"Ordinary blades are bound to chip or break in combat, especially when clashing against stronger weapons," Shiki said solemnly, his tone uncharacteristically serious. "But a black blade is different. It's forged by tempering the sword with Armament Haki, making it sharper and tougher than ever."
"As long as your Haki is strong enough, your blade will never break. Not even after hundreds of years, it'll still cut through iron like butter."
"That's a black blade!"
In the end, the strength of a black blade came down to the strength of its wielder's Haki.
With that, Shiki drew one of the swords at his waist. His arm suddenly transformed, turning pitch-black and metallic, gleaming coldly in the light.
Armament Haki quickly flowed from his arm into the blade, dyeing the once-silver edge jet black.
Chomping on his cigar, Shiki grinned smugly. "This... is a black blade."
Whoosh.
He turned his head and exhaled a puff of smoke like a showman finishing a performance.
Ares's eyes lit up like golden spotlights. He was practically buzzing with excitement. "With Armament Haki, I can make my body even harder than a sword!"
"If my Haki's strong enough, I'll surpass all named blades."
"No, not just named blades... I'll surpass even the Supreme Grade swords!"
Eyes blazing like twin searchlights, Ares turned to Shiki, nearly breathless with anticipation. "Come on! Teach me Armament Haki!"
Unknowingly, the three of them had arrived in front of Skull Castle.
Whitebeard chuckled. "Let's head inside first. With your physique, you'll pick up Haki in no time."
The moment they stepped through the castle gates, Whitebeard and Shiki started bickering again.
"Blondie, your room's a disaster! You want to bring Ares there?!"
"So what? I'll just take him to one of my men's quarters! He's learning Haki from me, not from you, White-hair!"
"And why can't I teach him?"
"Do you even know how to forge a black blade, huh?!"
Face to face, the two were practically pressing foreheads. If not for the cigar between Shiki's lips, their noses would've collided.
"Enough already. Let's go to my room," Ares interrupted, cutting through the chaos.
Both men turned toward him, paused, then nodded in agreement. One on either side of him again.
Problem solved, they walked off with arms slung around each other once more.
The other pirates watched in stunned silence.
Ares's room was simple, with only the barest essentials. But neither Whitebeard nor Shiki cared. Their focus was squarely on Ares.
Shiki glared at Whitebeard before turning to Ares. "Armament Haki is the breath of your body the inner force within. To wield it, you must fully master your body."
"It lets you draw out your strength and potential."
He looked excited, almost giddy, wondering how far a monster like Ares could take Armament Haki.
"Here, put your hand on my arm. Feel for yourself how I use it."
Ares, eyes glowing with anticipation, pressed his large hand to Shiki's forearm. "Alright. Show me."
Buzz.
A low hum rang out as Shiki's arm hardened in an instant, taking on the sheen of polished black metal.
"Incredible!" Ares cried, eyes wide with wonder. "So this is Armament Haki... turning flesh into something harder than steel!"
"This is exactly what I need!"
His heart pounded with excitement. This was it the power to surpass even the Supreme Grade swords.
With Armament Haki, his body could become tougher than any named blade.
Seeing the fire in Ares's eyes, Shiki smirked. "So? Hard enough for you?"
He suddenly recalled last night's indulgence with Miss Bakkin and her high-pitched squeals of delight.
Armament Haki undeniably hard, undeniably powerful.
He shook off the thought and continued. "Most attacks can't break through my defense once I've activated it."
"Ares, if you want to become a top-tier powerhouse on these seas, mastering Armament Haki is a must."
Whitebeard grinned broadly. "Gurararara... Shiki's right. You won't stand at the top of the sea without mastering Armament Haki!"
Their booming voices rang in Ares's ears, igniting a fire in his blood.
He thought back to the strange sensation he'd felt when touching Shiki's arm.
A person's body could be trained blows, strikes, resistance training they'd all toughen skin, muscle, and bone.
But compared to Shiki's transformation through Armament Haki, it was no contest.
Ares now knew: this was the power he'd been seeking. The ultimate hardness.
The key to surpassing the Supreme Grade swords.
He began mentally replaying every detail of how Shiki had used Armament Haki, like a slow-motion video etched into his mind.
Most people forget. Memories fade unless reinforced through repetition or note-taking.
But not Ares.
If he chose to, he could replay anything in his memory, slowing it down or speeding it up at will.
All because of what happened to his soul and mind that day, years ago.
Now, he was replaying that moment over and over.
Shiki watched Ares closely, surprised. "He's thinking about how to use it already? But Haki isn't something you pick up in a day or two."
He chuckled. "Took me over a month to get it right."
"A whole month? I learned it in just over twenty days!" Whitebeard huffed, puffing his chest and ruffling his mustache with the force of his voice.
Shiki scowled. "That's only because you focused on brute strength. But me, Shiki the Golden Lion..."
"I'm a dual-blade grandmaster!"
Just then, a voice broke through their rivalry.
"So this... this is Armament Haki, isn't it?"
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