Ares's unwavering determination brought a satisfied nod from Golden Lion Shiki.
Aside from his poor alcohol tolerance and occasional mental instability, this guy's talent, diligence, and monstrous growth were unlike anything Shiki had ever seen.
Shiki drew his other blade, the "Oto" from his waist, and said, "This sword isn't quite the right size for you, but you can use it for now. When we get a chance, we'll have someone forge a weapon that suits you."
As he spoke, he used his Float-Float Fruit ability to suspend the sword in front of Ares.
After all, Ares's frame was massive, and he was still growing. Shiki's weapons just weren't suitable for him. Given his size, Ares would probably be better off wielding a giant cutlass or something like Whitebeard's naginata.
But Ares didn't even reach out for the sword. His expression was serious as he said, "I don't need a weapon. My body is my weapon."
"I believe that one day, my body will surpass even the Supreme Grade Meito."
Shiki frowned, taking a long drag from his cigar as he mulled this over. Then he said, "Fine. No sword. I want to see how far you can go with this path."
"Honestly, I'm looking forward to it. Maybe you'll forge your own way of the sword."
Shiki was more than familiar with Ares's obsessive, near-mad dedication to molding his body into a living blade. He had witnessed Ares's savage, brutal training with his own eyes.
No point arguing.
Shiki casually called the Oto back to his left hand with his powers.
Then, with a solemn look, he warned Ares, "If you insist on using your body as a blade, then listen carefully. Until your Armament Haki is powerful enough, never try to block a great swordsman's strike with your bare hands."
"Right now, if you tried, you'd be sliced in two."
Ares nodded seriously. He burned Shiki's words into his memory. When it came to anything that could help him forge his ultimate weapon his own body he was always meticulous and utterly dedicated.
"Powerful swordsmanship isn't just about flying slashes. Even though you've already unleashed a flying slash a feat usually reserved for expert swordsmen your current swordsmanship and the power of your slashes are still far from what a true swordsman can achieve," Shiki said, recalling Ares's earlier hand-formed slashes.
Cold water, poured directly.
Shiki raised his "Withered Wood" blade, the sharp edge reflecting his wild, unruly face. He gestured with his cigar as he continued, "Now, I'll start by teaching you the simplest basic sword forms. Master the single-move strikes first. Only then can you chain them into complex combinations."
"The first form: Downward Slash!"
With a sharp whistle, he delivered a clean, vertical strike.
"The key is in the force and the precision of the motion..." Shiki patiently broke down the move, step by step. "Since your body is your weapon, you can practice these motions with your arms or legs."
Ares nodded and immediately raised his arm, spreading his fingers tightly together to form a 'hand blade.'
Swish!
He chopped down.
Compared to Shiki's razor-sharp swing with the Withered Wood, Ares's strike produced a longer, heavier wind sound mainly because his arm was just that thick.
Shiki grinned in satisfaction. "This talent of yours really is beyond ordinary. I genuinely can't wait to see you become a great swordsman."
"You'll shake the entire sea one day."
From there, Shiki began systematically teaching Ares the foundations of swordsmanship. He broke each movement down, explained every nuance, and emphasized the essential points.
Under Ares's inhuman talent, half a day of training was enough for him to grasp the basic forms with shocking speed.
The setting sun cast a golden glow on Ares, making his bronze skin shine even darker. Beads of sweat traced the contours of his sculpted muscles.
A physique that would bring tears to countless bodybuilding champions.
Swish!
Swish!
Boom!
Again and again.
Ares practiced the fundamental sword forms relentlessly, using both his hands and his legs as blades.
His mind constantly replayed Shiki's demonstrations while simultaneously analyzing his own movements.
He wasn't just replaying Shiki's teachings he was analyzing his own form in real-time.
Ares could clearly feel the difference that even slight changes in angle or power made. And thanks to his unique ability, he could spot his own mistakes and breakthroughs with terrifying accuracy.
His progress was astonishingly fast.
But by now, Shiki had come to expect nothing less. After being stunned so many times, he simply accepted it with pride.
Lounging casually on a smooth boulder, Shiki often found a smile creeping onto his face. "This guy's one day of training is worth a month maybe more for an ordinary person."
"If he'd appeared on the seas a few years earlier, he'd probably already be a feared powerhouse."
"Maybe... maybe it's destiny that brought him to me now. It's fate that I, Golden Lion, encountered a swordsmanship prodigy like this."
"This gem will one day shine before the whole world."
Shiki genuinely admired and believed in Ares.
There's an old saying: anything might betray you but effort never will.
Those who dedicate themselves to their dreams, those who persevere, are welcome wherever they go.
Shiki crushed his cigar, stood up, and called out, "Hey, Ares! Time to head back!"
"Miss dinner, and you're out of luck."
"Got it!"
Ares lowered his arm, though his face still showed a hint of disappointment. He had just begun his swordsmanship journey, and this amount of training was barely a warm-up for him.
The two of them made their way back to Skull Castle.
In the mess hall.
Ares, under the death glare of Shakky, devoured everything on the table at lightning speed.
Plates piled higher and higher.
Shiki handed Ares a bottle of liquor, laughing. "You gotta build up your tolerance, Ares. Otherwise, how are you gonna enjoy a pirate's greatest pleasure a feast!"
Ares accepted the drink without hesitation and gulped it down.
"Ahhh!!"
"Meat and booze, now this is the life!!"
He smacked his lips and went right back to wolfing down food like a starving beast.
Shakky clenched her teeth so hard you could hear it. Her voice was cold, each word practically carved from ice. "You.. plan.. to.. keep.. eating.. how.. long?!"
The mountain of plates stacked on the table was now taller than she was.
His appetite had increased again!
In fact, it had grown by another ten percent compared to yesterday!
How much would this cost them?!
All this eating, and what exactly did he contribute?!!
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