A single decree stirred a thousand ripples.
At Rocks' announcement, pirates all around stared in disbelief. That he would make such a decision now no one had seen it coming. Faces shifted through envy, jealousy, sulking resentment, outright refusal…
Captain John stepped forward to back his captain. "You all saw it Ares' combat power is in no way beneath Linlin's."
A murmur of reluctant agreement rolled through the crowd.
"The Rocks Pirates are a meritocracy," John went on. "If you've got the strength, you can be a cadre. If you want that seat, challenge Ares and take it from him. Don't say you never had the chance."
He swept an arm at Tengetsu Ares. "Well? Here's your chance. Anyone who can step up and fight him."
Not a soul moved.
Fight Ares? Madness. They'd all just watched him go blow-for-blow with the monster Charlotte Linlin and even press her back.
John's terms stuffed every mouth with silence.
Kaido, meanwhile, could barely contain himself, more excited than Ares was. Power tugged at him like a tide; whether he admitted it or not, his hunger for it ran deep.
Perfect. No one's objecting. Big Bro Ares is a cadre now and I can join his division!
Rocks' eyes cooled. Hand you a chance and you still won't take it, huh?
"In that case," he said, "from this moment Tengetsu Ares is Captain of the Sixteenth Division of the Rocks Pirates. He may form his own unit."
He turned his wild grin up at Ares. "Well? You're a cadre now. Happy?"
"Fair enough," Ares replied with a small smile then cut straight to what mattered to him. "Captain, I want to ask about Conqueror's Haki…"
"No problem."
Rocks agreed without hedging. "But not here and not now."
He pivoted to Linlin. "I know what's between you and Ares. If Kaido won't go, don't force it. Here's what I'll do I'll send you a batch of prisoners, or anyone you've had your eye on."
"Let's leave it at that."
He had no intention of letting the rift between Ares and Linlin widen. A papered-over peace was still better than a feud that bled the crew.
"Fine," Linlin said just the one word. She didn't have much choice. Ares' power was no longer something she could casually crush, and the captain plainly meant to raise him up. With Shiki and Newgate at his back besides, pushing now only hurt her.
She turned and left.
Rocks looked back to Ares. "I'll be waiting in the Skull Castle."
He and Captain John started for the fortress, sending the onlookers scattering as they went.
Once they'd gone, Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and Kaido closed in.
"Congratulations," Wang Zhi said, a little awed. "You're a cadre now and you get to build your own division."
He hadn't expected Ares to rise this fast.
Kaido's eyebrows danced. "Big Bro Ares, I'm joining your division. First recruit!" He laughed. "We're celebrating tonight drink till we drop!"
A division captain's privileges were no joke: first pick of loot, a bigger cut, real autonomy your own men, your own ship, freer action. Status brought perks.
"Count me in for drinks," Silver Axe chuckled. Free booze his favorite words.
"Let's drink," Ares agreed.
"You head to the captain," Wang Zhi told him. "We'll set up the feast."
"Yeah, go," Kaido urged. "Didn't you want Conqueror's techniques? The captain's waiting."
Ares nodded, took his leave, and made for the Skull Castle while the others, grinning, went to kick off the party.
Skull Castle.
In Rocks' chambers.
Ares didn't circle the point. "Captain, I want to learn how to use Conqueror's Haki."
"Still as straightforward as ever," Rocks laughed. "Fine. You'd learn it sooner or later anyway."
Under Ares' hungry gaze, he began.
"At its core, Conqueror's Haki is an aura your sheer force of spirit made power. As your strength and presence grow, so does that Haki."
"With your current level, you're ready for application."
"There are basically two ways to use it. First: unleash your will as pressure to shock the enemy's spirit. If your Conqueror's is strong enough, even battle-hardened beasts will drop where they stand."
"Second: wrap your Conqueror's around a weapon or your body. That coating amplifies your strikes and, at higher levels, lets you hit without direct contact."
Ares drank in every word.
Rocks didn't hold back. This power wasn't some private toy and if he didn't teach Ares now, the kid would master it on his own tomorrow. Better to be generous and win his goodwill.
"Think of aura as formless," Rocks continued. "You can't see or touch it, but it's there, sleeping in your body. In my view, everyone has the seed of Conqueror's."
"But it needs years of growth to germinate. Without enough strength and enough guts, it won't awaken."
"So it lies buried, out of reach."
"Human potential is beyond what we grasp. No one on these seas truly commands every ounce of their body."
He gave a wry smile. "Even me I haven't come close to the limits of what my body can do."
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