"Move, move."
Wang Zhi shot a glare at the lecherous Silver Axe, roughly shoving him aside from Ares. He said seriously, "Don't listen to this old pervert's nonsense."
Then, with genuine concern, he added, "Let the ship's doctor check you over. You don't want to leave behind any hidden injuries."
"Kaido, go get the doctor on board!"
"Oh, right!" Kaido quickly nodded and dashed off to follow Wang Zhi's instructions.
Ares puffed out his rock-solid chest and smiled. "I'm fine. My recovery speed is incredible."
He was genuinely happy.
Today's battle with Zephyr had been immensely rewarding. He'd learned so many new combat techniques. Once he fully mastered them, his strength would increase significantly.
This kind of progress was far faster than his regular training. His daily drills primarily tempered his body, refining his physique and durability.
"Even if your recovery is amazing, you should still let the doctor check you over. It won't take long," Shiki said with genuine concern.
Soon enough.
Kaido returned with the ship's doctor, who immediately began examining Ares' body. The moment the doctor's hands touched Ares' iron-like muscles, he couldn't help but click his tongue in disbelief.
In the end, just as Ares had said, his recovery ability was astonishing. The injuries posed no serious threat.
Wang Zhi also ordered the crew to prepare a feast.
After all, several hours of intense combat had seriously drained both Shiki and Ares.
Once they'd eaten.
Basking under the moonlight, Ares finally activated his "cheat mode," replaying every detail of his fight with Zephyr in his mind.
He already had some understanding of the Six Powers from his knowledge of the One Piece anime.
But after this battle, he had gained a far deeper and more practical understanding of them.
Especially the Moonwalk.
The Six Powers were a combat style that pushed the limits of the human body a martial art of terrifying power.
Highly practical in battle.
Moonwalk, in particular, relied on explosive leg strength to create a forceful lift, allowing the user to step on air, moving freely through the sky as though climbing invisible stairs.
It all came down to raw explosive power and precise control of one's body.
"Come to think of it… that time on Garp's battleship, I shot straight up into the ceiling because I lost control of my explosive power."
Ares suddenly recalled the time when his surge of power had launched him into the air, crashing through the ceiling headfirst.
He replayed Zephyr's use of Moonwalk in his mind, frame by frame.
Zephyr was clearly a master of close-quarters combat, using sudden bursts of leg strength to zip through the sky like lightning, even slipping into his opponent's blind spots to strike.
Luckily for Ares, with a dragon tail behind him, he didn't really have a blind spot.
"Explosive power..."
Ares bent his knees slightly, his powerful thigh muscles tensing so tightly they stretched his shorts like a soaked swimsuit, clinging to his thick, solid legs.
His rugged, steel-like muscles bulged in sharp, uneven layers, like slabs of stone packed with terrifying strength.
As he lowered his center of gravity, his spine curved like a hunting leopard ready to pounce.
He focused all his power into his legs and suddenly exploded into action.
Boom!
The deck beneath his feet instantly shattered, sending splinters of wood flying.
Ares' four-meter-tall frame shot skyward like a rocket.
He knew this was just the beginning.
As he ascended, he quickly noticed something without a foothold, his power felt scattered and hard to control.
But thanks to his exceptional physical conditioning and his rigorous body training, he was still able to muster his strength.
Mid-air, Ares raised one leg and stomped hard.
Boom!
A sonic boom echoed through the air as his body, which had begun to slow, shot upward another twenty or thirty meters.
Ares immediately reflected on the flaw in his technique. "My force is still a little scattered. It's not perfectly focused yet."
"Let's try changing direction..."
This time.
He adjusted his footing ever so slightly, shifting his angle just a bit. The reaction force from his explosive stomp sent him soaring at a diagonal.
A grin spread across Ares' face.
This, this was Moonwalk!
He had already achieved a basic grasp of it.
Ares understood that this was just the beginning. He hadn't yet mastered control over force, distance, or direction.
But as long as he kept practicing, he was confident he would surpass Zephyr in his mastery of the Six Powers!
Ares was thrilled and excited to have unlocked a new combat technique.
He began stomping through the air, creating a series of sonic booms that rippled like shockwaves. Over and over, he practiced Moonwalk in the sky.
Watching Ares zipping through the air above him…
Kaido was utterly dumbfounded. "Boss Ares… already learned Moonwalk?!"
"That kind of learning speed… is that even humanly possible?!"
Deep inside, Kaido couldn't help but doubt himself and feel a little inferior.
Once again, Ares' monstrous talent had left him crushed.
There's no pain without comparison.
Kaido felt like he'd just seen a ghost. In the Navy, the Six Powers were battle techniques that required brutal, systematic training to learn.
It usually took years to master.
But Ares?
He'd picked it up in less than an hour.
What… a monster!!!
Shiki, holding a wine bottle, grinned. "Kaido, didn't you say you wanted to witness Ares becoming the world's strongest creature? You'll see that day for sure."
"If even Ares can't become the strongest, then no one is qualified."
Shiki looked up at the sky and saw Ares, his face alight with pure joy and unwavering dedication to his training.
If this guy doesn't become the strongest… then there's no justice in the world!
"Ares' learning ability is incredible, but sometimes… learning too much isn't always a good thing," Wang Zhi said, though he too wore a look of genuine admiration and envy.
He glanced over at Shiki and suggested, "Shiki, maybe you should find a chance to remind Ares not to spread himself too thin on techniques that aren't truly powerful."
After all, biting off more than you can chew doesn't work.
Ares was juggling swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, body training, Haki, Devil Fruit mastery, and now the Six Powers. These things required enormous amounts of focus and energy.
Wang Zhi believed that if Ares focused on just two or three of those disciplines and pushed them to perfection, he would still stand among the top fighters in the world.
But Shiki just laughed heartily. "Let him train however he wants."
Then, with a gleam in his eye, he countered with a question, "Don't you think that a monster with no weaknesses…"
"…is the most terrifying monster of all?"
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