Silvers Rayleigh, sometimes referred to as "Dark King," is one of the great characters in the One Piece manga and anime series by Eiichiro Oda. As the former first mate of the Roger Pirates, Rayleigh had been integral to the history of the Grand Line and how the current age of piracy came to be.
Background Information
Rayleigh's past is inextricably linked to that of the legendary Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. He became the right-hand man and first mate of the Roger Pirates, one of the most powerful and feared pirate crews in the One Piece world, under Roger. By serving under Roger, he got the nickname "Dark King" for being such a fierce warrior and knowing the mysteries of the world.
Appearance
Silvers Rayleigh is best known for his appearance, which is quite unique and makes him easily recognizable compared to every other character in the series. He is an older man with long, streaming white hair and a white beard; he also has round glasses. Rayleigh still sports well-toned musculature, however, showing that he has retained a significant part of his strength and stamina even at such an age. He wears a plain white T-shirt, usually with the sleeves rolled up, thus revealing tattoos on the arms.
Personal Information
Name: Silvers Rayleigh
Alias: Dark King
Age: 78 (pre-timeskip) 80 (post-timeskip)
Birthday: May 13
Height: 188 cm (6'2")
Occupation: Former pirate, coating mechanic
Bounty: Unknown (retired)
Devil Fruit: None
Haki Types: Observation, Armament, Conqueror's
Personality
Rayleigh is a wise, laid-back character who sometimes is found to be a little bit of a troublemaker. Being an older pirate, he knows enough about the world and its history, often sharing his wisdom whenever situations call for it. He acts casual most of the time for such a legendary pirate, very much fond of gambling and drinking a lot. But he can be serious when the situation has called for it, and he has shown the commanding presence that one would expect of Roger's former right-hand man.
Motivations and Goals
Rayleigh's main motivation throughout the series is to preserve the Roger Pirates' legacy and lead the new generation of pirates. After the death of Gol D. Roger, Rayleigh stopped being an active pirate and moved to Sabaody Archipelago, starting to work as a coating mechanic for ships. His goal changed into merely watching the world change and finding possible successors for the will of Roger. Due to this motivation, he began to be interested in Monkey D. Luffy, seeing in the young pirate the potential to shape the future of the world.
During the two-year time skip, Rayleigh had trained Luffy in advanced Haki techniques and techniques that would make his abilities much more refined. This goes on to show how Rayleigh wants to make sure that the spirit of exploration and liberty, which truly defined the Roger Pirates, does not die out in this new age.
Rayleigh's acts are also driven by his deep realization of the history of the world and the "Void Century." Being one of the very few people who know the truth about the world's past, he protects this knowledge but subtly helps others find these secrets on their own. This type of approach corresponds to the philosophy of Roger: letting each generation realize everything by itself and create a destiny for itself.
Fighting Styles
Essentially, Rayleigh's fighting style is based on the utilization of swords. As an extremely formidable swordsman, he has been depicted as being able to fight against high-level opponents at least at the level of Marine Admirals. He wields his sword to provide fast and mighty strikes that easily help him through the defense of others. He is also born with the ability to read his opponents' movements, which is an inherent talent. This was pretty obvious when he fought against Admiral Kizaru on Sabaody Archipelago and kept up with the Logia Devil Fruit user.
One of the main things about Rayleigh's fighting is his exceptionally high mastery of Haki. He is a user of all three forms: Observation Haki, Armament Haki, and Conqueror's Haki. He is skilled enough in Haki to teach both the basics and advanced methods to Monkey D. Luffy during the two-year timeskip.
Rayleigh's Observation Haki makes it easier to sense and trace the position of the other person and anticipate their subsequent actions, which gives him a great advantage in a fight. His Armament Haki lets him be covered in an invisible armor that enhances both his defensive and offensive capabilities. This technique is especially effective against Logia Devil Fruit users, as shown by his fight with Kizaru.
Perhaps most impressively, he has mastered Conqueror's Haki to the extent that very few have. He can render a target completely unconscious without needing to establish eye contact at all—an advanced application showing both the high degree of control and actual power Rayleigh holds over Conqueror's Haki.
He also has a unique technique called "Internal Destruction." With this advanced degree of Armament Haki, he can press his Haki into the target or an opponent to cause damage from the inside. The attack displays much of what Rayleigh knows and can do with the power of Haki.
Rayleigh's flexibility in combat extends beyond using swords or Haki. He has been particularly impressive in pure physical strength, even at the fairly advanced age by which he had reached during the time period in which he appeared. One such case was killing some Sea Kings using only his fists while swimming through the Calm Belt, making it not only an example of brute strength but of fighting skill in different environments as well.
Major Battles
One of the most famous battles involving Rayleigh was the Edd War, about three years prior to Gol D. Roger's death. It was a battle of the Roger Pirates against the Golden Lion Pirates, led by the formidable Shiki. Although little information is available on what Rayleigh did, his presence as Roger's second comrade must have really been necessary for the success of the Roger Pirates.
He demonstrated his combat skills more recently during the Sabaody Archipelago arc of the series. It was when Admiral Kizaru tried to capture Straw Hat Pirates, that Rayleigh stepped forward to show just how much power he possesses, using advanced Armament Haki to block the light-based attacks of Kizaru. He proved that one is able to project their Haki beyond their body and fight in a very advanced way. This established Rayleigh as a character who could fight with the strongest fighters in the One Piece universe despite his advanced age.
Also, Rayleigh can swim in the Calm Belt, which is a part of the sea infested with Sea Kings, making this more obvious regarding his fighting power. Again, this has been done without consuming any Devil Fruit power, testifying much to his really great physical strength and potential.