One Piece: Starting with Creating the Strongest Character Design

Upon hearing this, Rayleigh immediately burst into laughter, his laughter hearty, loud, and unrestrained.

"I never imagined that this old guy who has been living in seclusion for so many years would be so famous in the Navy."

He suppressed his smile, his gaze falling on Kitahara Tsune, a hint of understanding and approval in his eyes, and spoke:

"I've heard of you. Not long ago, you deliberately let a group of merfolk escape, didn't you?"

Kitahara Tsune raised an eyebrow slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "I didn't expect Mr. Rayleigh to care about such trivial matters."

Rayleigh waved his hand, his tone casual yet carrying a hint of solemnity:

"I just ran into Hachi on the beach. He saved my life. He specifically sought me out and asked me to help the ship full of freed slaves."

"By the way, I mentioned a Marine named Kitahara Tsune, who was kind-hearted and deliberately let them go, preventing them from being caught by the Marines."

"I see."

Kitahara Tsune nodded knowingly, and the slight doubt in his heart completely disappeared.

With Rayleigh's help, the rescued slaves on that ship naturally didn't have to worry about being captured again.

However, his gaze slowly shifted to the two girls behind Rayleigh, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes:

As for the three Snake Sisters, it's likely that they were too wary by nature and got separated from the other slaves as soon as they landed, hiding on their own instead of leaving with the others.

"Don't worry, your sister is here."

Kitahara Tsune spoke to the two girls who were still hiding behind Rayleigh, their eyes wary, his tone much softer, trying to appear gentle and harmless.

Upon hearing this, the two girls instinctively followed Kitahara Tsune's gaze and then noticed Hancock lying on the sofa next to them.

The pent-up worries in their hearts suddenly erupted, and the two of them, no longer caring about their fear, rushed out from behind Rayleigh and surrounded Hancock tightly.

"Don't worry, she's just fainted. She's not in any danger and will wake up soon."

Seeing their anxious expressions, Kitahara Tsune gently comforted them.

Then, he turned to look at Shakky and Rayleigh, his expression regaining its composure:

"They are the children of the Amazon Lily, and their background is pitiful, so I brought them to Ms. Shakky, hoping that Ms. Shakky could lend a helping hand and help them return to the Amazon Lily safely."

Rayleigh looked at Kitahara Tsune, the scrutiny in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by deep admiration. He slowly spoke:

"You are special, Kitahara Tsuneo. What you have done does not benefit the World Government in any way, and may even offend those high and mighty Celestial Dragons. It is also detrimental to your own career."

Kitahara Tsune remained unmoved, his tone firm: "The World Government has never represented ordinary people; it is merely a tool used by the Celestial Dragons to oppress all living beings and maintain their own privileges."

"The justice I uphold has never been for the world government, but for the ordinary people who are oppressed and bullied."

After hearing this, Rayleigh burst into laughter again.

He stepped forward, raised his hand, and gently patted Kitahara Tsuneo on the shoulder: "I have high hopes for you, young man."

Kitahara Tsune smiled, meeting Rayleigh's gaze, a hint of eagerness flashing in his eyes: "Actually, I came here for another purpose, of course."

"That is, I want to have a proper 'spar' with you, the legendary King of the Underworld, and witness the strength of a top-tier expert."

"OK!"

A glint flashed in Rayleigh's eyes, and he readily agreed, showing no sign of underestimating Kitahara Tsune.

Young people should dare to challenge established powerhouses.

Just as the two were about to set off, Xia Qi frowned, her tone tinged with helplessness:

"If you two want to fight, go outside and fight."

Rayleigh smiled and waved to Kitahara Tsuneo: "Let's go outside."

……

The tranquility that once filled the open space outside the bar was now gone.

What was once a lush, flat lawn is now riddled with holes, mud flying everywhere, and grass clippings scattered about, clearly having undergone a violent collision.

Ding...dang...dang...

The crisp, heavy sounds of weapons clashing rang out continuously, each collision accompanied by a piercing roar, the shockwaves spreading outwards and blowing the surrounding weeds to one side.

Kitahara Tsune's figure flashed like a ghost, his steps light and swift, pushing his speed to the limit, almost turning into a blur, making it impossible to see his specific movements.

