Ancient Zoan–type Devil Fruits are vanishingly rare remnants of life from a bygone age.
Being offered one moved Katakuri deeply, yet he could only regretfully say, "Mama already gave me a Devil Fruit. I'm a user now.
"It's the Paramecia Mochi-Mochi Fruit."
As he spoke, he raised his arm.
It turned into a mass of sticky white mochi at once.
"So you already have a Fruit. What a pity," Kaido said, face full of regret. "If you've got one, then forget it.
"We'll save this for a crewmate who joins later."
If only Katakuri hadn't eaten a Fruit, Kaido thought, he might have assembled a squad of Animal-type monsters. With a sigh, he set the Ancient Zoan aside for now.
"Katakuri, you said I've got a bounty. Let me see," Slardar asked, curious.
Katakuri pulled out Slardar's poster and grinned. "Here's yours. The 'Sea Demon' Slardar.
"Bounty: 280,000,000 Beli."
"What about mine?" Kaido asked.
Handing Slardar his poster, Katakuri produced another sheet and smiled. "Congratulations, Kaido. Epithet: Ape Demon. Bounty: 550,000,000 Beli."
Kaido took the poster, smaller than his palm, and stared at the figures before bursting into laughter. "Rororo...
"I'm a big-name pirate with a nine-figure bounty now.
"The whole world will know the name Kaido."
Five hundred and fifty million already the mark of a first-rate pirate. Fewer than twenty people on the seas currently exceed that number.
Katakuri glanced at Slardar with a touch of envy. "Your very first bounty is 280,000,000. That's higher than a lot of people.
"As for me...
"I don't even have a poster."
In the 16th Division, all four members including the newcomer Slardar now had bounties over two hundred million. Only Katakuri had none, and it stung.
For pirates, a bounty poster is reputation itself official recognition by the Navy and the World Government, a symbol of both strength and fame.
Slardar gave a guileless smile. "It's fine. The exact number doesn't matter.
"You're still young, Katakuri. Give it a few years and you'll have a poster of your own."
Though they'd known each other for less than a day, Slardar could already tell this kid's grit was extraordinary. His will was iron.
"Right, how much is Captain Ares?" Slardar asked.
Katakuri unfolded a fresh poster. "Captain Ares was at 2.2 billion Beli. Now it's 2.8 billion.
"He's closing in on Whitebeard and the Golden Lion."
"Two point eight billion?" Slardar's eyes widened. "That high?"
He had assumed Ares would only be a few hundred million above Kaido never several times more.
"Of course," Katakuri said, smiling. "Captain Ares robbed a transport carrying Heavenly Tribute and even killed a Celestial Dragon.
"Twenty billion-plus is normal.
"And the news that he defeated Garp has spread like wildfire. Kids stop crying when they hear his name.
"Still, Captain Ares doesn't care much about his poster."
Slardar turned. Ares was as focused as ever, training without the slightest distraction.
Chastened, Slardar put his thoughts away and resumed his drills.
These days,
Beyond tempering his body day after day, Ares trained his blood-red Armament Haki and methods for countering Observation Haki.
On the last mission,
He had gained a lot.
From Garp, he learned ways to further harden Armament Haki.
In his battle with Ledfield, he grasped a technique to disrupt the future-sight of Observation Haki.
He also glimpsed the true essence of tempering a black blade.
"Big Bro Newgate and Big Bro Shiki won't let me use blade-tempering methods on my body. It's dangerous, yes, but it accelerates the growth of raw physique," Ares thought, weighing it up.
"Then I'll start with the bones, and forge them into a black blade...
"Compared to tempering the viscera, this shouldn't be as dangerous."
Once decided, he moved.
He guided his blood-red Armament into the bones of his arm,
Letting it reshape the structure and density bit by bit.
On the first attempt, the crimson Haki flooded his arm bones at once, torrents of power surging through the marrow beyond his control.
Ares never feared failure. With his unique brain-replay, he could review every attempt,
Extract the errors,
And preserve the moments of success.
Progress soon came.
