Ares' body had long since reached the realm of being impervious to fire and water. Prometheus, that Homie of Linlin's, couldn't harm him at all.
Even Zeus' lightning, once it met Ares' physique, had its damage reduced by nine-tenths.
That remaining tenth?
To Ares, it barely registered.
After all, even if internal organs were normally more fragile than muscle, tendons, bones, and skin… Ares' organs compared to other people's
Were still monstrous.
The muscles in Ares' thighs exploded outward, lines and blocks bulging like steel bricks as terrifying strength surged through him.
"Soru!"
Whoosh!
He vanished, then reappeared right in front of Saint Glin.
Saint Glin's expression shook. He swung his sword and unleashed a shocking slash.
Ares' arm muscles gleamed like red gemstones. He reached out with razor dragon claws, like a brutal Dragon-Claw Grapple, leaving several cold streaks in the air
Tearing the air apart!
He shredded Saint Glin's slash on contact and forced him back.
"Damn it!! A guy who's clearly injured… why is he still this strong?!"
"A monster!!"
He had seen it with his own eyes.
Ares had absorbed the pain of Sladra, Kaido, and Kuma taking the backlash and injuring himself.
And yet once he started fighting…
He was ferocious to an absurd degree!
Linlin slashed in, Napoleon blazing, aiming straight for Ares' back.
"Emperor Sword: Ikoku… no Hah! Hah Blade!" ("Hah Blade" / "Broken Blade" style strike)
Her attack came
And Ares reacted like he had eyes in the back of his head. Without even turning, he whipped his dragon tail upward to meet her blade.
Clang!
Sparks exploded. Scarlet dragon scales reflected Linlin's twisted, savage grin.
Ares flicked his dragon claws.
"No-Sword Style: Slash Wave!"
Razor flying slashes shot toward Saint Glin.
Saint Glin knocked them aside one after another with quick sword taps, and the deflected slashes cleaved through tree after tree with clean, flat cuts.
It looked like the forest behind him had been looted by a chainsaw maniac stumps everywhere, as if every trunk had been sawed clean through.
Rumble !
Trees crashed down in waves.
Ares, alone, fought two top-tier monsters and still didn't fall behind.
A commotion of this magnitude naturally drew attention from others on the island.
Hours later…
Saint Saturn arrived with the Holy Knights, and what they saw was Ares battling two powerhouses alone amid a battlefield of ruin.
"Bloodhand… Ares?!"
One Holy Knight after another stared in shock.
"Saint Glin is that strong, yet even with Charlotte Linlin's help they can't suppress Ares?!"
"Bloodhand Ares… that super monster from the Rocks Pirates?!"
"Why is Saint Glin teaming up with Linlin to fight Ares? What's going on?!"
"Shouldn't it be Ares and Linlin teaming up to fight Saint Glin?!"
"..."
The scene before them was so bizarre that everyone felt thrown off.
Behind a stump, Streusen's face changed.
"Damn it… reinforcements already?! The Celestial Dragons moved fast!"
"Didn't Captain Rocks take people to wipe these Celestial Dragons out?!"
His mood sank. His eyes spun, and he shouted urgently toward Linlin.
"Linlin! Stop! The World Government's reinforcements are here!!"
"Hm?!" Linlin glanced over, startled. "Shouldn't the Five Elders be too busy to handle themselves right now?!"
She immediately pulled back.
Ares didn't stop her.
But the moment Saint Glin tried to retreat
Ares burst forward.
"Blood-Red Armament: Eight-Impact Fist!"
He used the Eight-Impact Fist he'd learned from Chinjao still not fully mastered.
The terrifying power stored inside his corded arm poured out like a raging tide.
Like a storm surge.
Ripples pulsed through the air in terrifying rings.
"Moonlight Slash!" Saint Glin swung to block.
He barely caught Ares' punch
And instantly realized Ares' force was like a tsunami.
Wave after wave, each higher than the last!
"Pfft !"
Caught off guard, Saint Glin was blasted away by Ares' violent strength, blood spraying from his mouth.
As Ares chased
Saint Saturn's gaze flashed with vicious light.
"Murderous Gaze!"
An invisible force slammed toward Ares' face
Only for Ares to shatter it with a single tail strike!
Boom!
The air exploded, whipping up a hurricane.
Ares' body didn't slow at all. He looked like a bloodthirsty beast, feral and violent, refusing to stop until he tore down his prey.
Because
Saint Glin carried what Ares wanted: the Inu Inu no Mi, Mythical Zoan, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami.
If he got that Devil Fruit…
Ares' future force would have at least four Mythical Zoan users.
Almost enough to contend with the World Government's own five Mythical Zoan monsters the Five Elders.
With awakened wisdom and fused memories, Ares understood something clearly:
In war, the number and level of top-tier monsters decided victory.
So he wouldn't just collect powerful Devil Fruits.
He would also seek out partners with terrifying talent and potential
Raise them into Admiral-level and Yonko-level monsters…
Surpass the Rocks Pirates…
And become the strongest pirate crew in history!
While chasing, Ares swung both clawed hands.
Dozens of razor flying slashes tore the sky, cutting straight for Saint Glin.
"No-Sword Style: Thousand-Cut Valley Slash Wave!!!"
Strike while he's sick
Finish him while you can!
In this moment, Ares was a savage beast. If his enemy didn't stop breathing, he wasn't stopping.
Whoosh!
One masked Holy Knight panicked and rushed to save Saint Glin, appearing right beside Ares.
"Ares right in front of the Holy Knights, you want to kill Saint Glin? Do you think we aren't here?!"
He swung for Ares' neck, trying to take his head in one clean strike.
"Get lost!!"
Ares roared. He casually hammered the blade aside with a backhand strike.
The terrifying strength in his muscles transmitted through the steel and into the Holy Knight's arm.
Crack !
Crack !
Clear bone-snaps rang out.
"Aaah !!"
The Holy Knight screamed and flew away like a cannonball.
Saint Saturn and the others stared, dumbfounded.
Ares kept pressing Saint Glin.
Saint Glin had just taken a heavy hit, and his mind was crystal clear now:
I can't clash head-on with this monster!
Slash !!
"Fate: Tsukuyomi!"
Like a crescent moon descending into the mortal world, a brilliant crescent-shaped slash tore forward, pulverizing Ares' flying slashes one after another and charging straight for him.
"Blood-Red Armament: Crimson Dragon Roar!!!!"
Veins bulged across Ares' neck and forehead. The vast power in his body poured out with his punch.
Light flared on his fist like a blazing comet.
He fired a horrifying shockwave!
That monstrous punch force, fused with Haki, became a roaring impact wave that smashed into Saint Glin's slash.
Boom !!
A terrifying explosion!
The ground split. Dirt and stone blasted upward. Everything touched by the collision's aftermath melted like spring snow
Vaporized.
The violent blast wave hurled Saint Glin away.
And the box at his waist was ripped loose by the wind, spinning up into the sky.
Ares' eyes flashed. His legs tensed, ready to burst
"Suppress him!!"
A formless force slammed down over Ares' body, binding him like invisible chains.
Saint Saturn's forehead poured sweat as he barked, "Go! Get the fruit back!!"
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