Ares came crashing down from the sky, fist raised high, his face flushed crimson like a drunken god of war.
The muscles in his arms bulged grotesquely, swelling several times larger, hard and tense like steel cables.
They pulsed with explosive power, and Kaido, of all people, knew that feeling firsthand.
"RAAAH!!!"
With a terrifying roar, Ares launched his punch, the air itself warping around his fist with rippling shockwaves.
This blow could shatter boulders and cleave steel.
"You little punk, I won't go easy this time!!" Shiki snarled.
His arms were now cloaked in Armament Haki, a shimmering blackish-purple flame-like aura coating them not literal fire, but the fearsome manifestation of peak-level Haki.
Though not a master of hand-to-hand combat, Shiki's control of Armament Haki was refined to near perfection.
Even without his swordsmanship, he was still a monster.
"I'm knocking you out cold, brat!" Shiki howled, eager to restore his pride under the gaze of the entire island.
Their fists collided Ares's massive hand easily several times the size of Shiki's.
BOOM!!!
The impact echoed like thunder cracking open a clear sky. Ares's hulking body was launched backward, crashing straight through a three-story building, flattening it completely.
Shiki grinned triumphantly. "Gurararara... That should sober him up."
Still, a flicker of unease flashed in his eyes. That brat's strength without Haki is already monstrous... if he learns Armament Haki, I won't be able to brawl with him head-on anymore.
Floating midair, Shiki radiated power.
Down below, the pirates of Hachinosu Island began to recover from their shock.
"That's the Golden Lion for you! Captain of the First Division of the Rocks Pirates!"
"Who was that giant? He's got guts going up against Shiki!"
"Didn't that one punch finish him off?"
"Shiki hasn't even drawn his swords or used his devil fruit powers yet!"
The commotion had drawn others from the Rocks Pirates.
Whitebeard, leaning on his massive naginata, called out, "Oi, Shiki! What the hell's going on up there?"
He burst into laughter. "Gurararara! I heard you got smacked around! Let ol' Whitebeard have a look!"
He hadn't seen the incident firsthand, but the chance to tease Shiki was irresistible.
Shiki's face went pale as ash. Lighting a fresh cigar, he muttered, "It was that brat Ares. I just wanted to give him a taste of good liquor... who knew he'd get wasted and go berserk."
"Ares?" Whitebeard blinked, then laughed harder. "Hah! That kid's a real pirate now! Nothing like a good drink to bring a crew together!"
After all, what kind of pirate life is complete without meat and booze?
Soon, Charlotte Linlin, Captain John, Wang Zhi, Silver Axe, and others gathered, demanding answers.
The quake of battle had shaken the entire island.
Right then, the rubble stirred.
Ares, face flushed, slowly rose. He clutched his head, clearly dizzy.
"Ugh... my head's pounding..."
Memories of getting launched by Shiki's punch flashed through his mind.
His blood surged. That burning heat still roiled in his veins.
His muddled brain replayed the moment Shiki had activated his Armament Haki.
"That power..."
"Why was his punch stronger than mine?!"
"Ngh... this headache...!!"
Clutching his skull with one hand, Ares instinctively balled the other into a fist and tried to imitate Shiki's move.
His mind was a storm of fragmented memories and instincts. He had no idea what he was doing only that something inside was responding.
Then it happened.
Unlike normal Armament Haki, Ares's arm turned blazing red.
Unaware of it himself, his chaotic drunken state had triggered a backwards awakening a freak improvisation of Haki.
From the rubble, the transformation stunned everyone.
The crowd went stiff, jaws slack.
"What the hell...?" Wang Zhi gasped. "Why is his arm red and smoking?!"
Thin white tendrils of vapor curled from Ares's skin.
Captain John, mid-swig, spat his rum out. "What kind of monster is this kid?!"
"He's no Devil Fruit user, right?!" Silver Axe added, baffled. "I saw him swimming days ago no fruit user can survive in seawater like that."
All eyes turned toward Charlotte Linlin.
Her pupils sparkled.
Her enormous body trembled slightly, her eyes full of desire. Her crimson tongue slowly traced her lips.
"How delicious... I wonder if he can make other parts burn like that too..."
"That heat... must feel amazing..."
"Hehehe..."
She flushed with excitement. Hormones surged through her massive frame. Her brown eyes shimmered like waves.
This was going to be fun.
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