"His tooth… regenerated?!"
Rayleigh's face was drenched in cold sweat. From the moment Ares's fang had shattered to the moment it fully regrew, only a few seconds had passed but that was all it took to expose the terrifying truth:
Ares possessed a monstrous regeneration ability beyond comprehension.
The only word that came to Rayleigh's mind was "terrifying."
He had never imagined that Ares still had such a trump card hidden up his sleeve. The revelation struck him like thunder, shaking his heart to the core.
Even now, he couldn't calm down.
"He's just a rookie pirate… How can he be this strong? Is he truly some kind of naturally gifted monster?"
Rayleigh's expression was as grim as a storm cloud. Deep concern furrowed his brow.
Ares's name had only risen to fame over the past half-year an overnight sensation, meteoric and wild.
And now, having fought him face-to-face, Rayleigh finally understood just how terrifying this man called "Bloodhand Ares" really was.
He was no fluke. No pretender.
What frightened Rayleigh even more was this thought: If Ares was already this strong now, what kind of force would he become in ten years? Twenty?
Could he… surpass Rocks?
Could this man one day replace Rocks as the next ruler of the seas?
The very idea seeded itself in Rayleigh's mind like a sprouting vine quickly growing, twisting, strengthening.
Suddenly, through the swirling yellow sand, a pair of enormous crimson lanterns emerged.
It was Ares's eyes.
The glowing, oppressive gaze of the Azure Dragon was bearing down on him.
"You're wielding no ordinary blade," Ares's voice rumbled through the sandstorm. "Is that one of the 21 Great Grade Blades… or one of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades?"
Even with all the sand between them, Ares could see clearly where Rayleigh stood.
Rayleigh locked eyes with that enormous, oppressive gaze. He answered solemnly.
"It is a Supreme Grade Blade… 'King of the Underworld.'"
Ares's grin widened. His lips curled, revealing rows of jagged teeth. To others, the sight was terrifying. But to Ares?
He was genuinely thrilled.
This was the first time he had ever clashed head-on with one of the 12 Supreme Grade Blades using his own body.
The result?
His teeth had been crushed.
The hardness of his fangs still fell short of matching a Supreme Grade Blade. His body formidable as it was wasn't there yet.
But Ares didn't see that as a defeat.
On the contrary he was elated.
He had found a reference point.
He now knew the distance between his body and a Supreme Blade.
He was still far from it.
But the gap was measurable. And that meant… it could be closed.
He could envision it clearly now one day, shaping his body to be as tough as a Supreme Grade Blade.
No, tougher.
To become a man whose body surpassed even the strongest sword known to this world.
He believed, with absolute conviction, that the day would come.
The crimson glow in his eyes intensified. He burst out in booming laughter.
"Hahaha! Today's been great. To face a warrior like you…"
"Let's enjoy this fight to the fullest!!"
This battle against Rayleigh had brought Ares countless surprises.
The old man's masterful swordsmanship, his advanced Observation Haki, his control of the battlefield, and the glaring gap between Ares's body and a Supreme Grade Blade
All of it… were treasures earned in this unfinished war.
As long as he digested these insights, he believed his strength would leap forward once again. And perhaps then, he could truly sit down and begin to comprehend the profound and overwhelming power of "Fist Waves."
Ares roared into the sky.
"Enjoy the battle!"
The divine dragon's roar echoed across the heavens, shaking the skies and vibrating the eardrums of all who heard it.
Without hesitation, Ares lashed his tail a massive Azure Dragon's sweep straight at Rayleigh.
The battle reignited in a blaze of fire.
The sheer momentum behind the tail strike produced a shrill shriek in the air, like the heavens themselves were wailing.
Rayleigh leapt up and narrowly evaded the deadly strike, sword poised and ready to counter.
At the edge of the battlefield.
Watching the clash unfold, Silver Axe let out a lewd little chuckle.
"Heh… That guy Ares is growing right before our eyes. I wonder if when we get back, Captain Rocks will be so shocked he drops his cigar."
Silver Axe marveled aloud.
"Ares is growing at a speed that's completely ridiculous. At this rate, he might become a senior officer of the Rocks Pirates faster than anyone in history."
Every battle this guy went through made him stronger.
Silver Axe could still clearly remember the first time he met Ares.
Back then, Ares had been nothing more than a hulking brute with a tiger's head and a brain full of brawn.
Now?
Whether in physical combat, slashing technique, or Devil Fruit mastery
His progress was evolving by the day.
To think that less than half a year had passed.
"Freaky…"
Silver Axe muttered under his breath.
"Maybe I should build a good relationship with this guy. Could be useful someday."
Not far away, Gaban who had just called a temporary truce with Silver Axe was staring wide-eyed at the scene before him.
"That ability… that's gotta be a Mythical Zoan. No doubt about it."
"A Mythical Zoan…"
He narrowed his eyes. "Rayleigh… you'd better be careful."
For the first time, he felt concern for his comrade.
But just as Gaban prepared to leap into the fray
Silver Axe's voice cut into his ear.
"Fighting you might cost me my life… but I still won't let you interfere with Ares's battle!"
Silver Axe now wore a deadly serious expression beneath his silver armor.
He raised his enormous two-meter axe and pointed it directly at Gaban.
And just to make sure Ares could hear, he said it extra loud.
His message was clear.
He meant every word.
Gaban narrowed his eyes. He understood immediately
This armored man in front of him wasn't bluffing.
But when it came to protecting his crew, he wouldn't hesitate.
He roared back.
"Then I'll split you in two first
Then go slay that monster!"
With a bellow, Gaban raised both axes high and brought them crashing down toward Silver Axe.
Though his weapon was an axe, when Gaban swung it down, a blade of force like a sword's burst from the edge.
Sword Qi comes from swords. Staff Qi from staffs.
And now.
This was Axe Qi.
Silver Axe roared in return and met Gaban head-on, their weapons colliding in a spectacular clash.
Another fierce battle erupted between them.
Meanwhile, up above…
Ares, in his full Azure Dragon form, had stunned everyone.
Even Gol D. Roger's pupils shrank slightly at the sight of the regrown tooth.
His heart clenched and someone noticed.
Shiki.
With a hearty laugh, the Golden Lion clapped Roger on the shoulder.
"You see that dragon?" he asked. "That's my disciple."
"This sea… belongs to him now."
"He'll surpass me someday. And that includes you too!"
His voice was full of confidence and pride.
Shiki believed without a shadow of doubt that Ares would make it happen.
His golden hair swayed wildly in the wind, radiating the aura of a true conqueror.
"I'm proud of this disciple."
"Remember his name"
"Tengetsu Ares!"
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