I, The Celestial Dragon, Rule The Heavens Through The Double Gate

Even if Rayleigh is dealt with, he still has to be punished.

At this moment, Kong's heart was burning with anger toward Rayleigh.

"Rayleigh, you've been living in isolation all this time. Why did you have to come to Mariejois now? Are you flirting with death?"

Boom!

Kong's speed exploded. He dared not hold back and appeared before Rayleigh in an instant, throwing a punch with all his strength while shouting, "Rayleigh, die for me!"

Sensing the danger, Rayleigh turned suddenly. Facing Kong's all-out attack, pressure rose in his heart. He quickly countered with his strength.

The two collided.

A terrifying shockwave erupted.

Evenly matched!

But Rayleigh's expression darkened.

Trouble!

Things were escalating!

Kong spoke in a deep voice, "Rayleigh, have you forgotten your identity? If you dare to come here, be prepared to die!"

After speaking, Kong charged again.

Zero also launched a swift attack.

A fierce battle erupted once more.

Stussy glanced at the scene but showed no intention of joining the fight. Instead, she focused on protecting Kaos, standing silently by his side.

Swish.

A figure appeared beside Kaos.

It was an elderly man with a sword—one of the Five Elders.

He cast a cold glance at Rayleigh. As one of the Five Elders, he acknowledged Rayleigh's power but did not consider him worth his direct involvement. Instead, he turned to Kaos and asked, "Your Highness, what about those slaves?"

These slaves were originally slated for release, but the time wasn't right.

Even so, the World Government had treated them with food and drink recently.

But none of that mattered now, as the slaves chose to defect at this moment.

Kaos remained silent for a while before coldly stating, "They made their choice, so let them face the consequences. Kill them all."

Then, Kaos added, "Spare the Fish-Men. Don't kill them all."

The old man with the sword nodded. "Understood."

With that, he stepped forward and vanished.

Kaos folded his arms and watched the battle unfold.

Rayleigh, still in his prime, possessed Admiral-level strength, and defeating him wasn't an easy feat. As shown in the fight between Aokiji and Akainu, it could take days for a decisive outcome.

Understanding this, Kaos ordered, "Stussy, join them."

"Yes, Your Highness," Stussy replied respectfully before vanishing.

Now, the sound of battle intensified.

Boom! Boom!

Rayleigh clashed with Zero, their blows evenly matched before they separated.

Kong seized the opportunity to attack from behind. Rayleigh turned and blocked it with a slash, but Zero, using the speed granted by his Devil Fruit, struck swiftly. The terrifying speed left Rayleigh no time to react as he was punched in the back. Blood spilled from his mouth as he was sent flying.

But that's not all.

Stussy had arrived.

After catching up with Rayleigh who was flying upside down in the air, with a cold smile on her face, she raised her leg and kicked him.

Rayleigh gritted his teeth and tried to block the blow, but was thrown back due to Stussy strong force, and crashed into the debris.

"Ahem."

"It's really annoying."

Rayleigh got up embarrassed, coughed up blood, and looked at the three figures in front of him, with deep fear in his eyes, but also with a bitter smile.

Though he knew Mariejois was dangerous, he hadn't expected it to be this perilous.

Regret filled him.

If he had known, he would never have come here.

But now that he was here, escape seemed almost impossible.

He could only bide his time and search for an opening.

With a solemn expression, Rayleigh continued to fight, though the battle quickly turned one-sided.

Facing three Admiral-level opponents simultaneously was a nearly insurmountable challenge.

Still, his strength kept him alive, albeit barely, as his physical endurance dwindled.

While Kaos observed the battle, Tiger anxiously watched from a distance.

"Rayleigh can't die!"

Tiger's heart burned with guilt.

He felt it was his fault that Rayleigh was involved. This whole endeavor to Mariejois was his idea. Rayleigh had come to help him.

So, Tiger devised a desperate plan.

His eyes locked on Kaos.

Even without the iconic bubble hood of the Celestial Dragons, Kaos exuded a noble air.

"As long as I capture this Celestial Dragon, those three will hesitate, and we might have a chance to escape!"

Without hesitation, Tiger sprang into action, charging toward Kaos.

"Oh? Coming for me?"

Kaos noticed Tiger and smirked coldly, reading his intent.

"Ignorant fool."

"Kill him!" Kaos commanded.

Though Zero and Stussy were occupied with Rayleigh, Kaos wasn't defenseless.

At his words, three figures emerged from the shadows, their powerful auras suffusing the battlefield.

Tiger hesitated.

But it was too late to retreat.

The three guards closed in on Tiger within moments.

One unleashed a Finger Pistol technique, forcing Tiger to dodge. Another struck, kicking him in the abdomen and sending him flying.

The third intercepted him midair, slamming him into the ground, creating a large crater.

Without giving Tiger a chance to recover, the trio unleashed their strongest attacks in unison.

Boom!

The ground trembled. Dust filled the air.

When it settled, the three guards returned to Kaos's side, disappearing back into the shadows.

In the pit, Tiger lay lifeless, a massive hole in his chest, blood pooling beneath him.

"Brother Tiger!"

"Ahhh!!"

"Damn it, I'm going to kill you!"

Tiger's death drove some Fish-Men around go crazy.

Unfortunately, they couldn't even get close to Kaos.

They were forcibly captured alive by some shields instead.

If not for Kaos's order, these Fish-Men would have been killed long ago—Jinbe included.

At the same time, Rayleigh also noticed Tiger's death. Sadness flickered in his eyes, but it was quickly replaced by resolve.

Though only a short time had passed, Rayleigh was already covered in wounds and blood. If the fight continued like this, there would be almost no way out for him.

The Red Line is easy to climb up, but near impossible to descend.

He had made it this far by climbing, and now there was no going back.

But escaping from this situation was nearly impossible, as his enemies would never give him the chance.

At this height, even someone as powerful as Rayleigh wouldn't dare to leap off recklessly. Unlike Kaido, Rayleigh didn't have an indestructible body that could withstand such a fall.

He needed to find another way.

Tiger's actions, however, gave him an idea.

If he could capture a Celestial Dragon, he might just have a chance to escape safely.

...

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