One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen

The rough newspaper rustled softly in Silvers Rayleigh's hands.

His eyes narrowed slightly as sunlight passed through the paper. The bold headline on the front page struck his gaze like a barrage of cannon fire:

[Storms Rise Again in the New World! "Beasts" Kaido and "Big Mom" Charlotte Linlin Clash in an All-Out Conflict—Shockwaves Destroy "Thundercloud Island"!]

Beside the headline was a blurry yet striking photograph.

In the sky, it seemed as if a dragon and a demonic shadow were entwined in battle. Below them, the island had been scorched black and split apart, while unnatural tidal waves surged across the sea.

Rayleigh's thumb unconsciously rubbed the edge of the paper.

His gaze shifted downward.

[Remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates Reunite—The Great Ship Sets Sail Again! New Captain Confirmed: the Pirate King's Orphan Raised Under "Whitebeard's" Protection—"Flame Emperor" Portgas D. Ace (Real Name: Gol D. Ace)!]

Next to the title was a sketch of Ace.

Wearing his orange cowboy hat, he stood at the bow of the Moby Dick, flames blazing behind him as he stared resolutely into the distance.

The determination in his expression—and the weight he carried—seemed to leap straight off the page.

Rayleigh's fingers paused almost imperceptibly as he turned the paper.

The third page carried an even darker headline:

[Blackbeard's Hunting Grounds! Marshall D. Teach's Power Expands Rapidly—Devil Fruit Users Targeted! Multiple Sources Claim the Blackbeard Pirates Possess a Secret Method to "Steal" Devil Fruit Powers?!]

The report was filled with uncertainty and dread.

It described entire seas cloaked in terror—Devil Fruit users living in constant fear.

"..."

For a few seconds, time itself seemed to slow as Rayleigh read.

He said nothing.

But behind his glasses, those eyes that had watched the sea's storms for over sixty years—eyes that once sailed alongside legends—slowly narrowed.

Each headline felt like a heavy puzzle piece, rapidly assembling in his mind into a far grander and more turbulent picture of the New World.

The Four Emperors clashing.

The heir of a fallen legend raising the banner.

Ambitious predators stirring in the shadows.

Echoes of the old era colliding violently with the roaring tide of the new one.

The seagull hadn't just delivered a newspaper.

It had delivered something closer to a declaration of war—a message carried from the most violent seas, reeking of smoke and blood.

"Whoa—stretch!"

With a sharp whoosh, Luffy's rubber neck shot forward, his head popping beside Rayleigh's newspaper like a cannonball. His eyes widened as if he wanted to swallow the headlines whole.

"Whoa!! They're fighting! Kaido and that super hungry big old lady!"

He read enthusiastically, making meaningless exclamations as he went.

When his eyes reached the report about Blackbeard, the excitement on his rubbery face faded slightly. His eyebrows lifted.

"Huh? Blackbeard?! He's still kicking around?"

Luffy looked a little surprised that Blackbeard hadn't died, but he didn't dwell on it.

After all, even the Five Elders seemed to possess some kind of "immortality." For someone who had originally been a near final-boss level figure, having hidden secrets wasn't strange at all.

Still, Luffy silently made up his mind.

Next time I see Blackbeard… I'll be careful.

And make sure I finish him off for good.

Meanwhile, Rayleigh had already skimmed the key points.

Hearing Luffy's noisy reactions, he shook his head and spread the newspaper open. His finger tapped the article about the clash between Kaido and Big Mom.

"Kaido and Linlin's conflict…"

Rayleigh's voice was calm, carrying the clarity of someone who had weathered countless storms.

"It looks spectacular—destroying islands and nations. But for those two monsters… it's probably nothing more than casual entertainment."

"Or perhaps just a rather intense way of saying hello."

He lifted his eyes, as if seeing the two terrifying forces of the New World through the newspaper.

"For those standing at the summit of the seas—the Four Emperors—when their territories border each other and their interests clash, settling things with their fists every so often is perfectly normal."

"Sometimes they even wipe out a few inconvenient islands or factions along the way."

"That's both a form of intimidation… and a way they maintain their violent balance."

