Ares's heart pounded wildly, an intense longing erupting from deep within him.
Suddenly, there was only one thought in his mind he needed to learn swordsmanship.
He was destined to become the strongest swordsman on this sea.
It was an unshakable confidence, as if born with it.
Ares's voice trembled with excitement. "Golden Lion, I want to learn swordsmanship!"
That slash elegant, effortless, and devastating.
Its power was beyond imagination.
He couldn't get it out of his head. The image of that golden arc slicing through the mountain replayed again and again in his mind, frame by frame.
From the moment Shiki gripped his sword, to the golden arc cleaving the peak it all burned itself into Ares's memory.
He carefully analyzed the angle, the speed, the power behind the swing. