Back at Skull Castle.
Rocks headed down beneath the fortress, walking deeper and deeper into the belly of the castle. This area was strictly off-limits to everyone except him. Pirates stood guard outside in layers, their defense airtight.
Under such watch, not even a fly could slip in.
The corridor lighting was dim. He descended the stairs step by step.
Soon, he reached a massive iron gate. On both sides of the door were Den Den Mushi surveillance units, eyes wide open, swiveling left and right, sending everything in front of the gate straight to the monitoring room.
A moment later…
The iron gate slowly creaked open, and Rocks walked in.
Inside were multiple rooms. He moved quickly, stopping at one door and pushing it open.
The instant he entered, someone greeted him.
"Captain!"
"Why are you here?"
The speaker was a woman in a kimono.
"Higurashi," Rocks said, "I came to confirm the Celestial Dragons haven't had an accident."
Kurozumi Higurashi chuckled warmly. "Don't worry, Captain. With Semimaru's Barrier-Barrier Fruit, no one can rescue the Celestial Dragons."
"This barrier is absolute defense. No one can break it."
As she spoke, she tapped the surface of the barrier in front of her. It looked like blue glass, and it rang with a crisp ding ding.
Inside the barrier sat a kimono-clad man cross-legged, a biwa resting in his arms. The strangest part was his left hand, held in a constant, peculiar posture.
And besides him…
The Celestial Dragon family of Eggbert was also inside the barrier. Seastone shackles locked their hands and feet, and even their mouths were stuffed shut.
"As long as nothing's gone wrong, good," Rocks nodded. He'd come mostly to ease his own mind.
And to think through what came next.
…
After Rocks left, Captain John no longer blocked Sladar.
Sladar sprinted up to Ares, worried. "Ares, you lost so much blood. Go find a doctor, now!"
"The wounds have basically healed on their own already," Tengetsu Ares said. "I just look scary because the blood's dried. I'm fine."
Then his gaze sharpened.
"Sladar, any news on Katakuri?"
"No…" Sladar's expression darkened.
Just then
A familiar shout carried from the distance, instantly pulling on everyone's nerves.
"Captain Ares!!!"
Ares snapped his head up, joy flashing across his face. "Katakuri!"
Shiki and Sladar turned as well. Katakuri came running hard, his face filled with gratitude and relief… and a quiet guilt.
In seconds, he reached Ares, biting his lip as he stammered,
"Sorry… I… I made you worry, Captain."
"As long as you're safe," Ares said, smiling.
But the sight of Ares smiling while drenched in blood hit Katakuri like a knife. His chest tightened with guilt.
"Captain… it's because I'm too weak…"
"I got taken by CP0, and you ended up hurt this badly…"
Ares reached out and lifted Katakuri's lowered head.
"Even I wasn't this strong before. People get stronger step by step. Training, fighting, surviving."
"You'll get strong too. You will."
He wasn't good with words.
Before joining the Rocks Pirates, the people on the island called him a madman. He barely spoke to anyone.
He hadn't had much education either.
In this world, schools were rare, and most existed for nobles.
Ares changed the subject.
"Katakuri's back, so the few of us are going to drink!"
"That's a great idea!" Shiki's eyes lit up. When it came to drinking, he absolutely had to be included.
Ares casually lifted Katakuri and set him on his broad shoulder, laughing.
"I heard Wang Zhi say you awakened Conqueror's Haki. That means you're destined to be a king someday. You can't walk around looking half-dead, with no spirit and no presence."
"I…" Katakuri opened his mouth, unsure what to say. Then he wiped the tears from his face.
He forced his voice steady beside Ares' ear.
"I'm going to get stronger. Strong enough to protect my little brothers and sisters."
"Oh, right," Ares added. "Your siblings are fine now."
Then he asked, "How'd you get back?"
Katakuri explained how CP0 had released him.
Ares' mind immediately formed the image of one person.
CP0 Claude.
Soon, the group headed back toward Skull Castle to prepare a banquet.
Ares also took a quick bath and changed clothes. Because of his size, all his outfits were custom made simple and practical: an open short-sleeved shirt and shorts.
Mostly so training would stay convenient.
When they arrived at the banquet hall, Ares spotted Kaido and Whitebeard.
"Ares, big bro!" Kaido rushed up, looking him over from head to toe, grinning. "That recovery is insane. I heard you got seriously hurt."
Seeing no wounds on Ares, Kaido finally relaxed and tugged him into a seat.
Whitebeard threw an arm around Ares' shoulder.
"Now you know how strong Rocks is, right? He's truly strong stronger than all of us."
"Yeah," Ares nodded. "I know. I can't beat him yet."
Whitebeard downed a huge bowl of liquor in one go and bared his teeth in a laugh.
"Gurararara… don't get discouraged. With your talent and potential, you'll surpass him someday. Honestly, when I heard you injured Rocks, even I was shocked."
"It's been a long time since I saw you go all out. I didn't expect you could hurt Rocks now."
"Just like I said," Whitebeard grinned. "You're a man I admit, someone I admit as worthy."
"When I saw Rocks get blasted away right in front of me, my brain just blanked," Shiki added animatedly. "I didn't even react. I only heard ribs cracking, then I saw Rocks flying while spitting blood."
Ares said quietly, "That 'Dark Star' move was terrifying. If I'd been trapped in it for half a day, I wouldn't have lasted."
Just remembering the Yami Yami no Mi's power made his scalp prickle.
Then, as he replayed it more carefully, he realized Rocks' ability seemed to erase Devil Fruit powers only when he made physical contact with his hands.
Thinking about that fruit…
Ares turned to Whitebeard.
"Big bro Newgate, do you know a lot about Rocks' Yami Yami no Mi?"
He desperately wanted more information about Rocks' Devil Fruit.
Whitebeard set down his enormous bowl, pouring another as he spoke.
"Of course. It's the Logia-type Yami Yami no Mi. They call it the most vicious Devil Fruit in history."
Everyone else listened closely.
Whitebeard took a sip and continued.
"But it's a very special Logia, otherwise it wouldn't have earned that name."
"According to the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia, it has the infinite gravitational pull of a black hole, and it can also through hand contact temporarily make someone lose their Devil Fruit ability."
"And it has one weakness."
"It suffers double the pain."
…
Whitebeard shared everything he knew about the Yami Yami no Mi.
During that stretch alone, he'd already downed seven or eight bowls of liquor.
When he finished, his expression turned serious.
"Rocks is a deep schemer. After what happened today, he'll definitely remember this."
"Be careful."
Kaido, who'd been listening the whole time, leaned forward and offered his suggestion.
"Ares, big bro since Rocks already stripped you of your division captain position, why not just form your own pirate crew?"
"You become the captain. It's way freer."
"With your strength, plus me and Sladar, we could build a pirate crew that dominates this sea."
Shiki snorted and shot it down.
"Kaido, it's not that simple. Leaving the Rocks Pirates to form your own crew is the same as betrayal."
"Do you know what the price of betrayal is?!"
Whitebeard considered it, then nodded toward Shiki's point.
"Shiki's right. And if you form your own crew, you'll face constant pursuit from the Marines."
"The Marines are still strong."
"Yeah," Ares said. "I'm not planning that right now."
But a thought lingered in his heart.
If I became a captain… would my Conqueror's Haki grow stronger?
He wasn't sure.
Conqueror's Haki was said to be something you couldn't improve through training.
Yet a voice inside him insisted
There has to be a way to strengthen it.
There must be.
…
After eating and drinking their fill, Ares returned to his room.
Inside, he closed his eyes and began mapping out a new training plan.
The old one wasn't enough anymore.
Because in that battle with Rocks…
He'd discovered he still had far too many weaknesses.
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