Chapter Summaries

Ares pressured Redfield with his Swordless Style and experimented with applying Armament Haki to his attacks, making them stronger. Memories of Shiki’s Black Blade teachings and his father’s sword-forging led Ares to consider tempering his own body like a blade.

• Ares unleashed a barrage of Swordless Style techniques and forced Redfield to retreat under the assault.
• Ares tried spreading his blood-red Armament Haki across his arm, and his attacks grew stronger.
• Ares recalled Shiki explaining that swords became Black Blades through repeated tempering with powerful Armament Haki.
• Ares remembered his father forging swords through repeated hammering and quenching, a process he had adapted into his Fire Forging training.
• Ares looked at his arm as a blade and considered whether he could temper his body into a Black Blade.

Ares ended his duel with Redfield to save his companions, then joined Garp in battle and overwhelmed him with a powerful punch. As the Rocks Pirates reacted to Ares’s growing strength, John warned Silver Axe not to suggest that Ares might surpass Rocks.

• Ares and Redfield fought for two hours, and Ares grew sharper as he used Redfield to hone his swordsmanship.
• Redfield warned Ares that Garp had injured Ochoku and that Slada was in danger; Ares agreed to meet Redfield for an all-out battle in one year.
• Ares rushed to help Slada, while Redfield fled into the woods, determined to hide from Ares.
• Ares attacked Garp with Dragon's Roar Wave, and his punch overwhelmed Garp's Galaxy Rend and carved a vast ravine through the battlefield.
• John and Silver Axe, injured from fighting Sengoku, welcomed Ares's return; John warned Silver Axe not to say that Ares might surpass Rocks.

The Marines withdrew after Ares defeated Garp and the battle left both sides badly injured. With the Sea Demon Tribe's treasure gone, Ares and the others invited Slada to join them, and the chapter ended with Ares asking what was holding him back.

• Zephyr attacked Kaido in anger, while Sengoku ordered the wounded Garp to retreat because the Marines could not defeat Ares and his companions.
• Garp reluctantly accepted Sengoku's order, and the Marines withdrew from the island.
• John, Silver Axe, and Kaido agreed not to pursue the Marines, since continued fighting would leave both sides vulnerable and the Sea Demon Princess might still be nearby.
• Ares praised Kaido for gaining a Mythical Zoan ability, and John urged the group to leave for medical supplies after their ship was destroyed.
• Ares invited Slada to leave the Sea of Death with them, and John and Kaido urged Slada to accept.
• Ares asked Slada whether he had another concern.

Katakuri endured Zhīyīn Kūn’s beating rather than release his training club or give up on becoming stronger under Ares. Zhīyīn Kūn stopped when he feared Ares’s retaliation, but a looming figure confronted him for mocking Katakuri.

• Ares recruited Slada into his Sixteenth Division and carried the injured group away in his Azure Dragon Form.
• Katakuri ignored the pirates’ jeers and went to train, determined to become stronger and protect his younger sisters.
• Zhīyīn Kūn blocked Katakuri, insulted him, and beat him after Katakuri refused to crawl between his legs.
• Katakuri clung to his wooden club and insisted he would train under Captain Ares, while Zhīyīn Kūn repeatedly punched him.
• Zhīyīn Kūn stopped beating Katakuri when he realized Ares might retaliate, and Katakuri collapsed.
• A huge figure loomed behind Zhīyīn Kūn and declared that his partner would not allow trash to mock him.

Ares returned to Hachinosu Island, killed Zhīyīn Kūn for bullying Katakuri, and brought Slada to meet the Rocks Pirates. At a gathering, Ares’s plan to temper his body like a Black Blade alarmed the others, and Rocks announced Kaido as a new division commander.

• Zhīyīn Kūn offered Ares an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit to save his life, but Ares struck him through a row of buildings and warned the pirates not to bully his companions.
• Ares ordered Kaido to take Katakuri for treatment, then went with Slada to meet Whitebeard and Golden Lion.
• Whitebeard and Golden Lion praised Ares for defeating Garp, but became alarmed when he said he planned to use Black Blade tempering to strengthen his body.
• Whitebeard, Golden Lion, Ochoku, and Silver Axe warned Ares that the method could kill him, and Ares promised not to use it.
• Rocks announced that Kaido would become a new division commander of the Rocks Pirates.

