One piece: The Greatest Swordsman of the Rocks Era!

Ares couldn't contain his excitement. His lifelong dream and ultimate goal had always been to forge his body into something harder than a Supreme Grade sword.

If he had to sum it up in one word it would be Hard!

The hardest in the world!

To achieve this dream, Ares pushed himself every day with superhuman training, even using self-destructive methods that others would call suicidal.

All of it was in pursuit of making his body surpass the hardness of a Supreme Grade blade.

And now…

From Kaido's mouth, he had just heard that someone's body was harder than his, despite all his years of brutal training. His curiosity and fighting spirit were instantly ignited.

He had to know why that person's body was harder than his own.

"You… you didn't know?!" Kaido lifted his head, his face filled with disbelief. "You've been in the Rocks Pirates for over a month, and you seriously don't know that Linlin is nicknamed the Steel Balloon?"

"Steel Balloon?"

Ares' eyes sparkled with intensity. His youthful but firm expression twisted in confusion. "Isn't she known as the Born Destroyer?"

He had always heard Big Mom's nickname as the "Born Destroyer," but had never known about her "Steel Balloon" title.

Part of it was because Ares had hardly interacted with the other Rocks Pirates.

His life revolved around training he spent most of his time with Whitebeard, Shiki, and Wang Zhi.

None of them had ever told him much about Linlin. They simply warned him to stay far away from her and never agree to any of her requests.

Kaido's expression turned a little strange. Right now, his heart was filled with burning resentment toward Ares, but strangely, a faint sense of respect had also sprouted.

He respected Ares' obsession.

A man who relentlessly pursued strength with insane, almost inhuman training. That was something Kaido genuinely acknowledged.

After a moment of emotional turmoil, Kaido finally explained, "The reason Linlin's called the Steel Balloon is because her skin is harder than steel…"

"Blades, bullets, and cannons can't hurt her. The weak can't even pierce her skin."

Just then, Shiki and Whitebeard walked over.

Whitebeard glanced at Ares, then shot a sharp look at Kaido and bluntly barked, "Kaido, don't talk to Ares about Linlin!"

Shiki was even more direct, growling, "Kaido, beat it!"

"You're not welcome here!"

Unlike Whitebeard, who still maintained a shred of courtesy, Shiki didn't bother sparing Kaido's pride. He threw the words in his face without hesitation.

Kaido's expression turned green, then purple with suppressed rage, but ultimately, he gritted his teeth and turned to leave.

His departing figure radiated utter defeat.

His face was terrifyingly dark. Blow after blow had torn his heart to shreds.

Step by step.

His body felt as heavy as lead, his soul hollow as if he were a walking corpse.

Until he disappeared from Shiki and Whitebeard's sight.

Kaido gritted his teeth in silence. "Shiki, Whitebeard… Ares… I will defeat all of you! I, Kaido, will become the strongest in the world!!"

Suddenly

A wild, oppressive aura burst from his body, surging like a violent hurricane and sweeping across the area.

The chilling pressure made the air freeze.

Streusen, who had been trailing behind him, abruptly stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with shock as he stammered, "C-c-c… Conqueror's Haki?!"

His heart was screaming in disbelief.

Kaido had awakened Conqueror's Haki!

Kaido also stopped walking, suddenly feeling an immense surge of power swelling within him only for it to vanish in the blink of an eye.

It came fast. It disappeared just as fast.

Hearing Streusen's cry, Kaido turned around and asked, "Streusen, what was that power just now? Why did I suddenly feel unbelievably strong?!"

"Does this mean that if I master it, I can finally defeat Ares?!"

The heart that had been battered moments ago now rekindled a flicker of hope.

Streusen took a deep breath, his own shock not yet settled. He hadn't expected Kaido to awaken Conqueror's Haki it genuinely stunned him.

He quickly explained under Kaido's eager and curious gaze, "Conqueror's Haki is the rarest form of Haki. You can't train to acquire it."

"It's a gift, a birthright the mark of a king. People with Conqueror's Haki can subdue, intimidate, and even knock out their enemies without lifting a finger. The weak simply collapse before them."

"It's a power only one in several million can possess!"

As he spoke, even Streusen couldn't suppress his own excitement. Those who possess Conqueror's Haki are destined to become kings of the sea.

This kind of presence isn't something ordinary men can wield.

On this ocean, many have the ambition of kings, but only a rare few awaken their Conqueror's Haki. That's the real deal.

Kaido's excitement surged, his voice rising in anticipation, "One in several million? This power… I must master it!!"

His face, still stained with dried blood, radiated a fierce, burning impatience. He couldn't wait. "Streusen, tell me how do I control this power?!"

That overwhelming sensation from before had vanished in an instant. Kaido had unknowingly triggered the awakening but had no idea how to control it.

He was desperate to grasp it.

This power was his ticket back to the top. If Ares didn't possess it, then maybe just maybe this would be his edge.

Streusen explained, "There's no precise training method for Conqueror's Haki. It can only grow as your spirit, your will, and your resolve grow stronger."

"However, the skill can be trained!"

"Once you gain control, you can deliberately expand or restrict its range and even selectively target enemies. At its pinnacle, Conqueror's Haki can be infused into weapons or your body as an offensive force."

"It's an incredibly advanced technique. In the entire Rocks Pirates, only one man has mastered it…"

"That man is Rocks D. Xebec!!!"

Kaido's heart trembled with excitement. The tiny spark of hope in his chest roared to life, his eyes shining with a fierce light.

"If I keep training, keep getting stronger, my Conqueror's Haki will grow too. One day, I'll fully control this power!!"

"And if I can get my hands on the Devil Fruit that Linlin has been hoarding, I'll grow even stronger!!"

Reinvigorated, Kaido's entire body radiated boundless fighting spirit and renewed confidence. His very presence seemed stronger now.

Streusen couldn't help but take another look Kaido had already grown stronger!

And he now possessed Conqueror's Haki the same rare quality as Linlin, the innate qualification of a king!

Streusen's expression burned with excitement as he encouraged Kaido, "A couple of losses don't mean anything. You need to be the kind of man who keeps getting back up, no matter how many times you're knocked down, and grows stronger every time!"

After awakening his Conqueror's Haki, Streusen began to see Kaido in a completely new light.

Kaido, with the qualifications of a king, and Linlin, who shared the same potential they were a natural match!!

Together, they could completely reshape the balance of the seas!

But suddenly

Streusen's thoughts drifted to that man Ares!

The man Linlin had been endlessly fixated on.

"Linlin wants me to find a way to help her… but that guy is being watched like a hawk by Whitebeard and Shiki…"

"What should I do?!"

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