Onepiece:Ares

The iron rod struck Ares' muscles with a deep, resonant thud.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The repeated blows caused Ares' bronze-like, reflective skin to turn visibly red. Blood rushed through his body, his metabolism accelerating.

The intense pain stimulated Ares' nerves, triggering vivid images in his mind.

He saw towering skyscrapers, busy streets filled with traffic, and cars zipping along wide roads. The scenes shifted rapidly, eventually focusing on a hospital with the name "NewYork No. 1 Brain Tumor Hospital" flashing by.

In the next moment, Ares felt like he was on a hospital bed, his hands and feet bound. A nurse appeared, replacing an infusion bottle filled with medicine. The images blurred, and the last thing he remembered was the nurse screaming:

"A patient drank the infusion solution!"

Chaos erupted, with noise and shouting swirling around him.

When Ares returned to reality, he wasn't sure how many times he'd swung the iron rod against his body.

"Am I Ares... or John?"

"My father's last wish was to forge a famous sword that surpasses the twelve supreme-grade swords. I couldn't surpass his skills in forging…"

"I can only seek another way—and I will make myself into a famous sword!"

"If I can't do it, I'll forge someone else into one!"

This wasn't the first time such images had appeared in his mind. Whenever his brain was stimulated, he would experience these strange yet vivid memories.

Over time, his ability to endure pain had grown—not just from training but also because of these recurring visions.

Ares shifted his focus, using the iron rod to pound his massive chest muscles until they turned crimson. Then, he moved to his abs, each muscle as large as a normal man's thigh.

Eight solid blocks of muscle stood out like carved boulders, turning red under the relentless force of the iron rod.

His brutal training was like tempering steel—hammering it repeatedly until it became unbreakable.

Meanwhile, in Skeleton Castle, Ochoku finished putting on his thick, polished golden armor. After washing up, he stepped out of his room and headed toward Ares' quarters. Since Rocks had assigned Ares to him, Ochoku had ensured the boy's room was close to his own.

Knock, knock, knock!

He rapped on the door. "Hey, Ares, wake up!"

He called out several times, but there was no response.

Pushing the door open, Ochoku found the room empty. "Not here?! Did he go to train again this early in the morning?"

Shaking his head, he hurried to the training room.

As he entered, the sound of heavy thuds echoed through the space, like distant thunder. His eyes widened as he saw Ares swinging a thick iron rod—almost the size of Ochoku's own wrist—against his body.

Ochoku himself was over four meters tall, slightly taller than Ares, but the sight in front of him was almost unreal.

"This guy… he's not human," Ochoku muttered.

The iron rod slammed into Ares' body with a force that sent gusts of wind rippling through the room.

Ochoku's scalp tingled with unease. He had thought Ares swimming alongside the ship was extreme, but compared to this, it seemed trivial.

"Kaido's tough, but this guy is a whole different level of monster!"

Ochoku couldn't imagine enduring such training himself—it was torture beyond reason.

Walking up to Ares, he asked with a baffled expression, "Doesn't that hurt?!"

"Painful," Ares replied, his tone calm and his expression unchanging as he continued his relentless movements.

Ochoku stared, dumbfounded. "You don't look like it hurts!" he exclaimed inwardly. The repetitive thuds confirmed that the iron rod was real, not some hollow object.

For a moment, he wondered if the iron rod might one day wear down to the size of a needle from all this abuse.

Recalling the banquet from the previous night, Ochoku smirked. "No wonder you eat so much… Last night, you ate enough for hundreds of people!"

Indeed, Ares was a phenomenon—both in strength and appetite.

"How long are you going to keep training?" Ochoku asked, crossing his arms.

"Until I eat," Ares replied without missing a beat.

Ochoku immediately felt like he'd asked a foolish question.

Then Ares turned the tables, asking, "The captain said fighting sharpens a person into a sword. Is there any other way to forge oneself into a famous sword?"

The iron rod now struck Ares' thighs as he turned to look at Ochoku.

The question left Ochoku momentarily stunned. Stroking his long, smooth black beard, he thought carefully before replying. "Among the Rocks Pirates, the strongest swordsman is undoubtedly Golden Lion Shiki. But…"

He hesitated, his skin crawling at the absurdity of Ares' goal. "Are you really serious about making yourself into a sword?!"

"More than just a sword!" Ares said, his voice brimming with conviction. "I want to forge myself into a sword greater than the twelve supreme-grade swords!"

His declaration was so intense that Ochoku shuddered. The sheer force of Ares' swings caused the air around them to ripple, his muscles vibrating like a calm lake disturbed by sudden ripples.

"Hiss…" Ochoku winced, taking an involuntary step back. "Just watching this hurts."

"I'll call you when it's time to eat!" Ochoku muttered, quickly leaving the training room before the sight made him lose his appetite.

Left alone, Ares continued training, murmuring to himself, "Golden Lion Shiki… Will he have other ways for me to hone myself into a sword greater than the supreme-grade swords?"

Determination burned in his eyes as the iron rod struck his body again and again.

"I'll ask him after I finish training," Ares resolved, the relentless bang of the rod echoing throughout the room.

End of the Chapter.