The flame clouds beneath Ares' feet suddenly accelerated, like a racer overtaking on the track in an instant.
With a sudden pull, the clouds dispersed.
Two towering figures came crashing down like meteors, slamming into the deck of the ship.
The entire vessel shuddered violently. Screams of panic and terror erupted all around.
"Who are they?!"
"Giants?! Did giants board a World Government ship?!"
"Protect Saint Charlos!"
In the chaos, everyone rushed to shield a man wearing a square-shaped transparent bubble on his head, forming a protective circle around him.
The Celestial Dragon's face twisted in fear and fury. His trembling body was overcome with anger as he shrieked, not even caring about the massive intruders before him.
"My mood is already foul and now these two disgusting brutes appear before me. Kill them! Kill them now!!"
The bodyguards in black suits and soldiers clad in silver armor instantly surged forward, attacking Ares and Kaido without hesitation.
For them, a Celestial Dragon's command was etched into their very souls.
Ares' pupils shrank. His gaze sharpened, and in that instant, an overwhelming wave of killing intent erupted from his body like a tidal wave crashing down.
The shockwave blasted outward, impossible to resist.
The charging guards' eyes rolled white as they dropped unconscious one after another, collapsing with dull thuds.
Saint Charlos' eyes widened. His body shook uncontrollably as terror gnawed at his very soul. Under the baptism of this oppressive aura, his world seemed to freeze, as though he had plunged into an icy abyss where thought itself was paralyzed.
Conqueror's Haki.
A year of growth had only sharpened Ares' strength. His Conqueror's Haki had reached frightening heights, its force unleashed with effortless precision.
Kaido frowned.
"A Celestial Dragon aboard this ship… thank goodness Ares-ani's Conqueror's Haki knocked most of them out. If they'd had time to signal for help, we'd really be in trouble."
He hadn't expected to run into one of those so-called "descendants of the gods" here of all places.
Drip… drip…
A faint liquid sound reached Kaido's ears. He glanced down, and his face twisted in disgust.
The unconscious Celestial Dragon had lost control of his body. The stench of urine spread across the deck.
Ares, face grim, ignored the foulness and warned Kaido:
"Kaido. There are still two people on this ship whose breaths remain steady. And they're dangerous."
Kaido stiffened.
"What? Two of them resisted your Haki?!"
"Yes." Ares nodded. "Their aura isn't ordinary. It's lethal."
Kaido's expression darkened.
"Could it be the secret guardians of the Celestial Dragons?!"
He knew all too well: Celestial Dragons were rarely without escorts sometimes even CP0 agents. These monsters had the power to summon an Admiral, and their status towered above kings themselves.
Thud… thud… thud…
Footsteps echoed on the silent ship. Both Ares and Kaido tensed, eyes locked on the cabin entrance.
Two white silhouettes emerged.
The moment Ares saw one of them, his heart clenched tight. His voice cracked with disbelief.
"A Gorosei?!"
Before him stood a bald man wearing glasses, clad in a white samurai robe, a long blade at his side.
The image seared into his memory matched what he had once seen though in his recollection, the Five Elders were much older. This one looked decades younger, yet his aura was unmistakable.
Kaido lowered his gaze, examining the pair: one bald swordsman, and beside him, a man in a white cloak and a ghastly white mask.
The instinctive chill they radiated could not be mistaken.
"A Gorosei?!" Kaido hissed under his breath. "Ares, you mean one of them… is a Gorosei?!"
His stomach dropped. The Gorosei were the supreme authority of the World Government, above even the Celestial Dragons themselves.
Fear gnawed at him, and he whispered urgently into Ares' ear.
"Maybe we should… run."
The masked figure's voice cut cold through the air.
"Run? You think you can attack a World Government vessel and walk away?"
He sneered.
"If I'm not mistaken, the two before me are Rocks Pirates' crewmen Bloodhand Ares… and Kaido."
His tone dripped with disdain.
"Interesting. You vanished for a year. Everyone assumed you were dead. Seems our intelligence networks are not as flawless as we thought. But none of that matters now. Meeting us here… is your misfortune."
In a flash, he vanished.
Soru.
The masked agent's speed surpassed the limits of human sight. In an instant, he reappeared before Ares, just a meter away, finger aimed at his heart.
His voice was like a death sentence.
"Your pirate journey ends here."
"Shigan, Tenfold Rapid Fire!"
Energy coiled on his fingertip, then burst forth as a volley of compressed shockwaves, each one deadly enough to pierce stone.
But Ares' voice rang cold in his ear.
"My life is not yours to decide."
"Blood Armor, Crimson Scales!"
In an instant, his chest muscles hardened, skin transforming into a gleaming crimson armor. The rain of Shigan strikes clattered against it, sparks flying, but failed to break through.
The masked man narrowed his eyes, lips curling into a cruel grin.
"As expected your Armament Haki is no ordinary power. I've read your file. If you tell me the method behind this technique…"
"I could spare you. You'll rot away in Impel Down, but alive."
His voice dripped with arrogance, like he was granting a pitiful favor.
Ares' lips curled into a sneer.
"Hmph. That's a bargain I don't care for."
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