Arc 5Ares’s Duel with Rayleigh

Ares fought Silka and Rayleigh in the battle between the Rocks Pirates and the Roger Pirates, pushing his strength and Haki to new limits before the Marines interrupted the duel. After recovering in the Mink Kingdom, Ares reunited with Kaido, while Rocks ordered the Rocks Pirates to search for him.

  • Roger rejected Shiki’s offer to join the Rocks Pirates, and Ares defeated Silka as the battle erupted on the beach.
  • Ares challenged Rayleigh, and their prolonged duel tested Ares’s strength, endurance, and understanding of swordsmanship and Haki.
  • After more than two hours, Rayleigh’s Pluto’s Judgment badly wounded Ares, but Ares countered with Tornado Gale and fought Rayleigh for eight more hours.
  • The Marines arrived and interrupted the exhausted duel, and Rayleigh admitted defeat while Ares refused to count the unfinished fight as a victory.
  • Ares fought the Marines until he collapsed, and Kaido carried him away while Silver Axe stayed behind to hold them off.
  • Kong reviewed Zephyr’s report on Ares as Roger withdrew from the New World to recover his crew and pursue the meaning of the stone stele.
  • Kaido brought Ares to the Mink Kingdom for treatment, and after waking, Ares thanked Kaido and promised they would grow strong enough to live freely.
  • Rocks ordered the Rocks Pirates to search for Ares, and Ares began learning about the Minks’ fighting skill and paralyzing electricity during his recovery.
Chapters 101–125 Vol. 2 Read

Ch. 101Roger: Pirates Are Free!

Roger refused Shiki the Golden Lion’s invitation to join the Rocks Pirates, declaring that the Roger Pirates would turn the world upside down on their own and remain free. Shiki ordered his men to attack, and the battle between the two crews began.

  • Roger rejected Shiki’s offer, and Rayleigh, Gaban, and the Roger Pirates stood united behind him.
  • Shiki threatened the Roger Pirates and revealed that Ares, Ochoku, and Silver Axe were among the Rocks Pirates’ forces.
  • Roger drew Ace and declared that pirates were free, while Gaban and the crew prepared to fight rather than submit.
  • Shiki drew his swords, ordered his men to tear through the Roger Pirates, and launched his Lion’s Song—Senjōgawara attack.

Ch. 102Who Says Humans Have Weaker Arm Strength Than Fish-Men?

Ares landed on the island and challenged the Roger Pirates, overwhelming the Fish-Man Sambel in a contest of strength. The giant Silka stepped forward to face him, and Ares answered his punch with Red Dragon Claw.

  • Ares charged onto the beach as Kaido swam ashore and Golden Lion’s floating ship approached.
  • Sambel attacked Ares with his trident, but Ares caught it, twisted it out of shape, and punched Sambel away.
  • Silka caught the injured Sambel and declared that he would fight Ares, citing the Giant Tribe’s strength.
  • Silka threw a powerful punch, and Ares met it with Blood-colored Armament—Red Dragon Claw.

Ch. 103This Was the Giant Tribe's True Power

Ares overwhelmed Silka in a contest of strength, prompting Silka to unleash the Giant Tribe's ultimate technique. The chapter ended as Silka's Hagoku shock wave surged toward Ares.

  • Ares and Silka exchanged powerful punches, and both praised each other's strength.
  • Ares unleashed Lightning Five Consecutive Strikes and drove Silka backward, injuring him with a barrage of blows.
  • Kaido and Rayleigh noticed Ares suppressing Silka, while Ochoku told Rayleigh that Ares had learned combat techniques from Zephyr.
  • Silka used Hagoku, sending a massive visible shock wave toward Ares and declaring it the Giant Tribe's true power.

Ch. 104Ares: Even the Giant Tribe's Strength Was Still Not Enough

Ares fought Silka of the Giant Tribe, overpowering his Hagoku shock waves with relentless punches. He left Silka badly injured and pressed the attack amid a cloud of sand.

