One piece: The Greatest Swordsman of the Rocks Era!

Within the Rocks Pirates, Linlin was always a special case.

Over the past few years, she had already given birth to more than ten children. Her eldest son, Perospero, was already eight years old.

The youngest hadn't even turned one yet.

Perhaps due to Linlin's monstrous physique, coupled with the massive energy intake required during her pregnancies, her appetite had continued to grow.

Because of this, the energy she could supply to her unborn children far exceeded that of ordinary women, drastically shortening her pregnancy periods.

It wasn't unusual for her to give birth two or three times a year.

The senior members of the Rocks Pirates were long accustomed to this.

Meanwhile, the battle between Whitebeard and Ares had fully erupted.

Ares's dragon tail swept across the ground like a bulldozer, flattening every building in its path.

The rumbling never ceased.

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, surprise flickering within. "He even tanked that punch?"

"The power of a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit is truly insane."

Whitebeard planted his naginata, Murakumogiri, firmly into the ground, his muscles tensing like coiled springs, his legs rooted like stone pillars.

He swung his right fist, coated in Armament Haki, smashing directly against Ares's dragon tail.

Boom!!!

A thunderous shockwave exploded on impact.

A fierce gale rampaged across the battlefield!

"Now that's what I call fun!" Whitebeard laughed heartily, thrilled by the overwhelming strength Ares possessed.

The next instant

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Claw slashes ripped through the air, bearing down on Whitebeard.

But he simply raised his left fist and smashed them apart with raw power.

The massive dragon tail lashed out like a whip, descending toward Whitebeard.

Whitebeard sprang into the air, the tail's gusts whipping past his body.

His biceps swelled, veins bulging as if his muscles had been inflated.

A glowing white orb condensed around his tightly clenched fist.

He slammed it down hard against the dragon's tail!

Boom!

The terrifying punch resonated like a heartbeat, as if the world's pulse had just skipped.

The dragon tail, driven downward, suddenly whipped sideways and crashed into the earth with a thunderous impact.

"Dragon's Breath!!!"

A torrent of searing flames blasted from Ares's mouth toward Whitebeard, who had no time to evade midair. He faced it head-on, throwing a punch to intercept the blaze.

The overwhelming firestorm exploded into a dazzling firework under the shockwave of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.

It was spectacular.

Whitebeard plummeted from the sky, landing heavily with a thud. "His defense and power are incredible. Even I would need time to take this beast down now."

Wave after wave of dazzling claw slashes came his way.

Only now did Whitebeard fully grasp Ares's relentless attack rhythm. If not for the limited reach of his dragon claws and the fruit's untapped potential, Ares's strength could've been even more terrifying.

Their battle raged on.

Explosions shook the heavens. The island was reduced to rubble, the ground scarred by relentless devastation.

Golden Lion Shiki and Captain John soon arrived at Rocks's side.

"With a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, Ares has really soared," Captain John remarked, his tone full of awe.

Even before this, Ares had already been a monster, one of the more exceptional fighters among the official crew members of the Rocks Pirates.

But now, even the senior commanders weren't confident they could take him down.

Rocks nodded, his gaze sharp as he observed the battle between Ares and Whitebeard. "This is the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan model: Azure Dragon. Among the Mythical Zoans, it's one of the most powerful Devil Fruits."

"It has the destructive power of a natural disaster, no weaker than Newgate's Tremor-Tremor Fruit. Honestly, this fruit couldn't be more perfect for Ares."

Rocks had been quietly observing Ares's brutal and extreme daily training.

Such pirates were rare across the entire sea.

His goals had always been different from the rest.

That was why Rocks had left Ares's training to Whitebeard and Shiki without interfering because in his estimation, Ares would still need several years to mature.

But today's events had completely upended his expectations.

Ares, barely in his teens, now wielded power on par with the Rocks Pirates' top fighters.

Golden Lion Shiki wiped the blood from his lips a reminder of the earlier dragon tail strike that had knocked him flying.

Once again, Shiki had been sent crashing by his own student.

His brows furrowed, his tone laced with annoyance. "That brat Ares, even turned on me when he went wild."

"What the hell's going on with him?"

At least most of the crew had been knocked unconscious by Ares's earlier Conqueror's Haki burst otherwise, this would've been even more embarrassing.

"Maybe he's just been pushed too far," Rocks calmly analyzed. "Mentally, Ares has always been unstable, but he's been surprisingly normal over the past month."

"Most likely, it's something Linlin triggered."

His cold gaze shifted toward Linlin, who was now crouched behind a broken wall, giving birth.

A few black lines crept across Rocks's forehead.

What a bizarre woman.

Captain John, meanwhile, had somehow managed to procure another bottle of booze, downing it in one go, his lips curling into a grin. "With Ares's current strength, he's probably on par with Marine Rear Admiral Zephyr."

"No."

Rocks shook his head slightly, his mind razor-sharp as he calmly assessed. "Ares isn't quite there yet, but most Marine Vice Admirals wouldn't stand a chance against him."

Having roamed the seas and clashed with countless powerhouses, Rocks had an excellent sense for gauging strength.

He understood Ares's true terror his defense and raw destructive power were already on par with Marine admirals-in-training.

But in terms of experience and stamina, Ares still fell a bit short.

Devil Fruit abilities consumed stamina, and Ares's particular power burned through his reserves much faster than most.

Even Rocks wasn't sure how long Ares could maintain his dragon form.

"Such rapid growth!" Silver Axe, watching the battle from the sidelines, couldn't help but feel a deep envy. When Ares had first joined, Silver Axe had thought he could easily crush him.

But now, barely a month later, Silver Axe was pretty sure that if they fought, he'd be the one on the losing end.

Clicking his tongue, he muttered, "I never thought a casual decision would bring us a monster like Ares. The kid's barely in his teens."

"Barely a teenager!!"

His heart was overwhelmed with emotion.

Rocks's sharp gaze swept over to Silver Axe, his voice laced with frustration. "If you'd spent half the effort you waste chasing women on training, you wouldn't have been surpassed by Ares!"

Silver Axe awkwardly averted his gaze, mumbling under his breath, "Not everyone's a freak like Ares..."

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