One piece: The Greatest Swordsman of the Rocks Era!

"That… that slash came from his bare arm?!"

Kaido's wide, beast-like eyes stared at the one-meter-wide, hundred-meter-long gash in the ground.

It was carved several inches deep into the earth.

He couldn't believe what he was seeing this level of destructive power had come from a swing of Ares's arm!

Kaido turned to look at the calm and composed Ares. "Boss Ares, you… you know how to use slashes?"

Three days ago, during that intense battle, Kaido had assumed the devastating slashes Ares unleashed in his Azure Dragon form were part of his Devil Fruit abilities.

But today, Kaido had witnessed Ares's muscular arm deliver a slash with raw, terrifying force.

Ares's face still carried a hint of dissatisfaction. He nodded. "Yeah, I've been practicing slashes for over a month now. This slash should've been stronger…"

"Seems like I still haven't fully grasped the Breath of All Things."

He closed his eyes again, replaying the process of that slash in his mind.

Then he raised his arm, focusing his entire willpower on the Breath of All Things.

"Over a month?"

Kaido was stunned. He turned back to look at the deep gash in the ground. "He learned to deliver slashes like that in just over a month?"

He began to question whether his understanding of the world was fundamentally flawed.

A casual swing with such horrifying destructive power Ares had only trained for a month?

If that slash had landed on him, Kaido didn't doubt he'd be torn apart, seriously injured on the spot.

Kaido's gaze shifted back to Ares, inwardly marveling. "Boss Ares really is a monster among monsters. If his slash is already this strong after a month, how terrifying would his swordsmanship become after ten or twenty years of training?"

"And that's not even counting his Devil Fruit abilities…"

Kaido couldn't imagine how powerful Ares would become in the future.

Right then, Ares swung his arm again.

His speed was significantly faster this time, almost too fast to track.

A brilliant blue slash burst from his arm.

Shhhrrip!

The dazzling sword light tore through the air, piercing into the ground with a sharp screech.

It left behind a deep, pitch-black fissure.

The power of this slash made Ares nod in satisfaction. "I've finally grasped the Breath of All Things. Not only has the slash grown more powerful, but I can now deliver far more force with the same effort."

The improvement in his strength filled him with joy and excitement, and a bright smile naturally appeared on his face.

Kaido looked on with burning admiration and envy. "Boss Ares, do you think I can learn to slash like that with my body?"

Excited, Kaido swung his arm wildly, mimicking Ares's motions, the wind whistling as he cut through the air.

Ares shook his head. "You should focus on forging your raw physical strength. As long as your body is powerful enough, you'll have incredible strength whether you can slash or not."

It wasn't that he didn't want to teach it was that this skill was so profound that even he couldn't fully explain it in words.

Besides, Ares knew his own comprehension was far beyond the average person.

Kaido nodded, giving up on learning swordsmanship for now and throwing himself back into his training.

He hefted a massive slab of rock, more than a hundred square meters in size, and resumed his exercises.

Meanwhile, Ares focused on shortening the time it took to concentrate his will, even attempting to slash with his left arm and legs, using kicks imbued with the Breath of All Things.

The two of them trained relentlessly under the blazing sun all morning.

For monsters like them, training for an entire morning was nothing out of the ordinary.

When noon arrived, they devoured food like bottomless pits.

The chef nearly passed out in rage watching how much they consumed before they finally left the dining hall.

Later, Captain John re-examined Ares's body and confirmed there were no lingering issues. Ares, however, chose not to reveal the secrets of his mind to anyone.

In the afternoon, Ares began a new training regimen.

From what he had learned through anime, he knew Zoan-type Devil Fruits had three forms human form, hybrid form, and full-beast form.

Naturally, it was time for him to master his hybrid form.

Shiki took a long drag of his cigar and blew out a cloud of smoke with a smug grin. "Ares, bring it on. Show us the hybrid form of your Mythical Zoan."

Whitebeard and Kaido stared at Ares with wide, curious eyes, eager to see this new transformation.

Ares didn't hesitate.

He immediately activated his hybrid form. His body rapidly swelled, and antler-like horns sprouted from his head.

Most of his body turned a striking blue, and patches of blue scales appeared on his arms, legs, and back, glimmering in the golden sunlight.

His hands, feet, and facial features transformed, and from his lower back, a powerful dragon tail covered in scales and coarse black fur emerged.

It was like he had grown a "third leg" but this leg was in a class of its own. One sweep of this tail could pulverize a man into paste with ease.

Ares, who originally stood around four meters tall, now loomed at nearly six meters in this hybrid dragon form.

His rock-solid muscles swelled to the extreme, exuding pure explosive power and brutal aesthetic.

His presence alone radiated ferocity, dominance, and an overwhelming sense of pressure.

The sheer intensity of it made the sweltering July heat instantly feel ice-cold.

Ares was extremely satisfied with this form. Compared to his full dragon form, he preferred the hybrid.

It was a body he could fully control.

He raised his clawed hand, marveling at the razor-sharp talons that glistened in the light. They felt strong enough to slice through steel effortlessly.

Clenching his fist, he could feel the monstrous strength surging within.

This power felt amazing.

So this was the strength of a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit.

His amber-gold, slit-pupil eyes gleamed with an overwhelming desire to fight as he looked toward Shiki. "Brother Shiki, I'm coming for you."

"Bring it on, Ares. This time I won't underestimate you like I did before!" Shiki's face was serious, but his anticipation was unmistakable. Last time, he'd been stunned by Ares's Conqueror's Haki and got struck hard by Ares's dragon tail.

Woosh!

Ares, who had now mastered explosive movements, suddenly launched himself forward, as swift and nimble as a leaping antelope, yet moving faster than the wind.

His surging blood and energy coursed through his pumped-up muscles.

The terrifying force of his punch stirred the air into violent turbulence.

"Great-Ape-King-Fist!"

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