  • Ares endured Silka's first Hagoku shock wave, then taunted him after judging the injury minor.
  • Silka grew furious and unleashed a stronger Hagoku, but Ares shattered the shock wave with his Dragons Playing with Pearls barrage.
  • Ares and Silka abandoned technique and traded punches, with Ares's strength and ferocity steadily suppressing Silka.
  • Ares broke through Silka's defenses and landed repeated punches that crushed his abdomen and chest and broke his ribs.
  • Silka staggered backward across the beach as the sand cloud obscured the fight from the pirates watching nearby.

Ch. 105The Golden Lion: This Sea Belongs to the Pirates

Ares defeated Silka, and the Roger Pirates opened fire on him while Kaido fought back, revealing his Conqueror’s Haki. As Roger and Shiki resumed their duel, Ares emerged in his Dragon Human Form and turned his attention to Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban.

  • Ares sent Silka flying, shocking the Roger Pirates with his defeat.
  • A Roger Pirates member rallied the crew to shoot Ares, and the pirates fired bullets and cannonballs into the dust.
  • Kaido struck Sambel with his spiked club after unleashing Conqueror’s Haki.
  • Shiki urged Roger to join the Rocks Pirates, but Roger refused and the two resumed fighting.
  • Kaido charged the Roger Pirates’ gunmen, took their shots, and disrupted their formation.
  • Ares emerged from the smoke in his Dragon Human Form and fixed his battle-ready gaze on Roger, Rayleigh, and Gaban.

Ch. 106Rayleigh: It Is My Honor to Be Captain Roger's

Ares let the injured Kaido continue fighting and searched the battlefield for a strong opponent, settling on Rayleigh. Rayleigh revealed his strength against Ochoku and proudly declared that he was fortunate to have Roger as his captain, drawing Ares’s admiration.

  • Ares offered to help Kaido, but Kaido insisted on staying in the battle and vowed to reach the top of the sea.
  • Ares encouraged Kaido to become the strongest creature in the world, then searched the battlefield for a worthy opponent.
  • Ares fixed his attention on Rayleigh while Rayleigh fought Ochoku, who noted that Ares had already defeated Silka.
  • Rayleigh unleashed a powerful slash that drove Ochoku back and injured his hands.
  • Ochoku praised Rayleigh and said Roger was fortunate to have him as vice-captain, but Rayleigh replied that he was the fortunate one to have Roger as captain.
  • Ares watched Rayleigh with admiration and recognized his strength.

Ch. 107I, Kaido, Am Willing to Become the Man Behind Him

Ares faced Rayleigh in a battle as Ochoku and the others watched, and their Conqueror’s Haki collided across the battlefield. Kaido admired Ares’s growing strength and vowed to become the man behind him.

  • Ochoku warned Ares that Rayleigh’s swordsmanship surpassed his own, but Ares welcomed the challenge.
  • Rayleigh praised Ares’s joy in battle and said he would remember him regardless of the outcome.
  • Ares and Rayleigh unleashed their Conqueror’s Haki, sending gale-force winds and sand across the battlefield.
  • Ochoku retreated from the clash and voiced his belief that Ares would defeat Rayleigh and shape the future of piracy.
  • Kaido admired Ares’s improved Haki and resolved to become the man behind him.

Ch. 108The "Charisma" That Fascinated Kaido

Ares’s persistence and strength impressed Kaido and Roger, while Roger and Golden Lion continued their fierce clash of swordsmanship and Conqueror’s Haki. Inspired by the battle, Ares challenged Rayleigh and vowed to defeat him.

  • Kaido recognized Ares’s superior strength and became drawn to his relentless pursuit of battle and power.
  • Roger assessed Ares’s potential, then exchanged a confident glance with Rayleigh before renewing his fight with Golden Lion.
  • Golden Lion unleashed Cutting Wave—Thousand-Cut Valley, and Roger countered with Divine Departure.
  • Roger and Golden Lion’s slashes collided as their Conqueror’s Haki clashed without either side gaining the advantage.
  • Ares watched the battle with growing excitement, challenged Rayleigh, and declared that he would defeat him.

