One Piece: Nobody knows Devil Fruits better than me.

Chapter 260 I'll tell you the truth about ONE PIECE!
As Rayleigh finished speaking, a glint of light flashed in the eyes of the Serpent.

The Snake is indeed the only one among the twelve constellations who has never worn a sea beast mask, but instead reveals his 'true face' and another code name as the highest-ranking official.

If his only goal is to pursue the glory of becoming the world's greatest swordsman, then there is absolutely no need for him to go through all this trouble.

He would tell everyone he met that he was a swordsman who had consumed the 'Frost Moon Dragon Horse Fruit,' which was clearly an abnormal behavior for the twelve constellations.

And the reason for this is just as Rayleigh said.

What the Snake seeks is never to become the world's greatest swordsman, nor is it 'sword fighting'.

His goal from the beginning has been fame.

[Wish Power - World's Strongest Swordsman - Can be used to create 'Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Zoan, Frost Moon Ryoma/Sword God Form']

Beneath the mask of the Serpent, Roy could see the ever-growing power of will within the Fruit Encyclopedia.

That was Roy's goal.

He is trying to use his willpower to create a Devil Fruit that is powerful enough, and 'Snake' is his attempt.

Shimotsuki Ryoma is a very special character—he is known as the God of Swords. Having once slain a flying dragon, he is considered a strong contender for the title of 'the strongest swordsman in history' and is the guardian deity of the people of Wano Country.

He is one of the few swordsmen who has been mythologized, a legend that has long been rooted in people's hearts, making him the best material for a 'mythical beast'.

Roy claimed that the Serpent was a powerful being who had consumed the 'Human-Human Fruit - Frost Moon Ryoma Form', and displayed swordsmanship and overwhelming power characteristic of Frost Moon Ryoma - which was gradually changing the sea's 'perception'.

When the people on the sea all recognized and believed that the 'Sword God' had indeed consumed the fruit and truly possessed the unparalleled swordsmanship of Shimotsuki Ryoma, which was considered invincible on the sea.

The world's 'faith' in Shimotsuki Ryoma will then converge in the hands of the Serpent, allowing Roy to truly create that brand-new fruit.

This is also why the Snake never wore the sea beast head mask—if the Snake's identity were exposed too early, not to mention the new obstacles on the way, the world's publicity about him would inevitably focus on the 'Twelve Constellations,' which does not conform to Luo Yi's purpose.

But to Roy's surprise, Rayleigh was able to guess this.

"Is this also Miss Shaki's 'intuition'?"

The snake chuckled softly and looked at Rayleigh.

"No, that has nothing to do with Shakky—it's just my guess."

Rayleigh chuckled lightly, and as he turned, he slashed with his longsword once more.

But his gaze seemed to be directed at the navy outside the island, or perhaps at the more distant seas where he had once sailed.

In his mind, he seemed to recall the conversation he had with Elbaf not long ago.

"I was really excited when I saw that kid in the East China Sea. He said the exact same thing as the captain."

The red-haired man, whom they regarded as a nephew and junior, was drunk and rambling on.

"Then, not many years later, the Twelve Constellations and the Star Lords also appeared. They were beings that even the 'god' of the Holy Land was extremely wary of."

"How delightful this is!"

As he said this, the redhead opened his arms, as if embracing the waves of the times.

“Mr. Rayleigh, Mr. Jabba, you both know why Captain Roger chose to surrender—the captain was born in the wrong era and regrets it, but he doesn’t know that the great era he started is the right one!”

In a daze, Rayleigh and Jabba saw that Roger's shadow was already in him.

"The captain is no longer here."

"But I will go to the end in his place and witness this world gain 'freedom'!"

That is the attitude of not being willing to be bound, and forever chasing the sea.

But it's a pity
For both Jabba and Rayleigh, the pursuit of the sea was no longer possible as it had been in the past.

They have grown old, they have things to worry about, and they can no longer rush to the sea for a single word as they did when they were young.

But there is no doubt about it.

The discussion in Elbaf also influenced Reilly.

This was especially true after learning about what happened in Dressrosa through Shakky's intelligence channels.

"You have killed the Knight of God."

That was something even Rayleigh found unbelievable.

As mentioned before, the Knight of God fought against the Roger Pirates more than once in order to reclaim Shanks.

Rayleigh had naturally fought against them many times and knew the significance of killing the God Knights.

"I suspect you may have already touched upon the deepest secret of this world—are you now trying to gather the 'wishes of all beings'?"

"clang!"

The slash was blocked by the snake's sword in the next moment.

But at this moment, genuine surprise was evident in the eyes of the Snake.

He never imagined that Rayleigh's understanding of the truth of the world would reach such a level.

"Laugh Dru?"

There was surprise in Si She's words—Rayleigh's words were something he hadn't expected. "That's right."

As their swords clashed, Rayleigh's gaze drifted towards the distant sea.

"Roger and I saw similar accounts in Laugh Tale, which is why I came here."

"I hope you can protect the safety of the people of 'Amazon Lily'."

"In exchange—I will give you my reputation and everything about 'ONE PIECE'."

He laughed.

That was a shared thought that he and Jabba had after hearing what Shanks had said.

It's him.

They are old and retired.

They had no intention of going to sea again, but as he had said before.

These old folks always manage to leave something behind.

"."

Upon hearing this, the Snake was also slightly taken aback.

then
".Can."

He nodded in agreement to Rayleigh's request with almost no hesitation.

This is a choice that requires almost no thought.

He didn't say anything like the low-EQ line, "I can defeat you even in a head-on fight"—he did need fame, and for someone like Rayleigh, a top figure in the sea, gaining the other's "fame" without a fight was a huge win no matter how you looked at it.

Moreover, for Roy now...

Information about Ravdru has indeed been a core focus of his attention for some time.

After all, what was left on that final island could very well be the key to dealing with Im.

In return, he only needs to protect Amazon Lily—a deal that couldn't be more worthwhile.

As the words fell.

The snake (巳) was also seen.

While Rayleigh was locked in a stalemate with Rayleigh, the Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki on the sword in his hand suddenly began to surge forth.

The domineering aura on it no longer protects the sword; quite the opposite...
"Zi!"

They began to relentlessly pound against the sword.

then
"Crack!"

The sword in Rayleigh's hand broke in two at that moment and flew out.

At that moment, the 'Autumn Water' in the hands of the Snake also directly severed Rayleigh's body.

"Boom!"

Rayleigh's body plummeted downwards, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

At that moment, Snake could almost hear the exclamations of surprise coming from the entire Kuja Island and even from the navy outside Kuja Island.

"That is."

"'Pluto' Rayleigh was shot down!?"

"Hey, Hades' sword has been broken?"

"The outcome is already decided!?"

Amidst such cries of alarm, the figure of the Snake began to plummet downwards.

And amidst the thick smoke and dust.

He saw Rayleigh sitting on the ground, holding a broken sword.

At this moment, he was skillfully using his Conqueror's Haki to disperse the surrounding dust while smiling and waving at the Snake.

"Then, come and sit down."

Although he had just entrusted his 'reputation' to a stranger he had just met.

But Rayleigh's words remained calm and composed.

He never doubted his choice—he was prepared from the moment he arrived here.

“Let me tell you what we saw in Laugh Tale.”

"Let me tell you the truth about 'ONE PIECE'!"

(End of this chapter)