Shakky's Rip-Off Bar — Sabaody Archipelago
Rayleigh and Gin stood facing each other.
Their auras collided in midair—
sharp, unyielding, perfectly matched.
One was the right hand of the Pirate King.
The other—
Captain of Squad Three, Soul Society.
This was no ordinary clash.
This was a duel at the very peak of swordsmanship.
"Gin Ichimaru… your swordsmanship is exceptional."
Rayleigh's hawk-like gaze locked onto the Zanpakutō in Gin's hand—Shinsō. A flicker of battle-hungry excitement burned in his eyes.
"Oh my… I didn't say anything." Gin smiled faintly. "But since Shinsō is a purely physical-type Zanpakutō… my swordsmanship is indeed a bit better than most captains."
"It doesn't matter." Rayleigh tightened his grip on his sword. "As long as you're a swordsman… that's enough for me."
"Oh? Looks like you still want to fight."
A faint chill flashed through Gin's narrowed eyes.
"Well then… I suppose I'll have to defeat you using my Shikai."
"This is a pure contest of swordsmanship," Rayleigh said with a hearty laugh. "It has nothing to do with any deal."
He didn't need to explain.
He simply wanted a proper fight.
"You really are dangerous…"
Rayleigh's expression turned serious.
"Your eyes… your stance… I can't read your intent at all."
Even against Admirals, he had always been composed.
But against Gin—
he had no certainty of victory.
"Don't look at me like that, old man."
Gin raised his Zanpakutō, smiling as always.
"My Shinsō… do you know how far it can extend?"
"About the length of a hundred blades."
"That's why I've been called…"
"The Hundred-Blade Style."
Rayleigh didn't respond.
"…You're no fun."
Gin's smile remained, but there was something colder beneath it now.
"I just want to see… which of us is stronger."
Rayleigh stepped forward.
His aura surged.
His sword rose high—
And in the next instant—
A thunderous slash tore through the air toward Gin.
This was Rayleigh's strike—
Once hailed as among the greatest cutting attacks in the world.
A single hit—
would mean instant death.
"…Guess I don't have a choice."
Gin lightly leapt backward, retreating over a hundred meters in an instant.
His left arm drew back.
His right hand thrust the blade forward—
"Shoot to kill… Shinsō!"
At the release command—
the short blade erupted in blinding light.
Then—
it transformed into a streak of pure speed.
The blade shot forward like a flash of light—
piercing through space itself.
The force behind it tore the air apart.
It was an attack that seemed capable of cutting through anything.
"What—?!"
Rayleigh's pupils shrank violently.
His gaze snapped to Shinsō.
That speed—
was almost impossible to react to.
And the power within that thrust—
was enough to cleave a man in half.
Before Rayleigh's slash could even fully land—
it was cut cleanly in half.
Shinsō's light tore straight through it.
Rayleigh's expression hardened instantly.
He flipped his sword into a defensive stance—
just in time.
BOOM—!
Shinsō struck his blade head-on.
Sparks exploded.
The impact drove him backward, his feet dragging across the ground.
Scrrrt—
A long trail formed beneath his boots.
Though he blocked the attack—
he was clearly at a disadvantage.
"Oh my… is that all the Pirate King's right hand can do?"
Gin still smiled, holding Shinsō in one hand as if he hadn't even tried.
"You seem… weaker than I expected."
"…That speed…"
Rayleigh's expression darkened.
Gin hadn't even looked like he moved—
but Rayleigh knew.
He had.
He had seen the motion—
just barely.
Gin's attacks were simply too fast.
So fast that even a moment's lapse meant missing them entirely.
"…A terrifying opponent."
Rayleigh felt the pressure building.
Especially that smile—
that calm, fox-like smile—
that never once wavered.
He didn't know it yet—
but Gin was already taking the fight seriously.
"Now… you should understand what I meant earlier, right?"
Gin vanished.
And in the next instant—
he appeared directly in front of Rayleigh.
A slash descended toward his neck—
so fast it was almost invisible.
At the last possible moment—
Rayleigh blocked it.
"…Too fast!"
Even as a master swordsman, he struggled to track Gin's movements.
This wasn't a straightforward opponent.
Gin didn't fight head-on—
he struck from impossible angles.
"In battle, losing focus is dangerous… Rayleigh-san."
At some point—
Shinsō had disappeared again.
Gin stood sideways, his left sleeve raised.
His right hand slipped beneath his arm—
hidden entirely within his sleeve.
His movements were impossible to read.
Then—
Flash.
A blade shot out from beneath his arm—
piercing forward at point-blank range.
A strike that felt almost like an assassination.
Even with Observation Haki—
Rayleigh couldn't react in time.
Shinsō was simply—
too fast.
Slash—!
The blade pierced through his right shoulder—
and blasted him backward.
The outcome was decided.
Rayleigh—
had lost.