Ch. 109Golden Lion: The Essence of Slashing Is

Ares tested his body-based slashing techniques against Rayleigh, whose Armament Haki shattered Ares’s first attack. As Ares unleashed a gigantic Blood-colored Armament Slash Wave, he questioned how to perfect his technique and began seeking the essence of Haki.

  • Ares attacked Rayleigh with a sword flash formed from his hand, and Rayleigh blocked it with his long sword.
  • Rayleigh coated his sword in Armament Haki and shattered Ares’s slash, recognizing the unusual force behind Ares’s attacks.
  • Ares praised Rayleigh’s Armament Haki and unleashed a twenty-to-thirty-meter Blood-colored Armament Slash Wave.
  • Ares reflected on Shiki the Golden Lion’s advice that slashes depended on speed and power, and wondered what the essence of Haki was.

Ch. 110Rayleigh Was Also a Good Teacher

Ares fought Rayleigh and, after surviving his powerful sword technique, studied the slash until he understood how Armament Haki amplified it. The battle continued as Ares prepared to fight at full strength and add Haki-infused swordsmanship to his training.

  • Rayleigh overwhelmed Ares's slash with his technique, Pluto's Sorrow, and sent the strike crashing into Ares.
  • Ares survived the slash unharmed in his Azure Dragon Form, leaving Rayleigh shocked by his durability and monstrous appearance.
  • While concealed by the swirling sand, Ares replayed Rayleigh's attack in his mind and examined its every detail.
  • Ares concluded that Rayleigh's slash was so powerful because he had combined Armament Haki with his swordsmanship.
  • Ares thanked Rayleigh for the lesson and declared that he would fight him with all his strength.

Ch. 111Wang Zhi: This Was a Different Kind of Pirate Crew

Ares and Rayleigh fought an even, destructive battle, while Ochoku watched Roger hold his own against Shiki. Seeing how closely the Roger Pirates trusted one another, Ochoku wondered whether they were a different kind of pirate crew.

  • Rayleigh attacked Ares's exposed chest, but Ares blocked his sword with his claws and countered with a strike that Rayleigh dodged.
  • Rayleigh unleashed a rapid series of attacks, and Ares used his Dragon Human Form to withstand the assault and fight back.
  • Ares and Rayleigh exchanged powerful techniques, with both trying to defeat the other as their battle shook the battlefield.
  • Ochoku judged that Ares's greater stamina would likely win him the prolonged fight and watched Roger battle Shiki to a standstill.
  • Ochoku praised the Roger Pirates' strength and recognized a bond of unity among them that differed from the ambition and greed he saw in the Rocks Pirates.

Ch. 112Rayleigh: You've Entered My Domain

Rayleigh and Ares fought to a stalemate, with Rayleigh relying on his swordsmanship and Observation Haki while Ares overwhelmed him with strength and defense. Rayleigh used Ares’s attacks to fill the battlefield with sand and declared the obscured area his domain.

  • Silver Axe distracted Gaban by watching the other fights, and Gaban acknowledged Ares’s strength as he battled Rayleigh.
  • Rayleigh and Ares fought for nearly an hour without either gaining a decisive advantage, and Rayleigh began conserving stamina while looking for an opening.
  • Ares grew impatient and unleashed dozens of slashes with all four limbs and his dragon tail, but Rayleigh dodged them with Observation Haki.
  • Rayleigh sent rough slashes into the ground around Ares, blasting sand into the air and declaring the battlefield his domain.

Ch. 113A Natural-Born Fighting Beast—Ares

Rayleigh attacked Ares with a powerful sword technique, but Ares transformed into an Azure Dragon and fought back with flames. Rayleigh cut off Ares's teeth but failed to defeat him, and he sensed another alarming development as he tried to recover.

