"Rayleigh, in this battle today, I have staked the Navy's justice. If we fail to capture you, pirates will grow even more rampant, and the world will descend into chaos."
As he spoke, the colossal golden Buddha came crashing down.
BOOM!
A shockwave erupted from Sengoku's position, each impact obliterating vast stretches of land.
Sengoku stood majestic, his golden radiance shining brilliantly, as if all evil would be crushed beneath his divine light.
The violent pressure swept past, but Rayleigh, relying on his speed, dodged effortlessly. A fierce gust tousled his hair as he landed a short distance away.
With a slight smirk, Rayleigh adjusted his disheveled locks and said,
"Sengoku, you can't match my speed. Why not wait until Roger and Garp settle their fight?"
"Silvers Rayleigh, this isn't just a duel between Roger and Garp."
Sengoku clenched his fists, his entire body clad in golden light like sacred armor, exuding an aura of unwavering justice.
He unleashed a massive shockwave from his Buddha form.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Rayleigh dodged swiftly. After a brief silence, he fixed his gaze on Sengoku and spoke calmly.
"Sengoku, there's no point in fighting. You can't defeat me. Besides, the Void Century—don’t tell me you know nothing about it. Is this the justice you uphold?"
Rayleigh's words gave Sengoku pause, but his expression quickly hardened again as he glared back.
"Rayleigh, you're nothing but a pirate. Stop spouting nonsense. The World Government's judgment is never wrong. Everything is for the stability of the world, yet your Roger Pirates seek to destroy it. For the Navy's justice, I will use every ounce of my strength to capture you."
His tone was resolute.
"Oh?"
Rayleigh adjusted his glasses, his expression turning grave.
"Sengoku, you ate the Human-Human Fruit—you're a smart man. And after serving the Celestial Dragons for so many years, don’t tell me you’re truly ignorant of what happened during the Void Century. What the Celestial Dragons did—do you really not know?"
"Rayleigh, my duty is to obey the World Government’s orders. I don’t care about the past. The world today is already in ruins because of pirates like you. Countless innocent lives have been lost to piracy. For the sake of absolute justice, I will eradicate every last one of you!"
Rayleigh smirked, his lips curling in disdain.
"Hah, really? Sengoku, how many people have been deceived by the lies of the Celestial Dragons? Ever since they learned the Roger Pirates reached the final island, Laugh Tale, they had the news agencies spread propaganda, even crowning Roger as the 'Pirate King.' Do you really not know why?"
Sengoku remained silent, his face darkening.
Rayleigh scoffed and continued.
"Heh. Sengoku, all we did was reach an island. Yet the Celestial Dragons spun tales of us finding a legendary treasure, all to incite pirates from across the seas to hunt us down. But our captain inherited the will of Joy Boy—he won’t be defeated so easily."
"Enough!" Sengoku roared.
"What are you afraid of, Sengoku? We’ve already deciphered the four Poneglyphs. The Celestial Dragons never expected that the Great Kingdom they destroyed still had people who could read them. This world isn’t what it seems—it should be a far more civilized place, not a slave society ruled by the Celestial Dragons. Do you have any idea how many people they abduct every year?"
Rayleigh’s questions came rapid-fire, his voice laced with fury. The Celestial Dragons, for the sake of their rule, acted with utter impunity.
"Rayleigh, the world is stable now. As long as pirates don’t run wild, peace can be maintained. Yet your Roger Pirates seek to disrupt that peace, spreading lies and sowing chaos. As a Marine, it is my duty to uphold justice."
"Lies? Sengoku, can you say that without shame? Stop hiding behind the word 'justice'—it’s meaningless. And the fact that you say this proves you know some of the truth. Is this really the justice you believe in?"
Rayleigh’s rebuttal struck a nerve.
Sengoku’s expression darkened, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind.
"Sengoku, have you never been to the kingdom connected by countless giant bridges?"
"You—" Sengoku’s face twisted as Rayleigh’s words dredged up memories.
(Flashback)
"Please, spare me! I won’t do it again! I’ll work harder!"
"Stop! Please! I’ll obey! Have mercy, noble Celestial Dragons!"
CRACK! A whip lashed out.
"AHHH—!"
"Hmph! You disgusting vermin—address me as 'God,' understand?"
"Throw those useless slaves into the sea as fish bait. Hahaha! Trash like them are only good as chum!"
"Yes, Lord!"
"Heheh, well said. These lowlifes were born to be slaves. Hahaha!"
"HAHAHA!"
"HAHAHA!"
Sengoku snapped back to reality, his eyelids twitching. The memories were vivid—slaves bound by heavy chains, beaten and humiliated by the Celestial Dragons, dying by the dozens every day.
"Remember now, Sengoku? For 700 years, the Celestial Dragons have enslaved countless islands, all to maintain their control..."
"For 700 years, the Kingdom of the Great Bridges has suffered—why hasn’t your justice saved them? Are they not human too?"
Thump.
Sengoku’s heart pounded violently. Back then, he had wavered. He had opposed the Celestial Dragons’ actions.
But after a moment of hesitation, he steeled himself and declared firmly:
"Rayleigh, the past is irrelevant history. People must look forward, cherish the present—that is the right path."
As a Navy Admiral, decades of service had ingrained in him absolute trust in the World Government. As long as the world remained stable, chaos could be avoided. And the only true threat to peace? Pirates.
"Sengoku, you’re just making excuses to justify yourself," Rayleigh retorted. "You know the truth—Roger was a member of the 'D' clan. The Celestial Dragons are desperate to execute him because they fear the 'D's will rise again and overthrow them."
"Heh." Rayleigh smirked, then added:
"But those arrogant fools never expected Roger would use you to drive pirates toward the One Piece."