He wielded the famous sword, Ghost-Slaying Blade, at his waist with unparalleled skill, its sharp light flashing as it slashed towards Rayleigh. His moves were ruthless yet disciplined.

On the other side, Rayleigh, the King of the Underworld, stood firmly in place, unmoved as a mountain, with a calm and composed expression.

No matter how swift or fierce Kitahara Tsune's attacks were, he easily deflected them with the knife in his hand, without any effort.

Whether it was the fierce clash of weapons or the occasional close-quarters physical duel, Kitahara Tsune was always at a disadvantage. Even if he tried his best, he could never break through Rayleigh's defense and couldn't even touch the hem of Rayleigh's clothes.

Ding--

With another fierce clash between the long sword and the short sword, a resolute glint flashed in Kitahara Tsune's eyes. He instantly gathered a powerful Tempest Kick under his feet, concentrating the force in his right foot. Taking advantage of Rayleigh's parrying gap, he kicked Rayleigh hard in the chest.

Boom!

The enormous reaction force exploded instantly. Kitahara Tsune felt a tremendous force rebound from Rayleigh, which made his whole body numb. He was sent flying backward at an astonishing speed and crashed hard into the iconic giant tree trunk of the Sabaody Archipelago.

click-

The thick tree trunk was smashed open, leaving a huge hole. Wood chips flew everywhere, and the trunk made a creaking sound as it broke.

Kitahara Tsune let out a muffled groan, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and slowly rose from the hole, his figure somewhat unsteady.

He gasped for breath before he could barely stand, feeling his blood surging and his internal organs shifting as if they had been displaced.

The right foot that kicked Rayleigh was in excruciating pain; it was highly likely that it was broken.

His once pristine white suit was now covered in sweat and dust, and torn in many places, revealing the bruises underneath.

However, his eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at the unmoving figure in front of him, showing no sign of discouragement but rather an unprecedented excitement and fervor.

That's incredibly strong, absolutely incredible!

Compared to him, I am not even in the same league.

With just a little force, the opponent could crush him to death.

Is this the difference between top experts and myself?

It was so great that it shocked him and strengthened his resolve to become stronger.

The opponent's physical strength had reached an unbelievable level. His kick, delivered with all his might, not only failed to injure the opponent in the slightest, but also seriously injured him.

His physical abilities, which he had achieved through years of hard training and the enhancement of certain attributes, were almost insignificant compared to Rayleigh's; he couldn't even break through Rayleigh's defenses.

Rayleigh didn't use any Armament Haki at all; he easily blocked all of Rayleigh's attacks simply by relying on his physical strength.

The opponent's swordsmanship had reached a level of simplicity and naturalness. The opponent did not use any fancy techniques, but simply relied on extremely solid basic skills to completely defeat my swordsmanship.

He now finally understands how Zoro felt when he faced Mihawk's dagger.

He felt the same powerlessness of trying his best but still being unable to touch the opponent, and the shock of being crushed by absolute strength.

Kitahara Tsune secretly rejoiced. Even without the bonus from the stat boost, the experience and insights gained from today's battle were enough to equal a year of his arduous training. This battle was well worth it.

"You're pretty good, kid."

Rayleigh's voice drifted over slowly, his tone relaxed, his words filled with admiration for Kitahara Tsune's strength.

"For someone your age, to have such strength and composure is truly remarkable."

For Kitahara Tsune to have achieved this level at his current age is truly remarkable; he is exceptionally talented. If he continues to work hard in the future, it should be inevitable that he will make a name for himself in the New World and carve out his own niche.

"As expected of Mr. Rayleigh, who is known as the King of the Underworld."

Kitahara Tsune gave a wry smile, his tone full of helplessness.

"Compared to you, I am far inferior. You are not even in the same league as any of my previous opponents."

Rayleigh smiled and waved his hand: "Don't underestimate yourselves. The future still belongs to you young people. We old guys are just remnants of the old era, and you will eventually replace us."

Kitahara Tsune took a deep breath, suppressing the intense pain and surging blood within him, his eyes regaining their firmness and fervor.

He raised his head and looked intently at Rayleigh:

"Mr. Rayleigh, could you show me just how vast the difference is between us?"