The thick, robust bones in his arm slimmed almost imperceptibly.
But Ares knew his own body to the last fiber; the change did not escape him.
A delighted spark lit his eyes.
"It works. I can feel it. My bones are the tiniest bit harder than before.
"And this is only the beginning. Once I fully temper them into a black blade, they'll be far tougher.
"My power, greater."
Joy swelled in his chest.
Another step forward one closer to surpassing even the Supreme Grade blades.
A small step, perhaps, but it would make the steps to come that much easier.
And so the days passed, almost identical, one after another.
…
More than a month slipped by.
A new year began.
At the threshold of the New World,
A coated ship burst its bubble as it rose from Fish-Man Island.
"The New World I, Roger, have returned!"
Gol D. Roger stood at the prow in his personal spot, arms flung wide, drinking in the air like a man toasting the sea.
The pirates aboard threw their arms over each other's shoulders and whooped.
When the cheers ebbed,
Rayleigh studied the three needles on the Log Pose and said to Roger, "Captain, Ares's fame is blazing.
"That guy actually beat the Fist, Garp. He's gotten even scarier lately."
Having crossed blades with Ares, Rayleigh felt it in his bones. That monster was terrifying.
"Ha ha ha..." Roger laughed. "So what? If we meet him, we'll beat him.
"Our dream is to adventure freely."
Rayleigh smiled and asked, "So what's next, Captain?"
Roger's lips curled; his tone rose and fell with relish.
"God Valley."
"God Valley?"
The deck fell silent. A dozen pairs of eyes stared, stunned.
Scopper Gaban gaped. "Captain, that's where the Celestial Dragons live.
"Guarded by Admirals and CP0, the so-called strongest shield in the world.
"Heading there is too dangerous."
Many crew members chimed in at once.
The Celestial Dragons are called the descendants of gods and wield absolute privilege.
Their protectors are so strong that even Rocks, current overlord of the seas, won't risk a casual strike.
Rayleigh frowned slightly, as if remembering something, and ventured, "Is it for... the Poneglyphs?"
"Exactly."
Roger rose, turned to Rayleigh with his trademark grin and a flash of white teeth. "Our trip to the West Blue taught us the Government forbids research into the glyphs' script.
"They're hiding something. Even the scholars of Ohara couldn't fully decipher it.
"So, to uncover the truth behind those characters, I'm going to slip into God Valley.
"Maybe the Government keeps a copy there."
If he didn't crack the script, the itch in his mind would never stop.
Day and night, the Poneglyphs called to him.
They were everywhere on the seas, tucked away as if by design, waiting for someone to find them.
Of course,
This was part of the point of adventure for Roger.
To explore this world.
These seas.
"If the captain has decided, then we set course for God Valley," Rayleigh said with a smile.
He was the first to voice support. The stone's mystery tugged at him too.
And if the Government banned research under penalty, then some earth-shaking secret must be hidden there.
…
Hachinosu.
As the Rocks Pirates' name spread across the seas, pirates flocked to the island in droves.
Many newcomers and famous names alike were recruited,
Making the Rocks Pirates even stronger than before.
In the Skull Castle,
Rocks set down the Den-Den Mushi, frowning. "A lead on a Mythical Zoan?
"Something feels off.
"And lately the Navy's quietly massing troops. They're plotting something."
Even with efforts to conceal it, the Navy's drawdown of elites from branches worldwide could not escape Rocks, who had eyes in the underworld.
He sneered. "Do they think this will bait me into a trap?
"I'm sure they have other schemes. We'll wait and watch.
"With this many elites moving, they'll lose patience before I do."
He lifted a glass of red wine and drank at leisure.
His plan was to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight.
As long as the Rocks Pirates kept growing, the ones to panic would be the Navy and the World Government.
A knock sounded moments later.
Rocks sensed who it was at once.
He rose and opened the door.
"Ares, come in and sit," he said with a smile.
Ares did not waste words. "Captain, I'm here to ask you to teach me how to wield Conqueror's Haki infusion."
…
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