  • Rayleigh used Observation Haki and launched his One Sword Style—Hell Messenger's Return at Ares.
  • Ares transformed into his Azure Dragon Form and engulfed Rayleigh in flames, terrifying the Roger Pirates and emboldening the Rocks Pirates.
  • Rayleigh endured the fire and continued advancing with his Famous Sword as Ares intensified his flames.
  • Rayleigh's strike shattered Ares's teeth, but Ares blocked the blow and survived.
  • Rayleigh landed, recognized Ares as a natural-born fighting beast, and sensed a shocking scene through Observation Haki.

Ch. 114The Man Worthy of Making Golden Lion Proud

Ares continued his battle with Rayleigh after revealing his rapid regeneration and learning that Rayleigh wielded the Supreme Grade Sword Pluton. As Gaban and Silver Axe fought to keep each other from interfering, Golden Lion Shiki declared his pride in Ares and predicted he would surpass both Shiki and Roger.

  • Rayleigh witnessed Ares's shattered teeth regenerate and realized how terrifying the young pirate's abilities were.
  • Ares learned Rayleigh's sword was Pluton and began fighting again, eager to test himself against it and grow stronger.
  • Silver Axe praised Ares's rapid progress and decided to build a good relationship with him.
  • Gaban recognized Ares's Azure Dragon Form as a Mythical Zoan and tried to aid Rayleigh, but Silver Axe blocked him and the two resumed their fierce battle.
  • Golden Lion Shiki told Roger that Ares was his disciple, predicted Ares would surpass them both, and proudly named him Tian Yue—Ares.

Ch. 115Rayleigh, the Avatar of Pluto

Ares and Rayleigh’s battle reached a critical point as Ares tried to form a devastating tornado and Rayleigh unleashed Pluto’s Judgment. The chapter left Ares bracing to take Rayleigh’s slash head-on, while Garp and Zephyr’s warship approached the island.

  • Roger saw Ares and sensed that they would clash someday, then fought Shiki with God's Wrath against Lion's Might—Imperial Castle Air Roll.
  • Garp and Zephyr’s warship felt the shock waves from the battle, and Zephyr ordered it to stop thirty nautical miles from the island until the fight was nearly over.
  • After two hours of fighting, Ares and Rayleigh were both wounded as their battle reached a stalemate.
  • Ares recalled Kaido’s advice and spun his Azure Dragon form rapidly to create powerful air currents and build a tornado.
  • Rayleigh closed his eyes and unleashed One Sword Style—Pluto's Judgment, a massive slash that shattered Ares’s forming tornadoes.
  • Ares resolved to withstand the slash with his rapid rotation and Blood-colored Armament, staking the battle’s outcome on the strike.

Ch. 116A Classic Quote from Hiruluk

Ares endured Rayleigh’s devastating slash while spinning faster and building tornadoes, determined to survive and fulfill his dream of becoming a legendary Famous Sword. Rayleigh sensed Ares’s counterattack was near as Ares unleashed “Tornado Gale!!!”

  • Ares’s roar reached Weatheria, where an old man summoned wind to move the island away from danger.
  • Rayleigh’s “Pluto’s Judgment” cut through Ares’s dragon scales, leaving him badly wounded and bleeding heavily.
  • Ares kept spinning through the pain, using his rotation to weaken the slash and recalling Dr. Hiruluk’s words about being forgotten.
  • Ares’s spinning created powerful tornadoes, and Rayleigh prepared for the counterattack he sensed approaching.
  • Ares shouted “Tornado Gale!!!”

Ch. 117Rayleigh vs. Ares: Who Will Win?

Ares unleashed a barrage of enormous tornadoes against Rayleigh, who fought back with Pluto and every remaining bit of his strength. The storm swallowed Rayleigh, leaving the Roger Pirates fearing that their vice-captain had been torn apart.

