There was no time for reminiscing.
Shakky rushed over, her face grim as she addressed Rayleigh.
"Rayleigh, you need to get them out of here now! The Admiral has arrived!"
Those words struck like thunder, and everyone's expressions turned serious. Rayleigh instinctively asked,
"Which one?"
Shakky locked eyes with him, her voice heavy.
"Black Dragon."
Even Luffy, hearing the name "Black Dragon," instantly realized the gravity of the situation. Among all the Admirals, this was the one his father, Dragon, had warned him about the most.
"If you ever encounter Admiral Black Dragon at sea," Dragon had often said, "don't think, just run. Run as if your life depends on it."
Zoro and Sanji exchanged glances, both understanding just how dire the situation had become. Meanwhile, Nami, Chopper, and Usopp—the trio known for their nervous dispositions—screamed in panic. Franky and Brook, usually the comedic relief, stood with solemn faces.
Hiyori and Ace bore expressions of deep hatred.
Ace growled, "It's him! He killed my father! I'll avenge him!"
Toki shot Ace a glance and said, her voice calm but sharp,
(T/N: Kouzuki Toki is also there)
"No, you don't understand the terror of Black Dragon. Even with Rayleigh by our side and all of us combined, we're no match for him. My husband was crippled by him, my son slaughtered before my eyes. My hatred runs deeper than yours! But that doesn't mean we should throw our lives away. Right now, we need to escape!"
Shakky nodded in agreement.
"She's right. I've already received word: Admiral Black Dragon is wreaking havoc across Sabaody. Six of the Supernovas and their crews have already fallen to him."
"What!?"
The Straw Hat Pirates and Spade Pirates gasped in disbelief. From Zoro killing a Celestial Dragon to now, less than half an hour had passed. Yet Black Dragon had already annihilated six Supernova pirate crews?
Zoro frowned, asking, "How could it happen so fast? Didn't they fight back?"
Shakky glanced at him and replied in a low voice,
"Of course, they resisted. Eustass Kid, who ranks second in your bounty rankings, couldn't even withstand a single blow before he was brutally killed."
Ace trembled, recalling his recent conversation with Kid. He never expected the man to die so quickly.
Rayleigh suddenly spoke up, his voice firm.
"Enough! You can come back to coat your ship later. Leave now!"
As soon as he finished, a single black feather floated down onto Rayleigh's shoulder. A familiar voice to Rayleigh came from above.
"Leave? And where do you think you're going?"
Everyone instinctively looked up.
In the sky, Carl hovered with crossed arms, his pitch-black wings flapping gently behind him. He gazed down at Rayleigh and the others with a faint smile.
"Rayleigh, it's been twenty-two years since we last met. Aren't you glad to see me?"
As he spoke, Carl descended slowly. The moment his feet touched the ground, an invisible pressure weighed down on everyone present.
Rayleigh's face darkened as he instinctively shielded Luffy and Ace with his body, glaring at Carl.
"Black Dragon! We meet again."
Carl ignored Rayleigh and instead fixed his gaze on Zoro.
The swordsman felt an unprecedented sense of oppression under Carl's gaze. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and even the encounter with Dracule Mihawk hadn't given him such a feeling.
Carl spoke softly.
"Roronoa Zoro, you killed a Celestial Dragon, didn't you?"
Zoro gritted his teeth and answered,
"So what if I did?"
"Good."
Carl nodded coldly. Black light coalesced in his right hand, forming a sleek, black sword—his signature weapon, the cursed blade Muramasa.
Zoro immediately drew his three swords, assuming his unique Santoryu stance.
Before anyone could react, Carl vanished. In an instant, he appeared in front of Zoro, leaving only an afterimage in his previous spot.
Clang!
In a flash, Zoro's three swords were sent flying. Sandai Kitetsu snapped in two, while Wado Ichimonji and Shusui embedded themselves in the ground, both damaged. Though the latter two were spared from breaking outright, their chipped edges rendered them useless.
Even fine blades like Wado Ichimonji and Shusui, untempered into black blades, couldn't withstand Carl's casual strike. As for Sandai Kitetsu...
Perhaps Nusjuro would need to bring the supreme-grade Kitetsu next time.
(T/N: Nusjuro is a World Noble and one of the Five Elders)
Carl didn't spare Zoro another glance and stepped toward Rayleigh. Zoro stood motionless, his hands empty, his expression frozen in shock.
Sanji rushed to Zoro's side, alarmed.
"Zoro! Zoro! Say something, you moss-headed idiot!"
Even calling him "moss-head" elicited no reaction.
Panicked, Sanji reached out to shake Zoro, but the moment he touched him, a horrifying sight unfolded.
A crimson line extended from Zoro's forehead to his waist. In the blink of an eye, his upper body slid diagonally off his lower half, blood gushing like a fountain, drenching Sanji in an instant.
The Straw Hat crew screamed in anguish.
"Zoro!!!"
Luffy's eyes turned bloodshot as he roared, charging toward Carl, only to be restrained by Rayleigh. The Pirate King's right-hand man held him in place, his own frustration palpable.
Sanji, however, was overwhelmed by fury. Flames erupted along his leg, his voice a thunderous roar.
"Take this!"
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+210 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg