One piece: The Greatest Swordsman of the Rocks Era!

"Three Sword Style, huh? Roronoa Zoro, a pirate hunter whose dream is to become the world's greatest swordsman?"

"Interesting…"

"But his strength… it's way too weak to get me excited."

"Hawkeye, Dracule Mihawk?"

"The man who stands at the pinnacle of all swordsmen? I wonder if his slashes are sharper, or if my body is tougher?"

"But… what about Vista? What about Captain Shiki?"

"With their swordsmanship, aren't they the ones who truly stand at the summit of this world?"

At this moment, deep doubt and a faint, ominous premonition surged within Ares.

"Gol D. Roger?"

"The Pirate King?"

As time passed and the episodes of One Piece continued to play, the scene finally arrived at Roger's public execution.

Ares suddenly had a terrible feeling. "If Gol D. Roger became the Pirate King, then does that mean Captain Rocks failed?"

His heart felt heavy.

"What happened to Shiki, Newgate, Wang Zhi… what happened to all of them?"

He desperately wanted to know the answer, the true fate of the Rocks Pirates.

Day by day, as more episodes aired, One Piece gradually revealed the truth. Garp appeared. So did Whitebeard, Edward Newgate.

And Ares finally understood. The anime was already set many years in the future.

"Newgate… became a captain himself, with his own pirate crew, his family..."

"So that was his dream?"

Ares couldn't help but remember all the moments he spent with Edward Newgate, a big brother who was bold, caring, patient, and always willing to teach him.

But as the Marineford War unfolded, the story moved toward a tragic conclusion.

"No!!"

When Ares saw Newgate betrayed by his own 'son,' his soul trembled.

Yet what followed stunned him even more. Newgate embraced Squard and chose to forgive him.

"Newgate…"

Newgate's boundless heart, his magnanimity, left Ares completely shaken. Those were the people he truly called his sons?

Family.

Family is the most precious thing in this world.

Ares suddenly recalled his own childhood, hammering swords alongside his father.

But those joyful days had been painfully short.

Pirates not only stole his father's masterpiece blades, they also stole his father's life.

"My family..."

"Newgate, Shiki, Wang Zhi, are they my family too?"

"They treated me like kin. I will never allow that tragedy to repeat itself."

Time passed endlessly.

It took years for Ares to follow the life of 'Riku Yo' and watch One Piece from Episode 1 all the way to the Marineford War.

On that day

"This era is called Whitebeard," said Ace.

"I am a relic of the old era, and this new age has no ship that can carry me," said Edward Newgate.

The strongest man in the world had fallen.

The sorrow of that scene crushed Ares's heart. His soul, somehow, was crying, tears flowing freely from his spiritual eyes.

"Akainu, I will never forgive you!"

The pain was unbearable.

It was the agony of helplessly watching someone dear to him die a tragic death while he could do nothing to stop it.

The memories stopped at the end of the Marineford War.

Once again, the world around him was plunged into darkness.

But Ares now understood something. Deep within his soul, he whispered, "Thank you, Riku Yo, for the memories from another world."

"With me here, none of this will ever happen again."

"I know your soul is still within this body, right?"

"I will take you to see the vastness of this ocean. I will show you how I will forge myself into a blade even greater than the Supreme Grade swords."

His spirit returned to his body.

It was as if the merging of memories had made his soul even stronger.

His willpower had also grown significantly.

And with that, his Conqueror's Haki had quietly become much more formidable.

But this wasn't all Ares had gained.

Only through future battles and rigorous training would he truly master the things he had seen in the anime.

His greatest gift was learning.

Ares slowly opened his eyes. Everything around him felt clearer than ever.

"Ares, you're awake!!"

"Thank goodness, you're finally awake!!"

Shiki and Newgate immediately noticed Ares sitting up and rushed to his bedside, their faces brimming with joy.

Newgate's face lit up with heartfelt happiness. He grinned widely, "Gurararara, it's good you're finally awake! Otherwise, I would've gone to settle things with Linlin!"

His hearty laughter somehow carried a magical warmth that deeply comforted Ares's soul.

"Jihahahaha…"

Shiki laughed loudly, "Speaking of which, this is the second time you've beaten me up, you little brat!"

"I have to say, Ares, your luck is insane. You actually got a Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit."

"Truly enviable!"

Their battle had given Shiki a firsthand taste of the immense power of Mythical Zoans.

He couldn't help but marvel, "Ares's strength has jumped another level again."

"Sorry…" Ares scratched his smooth, shiny bald head, feeling a little embarrassed.

Memories of the events after he had eaten that Devil Fruit surfaced. He recalled transforming into the azure dragon and striking Shiki with his tail, causing him to bleed.

But deep inside, he was secretly thrilled.

He had obtained one of the strongest Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruits, granting him incredible physical power and control over the elements.

Ares made a silent vow in his heart. "I must become even stronger. I must forge myself into an indestructible blade that can stop all tragedies."

"I will change this era."

"This era will belong to me, Ares."

Seeing that Ares had returned to normal, Shiki laughed heartily, "It's nothing. A hit like that is nothing to me."

"It's enough that you're awake. Rest well for the next couple of days. Captain Rocks has already postponed the mission."

Then he asked, "Ares, what really happened that day?"

Whitebeard also turned his gaze toward Ares, wanting to hear the full story.

Ares carefully explained everything, how he had gone to meet Linlin, how he accidentally ate the Devil Fruit, and how his mind spiraled into unconsciousness from the overwhelming pain.

"Linlin!!" Whitebeard's eyes burned with rage. "One day, I'll make sure she fully understands the despair of sinking to the bottom of the sea."

If not for Captain Rocks, Whitebeard might have stormed off to fight Linlin already.

"Newgate… Big Brother!" Ares paused, then finally called out, "Big Brother," his voice firm and resolute. "I will work hard on my own. One day, I'll defeat her with my own hands!"

"Big Brother??"

Whitebeard froze.

His eyes flickered with overwhelming joy.

Ares…

Did he just call me Big Brother?

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