  • Roger and Golden Lion watched the tornadoes grow, and Golden Lion praised Ares's hard work and trusted him to win.
  • Ares sent his tornadoes charging toward Rayleigh with his Tornado Gale attack.
  • Rayleigh reaffirmed his determination to protect his comrades and used Pluto Descends to unleash a web of sword flashes.
  • Rayleigh's repeated slashes weakened the tornadoes, but several smaller ones swallowed him amid a series of devastating collisions.
  • Gaban and the Roger Pirates cried out for Rayleigh, and several crew members rushed toward the storm despite being cut and thrown back by its force.

Ch. 118Rayleigh: How Much Longer Can You Hold On?

Ares and Rayleigh continued their brutal duel after Rayleigh survived Ares’s Tornado Gale, fighting for hours until both were nearly out of strength. As the battle remained unresolved, Vice Admiral Zephyr ordered the Marines to prepare to attack the Roger Pirates and Rocks Pirates.

  • Ares realized Tornado Gale’s power and its long casting time, then discovered Rayleigh had survived the storm despite his severe injuries.
  • Rayleigh declared that he would not fall because of his companions and dream, and Ares attacked him with Dragon Claw Slash.
  • Ares and Rayleigh fought for eight more hours, exhausting their stamina and Haki before striking each other and staggering back to their feet.
  • A soldier reported that the fighting had lasted ten hours, and Vice Admiral Zephyr ordered the Marines to prepare for battle and send the pirates to Impel Down Prison.

Ch. 119Karp: Whoever Wants the Credit Can Have It

Zephyr and Garp arrived at the devastated island and attacked the exhausted pirates, with Garp charging Roger and Zephyr confronting Shiki the Golden Lion. As Marines surrounded the battlefield, Ares and Rayleigh called off their unfinished duel, and Ares reflected on how much stronger his body still needed to become.

  • Zephyr ordered the Navy ship toward the target, and the Marines found the island devastated by battle.
  • Garp charged Roger while Zephyr moved to capture Shiki the Golden Lion.
  • Shiki resolved to escape with Ares, while Zephyr warned that the pirates would be sent to Impel Down Prison.
  • Rayleigh admitted defeat to Ares, who refused to count their interrupted duel as a victory and promised to defeat him next time.
  • Ares fought off the Marines surrounding him, suffered cuts, and realized his body had to become much harder to fulfill his dream.

Ch. 120The Navy Headquarters' Document

Ares collapsed after a ten-hour battle with the Marines, and Kaido carried him to safety while Silver Axe held off their pursuers. After Zephyr reported the failed operation and Ares’s disappearance, Fleet Admiral Kong read the report at Navy Headquarters.

  • Ares fought off more than a hundred Marines until he lost consciousness, and Kaido caught him.
  • Kaido carried Ares away as Silver Axe stayed behind to hold off the Marines.
  • Kaido escaped the Marines and swam into the sea with the bleeding Ares, hoping to find a ship or an inhabited island.
  • Zephyr learned that Shiki the Golden Lion had escaped and ordered his subordinates to contact Navy Headquarters about searching for Ares.
  • Fleet Admiral Kong read Zephyr’s personally written report and furrowed his brows at its contents.

Ch. 121Rogers's Decision

Fleet Admiral Kong considered Zephyr’s report on Ares and decided to propose that the Navy cooperate with the CP Organization against the Rocks Pirates. After their devastating battle, Roger decided to withdraw from the New World while his crew recovered.

  • Kong read Zephyr’s detailed report and recognized Ares as a rapidly improving, fifteen-year-old combat monster.
  • Kong concluded that the Navy lacked enough top-tier fighters to defeat the Rocks Pirates alone and resolved to propose cooperation with the CP Organization.
  • Roger learned from Gaban that Rayleigh was out of danger but would need months to recover, and that their ship’s doctor had died.
  • Roger said Ares could become the greatest obstacle to his dream, while Gaban warned that Ares’s Mythical Zoan power was extraordinary.
  • Roger decided to temporarily withdraw from the New World because his crew was too weakened to face the Rocks Pirates.

