Chapter 89: Guidance From "Teacher Kaido"
Zephyr's body bore more than just the gash left by Wang Zhi's slash. There were also the burns scorched into his flesh by Ares' Dragon Breath, along with dozens of bruises and fractures from their relentless clashes.
But what truly unsettled him... was Ares' terrifying talent.
In just a few short days, this monster had learned several of the Six Powers and as a Devil Fruit user, he had even bypassed the sea's natural suppression. This defied everything Zephyr believed to be possible.
Unacceptable.
Not just Ares no one in the Rocks Pirates should be allowed to live. For the sake of justice. For the sake of the world.
"They must all be eliminated!"
"Old man, I think Mr. Zephyr is right," said Dragon, turning to his father Garp, fully supporting the call for reinforcements. "We should have the Navy send more men."
Over the past few days, Dragon had come to understand just how frightening Ares truly was.
In just one month, that guy's power had undergone a complete transformation. A total rebirth.
Dragon still remembered vividly how Ares had drop-kicked him across the battlefield… square in the face.
Even worse...
Ever since then, Garp had increased Dragon's training tenfold. On top of that, he'd constantly berated him with, "Why can't you be more like Ares?" And of course, punctuated every lecture with his infamous "Fist of Love."
Now seeing Zephyr's battered condition, even Garp had to admit the reality: Ares was strong. Very strong.
"Alright," Garp nodded solemnly. "I'll contact Fleet Admiral Kong right away."
He reached for the Den Den Mushi and made the call.
When Kong learned that even Zephyr had been severely injured by Ares, his eyes widened in shock.
He was already familiar with the intelligence on Ares.
But it was now clear this newcomer's Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit had turned him into a top-tier threat.
Understanding the gravity of the situation, Kong agreed immediately. His voice grew heavy.
"I'll dispatch Vice Admiral Prodi to reinforce your position."
"Your task is to apprehend as many of the Rocks Pirates officers as possible including…"
"…'Bloodhand' Ares!"
When Garp heard that Prodi was being sent, he grinned. "Prodi, huh? With his help, we'll definitely be able to capture Golden Lion, Ares, and the others."
Once the call ended, Kong stood in his office, silent. His chest felt tight.
"Hmph…"
"Another monster rises within the Rocks Pirates. But even so…"
"…For the sake of justice, I will annihilate them all!"
Without wasting a second, he called Vice Admiral Prodi and ordered him to assist Garp's task force.
But just as he finished issuing that order, another Den Den Mushi began to ring.
"Blororororo… blororororo…"
Kong answered.
But the next message made his face change instantly. He jolted from his seat, slamming his fist into the desk.
"What?!!"
"Rocks just launched an assault on the Kingdom of Elis?!"
"CP units are en route, but they're requesting immediate naval support?!"
Kong's huge frame trembled. The Kingdom of Elis was one of the World Government's official member nations.
"Could it be…" he growled, teeth clenched. "Is Rocks... declaring war on the World Government?!"
If a single kingdom fell under Rocks' control if a member nation were to be conquered
It would shake the entire world.
"Damn it!!"
Slamming his fist again, Kong roared in fury.
"Rocks… your ambition isn't just treasure anymore, is it?"
"No. This must be stopped."
He barked into the Den Den Mushi, "Tell the Kingdom of Elis they must hold out at all costs until our reinforcements arrive!"
After that, Kong stormed out of his office, personally mobilizing warships and issuing deployment orders to the Navy's elite.
Meanwhile…
Back on the pirate ship, completely unaware of Rocks' full plan, Ares remained deep in thought, immersed in mental training.
His battle against Zephyr had opened new doors for him.
Even with his incredible learning talent, it was impossible to reach Zephyr's mastery of the Six Powers in just a few days. But Ares wasn't one to give up.
In his mind, he played the battle on repeat over and over.
He compared it with the techniques used by CP9 during the Enies Lobby arc especially Rob Lucci's.
"Lucci could channel fire through Finger Pistol… turning a melee strike into a ranged attack. If he can do it, so can I."
"And Zephyr… he used some kind of ultimate form of the Six Powers. His version of Rokuogan is way stronger than Lucci's."
He rewound the mental footage of both fighters using their secret techniques.
"That kind of power… it's still purely physical, but how do they generate such devastating shockwaves?!"
Rokuogan surpassed the basic Six Powers by several levels. It gave unarmed strikes the destructive force of long-range attacks almost like sword slashes.
It was raw body technique.
Not swordplay.
And yet… their effects were eerily similar.
"If I can master that force," Ares thought, his eyes burning, "I'll be able to defeat Zephyr and surpass him!"
He could almost glimpse the truth of these techniques… but it was like peeking into a vast, endless ocean.
Then, suddenly.
"Boss Ares, whatcha thinking about?" Kaido sat beside him, noticing how long Ares had been spacing out.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Ares turned and replied, "I was thinking about how to better develop my Devil Fruit."
"I've got a feeling I haven't fully tapped into the potential of my Azure Dragon form. I need to figure out how to use it better."
Kaido's eyes gleamed with inspiration. "If you spun that huge dragon body around fast enough… wouldn't that stir up a terrifying storm?"
Ares' eyes lit up. He clapped Kaido on the back, thrilled. "Damn, you're right! Why didn't I think of that?"
"If I rotate quickly enough in the air, I could generate massive gusts, create a vortex or even a hurricane!"
"Kaido, that idea's brilliant!"
His excitement surged.
Of course, Ares had no idea… that in the original One Piece timeline, Kaido himself was the holder of the Fish-Fish Fruit, Mythical Zoan: Azure Dragon Model.
Kaido chuckled, a little bashfully. "Also… I noticed that when you transform, thunderclouds form around you. Why not try controlling lightning?"
"Lightning's one of the most powerful forces in nature. Devastating stuff."
It was like someone flipped a switch in Ares' mind.
He stared at Kaido with wide eyes. "You're a genius!! That's it!!"
"I seriously underestimated your brain!"
All this time, he'd thought Kaido was just some muscle-bound blockhead who loved to fight. Turns out… this "meathead" was full of insight!
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