told Nami and the others to return to the Wind Rider, while he and Rayleigh stayed behind to quietly await the Marines' arrival.

Rayleigh lay on the ground, his face pale and lifeless, like he could die any second.

"You're really something. That pose is pretty dramatic."

Caelan chuckled at Rayleigh's theatrics.

Others might not know the truth about Rayleigh's condition, but Caelan did.

He didn't have a single visible wound or drop of blood on him. Just some weakness and minor numbness.

With Rayleigh's physical durability, this was no more than a mosquito bite. It wasn't a big deal.

"Mind your own business."

Rayleigh rolled his eyes and turned away from Caelan.

He closed his eyes and began pretending to be dead.

"Haha."

Caelan laughed softly but didn't say anything else.

He could see right through Rayleigh's little trick.

He was clearly trying to feign weakness, hoping the Marines would let their guard down so he could escape.

As for a strong man's dignity?

This was Rayleigh—the same guy who auctioned himself off whenever he ran out of money. There was no way he'd care about something so trivial.

"Interesting."

Caelan murmured, eyes glinting.

He had no intention of reporting this to the World Government.

First, he had a decent impression of Rayleigh. The old man gave him money and taught him. Second, Caelan was already about to fall out with the World Government, so there was no reason to help clean up their mess.

While Caelan and Rayleigh were waiting, the entire Sabaody Archipelago was thrown into turmoil.

As expected, with all the ruckus in the Celestial Dragons' so-called backyard, it didn't take long to attract attention.

News King Morgans darted toward Island No. 27 like a cat that smelled a fish market.

As a Carrier Pigeon Fruit user who couldn't fly, his wings were practically flapping smoke.

"Quick! Quick! Quick!"

"Big news, coming through!"

Morgans' eyes sparkled with excitement.

Just when he thought he would be the first to arrive, a sleazy golden flash zipped past him.

He couldn't even see what it was clearly, but for some reason, it just felt shady.

"Ohhh, is Admiral Kizaru joining the party? That makes it even better!"

Morgans flapped his wings faster. With an Admiral involved, the scoop would be even more explosive.

Thinking about the fight between Aokiji and Caelan last time, which brought him record-breaking traffic, Morgans couldn't stop grinning.

…

At the same time, the Straw Hat Pirates—who had arrived early since there were no strong enemies to face—were also drawn to the massive disturbance on Island No. 27.

"There's something huge going on over there! Let's check it out!"

Luffy pointed in the direction of Island No. 27 and shouted.

"That looks really dangerous. We shouldn't go."

Usopp grabbed Luffy's left arm, trying to stop him.

"Yeah, don't go."

Chopper held onto Luffy's right arm and pleaded softly.

"I'm gonna be King of the Pirates! There's nothing to be afraid of!"

Luffy shouted, dragging Usopp and Chopper toward Island No. 27.

"That's a clash between two great swordsmen! I have to see it!"

Zoro ran with his swords, more excited than anyone.

Sanji and Franky followed behind, muttering curses as they went.

…

Naturally, the first to arrive was the Flash Man himself—Kizaru.

"Long time no see, Admiral Kizaru."

Caelan looked at the familiar figure and greeted him.

"Long time no see."

Kizaru glanced at the chaotic battlefield, then looked at Caelan with caution.

He was shocked to see Rayleigh lying on the ground pretending to be dead.

The last time he had met Caelan was back in Alabasta, when he had been ordered to deal with Crocodile and ended up getting beaten instead.

Back then, he already knew Caelan wasn't ordinary.

He hadn't expected to hear about him again so soon—and this time, he had actually defeated Aokiji. (Gecko Moria was nothing.)

And now, Caelan had defeated Rayleigh too.

In just over a month, he had brought down two top-tier powerhouses. It was astonishing.

"This is scary. Even the Pirate King's vice-captain was defeated?"

Kizaru pushed up his glasses with a wildly exaggerated expression.

"You flatter me. I had to work pretty hard to take him down."

"The vice-captain of the Pirate King truly lives up to his name."

Caelan adjusted his bloodstained shirt to cover the wound that was nearly healed, then spoke with deep emotion.

"Really? That's impressive. He is a legendary pirate, after all."

Kizaru nodded, genuinely impressed.

As Roger's right-hand man, Rayleigh was a man who had once shaken an entire era. It made sense that even defeating him wouldn't come easy.

As for Caelan not having any major visible injuries, Kizaru didn't question it.

Maybe he had suffered internal injuries.

Watching Kizaru get completely fooled, Rayleigh, who was lying on the ground, twitched his eyelids a few times and could barely hold it in.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 93: Execute Him

"Admiral Kizaru, I was just about to turn in Rayleigh for the bounty when you showed up. Please help me process it."

Caelan looked at Kizaru and smiled as he spoke.

"Huh?! You want to turn him in for a bounty?"

Kizaru looked at Caelan in disbelief.

The World Government had always taken a hands-off approach with the remnants of Roger's crew. As long as they didn't cause trouble, they were mostly ignored.

That was because they were incredibly powerful and knew too many secrets about the World Government. Plus, they were scattered across the world. If one of them were captured, the others would likely rise up in response, creating massive trouble for the Government.

And now Caelan wanted to turn Rayleigh in? Wouldn't that spark a whole new wave of chaos?

"Of course. I'm a bounty hunter aligned with the World Government. Isn't it normal for me to claim the bounty on Rayleigh?"

Caelan nodded seriously.

Rayleigh, still lying on the ground, didn't believe a word of it.

Aligned with the World Government? Then how did he get Conqueror's Haki strong enough to rival a Yonko?

