Ares' entire body swelled with power. His muscles bulged, inflating into even larger slabs, while the dragon scales across his skin rang out with metallic clacks.
Veins surged up along his neck, forehead, and temples.
He looked like a rampaging beast.
"Break for me!!"
Ares knew one thing for certain he could not allow the Mythical Zoan, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami, to fall back into the Celestial Dragons' hands.
Snap crack !
Invisible chains shattered one after another. Just as Ares was about to move
A Holy Knight moved first, already a step ahead, within arm's reach of the Devil Fruit.
A smug grin spread across his face.
"Ares, this Devil Fruit belongs to the World Government!"
Ares' eyes went bloodshot with fury. He lunged forward at full speed, only to be intercepted blocked by the Holy Knight's strike, and then pressured again by Saint Saturn's ability.
Damn it
Ares' heart sank.
"Is it really going to end up in the World Government's hands!?"
The very next second
Everything changed.
"Ikoku!"
A terrifying pink shockwave blasted through, instantly sending that Holy Knight flying.
Linlin charged in, baring her teeth in a grin.
"Mamamama… Ares, you've stolen so many fruits from me. This one should belong to me!"
"And besides…"
"Saint Glin promised he'd give it to me!"
As she spoke, she stretched out her fan-sized hand toward the Devil Fruit.
"Stop!!"
Ares roared.
His Conqueror's Haki exploded outward so violent it made Linlin's hand freeze midair. The Devil Fruit rattled, then rolled another stretch across the ground from the shock.
"Damn it That Devil Fruit belongs to the World Government!" Saint Glin wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and swung, firing a deadly slash at Linlin.
Meanwhile…
Ares forced his way forward again.
Several corpses of Holy Knights already lay scattered across the ground.
Below Admiral level
One hit meant death.
And these guys were only around the level of ordinary Marine Vice Admirals. Against Ares, it was like swatting children.
Even if they didn't die on the spot, the sheer brute force shattered their bones and crushed their organs.
Ares, Saint Glin, and Linlin all surged toward the Devil Fruit at the same time, constantly blocking and disrupting each other.
Saint Saturn, for some reason, still hadn't moved from his position. He only used his ability to interfere pressuring Ares and Linlin from afar.
Ares' tiger-like eyes narrowed.
He changed tactics instantly.
He canceled his Dragon-Man form and transformed fully into a massive azure dragon, body wrapped in roaring flames.
The shift greatly weakened the restraints Saturn was placing on him.
"Boro Breath!!!"
A torrent of scorching flame blasted out, forcing Linlin and Saint Glin back.
Saint Glin was just about to counter
When his pupils shrank violently.
A gigantic dragon tail, wrapped in surging fire, swept across the battlefield.
"Divine Dragon Tail Swing!!"
Saint Glin retreated in a flash, not daring to take that hit head-on.
Who knew how much raw physical power was packed into that single tail strike?
After driving Saint Glin back, Ares fired wind blades from his mouth.
Linlin's eyes hardened with a ruthless resolve.
She looked like she was about to tank Ares' attack just to get her hand on the Devil Fruit.
At that critical, razor-thin instant
A sudden twist.
Boom !
A terrifying shockwave struck Linlin first, shaking her whole body and knocking her directly into Ares' incoming wind blades.
Clang-clang-clang !
The wind blades struck Linlin's skin, ringing like metal on steel.
And in that same heartbeat
Ares arrived.
He flashed past Linlin, dragon claws snapping shut around the Devil Fruit.
He grinned.
"Thanks, Whitebeard!"
"If not for that quake you just hit her with, Linlin would've snatched it first."
"Gurararara !"
Whitebeard leapt out of the forest, laughing loudly.
"Ares! Good! You really made it!!"
Ares' expression burned with excitement not just because Whitebeard had helped, but because he'd finally secured the Mythical Zoan, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami.
With the Mythical Zoan, Model: Yamata no Orochi already in hand, he now held two Mythical Zoans rarer than Logias, and absurdly powerful.
"Whitebeard…!" Saint Saturn's face darkened. "Ares alone is already a monster. Add Whitebeard…"
He didn't even know how he was supposed to deal with two monsters like that.
Saint Glin's gaze turned venomous, his killing intent undisguised.
"Damn it!! If Whitebeard hadn't interfered, how could that Devil Fruit have ended up in Ares' hands?!"
Whitebeard had already taken the Mythical Zoan, Model: Phoenix.
Now he'd helped Ares obtain the Mythical Zoan, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami.
And with the Paw-Paw Fruit earlier
Half of the six Devil Fruits were already in pirate hands.
Saint Glin's anger was boiling.
What he didn't know…
Was that Ares also held the Mythical Zoan, Model: Yamata no Orochi. If he knew, he'd probably explode on the spot.
Linlin, meanwhile, was so furious her eyes looked ready to spew flames.
"Newgate!! Bastard why did you stop me?!"
"Gurararara !" Whitebeard grinned. "Because I'm helping Ares, of course."
"You !"
Linlin choked on her rage, glaring at Whitebeard and Ares as if her eyes could carve them into pieces.
Whitebeard looked at the Okuchi-no-Makami fruit in Ares' hand and laughed again.
"Gurararara Ares, you got a Devil Fruit, I got a Devil Fruit. Good day!"
Ares blinked, curiosity rising.
"Whitebeard, you got one too?"
"Of course." Whitebeard chuckled. "Mythical Zoan, Model: Phoenix."
Phoenix?
That was Marco's ability in the future.
Ares laughed.
"Hahaha! Letting the Celestial Dragons eat these is a waste!"
"These fruits should shine in our hands!"
At those words
Saint Saturn's face turned pitch-black with fury, like smoke might start pouring from his head.
"Damn you!! Those are World Government Devil Fruits! If you don't leave them behind today…"
"None of you are leaving!!"
Whitebeard lifted Murakumogiri slightly and smiled.
"Leave me and Ares behind, Saturn… You really think you've got that kind of power?"
"And what do you know about the World Government's true strength?" Saint Glin's voice turned icy, radiating cold.
Ares curled his lip.
"Then come on."
"All of you together."
"Let me see if you can stop me and Whitebeard from walking away."
As he spoke, he stowed the Okuchi-no-Makami fruit into the box at his waist.
When the lid opened
Whitebeard's eyes went wide.
"Ares…!"
"Y-you've already taken two Devil Fruits?!"
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