He paused. His finger brushed across the image of Kaido's faint dragon silhouette printed on the page.

His voice lowered, becoming more analytical.

"If this were truly a life-or-death battle—one where neither side held anything back…"

"Based on what I know about those two…"

"The odds of Linlin surviving would be extremely low."

Rayleigh's eyes sharpened as if he were replaying the apocalypse in his mind.

"Kaido's Fish‑Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon—his Azure Dragon form—once awakened…"

He slowly exhaled, each word carrying weight.

"The destructive power, recovery ability, and absolute control he gains over the battlefield…"

"…reach a level that's almost unbelievable."

"In a straightforward one-on-one fight, with no tricks involved…"

"That man is practically synonymous with invincibility."

"Linlin's 'Iron Balloon' body and the Soru Soru no Mi are certainly terrifying."

"But against an awakened dragon capable of unleashing natural disasters and bordering on immortality…"

He didn't finish the sentence.

He didn't need to.

Rayleigh's gaze left the article about Kaido and Linlin.

His finger slid down the page and stopped at the ominous headline about Marshall D. Teach.

The calm analysis in his eyes faded, replaced by something heavier.

"Compared to that… the real danger right now…"

His voice deepened like an old sailor sensing a storm approaching.

"…is this man."

"Blackbeard—Marshall D. Teach."

He looked up, as if seeing across time to the sinister figure who once hid beneath Whitebeard's enormous shadow.

"That man was once a 'son' aboard Whitebeard's ship."

"He understands the structure, weaknesses, and true value of the Whitebeard Pirates' enormous power better than anyone."

Rayleigh's words were methodical, exposing the logic behind ambition.

"When Whitebeard fell, he left behind more than mourning and reputation."

"He left behind a massive vacuum of power and territory."

"And Teach…"

"…could never ignore that."

Rayleigh's tone turned cold and certain.

"If the Blackbeard Pirates—who already possess that bizarre ability to hunt Devil Fruit powers—were to swallow Whitebeard's legacy…"

"Absorb some of his former influence and prestige…"

"Then that would become the fastest and richest path for Teach to ascend to the throne of a Sea Emperor."

Following that logic, the conclusion was as clear as a lighthouse in the dark—yet just as ominous.

"That means he will inevitably collide with the man now carrying Whitebeard's banner…"

"…Ace."

"And the remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates who follow him."

Rayleigh paused deliberately, letting the weight of the deduction linger.

Then he exhaled slowly, the faint scent of alcohol on his breath.

"Whitebeard's era has ended."

"But the chain reaction caused by his death—and what he left behind—has only just begun."

"The clash between new and old banners…"

"The duel between legitimacy and betrayal…"

Rayleigh turned his gaze toward Luffy.

There was no question in his eyes—only the certainty of someone stating an unavoidable truth.

"I'm afraid it won't be long before the New World witnesses a battle destined to shake the entire era."

He spoke the words slowly and clearly.

"A war of reckoning."

Faced with Rayleigh's almost prophetic gaze, Luffy's reaction was unexpectedly calm.

He didn't jump up in excitement.

He didn't show concern.

Instead, he simply shrugged casually, as if they were talking about tomorrow's weather.

Then he grinned—wide and bright.

"Don't worry, Rayleigh!"

Luffy's voice rang out cheerfully, carrying the elastic energy that seemed capable of bouncing away any heavy premonition.

"I trust Ace!"

His eyes looked toward the horizon, as if he could see his brother sailing somewhere across the Calm Belt and the Red Line.

"That guy's really strong! Way stronger than before!"

He clenched his fist with a crack.

"And he's got a lot of awesome crewmates with him too! Just like I've got you guys!"

Turning back, his grin remained dazzling as he shoved all of Rayleigh's serious analysis into his simple, absolute logic:

Trust your friends.

"So Ace will definitely beat that black fat guy!!"

Rayleigh stared at Luffy's carefree smile and froze for a moment.

Then the heavy expression at the corner of his mouth softened slightly.

A faint smile appeared—mixed with helplessness and quiet nostalgia.

◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇

◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!

◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.

◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → /Chakraflow789