Chapter 363: A Half Month and Beyond
Chapter 363: A Half Month and Beyond
"It went something like that..."
"And that's why Roger named the island Laugh Tale."
The Grim Reaper, Rayleigh, bowed his head slightly, gazing into the yellow liquid in his cup. It seemed as if he could see Roger's reflection in the drink, and his eyes inadvertently grew a little moist.
He raised the cup to his lips and drained it in one go, closing his eyes briefly to erase the moisture in his eyes. He turned to Feng Ye once more and smiled, asking:
"What was the second thing you wanted to talk about?"
Feng Ye chuckled and replied, "The second matter is also trivial. I wanted to seek guidance on the highest level of Haki and swordsmanship."
Rayleigh was slightly taken aback, but he smiled in response, "You've already defeated Sengoku, and there aren't many in these seas who can match you now. I'm afraid I don't have much to teach you."
Rayleigh had crossed paths with Sengoku more than once.
Each time Sengoku and Garp gave chase, Garp would challenge Roger to a one-on-one duel, while Rayleigh would face off against the Marine Admiral Sengoku, and their battles always ended in a stalemate.
Since Feng Ye had defeated Sengoku, it meant his strength was most likely superior to the admiral's.
"No, to be honest, I don't know much about Haki. I only obtained a portion of the cultivation method from Shanks. As for swordsmanship, I'm not very proficient in that either."
Feng Ye smiled and explained, "I defeated Sengoku using other abilities, not solely swordsmanship."
"I see..."
Rayleigh's expression softened as he understood.
In these vast seas, those who relied too heavily on the powers of their Devil Fruits rarely became the pinnacle of strength. However, this didn't mean that one couldn't become the strongest by pushing the limits of their Devil Fruit abilities.
When it came to the strongest users of the Armament Haki, the title belonged to the Marine hero, Fist of Love, Garp. And when it came to the Observation Haki, none could surpass the late Pirate King, Roger.
The battles between Roger and Garp always ended without a clear winner.
But.
Aside from Roger, who possessed the strongest Observation Haki, and Garp, who was unparalleled in Armament Haki, there were others who could rival the two. The most renowned among them was undoubtedly Whitebeard! Whitebeard's Observation Haki wasn't as keen as Roger's, and his Armament Haki wasn't as powerful as Garp's. If one were to talk purely about physical strength, he wouldn't surpass Kaido of the Hundred Beasts either. However, Whitebeard had pushed the power of the Gura Gura no Mi to its absolute limit!
If one were to discuss who possessed the most powerful attacks in the world,
it would undoubtedly be Whitebeard!
Feng Ye seemed to be similar to Whitebeard in this regard, having pushed the capabilities of his Devil Fruit to the extreme. Even if his Haki wasn't the strongest, his overall strength was still overwhelming.
"You met Shanks?"
Rayleigh didn't answer immediately. After a moment of realization, he looked at Feng Ye with a touch of surprise and smiled, "That boy used to be an apprentice on our ship. It's been many years since I last saw him. How is he doing?"
"He should be arriving here soon as well, I assume,"
Feng Ye smiled.
He had been sailing at top speed, making minimal stops along the way, so if Shanks had any other adventures planned, he'd likely arrive a month or two late.
A nostalgic look crossed Rayleigh's face as he recalled his days sailing the seas. He stood up and smiled, "Since you're willing to ask this old man for guidance in Haki and swordsmanship, I won't refuse."
When faced with a younger man whose strength surpassed his own, and who respected him as a senior, Rayleigh wouldn't let his pride get in the way. Furthermore, from their conversation, he felt that Feng Ye's personality bore some resemblance to Roger's.
The title of 'Traveler',
in his opinion, suited Feng Ye perfectly.
"You're still young,"
Feng Ye said as he finished the remaining liquid in his cup and stood up, smiling.
