Though Ares had once been taught the basics of conventional Armament Haki, he never showed much interest in it. Instead, he preferred the sensation of boiling blood coursing through his veins, that raw heat hardening his body into living steel.
So he simply never trained in standard Armament Haki at all.
He had too many other things to learn his pace of progress was downright monstrous in the eyes of outsiders.
But even now…
Ares had yet to truly master any one power to the level of the strongest. If not for the powers granted by the Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon Fruit, he never would have lasted so long against a Marine admiral candidate like Zephyr.
With Shiki's approval…
All the pirates stepped aside, choosing to spectate in silence as the explosive battle ahead prepared to erupt.
With both Golden Lion Shiki and officer Wang Zhi present, they had nothing to worry about.
Elizabello I lowered his eyes, careful to hide the smug glint flashing in them from Ares and the others.
Drag it out…
The longer this takes, the better. Then they'll understand the true terror of the King Punch!
He masked his bloodthirst with practiced ease. As long as he was given enough time to charge…
Even if it were Rocks himself standing in front of him, Elizabello I believed he could take him down in a single blow!
And so…
A strange silence blanketed the square.
Nine minutes.
Ares remained completely focused on observing Elizabello I, not missing a single twitch of muscle or bulging vein on the man's body.
He noticed even the subtle expansion of muscle and the tightening of tendons.
With each passing moment, Elizabello's arms swelled, thickening significantly as energy gathered.
When he bent his elbows, one could clearly hear the sound of fibers straining like rope under tension.
Ares's twisted grin only deepened, battle-lust brimming in his blood-red eyes. The two long black whiskers dangling from his jaw fluttered upward, swept by the pressure in the air.
"It's almost time…"
His blood raced wildly, rising in temperature. His body grew hot with anticipation.
And his eyes his eyes burned with a fire that could melt steel.
This was the thrill he craved.
The blood-boiling rush of combat. The sting of fists colliding. The wild, unrestrained ecstasy of a head-on brawl.
Elizabello's gathering energy only intensified, until the entire plaza trembled underfoot. The floor shook, each throb like a drumbeat of war.
A smug grin stretched across Elizabello's face.
"Heh… Foolish pirates…"
"Your arrogance will be your downfall. Tomorrow's headlines will feature me!"
"Elizabello I, the king who defeated a cadre of the Rocks Pirates! My name and my kingdom will echo across the seas!"
Ten minutes. Charge complete.
"Hah?"
Golden Lion Shiki scoffed, casting a mocking glance at Elizabello.
"Where the hell did you get that confidence from?"
"Even the Fleet Admiral Kong wouldn't spout that kind of crap…"
"Who's really the arrogant one here, huh?"
He snorted, clearly annoyed.
"If Ares hadn't insisted on fighting you himself, I'd have sliced you into fish bait already."
Then he turned to Ares, grinning. "Go wild, Ares. Beat this bastard to a pulp!"
"Got it."
Ares replied with a single word, voice cold and sharp.
The next moment.
Elizabello let loose a roar that thundered through the square.
"Arrogant pirates… DIE!!"
"King Punch!!!"
A single punch charged for ten full minutes burst forth in a golden explosion of light, flooding the plaza with blinding brilliance.
Fwooom!
It wasn't just a punch anymore.
It was a full-blown energy shockwave-akin to a Ki blast, radiating devastating force.
The golden light was blinding.
Even Shiki's expression changed, surprise flashing in his eyes.
"What insane power!"
Instinctively, he reached for his twin sabers.
And in a flash.
That devastating shockwave was already upon Ares.
His arms, coated in his signature "Blood Armament," shimmered crimson.
The stronger Elizabello's attack became, the more exhilarated Ares felt.
He roared, "Blood Armament: Azure Dragon Fist, Raging Seas Unleashed!!!"
His bones creaked, his muscles exploded with power, and his fists shot forward like dragons breaching the waves.
In the blink of an eye, he unleashed dozens of punches each one manifesting as a crimson dragon-like fist shadow.
Each punch struck with earth-shattering force. Brutal. Savage. Unyielding.
The resulting shockwaves tore through the air with explosive booms, as if the very atmosphere was screaming.
Like a man possessed, Ares poured all his power into his fists.
Dozens then hundreds of red fist shadows formed a dense, impenetrable wall.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each punch slammed into the golden energy blast, while the rest of the crowd pirates and soldiers alike could only shield their eyes, unable to see what was happening behind the blinding glare.
All they could feel were the slicing gusts of wind tearing at their skin like being whipped by invisible blades.
The impact left them stunned.
Even the scattered debris had the force of bullets, striking some people hard enough to knock them back.
Ares's face twisted into a wild, fearless grin.
His battle intent soared like a burning inferno.
His fists moved like machines relentless, unforgiving.
In a single second, he threw dozens of punches.
Each one strong enough to shatter a Marine warship.
Even as his stamina drained rapidly, Ares showed no sign of stopping.
The violent collision shook him to the core. His blood churned. His muscles screamed. Even his organs felt like they were flipping inside his body.
But instead of fear he felt exhilaration.
The pain? Delicious.
The chaos? Euphoric.
The thrill? Addictive.
"One punch isn't enough!!!"
"Give me more!!!"
Ares howled with crazed delight, intoxicated by the heat of battle.
Each strike resonated in his soul.
But it still wasn't enough!
In this moment, his aura reached its peak. His will ignited like a supernova.
He continued to punch forward, advancing against the overwhelming blast of the King Punch.
One step… then another…
Slowly, he closed the distance.
Punch after punch, he pressed forward like an unstoppable beast.
He must have thrown a thousand punches by now.
Brute force begets miracles.
Violent. Savage. Pure.
He was tearing through the shockwave using nothing but his fists.
In this moment, Ares was more than just a man.
He was a War God reborn.
A force of nature, born to break everything in his path with sheer might.
Each step brought him closer.
Each punch tore away more of the golden energy wave.
Until finally.
Elizabello I locked eyes with Ares.
He saw the blood-red eyes.
He saw his prized King Punch being torn apart before his very eyes.
And for the first time his confident grin vanished.
All that was left… was fear.
The golden light reflected off Ares's body, glinting across his dragon-scale armor.
He no longer looked like a monster…
He looked like a god.
"What… what kind of demon is he?!"
"I charged for ten minutes…"
"How the hell is he still standing after all that?!"
Ares drew closer, closer still.
Elizabello I felt himself unraveling. The disbelief on his face twisted into horror.
The next instant.
His pupils shrank as he looked up at Ares's towering figure, now cloaked in shadow under the pale moonlight.
His blood-red eyes. His monstrous face.
The sheer presence.
Elizabello's entire body began to tremble uncontrollably.
"…a devil…"
He whispered, face pale, heart gripped by terror.
To be continued.
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