One Piece: King of the World

Chapter 253: Rayleigh—”A Colorful Retirement Life?”

Many years ago, Rayleigh was a heroic and dashing pirate. Of course, even now, he remained charming, though he had transformed into a charismatic older gentleman who aged like fine wine.

In Shanks's memory, however, Rayleigh had always been a serious and responsible senior. Back on the Oro Jackson, Rayleigh essentially ran the ship, ensuring everything operated smoothly.

Roger's carefree and unpredictable personality meant Rayleigh had to act as the ship's mature and stable "housekeeper." He was strong, dependable, and always capable of finding the best solutions during crises. This left a lasting impression on Shanks, who deeply admired Rayleigh and viewed him as an excellent role model.

Now, after so many years, Shanks hadn't seen Rayleigh in quite some time. When they finally crossed paths, the once-mature and stable Rayleigh had apparently "fallen." The man before Shanks was no longer the wise senior he remembered but looked like a carefree scoundrel.

Shanks couldn't process it. The Rayleigh he had idolized was gone. Instead, here was his former deputy captain, bound in slave collars and cuffs, looking disheveled and drunken. It broke Shanks's heart.

"What happened to you, Vice Captain? What kind of hardships did you endure all these years to end up like this? How could such a calm, composed, and mature man fall to this level? I failed you. I should have found you earlier—I should have helped you!" Shanks thought, his heart heavy with guilt and sorrow.

In his mind, he had already imagined a tragic backstory: after the disbandment of the Roger Pirates, the once-mighty Silvers Rayleigh had been hunted by the Marines. Injured and unable to heal properly, his strength waned over time. Eventually, he was captured, sold as a slave, and tortured endlessly.

The thought brought tears to Shanks's eyes.

Of course, if Claudius were present, he would have simply patted Shanks on the shoulder and told him the truth: it was all because of love.

Ever since Rayleigh arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago and fell in love with Shakky, his life had taken a dramatic turn. Spoiled by Shakky's overindulgence, Rayleigh became the carefree man he was now. His current "fallen" state had nothing to do with hardship. In fact, he was living quite a happy life.

But Shanks didn't know any of this. He was consumed with anger and guilt. At this moment, nothing else mattered not even the potential risk of exposing himself.

"Marine? Let them come! Nothing will stop me from saving my deputy captain!" Shanks thought with determination.

"What the hell, Shanks? What are you doing?" Yasopp asked in surprise.

But before anyone could process the situation, Shanks bolted forward at lightning speed. Wearing his signature flip-flops, he charged ahead with such momentum that his legs blurred.

The slave merchant was startled by the shout. His fat body trembled as he turned around, only to see the sole of a sandal flying toward his face.

"Who are you? How dare you—Shanks?!" Rayleigh shouted in sudden recognition.

"It's me, Deputy Captain," Shanks replied awkwardly.

Realizing that he'd been caught in such an embarrassing scheme by his junior, Rayleigh felt mortified. He scratched his head, trying to figure out how to explain himself without losing face.

"I... didn't mean it. I just thought you were in trouble. I've got a doctor on board, maybe he can help?" Shanks stammered, his words stumbling over themselves as he struggled to explain his actions.

Rayleigh sighed and tossed the lifeless slave merchant aside. He casually removed the slave collar from his neck and threw it into the distance, where it exploded spectacularly.

"Did I mess up your plans, Deputy Captain?" Shanks asked nervously.

Rayleigh paused. Realizing Shanks had completely misunderstood the situation, he quickly decided to roll with it. Adopting a melancholy expression, he said, "Oh, forget it. It doesn't matter."

His demeanor made it seem like he was reluctantly forgiving Shanks for disrupting some important plan. Shanks felt even guiltier.

Before Shanks could say anything else, however, a sharp voice rang out nearby.

"Rayleigh! Did you sell yourself to a slave merchant to scam money again?! Have you no shame?!"

It was Shakky, holding a bag of groceries. She had clearly just been shopping and was now glaring at Rayleigh in fury.

Rayleigh froze, his embarrassment reaching new heights. Meanwhile, Shanks and his crew exchanged bewildered glances.

"Wait... is this the kind of retirement life Rayleigh is living now?" Shanks thought, his mind spinning.

***

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