Rayleigh laughed heartily and walked toward the door, with Feng Ye following close behind. Before leaving, Feng Ye turned his head and said to Robin,
"Stay here with Auntie Xia for now."
Robin nodded.
Xia Qi, standing beside her, smiled as she reached out to ruffle Robin's hair. Looking at the departing figures of Feng Ye and Rayleigh, she tilted her head and chuckled,
"His appearance, demeanor, and strength... everything about him is impeccable. If I were twenty years younger, I'd definitely fall in love with him, hehe."
A half-month later.
On an island in the Calm Belt.
Feng Ye held a plain captain's sword, his right hand gripping the hilt as black Armament Haki converged on the blade's edge. With a swift motion, he slashed forward.
Buzz! !
A massive black sword aura slashed downward, a combination of a swordmaster's strike and potent Armament Haki.
Standing opposite Feng Ye was Rayleigh the Dark King, who brandished his longsword to barely block Feng Ye's sword aura.
Swish! Swish!!
Feng Ye's figure flickered, bringing him in front of Rayleigh. He swung his sword in a downward arc.
Rayleigh parried with his sword, the clanging of metal creating an endless chorus of ding ding dong dong. Sparks flew in all directions, and the occasional burst of sword aura would cleave the nearby ground and slice trees in two.
After a fierce battle that lasted about half an hour—
"Huff... Huff..."
Sweat beaded on Rayleigh's forehead, and he began to breathe heavily.
He blocked another one of Feng Ye's attacks and stepped back, saying, "I guess I really am getting old, hahaha..."
Though he said this, he was only in his fifties at the moment, still possessing the combat prowess of his prime, with only a slight decline in physical ability.
In this situation, he was the one gasping for breath and struggling to keep up, while Feng Ye remained spirited and not even a drop of sweat could be seen on him.
What a monstrous physique!
This was Rayleigh's assessment of Feng Ye.
Solely relying on Devil Fruit abilities without focusing on physical training would never lead to the pinnacle of power in the Grand Line. However, if one could master two of the three pillars—Devil Fruit abilities, Haki, and physical prowess—they would become one of the top powerhouses of the sea.
Feng Ye's physique was the most monstrous Rayleigh had ever seen in a young man, perhaps even more abnormal than Kaido of the Hundred Beasts or Big Mom in their youth. He had never seen Feng Ye show any signs of physical exhaustion.
"No..."
Feng Ye ceased his attacks, lowering his sword and looking at the Dark King Rayleigh. "Actually, your physical abilities are already very strong. It's just that my physique is a bit unique."
Seventeen years later, the seventy-year-old Rayleigh could swim across the Calm Belt from one island to another, even killing a giant sea king hundreds to thousands of meters long along the way. Needless to say, his physical abilities at fifty-something were even more formidable.
His physical abilities would basically never decline.
"Your physique is indeed very special, like a machine with an endless energy supply..." Rayleigh took a couple of breaths before speaking to Feng Ye.
He then sheathed his sword and said, "In terms of Armament Haki strength, you've surpassed me. Your swordsmanship is also that of a formidable swordmaster. However, if you wish to improve further, simply fighting me won't be enough. You'll need to battle more people to hone your swordsmanship and Haki."
Everyone's Haki and swordsmanship were like uncut stones. Only by clashing with the Haki of different people, and stronger people, could they be polished and strengthened.
Feng Ye sheathed his sword and said, "Indeed, I haven't had much improvement lately. It seems I need to find some 'whetstones' to sharpen my skills..."
Rayleigh looked at Feng Ye and smiled. "The second half of the Grand Line has many powerful opponents who are far stronger than those in the first half."
Feng Ye nodded. "Then let's head back for now."
He wasn't in a rush to venture into the second half just yet.
The first half of the Grand Line also had places teeming with powerful experts—one such place was the Marine Headquarters! It was also a place he wanted to visit, and now seemed like a good time to make a trip there.
(End of Chapter)
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