Whitebeard was stunned.
Ares had clearly arrived at God Valley later than he did, and yet…
He'd already seized two Devil Fruits!!
But what Ares said next left Whitebeard completely dumbstruck.
"To be precise, it's three. One of them was eaten by my partner."
"…"
That one sentence shut Whitebeard up on the spot.
The way it sounded…
It was pure humblebrag.
Whitebeard stared at Ares with a look that was equal parts disbelief and awe, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Ares… what kind of ridiculous luck is this, damn…"
"You snatched three Devil Fruits just like that?!"
Absurd.
It was beyond absurd!!
Every one of these Devil Fruits was priceless. If the World Government and the Celestial Dragons had their eyes on them, then none of them could possibly be weak.
Yet Ares had only been on the island a short time and had already grabbed three Devil Fruits literally half of the total.
Add in Whitebeard's Phoenix…
And the six Devil Fruits were now mostly in pirate hands.
Whitebeard grinned so wide his teeth showed, laughing loudly.
"Gurararara! As expected of you, Ares! That's incredible your luck is unreal too!"
Hearing their exchange…
Linlin was so furious smoke might as well have been coming out of her ears. She ground her teeth and glared at the box at Ares' waist.
"Damn it… Ares has already taken three Devil Fruits!!"
"And I haven't gotten a single one!"
Infuriating!
Absolutely infuriating!!
The more she thought about it, the more murderous her gaze became. The Paw-Paw Fruit that should have been hers, the Mythical Zoan: Okuchi no Makami that should have been hers both had ended up in Ares' hands.
Linlin's eyes lit with a savage red glow.
Killing intent surged.
On the other side…
Saint Saturn's expression changed dramatically.
"Three?! That brat Ares hasn't even been on the island for a full day…"
"And he's already taken three Devil Fruits?!"
Saint Garling's face was darker than soot, black to the extreme.
"They were supposed to be World Government rewards for the Celestial Dragons during the hunting festival, and now half of them have been snatched by Ares!"
"We absolutely cannot let Ares leave this place alive with those Devil Fruits!"
Those fruits were treasures that belonged to the World Government. Even for them, collecting them had required enormous effort and cost.
Six powerful Devil Fruits, painstakingly gathered…
And now half of them were in Ares' possession.
How could Garling possibly swallow that!?
Whoosh!
A razor-sharp blade tore through the air, a brilliant flying slash streaking straight for Ares.
At the same time, Saint Saturn's eyes flashed with vicious light.
"Venomous Gaze!!"
An invisible force like a shockwave smashed toward Ares.
Saint Saturn's voice rang out, heavy and absolute.
"We must reclaim those Devil Fruits!"
Facing their combined assault
Ares' gaze turned icy.
He swung his thick arms, his forearms moving like spears as he fired a flurry of straight punches.
Boom! Boom!
He shattered both attacks, then bared his teeth in a savage grin.
"The Devil Fruits are already in hand. Now I can fight you without a single restraint!"
Ares' sharply defined face was brimming with excitement.
His battle lust exploded.
The blood in his body charged with combat seemed to accelerate, roaring through his veins.
His tiger eyes blazed with ferocious light.
"Let battle after battle temper my body to perfection!"
Boom!!
The ground beneath Ares collapsed as he launched forward like a soaring hawk, pouncing straight at Saint Saturn.
He wanted to see for himself
Just how terrifying this Elder's Devil Fruit ability really was, and what level of strength he had reached!
Garling's expression sank as he saw Ares coming in.
He quickly warned, "Saint Saturn, be careful! The power in that monster's body is more terrifying than a beast's. Don't meet him head-on!"
Saint Saturn's face darkened.
His form warped becoming a monstrous hybrid: spider below, bull above.
His lower body was a spider, multiple massive spider legs like spears.
And his upper body…
Huge nostrils, horns on his head.
Those oversized nostrils looked like they were one step away from having a ring shoved through them.
"Crimson Armament Red Dragon Roar!!"
Ares went all out from the start, holding nothing back.
Blood surged through him like a river, roaring with a crashing sound.
A terrifying force burst from his arm, forming a shockwave that slammed into Saint Saturn.
Whoosh-whoosh-whoosh!
One furry yet pitch-black spider leg after another stabbed out like lances.
Boom!!
Saint Saturn was forced back dozens of meters, his razor legs carving deep trenches into the ground.
Only now did he truly understand why Garling had warned him about Ares' brute strength.
That power…
A monster's.
Shhk!
A gorgeous slash came in.
Ares' dragon claw shot out, gripping it firmly.
With a flex of his arm, the slash shattered, fell to the ground, and vanished.
Watching Ares take on the World Government's top fighters alone, Whitebeard grinned.
"Gurararara! Ares, let me help you!"
"No."
Ares refused instantly.
"These two are prey I've already claimed."
"You !" Saint Saturn's forehead veins bulged with rage. "Arrogant Ares! You really think you can stand against all of us by yourself?!"
Hearing Ares refuse, Whitebeard chuckled.
"Gurararara… that's the Ares I know. Your hair grew out, but you're still the same…"
"Hungry for battle. Once you're fighting, you're a complete madman."
Since Ares wanted to fight, Whitebeard didn't join in. He watched from the side instead.
If Ares couldn't hold, then he'd step in.
Besides…
With how fierce Ares was right now, taking him down wouldn't be easy.
Far away
Streusen spoke up, urging, "Linlin, let's go. There are only two Devil Fruits left on this island. If we don't hurry, someone else will take them…"
"And we'll have no chance."
Half of God Valley's six fruits were already with Ares. That left very few for anyone else to fight over.
Linlin's eyes were bloodshot as she snapped, "Search for what?! It's been almost two days those fruits are probably already in someone else's hands! How are we supposed to steal them now?!"
"There are only Devil Fruits on Ares worth taking. Take them and it's enough!"
And
The Devil Fruits in Ares' hands were two Mythical Zoans.
Rare beyond measure. Worth a fortune.
Why chase the unknown two when the best loot was right in front of her?
Linlin made up her mind and charged like a raging bull.
Whitebeard stepped into her path.
"Gurararara!" Whitebeard grinned. "Linlin, you want to snatch the Devil Fruits Ares has…"
"I'm not agreeing to that."
Linlin's eyes glowed red with fury.
"Ares stole my fruits before! This time I'm taking them back!"
"Why bother?" Whitebeard tried to persuade her.
Linlin's face turned black.
"What, so Ares can grab that many fruits, and I don't get even one?! He has to compensate me!"
"Otherwise…"
"I won't let this go!"
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