One Piece: The Straw Hat Pirates' Max-Level Swordsman

After learning the news of Roger's resurrection, Rayleigh's heart was instantly like a violent storm, and the strong impact made his whole body tremble.

His face, which had always been as calm as a mountain and seemed to be able to withstand all wind and rain, now revealed an expression of extreme excitement that he could not help but reveal.

The excitement was like a burning flame, burning away his usual calmness and composure.

Without even the slightest hesitation, Rayleigh seemed to be pushed by an invisible force, and immediately followed Ling Tian and hurried back to Xia Qi's tavern without hesitation.

Along the way, Rayleigh's heart felt like it was being knocked around by countless deer, and his uneasy mood was like a dark cloud hanging over him. His pace uncontrollably and unconsciously quickened, as if every slow step would cause a bit of hope to disappear.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned pale.

His heartbeat was as clear as a war drum in his ears. The "boom, boom, boom" sound was rapid and powerful, as if telling of his inner urgency.

Finally, after a long journey, the tavern that was so familiar to us appeared before our eyes.

Rayleigh's eyes were like two blazing torches, staring straight at the closed door. His hands were trembling slightly, like fallen leaves shivering in the cold wind.

He took a deep breath, as if to absorb all the courage and expectations around him into his chest, and then slowly, extremely slowly reached out his hand to grasp the somewhat old door handle.

His eyes were filled with strong expectation and deep worry. The expectation was like bright stars, dazzling and blazing; the worry was like cold frost, making people shudder.

He was afraid, afraid that what Ling Tian said to him was just a beautiful fantasy, a bubble that would burst at any moment.

He was afraid that when he opened the door, all he would see was an empty room and shattered hopes.

With a creaky sound, Rayleigh slowly opened the door of the tavern with trembling hands. The sound of the old door hinge seemed particularly clear in this silent moment.

Everything in the tavern came into his sight without reservation in an instant, and his eyes were like two eager lightning bolts, searching the room quickly and nervously.

I saw a man wearing a mysterious mask talking and laughing with Xia Qi. The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.

As the former vice-captain of Roger's pirate group, Rayleigh is familiar with Roger's figure and unique temperament.

It was a familiarity that penetrated deep into his soul. Even if it was just a vague shadow, he could recognize it accurately.

Just one glance, just this brief glance, and he was struck by thunder as if struck by lightning. He immediately recognized that the masked man was the captain they had been thinking about day and night - Roger.

The familiar silhouette and unique posture made him sure that this was their leader.

At this moment, hearing the sound of the tavern door opening, Roger and Xia Qi stopped moving at the same time and turned their heads.

Roger's gaze first lingered on Rayleigh and Ling Tian for a quick moment, and then a smile as bright as the sun bloomed on his face, which was full of joy and enthusiasm of reunion after a long separation.

He immediately opened his arms and greeted Rayleigh enthusiastically: "Rayleigh, my old friend!"

That familiar voice, like an echo that had traveled through the ages, slowly reached Rayleigh's ears. It was like a strong electric current that instantly spread throughout his body, causing every cell in his body to vibrate.

When Rayleigh heard this familiar voice, his body couldn't help but tremble slightly, as if touched by an invisible force.

His eyes instantly became moist and tears welled up in them. They were tears of excitement, proof that years of longing had burst forth at this moment.

"Roger...it's really you!" Rayleigh's voice trembled, with a hint of uncontrollable sobs.

His legs seemed to have lost their strength, and he took staggering steps that were weak and urgent. It seemed as if he had crossed a long time in just a few steps, and he soon arrived in front of Roger.

Seeing this, Roger stood up quickly and hugged Rayleigh without hesitation. His arms were full of strength. He patted Rayleigh on the back and laughed heartily: "Haha, Rayleigh, are you too excited to see me? Look at you, like a child."

Rayleigh slowly let go of Roger, raised his hand to wipe the tears from the corners of his eyes, and said with trembling lips: "This is just like a dream! I can't believe you are still alive! Over the years, I have seen you countless times in my dreams, but every time I woke up, it was all empty."

Hearing this, Roger's smile became even brighter. He took off the mask on his face, revealing his familiar face in front of everyone. He showed a warm and reassuring smile and said, "Rayleigh, this is not a dream, I'm back! I'm really back!"

Xia Qi watched this touching reunion scene from the side, her eyes slightly reddened, and she said with a smile: "Okay, don't just stand there, sit down and have a good chat. We haven't seen each other for so long, there must be a lot to talk about."

Rayleigh and Roger looked at each other, their eyes full of joy and emotion at meeting again after a long separation, and they sat down slowly as they were told. Their eyes never left each other, as if they wanted to convey their years of longing and concern to each other in this brief moment.

Xia Qi moved quickly and brought a few glasses of fine wine. The wine in the exquisite wine glasses was swaying slightly, exuding an alluring aroma, just like the best embellishment of this warm reunion atmosphere.

Ling Tian stood aside, watching this touching scene in front of him, feeling a lot of emotion in his heart. He leaned close to Roger's ear and whispered, "Roger, I'll leave it to you to convince Rayleigh to help us save Ace. I still need to find other people."

After saying that, he turned and left the tavern.

After Ling Tian left, Rayleigh and Roger continued chatting.

Roger picked up the wine glass, took a sip of the wine, and said with a smile: "Rayleigh, how have you been these years?"

Rayleigh also raised his glass and replied, "It's pretty peaceful, but without you, I always feel like something is missing."

Roger's eyes became deep, "Rayleigh, I came back this time because I need your help with something important."

Rayleigh raised his eyebrows slightly, "Oh? What's going on?"

Roger took a deep breath and said solemnly: "My son, Fire Fist Ace is in trouble. We have to save him."

Upon hearing this, Rayleigh fell into a brief contemplation, then looked at Roger firmly, "No problem."

The two clinked their glasses and drank it all in one gulp. The laughter rang out in the pub again, as if they had returned to the days of adventure together. They knew that a new journey was about to begin, and they would fight side by side again.