Golden Lion Shiki lifted off the ground, floating a meter or two in the air.
Whoosh!
With speed sharp as a bullet and swift as the wind, he appeared before Ares in an instant.
A complex expression danced across his face equal parts pride and frustration.
"Ares, do you even realize that my swordsmanship is among the finest on these seas?!" he snapped. "So many beg me to teach them, but none are worthy!"
"Trash will always be trash. No matter how hard you try to teach a loser, they'll never become a great swordsman!"
His voice grew heavier, his disappointment palpable. Even Shiki himself couldn't quite grasp why Ares had rejected him.
"You're the only one I've ever truly recognized since joining the Rocks Pirates!" he declared, eyes burning. "I believe you can reach the very top of this world!"
His tone shifted softer, more eager. "Learn swordsmanship from me! Become the kind of pirate the world trembles before!"
"Conquer this ocean with overwhelming strength!"
"Gurararara!!"
With his trademark wild laughter, Shiki unleashed a domineering aura that surged outward like a hurricane, his massive mane of golden hair whipping violently in the storm.
The overwhelming pressure stunned the pirates in the training room.
This was Golden Lion Shiki.
And yet, the youth before him, Ares, remained calm. Not swayed in the slightest by Shiki's grand promises.
"I don't want to learn swordsmanship," Ares replied firmly. "I want to forge myself into a blade mightier than even the Supreme Grade Meito."
"Swordsmanship would only distract me. It's a waste of time."
Shiki's face darkened at once. Fury surged in his eyes.
"Ares, do you understand how many would kill to train under me?!" he roared. "Do you know how powerful swordsmanship truly is?!"
Then, as his anger faded slightly, a thought struck him.
Could it be that this kid doesn't even understand what true swordsmanship looks like?
"Fine. Come with me," Shiki said, beckoning him. "Let me show you what it means to be a great swordsman."
"Let me show you the strength that made me First Division Commander of the Rocks Pirates."
Ares gave a nonchalant nod. "Even if swordsmanship is strong, it's not as real as building up my body."
He followed Shiki out, the envious stares of other pirates trailing them.
Wang Zhi hurried to Ares's side and threw an arm over his shoulder, ignoring the sweat clinging to Ares's body. His shiny armor could be cleaned later no big deal.
Thankfully, Wang Zhi was large enough to pull it off, or he wouldn't have been able to reach Ares's shoulder. He chuckled into Ares's ear.
"Ares, Shiki's swordsmanship is terrifyingly strong. Even I can't match him. On these seas, only one man might rival him in swordplay: the Lone Red, Baroric Redfield."
"The Lone Red... Redfield?" Ares had never heard the name, but he knew that anyone who could match Shiki had to be powerful.
Wang Zhi laughed and stroked his beard. "I could talk about that guy's story for days. He's a lone wolf, never lost a duel in his life."
A hint of longing crossed his face. "It's a shame I never met him. I'd have loved to see that man's swordsmanship firsthand."
Baroric Redfield, The Lone Red.
Ares etched the name in his mind. Someone that powerful could truly temper his own growth.
If they ever crossed paths, he would not let the opportunity slip.
The trio gradually left the edge of the town, heading deep into a remote mountain valley.
Along the way, Wang Zhi kept Ares entertained with tales from the seas things Ares found fascinating, since he still knew so little of the world.
Eventually, Shiki stopped.
"Here. This is the place."
He turned to Ares, his wild expression glowing with confidence. "Watch closely. I'll show you my swordsmanship."
"You're going to be blown away."
With a sharp shing, he drew his massive sword: the Supreme Grade blade, Deadwood.
Ares locked his tiger-like eyes on Shiki.
The Golden Lion made a casual swing of his blade.
Whoosh!
A golden slash burst forth, slicing clean through the summit of a distant mountain.
It looked effortless like a kitchen knife slicing a cucumber.
That mountain was dozens of times bigger than a giant!
Fast. Sharp. Unbelievable.
Ares's eyes widened in astonishment. "What was that?!"
The brilliant golden slash shattered everything he thought he knew. He had never seen anything like it.
Boom!!
The severed mountaintop crashed to the ground, causing the earth to tremble beneath their feet.
Smoke and dust filled the sky.
"Well? That's my swordsmanship," Shiki said smugly, twirling his blade with flair.
The glint off the blade's edge sparkled like ice in the sun.
Wang Zhi clapped Ares on the back. "Now you understand. Shiki's swordsmanship alone makes him one of the strongest on these seas."
Only when you witness the world's vastness when you stand before true power can you understand how small you really are.
Most people would feel fear.
But a rare few would be inspired to rise and surpass.
Our choices define our fate.
And our effort determines how far we go.
Ares was clearly one of the rare few. After years of brutal training, he still pressed on.
His eyes lit up with golden fire. He spoke, almost breathless with excitement.
"That kind of swordsmanship is incredible."
"I want to learn how to do that!!"
For some reason, a line rose unbidden in his mind:
Sword aura slicing through thirty thousand miles, a single slash freezing nineteen provinces!
----------------------------------------------------
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