I think it was between 1.5 and 2 billion. I think he was the strongest first commander by a long shot, but not at Yonko level bounties

1.5bil and a bit above. People who are saying 2.5bil+ are delusional. Rayleigh was deff strong in his prime, but I can't honestly see him having a bounty that huge for being a second commander character.

He was 1st commander

Second commander? He's first commander. Also, let me tell you why prime Rayleigh would have been at least top 10 in his time.

1. We KNOW or at least it's completely evidentally obvious that Rayleigh has mastered all advanced forms of haki.

2. He clashed evenly with Kizaru for the first bit(before his stamina was running out) when he hasn't even touched his sword for a long time and despite being old.

3. When Blackbeard came to take Boa Hancock's DF and he left, Rayleigh said "I'm pretty certain I can't take Blackbeard head on these days. I've gotten old". This Blackbeard is after getting WB's DF and I imagine he's gotten more accustomed to it(since it's been some years so the argument 'he isn't used to his DF' doesn't apply here). If this doesn't indicate that Rayleigh could have taken on Blackbeard head on in his prime, I don't know what does.

So yeah, I think that's enough of me rampanting about how Rayleigh would've been at least 2.5 billion+ bounty, above admiral in his prime and we all know that 2 admirals(at least from the original 3) could defeat a yonko so.... :/

@Jayson kxm When has it been shown Rayleigh knowing every single form of advanced haki? So far, Rayleigh has only been shown being able to use advanced armament haki. He might have future sight, but just bc you know about future sight doesn't mean you have it.

Shanks knows about it, but I highly doubt he has it since he needed a way to deal with future sight users which is exactly why he's called "killer of observation haki." If Shanks had future sight, he wouldn't have developed that special technique.

Being able to clash with Kizaru isn't a big feat. Many people can clash with top tiers (just bc you clash with a top tier doesn't mean you'll win though). I mean, just look at Luffy and his rematch with Lucci. Lucci was able to clash with Luffy, but he got folded one chapter later. Current Zoro could likely do the same with Kizaru, but it doesn't mean he'd win against him.

BB ran bc he's a coward. He likely could have lost against BB in his current age, but BB tends to run from opponents he knows he can't beat, and Rayleigh being a legend is enough on its own to make BB run away. Plus, BB isn't all that strong in my eyes. He tends to rely too much on his fruits. He's only shown basic armament haki but likely has observation as well, and we all know it's not devil fruits that gets you close to being pirate king, but it's your haki.

And high bounties usually means how big of a threat you are, it doesn't always mean strength. I thought this was clear enough knowing the bounty difference between Shanks Kaido and Big Mom. Kaido and Big Mom has a higher bounties not bc they're stronger than Shanks (Kaido is debatable), but bc they're much more of a serious treat compared to him. I don't see Rayleigh being much of a huge threat even during his prime. He's a pirate for sure, but he's probably alike like Zoro, dangerous, but not a huge problem to the world itself.

That's why I see his bounty being 1.5bil and a bit up. 2.5bil+ is just too high for someone like Rayleigh who most likely isn't a huge threat to the world and its people.

...

Advanced future sight is attained by endlessly training observation. Katakuri is in his forties. Rayleigh is in his SEVENTIES. You really think Rayleigh don't have future sight? Whom KUZAN does? Also, how does being able to counter future sight mean you don't have future sight? Shanks has a technique that prevents other people from using future sight but that wouldn't apply to himself. Rayleigh and Kizaru didn't just do one clash. They did a brief sword fight, where they were even until Rayleigh got a bit tired and he was slightly sweating. It wasn't just a sword clashing against a sword and then Rayleigh gets tired instantly.

I understand you saying BB relies too much on his fruits. In fact, he does. But the PROBLEM is, the two fruits he DOES have might possibly(well one of them is) be the strongest devil fruits in their own department(logia & Paramecia).

Pirate King is a title, and yes it does signifies strength but that doesn't mean that you're the STRONGEST pirate king, it means you reached laugh tale. Also, bounty does somewhat relate to strength, and the 'big threat' is based on your influence or your STRENGTH. That's why Crocodile has an almost 2 billion bounty cus everybody knows hes a mastermind of everything. Also, we're talking about prime Rayleigh's bounty, not old Rayleigh. Roger was 5 billion, WB was 4 billion+. And Rayleigh was the Roger's right hand. I'm pretty sure that's a huge threat.

Yes I believe Rayleigh doesn't have future sight. The only hints he's shown being able to closely have it is when he mentioned it to Luffy.

Y'all are over hyping Shanks FAR TO MUCH at this point. If Shanks does have future sight and can cancel it out from people who can use it, the man would be broken AF! I already see majority of y'all saying he has future sight, can cancel it out (confirmed), AND can cancel out basic observation haki as well. The series might as well end cuz Luffy ain't competing with Shanks if this is all true. Big Mom is a literal emperor and she doesn't have a future sight.

And pls don't bring up that whole "but she has a df while Shanks doesn't," card. Not every got dang top tier has to have future sight whether you have a devil fruit or not. Again, Shanks wouldn't just make up a technique for no reason. Its clear he doesn't have future sight and developed a way to stop people from using it so he can have an easier time against them. Y'all be riding that mans Di** far too much for my liking.

The thing is, Luffy already knows about the BBs dark dark fruit. Luffy could easily counter it by launching a bunch of random attacks at BB at a fast pace since BB doesn't have the best reaction feats. Plus, his dark dark fruit nullifies devil fruit power holders when he's touching a devil fruit user, and Luffy is a far and close ranged fighter who can attack at a really fast pace. The only thing I see Luffy having trouble with is the tremor tremor fruit, and I'm sure Luffy could get past that.

King is Kaido's right hand man, and Kaido is a huge threat as well and Kings bounty is no where near Kaido's despite being the right hand of a serious criminal. Marco was looked at as the right hand to Whitebeard and his bounty was nowhere near Whitebeard's, and last time I checked, WB was a rival to Roger during their prime years. I won't argue Rayleigh's bounty wasn't high, but 2.5bil and above is just too much for him. Rayleigh's bounty was most deff above King and Marco's, and probably Benn Beckman's as well, but 2.5bil is just to much for him in my eyes. The dude could practically be a yonko lvl character, and I highly doubt he was on yonko lvl (though he was likely above admiral, but not on par with yonko lvl characters).

I think he is 2b puls because he was born and mastered conquerors haki and can go head too toe with light Admiral.