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[TIOP] Chapter : 77
🕑 Added 2025-03-20 05:23:31 +0000 UTC"Hahaha! My original plan was just to squeeze some money out of my employer," the white-haired old man chuckled, taking a swig from his wine jug. "But after thinking it over, I doubt anyone would bother buying an old man like me!"
The previously chaotic auction house fell into an eerie silence. All eyes turned to the two unexpected intruders, confusion etched on every face.
"Hmm? Are we standing out too much?" the old man mused, scanning the quiet room.
Finally, the auction’s security staff snapped out of their daze and rushed toward them.
"What's going on?! Aren't these two supposed to be auction items? How did they escape?" One guard shouted in alarm.
Then, a startled voice rang out.
"Rayleigh?!!"
Hachi, still recovering from his injuries with Chopper’s help, stared in shock at the elderly man.
"Eh? Rayleigh?" Chopper blinked, equally surprised. "Wait, is this the coating expert Rayleigh you told us about?"
Rayleigh’s expression shifted as he spotted Hachi. "Oh! It's you, Hachi! Been a while, hasn’t it?" His cheerful demeanor faded as his gaze fell on Hachi’s injuries. His smile dimmed, and his eyes darkened with understanding.
His gaze drifted from Hachi to the mermaid Camie, trapped in a water tank, then to the unconscious Celestial Dragons sprawled across the floor.
"Hmm, I see," Rayleigh murmured. He didn't need anyone to explain—he already understood exactly what had happened.
"Thank you for your hard work, Hachi," Rayleigh said with a warm smile before turning his gaze to Luffy. "So, you’re the one who saved Hachi?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Rayleigh's eyes sharpened, and in an instant, every guard in the room collapsed to the floor, unconscious. The sudden display of power stunned everyone.
"Who... who is this old man?" Sanji muttered, so shocked that the cigarette fell from his lips without him even noticing.
Zoro narrowed his eyes, studying Rayleigh with a serious expression, while Usopp stammered in disbelief. "Hey! What just happened?!"
Having effortlessly knocked out the weaker opponents with his Conqueror’s Haki, Rayleigh now turned his attention fully to Luffy.
"Heh… That straw hat suits a strong-willed man," Rayleigh mused, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "Straw Hat Boy, Monkey D. Luffy."
—
Meanwhile, in Marineford, Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat in his office, rubbing his temples.
"That damn brat again," Sengoku groaned, slamming the report onto his desk. "Every time I turn around, he's causing trouble. Are all the men in his family like this?"
A naval officer standing before him continued his report, his voice laced with urgency.
"Sir, in addition to the Straw Hat Pirates, we've confirmed the presence of Eustass Kid's crew and Trafalgar Law's crew. That brings the total to thirteen high-profile pirates, including five supernovas with bounties exceeding 100 million!"
"We’ve lost all contact with them, and they are presumed dead. Fleet Admiral, three Celestial Dragons have been kidnapped—an event without precedent!" The marine reported urgently, his voice rising as he noticed Sengoku’s silence.
"Have the perpetrators made any demands?" Sengoku asked, his tone grave.
"Not yet, sir. But the navy cannot stand idly by! Anyone who dares to attack the world’s nobles must face immediate retaliation!" The officer insisted, his anxiety evident.
Sengoku exhaled heavily and turned to the man lounging idly nearby.
"Kizaru."
Without missing a beat, Admiral Kizaru stretched lazily before standing up. "Sengoku-san, leave it to me. I’ll be back in no time—no need to worry." With that, he sauntered toward the exit.
As Sengoku watched Kizaru leave, he remained silent, his expression unreadable.
If Jack had been present, he might have jokingly confronted Kizaru: What exactly are you up to? Are you rushing off to rescue your young master as a secret Revolutionary Army spy?
Of course, that was mere speculation. But in truth, Kizaru remained the most enigmatic admiral to Jack.
In his previous life, Jack had often come across a joke: As long as the paycheck arrives, even the Four Emperors are no big deal! This quip referred to Kizaru, the man wielding the power of the Glint-Glint Fruit, earning him the infamous moniker—the Office Worker Admiral.
Meanwhile, due to the events unfolding on the Sabaody Archipelago, Admiral Kizaru was deployed into action. However, despite his overwhelming strength, he failed to capture a single Supernova. His battle against the Straw Hat Pirates, in particular, seemed oddly restrained—as if he were merely stalling for time, waiting for Rayleigh to arrive before making any serious moves.
