"Defense?"
"Or offense?"
Tengetsu Ares was no stranger to Armament Haki. He knew it could bolster both offensive and defensive capabilities. But when it came to grasping its essence, he found himself at a loss.
Neither defense nor attack felt like the true core of Armament Haki.
As Ares wrestled with this thought.
Rayleigh, facing down the blood-red slash roaring toward him, dared not let his guard down. He gripped his longsword tightly in both hands and poured his Haki into the blade.
Dark violet flames ignited along the meter-long edge, flickering like spectral fire.
"Single Sword Style: Pluto's Requiem!"
Though Rayleigh had yet to earn the title of "Dark King," the one who bore that name had never been a gentle soul.
After all, the road to power was littered with bones.
Throughout his long journey, Rayleigh had cut down countless opponents, climbing to a level just shy of Gol D. Roger himself. He was the undisputed second-in-command of the Roger Pirates.
And now, he unleashed a strike worthy of that title.
At just over thirty years old, Rayleigh stood at the prime of his strength. In the world of pirates, this was the age when power surged the fastest a time of rapid breakthroughs and unstoppable growth.
The moment his blade swung, it released a slash like a radiant aurora.
It devoured all surrounding light, becoming the sole beacon of brilliance in the world.
A light so dazzling… it warned of a power even more overwhelming.
This strike displayed Rayleigh's mastery as a true Great Swordsman. A slash spanning tens of meters was a feat only a handful across the seas could replicate.
BOOM!!
The crimson and white slashes collided with explosive force, tearing the world in two, one half dyed blood-red, the other consumed by radiant white.
In that instant.
Ares's crimson slash was visibly overpowered. The white brilliance surged forward, devouring two-thirds of the battlefield.
In terms of swordsmanship…
Ares had fallen behind.
And after a few brief breaths of resistance, his slash shattered into fragments.
Rayleigh's "Pluto's Requiem" tore through it without pause and kept hurtling toward him.
At the pinnacle of the sword, they say, nothing is uncuttable.
Rayleigh might not have reached that mythical summit, but if this slash struck Ares directly
The consequences would be devastating.
Blinding white light seared Ares's vision, forcing his eyes to squint against its brilliance.
His massive figure several meters tall was engulfed in that glowing wave. The sand beneath him lost all weight, as if gravity had been severed, and soared into the air.
A sandstorm erupted, spiraling outward with terrifying force.
"Did I finish it?"
Rayleigh's eyes locked onto the swirling sandstorm ahead, unwavering. Confidence filled his heart this strike should have ended it.
But the very next second.
His expression shifted. His brows furrowed. His voice dropped to a murmur.
"Such steady, powerful breathing… a heartbeat that hasn't wavered in the slightest."
"He's… unharmed?"
The realization shook him.
"Pluto's Requiem" had slain more pirates than he could count.
Yet this was the first time it had failed to leave a mark. For the first time in ages, Rayleigh felt a flicker of doubt was his sword not sharp enough?
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!
Rhythmic, thunderous heartbeats echoed from the storm.
Ares's massive heart pounded like a war drum, each beat steady, pulsing with life. It was primal. Wild. It stirred the blood.
Like a battle anthem played by the gods themselves.
From within the curtain of swirling sand, Ares exhaled a breath of genuine awe.
"As expected of the future 'Dark King'… his swordsmanship far outclasses mine right now."
Acknowledging an enemy's strength takes courage.
But Ares had never lacked courage.
In fact, the stronger the enemy, the more exhilarated he became.
"Shiki once said: If you want to truly understand another's slash… look deeper."
"Rayleigh's slash…"
"Is it confidence? Courage? Conviction?"
As those thoughts swirled, Ares activated his cheat-like ability an internal skill that allowed him to replay battle scenes like a high-speed simulation.
Over and over, his mind replayed Rayleigh's strike.
Every breath.
Every flex of muscle.
Every shift in grip, direction, and force output.
It was as if he were a supercomputer, decoding the very blueprint of "Pluto's Requiem."
He didn't know that, in ancient China, there was a saying:
"What is learned from books is shallow; only through practice does one grasp the truth."
Watching alone would never be enough.
But watch he did.
Again and again, he studied.
And outside.
The sand finally began to fall, drifting gently to the earth and revealing Ares's figure.
When Rayleigh saw him, his pupils dilated. His jaw dropped.
"A Devil Fruit ability…"
His voice trembled slightly.
"He took my slash head-on… and didn't suffer a scratch?"
"That armor… it's the scales."
The sight before him was like a myth made real.
A monstrous figure stood tall. Diamond-shaped blue scales covered Ares's arms, legs, back, and face. His head bore curved, horn-like protrusions like a dragon of legend.
Fanged teeth glinted in the light. Power radiated from his body in waves.
He was the embodiment of savagery.
Coupled with his rippling, chiseled muscles
He looked less like a man, and more like a walking natural disaster.
This was the Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon Form the draconic hybrid of the legendary Azure Dragon fruit.
Rayleigh's heart constricted. Sweat beaded at his temples.
He knew, beyond any doubt.
Tengetsu Ares was the most terrifying foe he had ever faced since setting sail with Roger.
Eyes narrowed, breath steady, Rayleigh muttered to himself:
"This is going to be a hell of a battle."
"Guess I'll have to stake everything on the blade in my hand."
At that very moment.
Ares's half-closed eyes snapped open.
Scarlet light burned in his gaze, like a beast fully awakened.
Through his simulation, he had uncovered something.
The secret to Rayleigh's power.
"It's the fusion of Armament Haki and the slash itself."
That was the answer.
In terms of speed and strength, Ares was certain he surpassed Rayleigh.
But his sword strikes lacked that lethal sharpness.
Now he understood why.
Armament Haki.
Fused seamlessly into the blade not just coating it.
This fusion didn't add strength. It multiplied it.
A slash infused with strong Haki became a different beast entirely.
One plus one became greater than two.
The moment of understanding brought a wild grin to Ares's draconic face.
It was fierce. Feral.
The smile of a warrior thrilled by the challenge ahead.
"Looks like my training just got a new subject added to the curriculum."
His golden, vertical pupils gleamed as they locked onto Rayleigh.
"And I have you to thank for that, Rayleigh."
"For showing me how to make my slashes truly deadly."
"Now let me repay the favor by fighting you with everything I've got."
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