Rocks concealed his anger that Kaido had eaten the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and promoted him to captain, but Kaido refused so he could stay with Ares. After the banquet, Rocks suspected a spy in his crew, while the defeated Marines discussed exploiting that suspicion; Kong was then summoned to Pangu Castle.

• Rocks announced Kaido’s promotion to Division captain, but Kaido refused and declared he wanted to follow Ares and witness him become the strongest man in the world.
• Rocks praised Ares for defeating Iron Fist Garp, and the pirates celebrated Ares and welcomed Slada at the banquet.
• Alone in his room, Rocks resented Kaido for eating the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and suspected a Marine or World Government spy was among the Rocks Pirates.
• Kong furiously scolded Sengoku, Zephyr, and Garp for the failed operation, while Tsuru proposed spreading false information to deepen Rocks’s suspicions and protect the spy.
• Kong answered a Den Den Mushi summons and was told to report to the Hall of Power at Pangu Castle.

The Five Elders and Kong planned to use two Devil Fruits as bait to divide and destroy the Rocks Pirates. On Hachinosu Island, Ares continued his punishing training while Kaido tricked Slada into copying it, and the group considered giving Katakuri an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit.

• Saint Warcury warned Kong that Ares's strength and extraordinary ability to learn made him the Rocks Pirates' greatest threat after Rocks.
• Saint Saturn and Saint Warcury proposed using real and fake Devil Fruit information to lure Rocks and sow discord among the Rocks Pirates, and Kong approved the plan.
• Ares trained by striking his flame-covered arm with an iron rod while Kaido and Slada practiced hitting themselves nearby.
• Kaido fooled Slada into trying the punishing training method, and Slada kept going after Kaido compared his pain to Ares's.
• Katakuri brought news that Kaido's bounty had risen and Slada had received a wanted poster, then declared he would grow stronger and defeat his bullies himself.
• Slada suggested giving Katakuri the Ancient Zoan Pterodactyl Form Devil Fruit, and Kaido remembered how powerful it was.

Kaido and Slada received their first bounties while Ares advanced his Haki training, and Roger returned to the New World and chose to infiltrate God Valley to investigate the Poneglyphs. Rocks dismissed suspicious Marine activity as a possible trap, and Ares approached him to learn Conqueror's Haki coating.

• Katakuri revealed that Slada had a 280-million-Berry bounty and Kaido had a 550-million-Berry bounty, while Ares's bounty rose to 2.8 billion Berries.
• Ares began tempering the bones in his arms with Blood-colored Armament and felt them grow slightly harder.
• Roger and his crew returned to the New World, and Roger announced that they would go to God Valley to search for a Poneglyph.
• Rocks heard reports of a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and Marine mobilization, but suspected a trap and decided to wait and observe.
• Ares visited Rocks and asked him to teach him how to use Conqueror's Haki coating.

Rocks explained how to control and condense Conqueror's Haki for coating attacks, and Ares realized how the technique worked. Rocks began demonstrating it on a huge boulder, leaving the result of his punch unrevealed.

• Rocks brought Ares to the training ground, where Whitebeard Newgate, Golden Lion, Kaido, and Slada gathered to watch.
• Rocks explained that Conqueror's Haki coating required powerful Haki, mental strength, and precise control, then described how to gradually condense and release it through an attack.
• Ares compared Rocks's explanation to concentrating Haki in one place and asked him to demonstrate the technique.
• Rocks raised his fist, surrounded it with black-red lightning, and punched a huge boulder.

After Rocks demonstrated Conqueror's Haki coating, Ares tried the technique and successfully destroyed a boulder with a single punch. The others recognized that he had mastered it on his first attempt, while Whitebeard remained stunned by Ares's speed.

• Rocks demonstrated how Conqueror's Haki coating shattered a boulder, and Whitebeard asked him to show it again so he could study the technique.
• Ares said he thought he had learned the technique, prompting disbelief from Whitebeard and confidence from Golden Lion.
• Rocks allowed Ares to try, and Ares gathered and controlled Conqueror's Haki around his fist.
• Ares struck the boulder and blasted it into dust with the force of his punch.
• Kaido praised Ares for mastering Conqueror's Haki coating on his first try, while Whitebeard stared in amazement.