If Kizaru had acted with the same efficiency as he had against the other Supernovas, the Straw Hat Pirates would have been annihilated long before Rayleigh or Kuma had a chance to intervene.
Because of this, a popular theory among One Piece fans emerged, humorously speculating that Kizaru's full name might actually be Monkey D. Borsalino. Some even went as far as to suggest he was a Revolutionary Army spy embedded within the Navy, sent to covertly protect Luffy. After all, why else would an admiral—often considered the ultimate government "office worker"—volunteer for a mission unless he had ulterior motives?
At that moment, Jack arrived at the entrance of the human auction house. The marines stationed outside, upon seeing him, immediately straightened up, their confidence restored. They quickly began reporting the situation in detail.
"Tch. What a headache. That troublemaker just doesn’t know when to stop. Of all times, he had to stir up chaos now?" Jack muttered, rubbing his temples.
"Rear Admiral Jack, what are your orders?" a navy soldier asked.
"Are you certain that 'Dark King' Rayleigh is inside?" Jack asked casually.
"Well… we’re not entirely sure yet," the soldier admitted hesitantly.
"Then keep the perimeter secure. Since the Celestial Dragons have been attacked, a Navy admiral will undoubtedly arrive soon. My guess? It'll be that slippery old man, Kizaru," Jack remarked. "Hold your positions here—I’ll head inside and assess the situation myself." With that, he strode toward the entrance of the human auction house.
"Sir—" Lena called out hesitantly.
"It’s fine. Stay here and support the others. Those Supernovas aren’t easy to handle," Jack said with a wave of his hand before disappearing inside.
Meanwhile, inside the human auction house, Rayleigh had already revealed his true identity after a casual conversation with Luffy and the others.
"I never expected to run into such a legendary figure here," Law mused, watching Rayleigh from the audience.
"Silvers Rayleigh… It really is you, isn’t it?" Kidd said, his gaze fixed on the old man. "How could someone of your caliber just show up in a place like this?"
Rayleigh chuckled and waved dismissively. "Ah, don’t go throwing that name around so casually. These days, I’m just an old mechanic working on ship coatings. All I want is a little peace and quiet."
"Is that so?" Jack interjected as he stepped into the room. "You’ve just been caught up in one of the biggest incidents in recent history—and you still think you can live a quiet life?"
"Jack?!" The Straw Hat Pirates exclaimed in surprise at his sudden arrival.
"Ah, so it’s you, kid," Rayleigh said with a grin, eyeing Jack with familiarity.
Meanwhile, Law and Kidd’s expressions darkened as they muttered under their breath, "Rear Admiral Jack?"
Kidd, in particular, clenched his fists at the sight of Jack. Having suffered a crushing defeat at his hands before—losing nearly all his crew except for Killer—he had long considered Jack an enemy.
"Luffy, you really are a walking disaster. Now you’ve gone and punched a Celestial Dragon," Jack remarked, glancing around nonchalantly. "So, what about those pompous fools? You didn’t kill them, did you?"
Luffy, unfazed, met Jack’s gaze. "Are you here to arrest us?"
As for the Celestial Dragons Jack mentioned, Luffy clearly couldn’t care less.
"Hey, hey, as a marine, you really shouldn’t be calling them trash," Rayleigh interjected with an amused chuckle.
Jack smirked. "Who said anything about the Marine? If we just wipe all of you out right here, then there’d be no one left to spill any secrets… right, Uncle Rayliegh?" He shot Rayleigh a playful wink.
Rayleigh threw his head back and laughed. "Hah! You sure are bold, kid. But I’m an old man now—I don’t have the energy for all this trouble. You young folks can have your fun. Me? I’m heading home."
"What?! That’s no fun!" Jack scoffed. "I was hoping to test out my improved skills on you today. Bullying these rookies just isn’t satisfying."
Before Rayleigh could respond, Jack’s taunting words had already provoked several of the pirates in the room.
"Hey, Jack! We’re not the same weaklings you fought before. Don’t underestimate us!" Luffy snapped, his expression fierce.
"Luffy, what are you doing?!" Nami quickly grabbed his arm, exasperated.
It was clear Jack had no real intention of fighting them—at least not yet. The smartest move right now was to escape while they still had the chance. Once an admiral arrived, there would be no way out. They had already witnessed the terrifying strength of the Navy’s top officers, and no matter how strong Luffy was, Nami didn’t believe he stood a chance against someone like Aokiji.
