Time flew like an arrow, and the days and months sped by.
Before he knew it, a year had passed...
At that moment, a small boat drifted on the sea not far from Marineford.
Ages was aboard the boat. His task today was to kill a Sea King himself, without relying on his Devil Fruit powers.
Ages rubbed his chin as he studied the calm sea, holding a small, ball-shaped device in his hand. He muttered to himself,
"Hmm, I hope this draws in a stronger Sea King."
With that, Ages tied a rope around the ball, switched the device on, and tossed it into the sea.
As soon as the ball entered the water, it began emitting waves of sound that only Sea Kings could hear, sending them spreading through the sea.
A long while later.
Bubble, bubble...
Bubbles rose to the surface not far from Ages. Then, with a bang, a colossal pillar of water burst into the sky.
A gigantic Sea King emerged from within the towering column of water.
Ages stared at the Sea King before him and couldn't help freezing for a moment.
The Sea King had the head of a turtle and the body of a fish. It was unmistakably the same species as the Sea King that had attacked the passenger ship Ages had been on a year ago.
Now that he had lured in a Sea King, Ages retrieved the ball and switched it off. He didn't want several more Sea Kings showing up to interfere while he fought and disrupt his task for the day.
Looking at the turtle-shaped Sea King, Ages smiled faintly and said softly,
"I really do seem to have a connection with this kind of Sea King."
With that, Ages stomped hard on the deck with his left foot and shot toward the Sea King like an arrow loosed from a bow.
Whoosh...
In an instant.
Ages had reached the Sea King's side.
Roar!
The turtle-shaped Sea King roared. Sensing the fierce aura coming from Ages, it swung its head and rammed its rock-hard skull toward him.
Clang!!
The katana struck the skull, which was as hard as steel, producing a booming sound like metal colliding with metal.
The force of the impact sent Ages flying back several meters before he steadied himself in midair.
Feeling the numbness in his arm, Ages glanced at the shallow mark he had left on the turtle-shaped Sea King's head and sighed inwardly.
"It's really hard. Looks like today's training task is going to be interesting."
Meanwhile, although Ages hadn't injured the Sea King, the violent impact had caused it considerable pain. It let out a furious roar and fixed its ferocious eyes on Ages before taking the initiative to attack, charging straight at him.
Faced with the Sea King's sudden attack, Ages looked startled and shouted,
"Bring it on!"
He then drew his sword again and slashed at the Sea King...
Clang!!
Clang!!
Clang!!...
Ages and the Sea King clashed like colliding meteors, their powerful blows meeting head-on and sending the once-calm sea around them surging with waves!
Clang!!!
After another fierce clash, Ages and the Sea King both retreated.
Roar!
The Sea King roared furiously, its fierce eyes fixed on Ages. Looking at this puny human who had repeatedly clashed with it and even caused it pain, while it had done him little harm, it burned with fury.
On the other side, Ages narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing through them. His lips curled into a ruthless grin, and he raised a finger and beckoned to the Sea King, smiling cheekily as he said,
"What's wrong, big guy? Can't keep going? Come on, let's keep at it, heh heh."
Roar!!
Ages's words made the Sea King feel that its authority as a Sea King had been treated with contempt. The rage in its heart ignited and exploded in an instant...
The Sea King's eyes were bloodshot and crimson. It abruptly swung its fish tail with all its might, and the sea immediately churned, wave after wave rising without end.
Then the Sea King attacked Ages alongside the towering waves.
Watching this, Ages's eyes flashed with excitement. Veins bulged on his hand as he gripped his katana tightly.
At that moment, an incomparably sharp aura suddenly burst from Ages's entire body as he slashed at the Sea King from a distance.
Shing!
A massive sword beam shot from Ages's katana toward the Sea King.
With a ripping sound.
The enormous sword beam sped toward the towering waves. As if they were made of paper, the waves offered it no resistance and were split in two in an instant. The beam continued straight toward the Sea King.
Boom!!
The enormous sword beam struck the Sea King, and their collision produced a tremendous impact.
In an instant.
Towering waves rippled outward in circles from the point where the two had collided.
Roar!!
The pain from the sword beam's impact made the Sea King howl, a trace of agony in its eyes.
Ages watched the Sea King, then turned his gaze to its head.
The sword beam had cut a deep mark into the Sea King's skull, but it was only a mark and hadn't caused any real injury.
Ages rubbed his temples and sighed.
"I still can't cut through it. Sure enough, without my Devil Fruit powers, my fighting strength has dropped a lot."
Ages's mind quickly began to race as he recalled what his Pops, Yixiao, had taught him.
"Ages, all things have the properties of waves. Musicians believe that every instrument has its own pitch (wavelength), volume (amplitude), and timbre (the combination of harmonic waves)."
"It is as though an immense melody is being played throughout heaven and earth. Roger's ability to hear the Voice of All Things is the ability to grasp and distinguish the pitch, volume, and timbre of all things."
"Do you know why I can cut through steel, and even things harder than steel? Because I have heard the 'sound' of steel... Ages, if you want to become a swordsman who can cut through all things, go and listen to the 'sound' of all things. Ages, only when you can hear the sound of all things will you be a true swordsman."
"Phew..."
Ages let out a long breath. Looking at the roaring Sea King charging toward him, he closed his eyes and murmured,
"Pops, how am I supposed to hear the sound of all things?"
Then Ages closed his eyes, drew his katana, and once again engaged the Sea King in a fierce battle.
Boom!!
Boom!!
Ages and the Sea King fought as though they had gone mad, furiously exchanging blows.
Neither could do anything to the other.
Boom!
Another collision.
Ages, whose eyes had been tightly shut, suddenly opened them.
A strange light flashed in his eyes.