Ch. 122Awakening Ares

Roger decided that the Roger Pirates needed to leave the New World and grow stronger before challenging the Rocks Pirates again. Meanwhile, Kaido begged for help saving the unconscious Ares, who eventually woke on Hachinosu Island and learned that his survival depended on his companion.

  • Roger told Gaban that the Roger Pirates should leave the New World, find a sturdier ship and stronger companions, and learn what the stone stele recorded.
  • Kaido carried the unconscious Ares to an island and pleaded with the wary crowd to save him.
  • A local who knew medicine agreed to treat Ares, and Kaido followed him with Ares.
  • Ares woke six or seven days later in a hospital on Hachinosu Island and met the goat-faced doctor Sanyang.
  • Sanyang told Ares that his rare blood type and severe blood loss made his survival unlikely, and Ares asked whether Kaido had given him a transfusion.

Ch. 123Mink Kingdom, Mink Tribe

Ares woke in the Mink Kingdom after Kaido brought him there for treatment, and learned his injuries would take at least half a year to heal. While recovering, Ares reviewed his battle with Rayleigh and studied his swordsmanship, then promised Kaido they would become brothers and show the world their strength.

  • Sanyang told Ares he had been rescued in the Mink Kingdom after Zunesha carried him there with the rain, and that Kaido was working in town.
  • Sanyang explained that Ares was severely malnourished from his injuries and would need at least half a year to recover.
  • Ares reviewed his mistakes in the battle and studied Rayleigh's slash, deciding to investigate how Armament Haki could strengthen his attacks.
  • Kaido rushed to Ares's bedside after learning he had awakened, and Ares thanked him for kneeling to secure his treatment.
  • Ares called Kaido his brother and promised to help him find a powerful Devil Fruit so they could make the world witness their strength.

Ch. 124Whitebeard: Why Come Back?

Ares and Kaido shared their dreams and promised to grow stronger together while Ares recovered from his injuries. Meanwhile, back on Hachinosu Island, Whitebeard attacked Shiki for failing to protect Ares, and their fight threw the port into chaos.

  • Ares promised Kaido he would find him a powerful Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, and Kaido described his dream of controlling his own fate and living freely.
  • Ares told Kaido they would train together and become strong enough to live freely, then Kaido went to prepare him food.
  • Several days earlier, Whitebeard confronted Shiki at Hachinosu Island’s port and attacked him, accusing him of failing to protect Ares.
  • Shiki dodged Whitebeard’s blow, which split the sea and sent the port into a panic.
  • Whitebeard demanded to know why Shiki had returned, and Shiki protested that he had wanted to protect Ares.

Ch. 125Characteristics of Mink Tribe Warriors

After Ares disappeared, the Rocks Pirates suspended their plans and began searching for him while Whitebeard and Golden Lion clashed over who was responsible. More than ten days later, Ares had recovered in the Mink Kingdom, where Kaido told him that the Mink Tribe were natural-born warriors who could generate paralyzing electricity.

  • Golden Lion promised Whitebeard he would find Ares and make the Navy pay, while Whitebeard threatened him before leaving the port.
  • Ochoku and Silver Axe urged Whitebeard and Golden Lion to avoid fighting until they learned Ares's fate.
  • Rocks ordered the Rocks Pirates to halt their plans and search for Ares, then assigned Shakky to lead the search after Golden Lion and Whitebeard objected to Linlin's offer.
  • Rocks announced plans to recruit affiliated pirate crews while the Navy and World Government watched the Rocks Pirates more closely.
  • After more than ten days of recovery in the Mink Kingdom, Ares heard Kaido describe the Minks' fighting skill and their ability to produce paralyzing electricity.
Arc 5 of 16