This kid had no regard for authority. He had to be scheming something.

"Eliminating dangerous pirates is certainly a noble deed."

"But there are still many of Roger's former crewmates hiding out, and the current Yonko, Red-Haired Shanks, has deep ties with them. Are you sure about this?"

Kizaru held his head as if it were aching.

If he had known, he would've come slower. He hated dealing with troublesome situations like this the most.

"It's just a pirate. What's there to be afraid of? Admiral Kizaru, you should help process the bounty first."

Caelan chuckled.

Roger's own son was about to be executed, and those people didn't make a move. If Rayleigh got caught, they probably wouldn't intervene either.

And even if they did, Caelan was confident he could handle them. He might even get more treasures out of it.

"Well, since you insist, I won't say more."

"Rayleigh's bounty is 3.8 billion Berries. That's a massive amount. I'll need to get approval from Fleet Admiral Sengoku."

Kizaru gave Caelan a long look and sighed helplessly.

3.8 billion Berries was no small sum, even for the World Government.

Soon, the news that Caelan had captured Rayleigh and requested the bounty reached both Marine Headquarters and the World Government.

"That old man Rayleigh got caught by Caelan? And he wants the bounty?!"

Sengoku was so shocked he yanked out several strands of his beard.

Back when he and Garp were chasing Roger, they had countless encounters with Rayleigh.

Rayleigh's strength was genuinely at the level of an Admiral. Even in his old age, with his slippery evasive techniques, it would take at least two Admirals to guarantee a successful capture.

And now he'd been captured by Caelan? It was unbelievable.

Moreover, Rayleigh's capture might not be a good thing. It could provoke other former Roger Pirates who had been laying low for years.

The sea, which had barely maintained balance, might become turbulent once again.

Thinking of this, Sengoku couldn't help but feel a migraine coming on.

"That's right. He wants the bounty immediately. Please arrange for the release of 3.8 billion Berries."

Kizaru replied casually.

This kind of thing was better left to others to stress over.

"Alright, I'll send someone over right away."

Sengoku rubbed his forehead and hung up the Den Den Mushi.

Choosing who to send was a headache in itself.

Whoever went would not only be responsible for delivering the money but also had to escort Rayleigh back with Kizaru.

Akainu was too extreme. Aokiji was still in the hospital recovering. And Sengoku himself couldn't leave.

"Crunch, crunch."

Sengoku's gaze drifted to Garp, who was loudly munching on senbei. He was the best option.

"Garp, take the money and go."

He hadn't been able to control Garp in the past, but today was different.

"Nope."

Garp ignored him and kept munching.

"It seems your grandson is in the Sabaody Archipelago too. If I send Akainu…"

Sengoku shook his head, as if picturing a tragic scene.

"Dammit!"

Garp glared at Sengoku and stormed out of the office.

He didn't need to think twice. If Akainu went, Luffy would be reduced to ash.

Soon after, a dog-headed warship carrying 3.8 billion Berries set sail toward the Sabaody Archipelago.

…

The Five Elders also received the news quickly and immediately convened a meeting.

The capture of the Pirate King's right-hand man was a huge deal that could shake the entire sea. It was worth a serious discussion.

"Have the relics of the old era grown this weak? Getting captured by a rookie… how embarrassing."

Saint Nasjuro sneered, holding the First Generation Kitetsu in his hand.

"Haha. In the end, they're just mortal men. How could they ever compare to us immortals?"

Saint Saturn swirled his red wine, looking intoxicated.

This was their pride. To them, the rise and fall on the sea were just temporary waves.

Only those with eternal life, like themselves, could laugh at the end.

The so-called remnants of Roger's crew, after over twenty years, were no longer a threat.

"Even so, the sea is far from peaceful."

Saint Mars wasn't as optimistic.

The Four Emperors were still carving up territory. The Revolutionary Army was on the move. And countless new pirates were thirsting for Laugh Tale.

It felt like the Will of D. was particularly active in this era.

Only the Nika Fruit was a bit reassuring, as it showed no signs of awakening so far.

"Unruly pirates, huh? If we publicly execute the Pirate King's right-hand man, all those fools might wet themselves in fear." Saint Saturn said.

"I'm afraid publicly executing Rayleigh would also cause significant casualties for the Marines."

Saint Mars frowned, concerned.

"Hmph. The Navy has already become rebellious. Only Akainu is still loyal."

"This is a great chance to strike and bring them back in line. We can also recruit new loyal soldiers."

Saturn snorted in displeasure, his eyes glinting coldly.

The Navy had become increasingly disobedient in recent years, often giving only lip service to orders from the World Government. This was a perfect time for a purge.

"What about Caelan, the one who captured Rayleigh? He now has the strength of a Yonko. How should we deal with him?"

Saint Peter asked in a serious tone.

Previously, they had viewed Caelan as an unstable element who needed to be eliminated.

But now that he possessed Yonko-level strength, they simply didn't have the resources to handle him.

"As long as he doesn't make a move against the World Government, we'll leave him be."

"If he wants to fight pirates, let him. Hopefully they injure each other. That would be ideal."

Saint Saturn replied calmly.

The World Government's key combat forces were already tied up dealing with the Revolutionary Army and the Four Emperors.

Taking out Caelan would require at least two Admirals, and they simply couldn't spare them.

Letting him continue to clash with other pirates would be the most beneficial outcome.

"Execute Rayleigh. Ignore Caelan. Anyone opposed?"

Saint Saturn swept his gaze around the table.

"Agreed."

"Seconded."

The other Four Elders gave their approval one after another.

(To be continued.)