Chapter 231

Franky clenched his fist. "We can't just walk right into their trap!"

"Franky's right, Luffy. Stay calm."

Zoro patted Luffy on the shoulder. "We've still got nine days. Think it over carefully and see if there's any way."

Luffy lowered his head, his fists clenched tight.

"Ace…"

"Oh right!"

A light bulb went off in Usopp's head. He struck his palm with his fist and said, "Luffy, don't you know that traveler Luo En? If anyone can figure something out, it'd be him, right?"

Luffy looked up at those words, as if suddenly struck with realization.

"That's right! Luo En is so strong and clever — he'd definitely have a way to rescue Ace!"

"But right now we have no idea where he is."

Nami sighed.

Zoro and Sanji were both frowning deeply as well.

Just then.

A bold, hearty old man's voice rang out from ahead.

"You must be the Straw Hat crew, aren't you?"

Everyone froze, then looked up.

There stood an old man with silver-white hair, a faded white coat, round-framed glasses, and slippers, smiling at them.

Enel, who had been sitting not far away with no interest in Luffy's conversation, turned his head toward him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Lei Li, who looked just like an ordinary old man, had his hands tucked into his coat pockets. He smiled at the straw-hatted Luffy and said, "So you're Straw Hat Luffy? That hat suits you well."

"Old man, who are you?"

Luffy asked, staring at Lei Li.

"My name is Lei Li. The folks around here also call me the coating craftsman Old Lei."

Lei Li spoke as he walked up to the Straw Hat crew.

"Lei Li… that name sounds familiar somehow."

Nami racked her brains.

"Did you need something from me?"

Luffy asked, looking at Lei Li.

"Nothing in particular. I just heard quite a bit about you from Shanks and Luo En, and I happened to know you were on this island, so I thought I'd come by and meet you."

Lei Li said with a smile.

Yet his words made every single member of Luffy's crew widen their eyes.

"You… you know Shanks and Luo En?!"

Luffy exclaimed in surprise.

"Of course. I'm quite close with them."

Hearing that, Luffy hurriedly asked, "Then, do you know where Luo En is right now? I've got something really urgent…"

Before Luffy could finish.

Accompanied by a thunderclap that split the sky, a Lei Niao streaked in from the side, rocketing toward Lei Li.

Lei Li didn't even look — his figure flashed, and he dodged the strike.

The Straw Hat crew was left dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events.

"What are you doing, Enel?"

Luffy came back to his senses and shouted at Enel, who stood not far away crackling with thunder, his golden staff in hand.

Enel completely ignored him, his gaze burning as it fixed on Lei Li:

"I never expected there'd be a powerhouse like you on this island. What a surprise."

"A Logia Rumble-Rumble Fruit user? That's an exceedingly rare ability."

Lei Li looked at him, somewhat surprised. "What's your name?"

"God. Enel."

Lei Li chuckled at that. "Taking the name of a god? What an arrogant fellow. You aren't one of the Straw Hat crew's companions, are you?"

"I am no one's companion. I descended upon this sea only to take down a certain man, and along the way, I'll conquer it."

Enel raised a finger at Lei Li and fired a bolt of Lei Guang at him.

Lei Li casually sidestepped it.

"He dodged even a lightning attack that fast."

Luffy's face was full of astonishment.

Zoro and Sanji both widened their eyes as well. "That old man… just who is he?"

"The Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh."

A voice rang out from not far away.

The Straw Hat crew turned to look.

Kid and Killer, who had clashed with them before, stood not far away, watching Lei Li and Enel fight with rapt attention.

"A legendary figure like this — I never imagined he'd be here."

Hearing Kid's words, Nami, Sanji, Usopp, and Franky all widened their eyes.

"That man is the Dark King Rayleigh?! The vice-captain of the Roger Pirates?!"

Usopp's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

A bead of cold sweat also broke out on Nami's forehead.

No wonder the name had sounded familiar to her earlier!

"Pluton" Rayleigh — that title had appeared in the newspapers God knows how many times; saying it was like thunder to the ears was no exaggeration at all.

After Rayleigh casually and effortlessly dodged Enel's fierce assault, he lashed out with a kick wrapped in Armament Haki, sending Enel flying back a hundred meters in a single strike.

"Enel got hit."

"How on earth did he do that?"

Watching this scene, the Straw Hat crew, who had yet to come into contact with the power of Haki, exchanged uncertain glances.

"This power… it's the same as the power on that guy's sword — both can hit me directly even after I've turned into lightning." Enel's gaze locked tightly on Rayleigh: "Old man, what exactly is this power?"

"You claim you want to conquer this sea, yet you don't even know about Haki?"

Rayleigh withdrew his extended leg.

He looked at Enel again, an odd expression he couldn't help surfacing on his face: "No, wait — haven't you already learned Observation Haki?"

"Observation Haki?"

Enel's eyes narrowed slightly.

The Straw Hat crew also wore puzzled looks.

"What is that?"

"You guys… don't even know about Haki either?"

Kid crossed his arms, frowned at the Straw Hat crew, and said: "Straw Hat, I really don't know how a guy like you became part of the 'Worst Generation.'"

Killer glanced at Kid: "Captain, haven't you also not learned Haki yet?"

"Shut it."

Kid said irritably.

Rayleigh smiled at Enel: "What we call Observation Haki is, well, like this…"

He released his Observation Haki.

After sensing it, Enel's eyes widened slightly.

"This is… the Mantra?"

He understood.

So the Observation Haki this old man had been talking about was the same as the Mantra from Skypiea — just under a different name, that was all.

"Looks like you get it now. By the way, the reason my attack was able to hit you, a Logia user, earlier was because I wrapped it in Armament Haki."

Rayleigh stroked his chin, his gaze shifting from Enel to Luffy as he said:

"Didn't your grandfather and Luo En tell you about Haki?"

"No."