Ares fixed his blazing gaze on the man who would be known in the "future" as "Pluton"—Rayleigh.
The depths of his eyes brimmed with an intense fighting spirit—a battle lust that grew fiercer by the moment, a powerful, instinctive yearning for combat.
Under the sunlight, his strong, solid muscles reflected dazzling golden light, as if he had donned a suit of golden armor.
On the beach, the sand seemed frozen in midair, floating and falling at an extremely slow speed. The naked eye could barely detect its descent, making it seem as though time itself had stopped.
This seemed to be caused by the extraordinary, powerful aura radiating from Ares's entire body.
The changes in Ares and his steadily rising momentum drew a sidelong glance from Ochoku beside him. With a faint smile on his resolute face, he said, "Ares, I know you yearn for battle."
Ochoku then turned his gaze toward Rayleigh opposite them—the "second-in-command" of the Roger Pirates, the man whose swordsmanship surpassed his own—and earnestly cautioned Ares:
"I don't intend to stop your high spirits, but I still have to seriously warn you of one thing..."
"Rayleigh is no simple opponent. His swordsmanship far surpasses mine!"
Their previous exchange had made Ochoku clearly understand that Rayleigh, who wore gold-rimmed glasses and looked somewhat like an intellectual,
was actually a ferocious beast—a man with profound attainments in swordsmanship.
He was absolutely a powerhouse at the level of a "Great Swordsman."
Ochoku acknowledged Rayleigh's strength from the bottom of his heart and calmly accepted the fact that his "skills were inferior."
If someone was stronger than him, then they were stronger than him.
There was nothing for him to care about or take to heart. He knew exactly how much strength he possessed.
He lived with perfect clarity!
Hearing