Arias vs Rayleigh, Juelong Shows His Power For The First Time!

Arias smiled and said, "I have plenty of new gadgets. Let's have a match. If you can beat me, I'll teach you!"

Rayleigh's interest was immediately piqued.

When he first met Arias, the young man had some strange techniques, but his strength wasn't impressive. However, the next time they crossed paths, Arias had undergone a dramatic transformation in power. Rayleigh couldn't help but wonder how strong Arias had become.

"Alright, you young rascal, challenging an old man like me!"

Despite his words, Rayleigh stood up with a grin. "Zoro, fetch my sword. It's time to show you what real swordsmanship looks like!"

Zoro hurried to Rayleigh's quarters and returned with the sword. He knew the strength of both Rayleigh and Arias, but he had only witnessed such powerful battles once before, when Arias faced off against Shanks. Even then, Arias had only used the Tongtianlu ability, and the duel ended too quickly to be satisfying.

But this time, he was about to witness something truly extraordinary.

As soon as Rayleigh took hold of his sword, his demeanor sharpened, becoming as keen as a blade.

Arias couldn't help but admire him. Despite his age, Rayleigh's strength had not waned.

"Old man, be careful. My sword is unlike anything you've seen before!" Arias warned.

With that, Juelong was unsheathed, and the two clashed instantly. Rayleigh's sword came down with precision, effortlessly blocking Arias's blade. Both swords, blackened with Armament Haki, emitted a deadly aura. They both had mastered advanced Haki, and the clash was intense.

Rayleigh's sword was enveloped in spiritual power—Conqueror's Haki, something Arias had yet to master. With a roar, Rayleigh pushed Arias back several steps.

"Your sword isn't so special after all!" Rayleigh scoffed, though he secretly admired Arias's strength. How far had this young man come, to be able to hold his own against him in swordsmanship?

Arias steadied himself and grinned. "I was just warming up. Now, let's get serious."

With that, Juelong's blade shattered into countless fragments. Four long, slender fragments, like flying knives, along with countless tiny shards, reflected pink in the sunlight like delicate cherry blossoms.

This was no ordinary blade—it was honed through relentless training, infused with Haki and Qi, and could be controlled as easily as Arias could move his own limbs. The Divine Machine Hundred Refiners technique allowed him to manipulate and transform objects instantly, and after so much refinement, it was effortless to wield.

The fragments darted toward Rayleigh, too small to see with the naked eye, detectable only through Observation Haki. Rayleigh was taken aback—how was he supposed to fight against something like this?

Arias smirked. "It's alright to surrender, old man."

Nearby, Nami, Carina, Nuoqigao, Iska, and Yinsqi were cheering Arias on. "Go, Brother Arias! You'll win for sure!"

"Grandpa Rayleigh, give up already!" they chimed in.

Rayleigh chuckled at their enthusiasm. But he wasn't one to give up easily, no matter the odds. "I've never been one to surrender. Your blades may be many, but they're too small to do any real damage!"

Rayleigh continued to fight, and Arias was thrilled to have his wish granted. The countless blades swarmed Rayleigh, who couldn't block all of them and had to rely on his full-body Armament Haki to fend off the attacks.

With quick, precise strikes, Rayleigh managed to slice through the four largest fragments. But the smaller ones continued their relentless assault, clinking against his Haki-coated body. Even with his decades of experience, Rayleigh's defense was being worn down.

Hours into the battle, Rayleigh suddenly leaped back and declared, "I'm done! Your abilities are too underhanded!"

Maintaining full-body Haki was draining, and while Rayleigh wasn't exhausted yet, he knew he had been beaten. If Arias had joined the fight alongside his blades, Rayleigh would have been overwhelmed.

"Haha! Grandpa Rayleigh lost!"

"Brother Arias is amazing! How does your sword break apart like that?" the girls asked, swarming Arias with admiration, much to Sanji's envy.

Arias laughed and encouraged them. "If you train hard, you can be just as strong as me. When you're ready, I'll take you all out to sea. How does that sound?"

After spending time with the girls and boys, Arias watched as the doll version of himself, now known as Yongye, left with Moria. Before departing, he used the power of his golden hands to alter Moria's appearance.

As Yongye sailed away, Arias reflected on how closely connected they were. The doll wasn't just a puppet—it was like a clone. No matter the distance, Arias could sense its every movement and see through its eyes.

"We can't keep calling it a puppet. It has a name now," Arias mused. "Yongye. I'll have to remember to call it that in front of others."

Back on the ship, Yongye found Solomon, who had been trapped in a steel cage and was nearly starved to death. Solomon feared he had outlived his usefulness and that Yongye intended to let him die.

"Hey, I've been away for a while and almost forgot about you," Yongye said, releasing Solomon from the cage. "You know where to find food, so go eat."

Solomon hesitated, then knelt in gratitude. "Thank you, Lord Yongye! I will be your most loyal servant and never betray you!"

Solomon, once a powerful figure in the underground world, was now a humble shadow of his former self.

"Alright, I get it. Go eat," Yongye responded, considering that Solomon might still have some use in the future.

After Solomon left, Moria, still uneasy, asked Yongye, "Where do you want me to go?"

Yongye replied, "The Marines are searching for you. I'll take you to a safe place to lay low for a while. Then, when the time is right, you can come out again."