Tengetsu Ares fixed his gaze on the man who would one day be known as the "Dark King", Silvers Rayleigh.
His deep, shadowed eyes burned with intensity, blazing with ever-growing desire for combat. His body itched for battle an overwhelming hunger driven by instinct.
Under the golden sun, his chiseled muscles reflected a dazzling luster, as though he wore armor made of light itself.
All around him, the drifting yellow sand in the air seemed to freeze in place, falling so slowly it felt like time had come to a halt.
Perhaps it was the overwhelming aura radiating from Ares's body that made even the world hesitate to move.
Beside him, Wang Zhi stole a sidelong glance at the shifting tension. A faint smile appeared on his rugged face.
"Ares," he said calmly, "I can see it in your eyes you crave battle."
Then he turned to look at Rayleigh, the vice-captain of the Roger Pirates, and offered a rare warning:
"I won't stop you from unleashing that wild spirit of yours. But listen carefully…"
"Rayleigh isn't someone to take lightly. His swordsmanship far surpasses mine."
Their earlier exchange had made that abundantly clear.
Despite his intellectual appearance gold-rimmed glasses and a calm, composed demeanor-Rayleigh was no scholar.
He was a beast. A swordsman with terrifying mastery.
Wang Zhi knew it in his bones: this man was on the level of the Great Swordsmen of the world.
And he respected that. He accepted the simple truth:
The man's stronger than me.
To Wang Zhi, there was no shame in it. He knew his limits, and he lived with clarity.
Upon hearing the warning, Ares didn't look away. In fact, the flames in his eyes only flared hotter.
He nodded and replied, "Only powerful foes like him can catch my interest."
"I want to fight someone like him."
"Fighting makes me feel alive."
His entire body tensed, muscles groaning under the pressure. The golden hue of his skin gleamed like tempered steel, hiding an explosive force beneath.
In that moment, Ares was like a tiger stalking its prey.
Every muscle was ready to spring. One slip from his opponent, and he'd strike with deadly precision.
Rayleigh, standing on the other side of the field, could sense it.
The bloodthirst radiating from Ares's body, the sharpness of his aura it was undeniable.
This was no ordinary opponent.
His Observation Haki picked up waves of danger emanating from the young man, enough to make even a veteran like Rayleigh take notice.
Only a rare few had ever made Rayleigh feel this way.
And every one of them had once pushed him to the brink in battle.
His gaze remained locked on Ares. His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.
"You're… different," Rayleigh said softly, his voice carrying across the battlefield.
Then, he laughed.
The atmosphere, which had grown tense, relaxed ever so slightly.
Rayleigh continued with a smile, "Some people find joy in wine. Others in treasure. And still others in the arms of women."
"But today, I see a man who finds joy in the thrill of battle."
He grinned, the corners of his mouth lifting higher.
"The sea truly is vast. To think I'd meet someone like you, out here on the waves."
"No matter how this fight ends, I'll remember you, Tengetsu Ares."
With that, Rayleigh raised his shining blade.
Their eyes locked through the swirling curtain of sand. And at that moment.
Their auras collided.
BOOM.
Conqueror's Haki, unleashed.
Rayleigh's golden Haki burst forth like sunlight made solid. From Ares, a torrent of blood-red Haki surged in response.
Two tidal waves one crimson, one gold crashed into each other like raging oceans in a storm.
The clash tore through the air like a hurricane.
Yellow sand erupted into the sky, the battlefield shaken to its core.
Wang Zhi, clutching his wounded hand, stepped back from the epicenter of the storm.
His eyes remained fixed on Ares's broad, muscular back.
Softly, almost to himself, he whispered:
"Ares… I believe in you."
"You will defeat him."
"Don't forget, you're the monster of the Rocks Pirates. You're Bloodhand Ares!"
"Let today's battle make that name echo across the world!"
As Wang Zhi retreated, his vision lingered on the towering figure of the young warrior the tightly woven cords of muscle on Ares's back bulging with terrifying strength.
He had watched Ares rise from a wild orphan on a nameless island to a pirate who could no longer be ignored by the world.
He believed that Ares would conquer again.
That he would rise again and again.
And that he would not fall.
Not here.
Wang Zhi, a commander of the Rocks Pirates, said it best:
"This battlefield belongs to you. And so should the next era of pirates."
Even legends like Rocks, Whitebeard, and Golden Lion would one day grow old.
And when the torch passed, Wang Zhi saw only one person fit to carry it.
Tengetsu Ares.
The violent clash of Conqueror's Haki sent waves of pressure rippling across the battlefield.
All went still.
Everyone turned to stare at the figures now enveloped in colorless force and golden sand, Ares and Rayleigh at the heart of the storm.
Kaido, standing not far off, raised an arm to shield his face from the biting sand.
His eyes shimmered with admiration.
"Big Bro Ares's Conqueror's Haki… it's even stronger than before."
He had personally witnessed Ares awaken his Haki not long ago. Back then, it had been strong.
but now?
It had evolved by an entire level.
Kaido could only shake his head in awe. He grinned wide and muttered, "Maybe I'll never surpass Big Bro Ares…"
"But he's not just carrying his own dreams anymore."
"He's carrying mine, too."
His gaze locked onto Ares's back so wide, so powerful, so terrifying that it almost resembled a demonic face etched into living flesh.
Kaido's heart surged with emotion.
And in that moment, he made a silent vow:
"I, Kaido, will be the man standing behind Ares."
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