Ares learned Advanced Armament Haki after Rocks demonstrated it, stunning the Rocks Pirates and renewing Rocks’s resolve to grow stronger. With a major Marine operation looming, Rocks decided to take the initiative, while Ares and Whitebeard prepared to spar.

• Ares mastered the application of Advanced Armament Haki, leaving Whitebeard, Golden Lion, and Rocks amazed by his talent.
• Rocks worried that Ares might surpass him and resolved to master a powerful second Devil Fruit to maintain control of the Rocks Pirates.
• Rocks warned the crew that the Marines were preparing a major operation, likely involving the World Government, and told them to be ready for war.
• Ares said he looked forward to fighting the World Government’s powerful fighters, including the bald swordsman he had sensed before.
• Rocks decided to act before the Marines, then left to develop his plan.
• Ares sought a strong opponent to test his new Haki, and Whitebeard invited him to spar so he could push toward mastering Advanced Armament Haki.

Ares sparred with Whitebeard for hours to refine his Advanced Armament Haki and grew more proficient as they clashed. Whitebeard admitted defeat without using his Devil Fruit and thanked Ares for teaching him the technique.

• Ares challenged Whitebeard to a casual spar, and Whitebeard set a limit to prevent damage to Hachinosu Island.
• Whitebeard put aside Murakumogiri and fought Ares with his fists as they clashed using powerful Haki.
• Slada, Kaido, and Golden Lion watched and discussed Whitebeard's and Ares's strength.
• After several hours, Whitebeard stopped the match and admitted that Ares had beaten him in physical combat without Devil Fruit powers.
• Ares explained that Whitebeard had helped him improve his Advanced Armament Haki, and Whitebeard said Ares had now taught him in return.

After Whitebeard learned Advanced Armament Haki from sparring with Ares, Rocks used Shakky’s intelligence to capture three Celestial Dragons and announce their public execution on Hachinosu. The news drew pirates from across the sea and left Marineford bracing for a crisis.

• Whitebeard showed off his new Advanced Armament Haki, and Ares agreed to train Golden Lion and Kaido in the technique.
• Ares asked Kaido about his weapons, and Kaido said several kanabo were nearing completion.
• Rocks asked Shakky for information on Celestial Dragons outside God Valley and Mary Geoise, and she provided their whereabouts.
• Rocks assigned Golden Lion to capture the Celestial Dragons, and several days later the news spread that three had been taken for public execution on Hachinosu.
• Pirates sailed toward Hachinosu as countries closed their borders or sought World Government protection.
• Fleet Admiral Kong slammed his fist into his desk at Marineford and condemned Rocks’s plan.

The Marines and World Government struggled to respond to Rocks’s plan to publicly execute a Celestial Dragon, while Roger saw the crisis as a chance to infiltrate God Valley. On Hachinosu, Ares took charge of security with Ochoku and Silver Axe as Kaido came up with an idea.

• Steel Bone Kong, Sengoku, Zephyr, Garp, and Tsuru debated how to respond to the enormous pirate gathering on Hachinosu and considered sending a special unit to rescue the Celestial Dragon.
• The Five Elders discussed the Celestial Dragons’ demands and ruled out deploying the Holy Knights, setting a five-day deadline to find a way to stop the execution.
• Rayleigh told Roger that Rocks’s planned execution could draw the World Government’s attention away from God Valley and help the Roger Pirates infiltrate it.
• Ares told Kaido that Rocks had assigned him, Ochoku, and Silver Axe to keep order on Hachinosu, and Kaido excitedly said he had a great idea.

Chinjao arrived at Hachinosu Island hoping to test his headbutt against Blood Hand - Ares, while Kaido enforced order among the gathering pirates. Chinjao challenged Ares, but Kaido declared him unqualified, leaving a confrontation looming.

• Chinjao reached Hachinosu Island with the Happo Navy and said he wanted to test his strength against Ares.
• Katakuri identified the arriving pirates as Ares watched from the docks, and Kaido used threats to make newcomers obey the island's rules.
• Chinjao arrived, and Ares judged that he was not strong enough to stir his desire to fight.
• Chinjao's Conqueror's Haki clashed with Kaido's after Kaido warned him not to cause trouble.
• Chinjao demanded a contest with Ares, and Ares said he would act if Chinjao caused trouble.
• Kaido told Chinjao that he was not qualified to challenge Ares.

