One Piece: Surrounded at Marineford? Just kidding!

Chapter 106: An Unexpected Ending!

On the beach, two identical figures faced each other from afar, their sword auras still lingering.

At his peak, Rayleigh casually twirled his sword, slung the famous blade over his shoulder, and grinned at his own panting self opposite him, a nonchalant smile on his face:

"Hey, old man, stop dawdling."

"Let's settle this with one move!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

Upon hearing this, the elderly Rayleigh took a deep breath, held his sword horizontally in front of his chest, and his aged body once again unleashed a powerful aura.

He said in a deep voice:

"That's exactly what I was thinking!"

The moment the words fell!

boom!!!

Two terrifying Conqueror's Hakis, beyond description, surged into the sky from the two of them like two ancient beasts awakening!

The sand beneath their feet was instantly crushed by invisible air pressure, turning into a huge depression. A gale swept outwards from the two of them, causing the distant banquet bonfire to sway wildly!

"Gurarararara!"

The elderly white-bearded man tilted his head back, took a big gulp of wine, looked at the two powerful Conqueror's Haki auras in the sky, and let out a hearty laugh.

"What a fantastic match!"

He exclaimed in genuine admiration.

"In this era, it's truly rare to witness such a pure clash of top-tier swordsmanship and domineering spirit!"

The peak-white-bearded man next to him nodded, his huge face full of admiration.

That's right, it seems that even after decades, Rayleigh's sword hasn't rusted. Not bad.

Marco, Vista, Joz, and others watched intently, afraid of missing a single detail.

coming soon!

Vista, also a swordsman, gripped the two swords at his waist and muttered to himself.

Is this Rayleigh's true power?

It seems that the next move will determine the winner between these two.

Joz said in a deep voice, his gaze fixed on the two people in the arena.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats, waiting for the two to deliver the final blow.

A showdown between peak Rayleigh and elderly Rayleigh!

What an incredible scene!

Just as everyone held their breath, waiting for the earth-shattering impact that would erupt when the two clashed...

What happened next was utterly unexpected.

In the sky, the two powerful Conqueror's Haki seemed to have conspired beforehand, and they simultaneously and without warning retracted.

It's like pressing the pause button at the same time.

The two Rayles, who were tense and murderous just a second ago, simultaneously put down their swords the next second.

"Um?"

Everyone was stunned.

What's going on?

Amidst everyone's stunned gazes,

They slowly approached each other, the destructive fighting spirit on their faces long gone, replaced by... a mutual appreciation.

then.

Peak Rayleigh reached out and put his arm around the shoulder of elderly Rayleigh.

Old Rayleigh also joined in.

The two stood together with their arms around each other, looking like two good brothers who had just come out of a bar.

"Not bad, kid."

The elderly Rayleigh patted the prime Rayleigh on the shoulder and said with a smile.

"As expected of my younger self, this kind of drive is something I've almost forgotten what it feels like."

At his peak, Rayleigh grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

"You're not bad either, old man."

He retorted without any politeness.

"He's getting more and more cunning with age. His swordsmanship and domineering aura are much more solid than I imagined."

"Haha, that's for sure!"

Enough with the nonsense! Come on, let's go for a drink! I have a lot of things I want to ask you!

go go go go go!

And so, to the stunned disbelief of everyone present, the two Rayles, who had just been fighting to the death, walked arm in arm toward the banquet hall with undisguised intimacy.

As they walked, they discussed what kind of wine they would drink later.

……

……

……

The entire room fell into a deathly silence.

a long time.

Marco turned his head away speechlessly and looked at his father.

"Um... Dad, these two people... they really are..."

He no longer knew what words to use to describe it.

The elderly white-bearded man and the prime-age white-bearded man exchanged a glance, and then simultaneously burst into deafening laughter.

"Guralalalalala!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"Just like the two of us back then!"

Upon hearing this, everyone smiled knowingly, and the tense atmosphere instantly dissipated.

"Let's go back! Let's continue the banquet!"

"good!!!"

. . . . . .

The bonfire was burning brightly, and the aroma of wine and meat filled the air.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere became lively again.

The elderly Rayleigh, carrying a large wine glass, walked up to Chen Ye, his face showing a hint of drunkenness and heartfelt emotion.

"Chen Ye boy."

He downed the wine in his glass in one gulp and let out a heavy sigh.

"You really have given this old man a wonderful surprise!"

"I admire you!"

Having lived for so many years, he thought he had seen all sorts of storms, but what was happening now completely overturned his understanding.

Whether it's the two white-bearded figures, his younger self, or the Straw Hat Boy who awakened the "Nika" form.

All of this stems from this seemingly harmless young man in front of us.

Chen Ye smiled and raised his glass in a gesture of respect.

"Mr. Raleigh is joking."

He said it casually.

"This is only a small part of my abilities."

hiss--!

Old Rayleigh gasped, his eyes filled with even greater shock.

This is only a small part?

What kind of monster is this kid?

"That's... a terrifying ability."

He shook his head with a wry smile, then smiled with relief.

"However, thanks to you, I've had the chance to experience what it's like to fight yourself, and that feeling... wasn't bad at all!"

Rayleigh, who was at his peak, also came over carrying a barrel of wine and burst into laughter upon hearing this.

"That's right! Fighting yourself is so exhilarating!"

The two Rayles exchanged a glance, both seeing the exhilaration of meeting their match in each other's eyes. Then, in perfect unison, they raised their wine glasses and barrels and clinked them together.

Seeing this, Chen Ye's smile became meaningful.

"Mr. Raleigh."

He suddenly spoke, his tone becoming much more serious.

"Now, I need you to do something for me."

"Oh?"

Old Rayleigh put down his wine glass and looked at him curiously.

"What is it? Just tell me if it's within my power."

Chen Ye did not answer directly, but turned his head and looked into the distance.

There, Ace and Luffy from this timeline were fighting again over the last giant piece of roasted meat, causing quite a commotion.

Chen Ye stretched out his finger and pointed at the two figures who were playing around.

"Do you see those two?"

His voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable power.

"I need you, Mr. Raleigh, to mentor those two lads, starting today!"