Boom!
The roar was deafening. A violent gale swept up grass, splintered stone, and loose debris, hurling everything in every direction.
Sengoku felt it clearly.
His fist and the shockwave he released had slammed into something like an indestructible wall.
It could not advance even an inch.
And worse…
Ares's power felt denser than before, more compact, more refined. The will riding on his fist had also become sharper, heavier, stronger.
Sengoku's eyes narrowed.
With his meticulous instincts, he caught the change instantly, and the realization made his scalp prickle.
"This kid… took that many of my attacks. He's already covered in wounds."
"So why isn't he weakening… why is he getting stronger?!"
"Is it rage…"
"Or something else?"
He couldn't understand it.
In the end, he could only blame it on Ares's abnormal "monstrous physique."
After all, someone who could tank over a hundred of his strikes and still look lively…
Ares was the only one in the world.
One punch…
It wasn't enough to vent the wrath boiling inside Ares.
Sengoku was the culprit.
Sengoku was the one who had smashed Slardar into this state.
Ares's eyes burned with fury. Beneath the dragon scales, his muscles swelled and flushed, every cell in his body igniting with battle instinct.
His blood surged like starving beasts inside his veins.
Roaring.
Howling.
A kingly aura, like a tiger ruling the mountains, crushing everything before it.
"Crimson Armament: Great Ape King Fist!"
"Crimson Armament: Vajra Wolf Fist!"
"Crimson Armament: Tiger Guard King Fist!"
"…"
Ares went completely all-out, like a man fighting with his life, unleashing that terrifying brute force without restraint.
In an instant…
Fist after fist filled the sky.
A storm of blows, as relentless as wind and rain, forced Sengoku into pure defense.
That violent, tyrannical strength was so oppressive Sengoku couldn't even meet it head-on.
He was driven back again and again.
At Marine G1…
[caption]Young Fleet Admiral "Steel Bone" Kong[/caption]
Watching this, Fleet Admiral "Steel Bone" Kong reached up and undid his Justice cloak, revealing arms so thick and hard with muscle they looked carved from iron.
The officers behind him changed expression.
"Fleet Admiral Kong… you're going in personally?!"
"I'm a Marine too," Kong said, voice steady. "I have a duty to arrest pirates."
With Sengoku alone, taking down Ares was proving difficult, and it definitely wouldn't be done quickly.
If this dragged on…
The Marines would only suffer more casualties.
Bererere bererere bererere!
Bererere bererere bererere!
Suddenly, a Den Den Mushi rang urgently.
Kong's brow furrowed, a bad premonition flashing through him.
He reached into his coat and pulled out the Den Den Mushi.
"Moshi moshi. This is Saint Saturn."
Kong's face went rigid.
"This is Kong."
"Kong, God Valley is under attack by the Rocks Pirates. The situation is extremely urgent!" Saturn's voice was cold and absolute. "I order you now immediately dispatch the Marines for support!!"
The news struck Kong so hard his expression shifted in an instant.
"How is that possible?! Did Rocks abandon the Devil Fruit?!"
"He may have already realized the Devil Fruit intel was false," Saturn said. "He deliberately sent Ares and Golden Lion to assault Marine G1… while he personally led his men to God Valley!"
Kong's face turned pitch-black.
The plan had failed.
He had walked straight into Rocks's scheme.
"I will send reinforcements to God Valley as fast as possible," Kong replied at once.
Click.
The Den Den Mushi's head drooped. Its eyes closed.
Kong felt a headache coming on. His teeth clenched.
"Damn it… God Valley is in the West Blue, and we're in the New World. To get there…"
It would take too long.
But God Valley was not a place he could ignore.
Because the island held a large number of World Nobles.
For a moment, Kong was caught between urgency and reality.
Then…
Good news arrived.
An officer behind him blurted out in delight, "Fleet Admiral Kong! Kaido has been captured!!"
What?!
Kong snapped his gaze toward the battlefield.
Kaido, who had been surrounded by Zephyr and multiple CP0 agents, was now bound in thick Seastone chains.
Several CP0 members each gripped the ends of those chains.
No matter how Kaido struggled, it was useless.
Kong's eyes lit up.
He immediately took out an amplified Den Den Mushi.
"Ares!"
"Your companion Kaido is in our hands. If you want to save his life, agree to one condition!"
Boom!
The moment Kaido's capture was announced, the already-struggling pirates turned pale with terror.
And Ares abruptly stopped his assault, allowing Sengoku to finally catch his breath and recover.
At the same time…
On the other side, Golden Lion Shiki and Garp also halted, as if by unspoken agreement.
Shiki's face was ugly. He flew to Ares's side and said in a low voice, "Ares, if we keep fighting, it won't just be Kaido. More of our people will get captured."
"With the two of us, we can leave easily."
"But now that Kaido's been taken…"
"Let's hear their terms first."
He knew Ares and Kaido were extremely close, closer than brothers by blood.
With Ares's personality, there was no way he would abandon Kaido.
And that would be disastrous.
Ares frowned. He wanted to end things quickly, but an Admiral like Sengoku wasn't someone he could just crush in a few moves.
Meanwhile…
Kaido thrashed violently in his Seastone restraints, chains clanging like thunder.
He roared with all his might, "Ares !"
"Don't bother with me!!"
Ares shouted back, "Kaido, you're my little brother. How could I leave you behind?"
"Trust your big brother."
"I'll get you out of here alive!"
His gaze was murderous. The killing intent in his pupils condensed into a thin crimson line.
He barked, each word like a blade.
"MARINES!"
"Say your scheme!"
Kong answered in a deep voice, "It's not a scheme."
"As long as you use Golden Lion's ability to send us to God Valley at top speed…"
"We'll release Kaido!"
God Valley?!
God Valley!!!!!
The name made Ares's heart stop for a beat. His pupils contracted violently, his mind swaying on the edge of shock.
Fragments of memory flooded in like a storm.
It's already God Valley…?
Sengoku and Garp both stiffened at Kong's demand, faces shifting between suspicion and alarm.
Garp bared his teeth. "Oi Fleet Admiral Kong! What are you doing?! We're right at the critical moment! We're about to take Shiki down!"
"Take me down?" Shiki snapped back, furious. "You and Sengoku couldn't take me down together, and you're bragging you can do it alone?!"
Sengoku reached out and pressed a hand to Garp's shoulder, voice low.
"Garp. Don't ruin Fleet Admiral Kong's plan."
"My guess is Rocks is attacking God Valley…"
"And God Valley is far away in the West Blue. With our ships, we won't make it in time."
"Only Shiki's power can carry us across the Calm Belt and reach God Valley quickly."
"God Valley is being attacked by Rocks?!" Garp shouted, eyes wide.
His booming voice carried across the entire battlefield.
"…"
In an instant…
The entire battlefield fell into a terrifying silence.
Sengoku's face darkened. He pinched the bridge of his nose, cursing under his breath.
"I'm an idiot…"
"Why did I ever tell my guess to Garp…?"
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