Chinjao challenged Ares, but Kaido fought him first and discovered the power of the Happo Navy’s Hasshoken. After studying the technique, Ares stepped in to test it himself, claiming he had already learned part of it.

• Chinjao provoked Ares, and Kaido insisted that challengers had to obey the Rocks Pirates’ rules on Hachinosu Island.
• Kaido and Chinjao traded powerful blows, with Chinjao using Hasshoken to block Thunder Bagua and clash with Kaido’s kanabo.
• Katakuri explained that Hasshoken was a powerful Happo Navy martial art, while Ares watched and studied its techniques.
• Ares stepped between the fighters and told Kaido to move aside so he could test Chinjao’s Hasshoken.
• Ares claimed he had learned part of Hasshoken by watching the fight, but Chinjao and the Happo Navy pirates refused to believe him.

Ares defeated Chinjao after learning Hasshoken from his attacks, then left to practice the techniques he had grasped. A samurai arrived at Hachinosu Island seeking Ares to ask about his connection to the Tsukino Family.

• Ares let Chinjao's Hasshoken head drill hit him, suffering no injury and shocking the pirates watching.
• Chinjao launched his ultimate attack, but Ares struck him with Great Ape King Fist—Impact, broke his head drill, and sent him crashing into the sea.
• Ares told Kaido he was leaving to practice the Hasshoken techniques he had learned, while Kaido warned the pirates not to cause trouble.
• An hour later, a samurai arrived at Hachinosu Island with Ares's wanted poster and decided to ask him about the Tsukino Family.
• The samurai's crew told him that Ares was on the island.

Shimotsuki Kozaburo arrived at Hachinosu Island seeking Blood Hand - Ares, whose name and appearance reminded him of an old acquaintance from Wano. After Katakuri informed Ares about the visitor, Ares stopped training and went to meet him.

• Kozaburo learned that Monkey Kaido served Ares and asked Kaido to let him wait for Ares, explaining that he wanted to confirm Ares resembled an old acquaintance.
• Ochoku suspected Kozaburo came from the Land of Wano, and Katakuri could not find a wanted poster for him.
• Katakuri went to the rear mountain and found Ares experimenting with Hasshoken, shattering stones with powerful shock waves.
• Katakuri told Ares that Shimotsuki Kozaburo had come to meet him and briefly described Wano and its samurai.
• Ares became interested in Wano's legendary swordsmanship and went with Katakuri to meet Kozaburo.

Kozaburo met Ares on Hachinosu and confirmed that Ares’s father, Tsukino Junichiro, was the name of the Tsukino Family’s daimyo. Ares was left confused by Kozaburo’s claim that he was from the Land of Wano.

• Kozaburo watched Kaido intimidate the pirates and reflected on the Land of Wano’s history and Ryoma’s legacy as its guardian.
• Ochoku and Silver Axe introduced themselves to Kozaburo, and Silver Axe awkwardly pressed him about the women of Wano.
• Katakuri brought Ares to the docks, where Kozaburo recognized his resemblance to someone and Ares asked to see his swordsmanship.
• The group went to Skull Castle, where Kozaburo asked Ares who his father was.
• Ares named his father Tsukino Junichiro, and Kozaburo identified him as the Tsukino Family’s daimyo and recalled the family’s sacrifice against the Kurozumi Family.
• Ares questioned whether he was really from the Land of Wano.

Kozaburo told Ares about his father Junichiro, the daimyo of Hakumai and a master swordsmith who pursued forging a Supreme Grade Sword. After learning that his father had died, Ares examined Kozaburo’s Wado Ichimonji and asked how to forge a person’s body to surpass a Supreme Grade Sword.

• Kozaburo explained that Junichiro was Hakumai’s daimyo and devoted himself to forging a Supreme Grade Sword.
• Kozaburo recounted Wano’s rebellion, the destruction of the Kurozumi Family, the losses suffered by the Tsukino Family, and Junichiro’s eventual departure from Wano.
• Ares said his father had died, and Kozaburo mourned the loss of the swordsmith he had admired.
• Kozaburo revealed that he had forged the Wado Ichimonji, one of the twenty-one Great Grade Swords, and agreed to forge weapons for Kaido.
• Ares examined the Wado Ichimonji and asked Kozaburo how to forge a person’s body until it surpassed a Supreme Grade Sword.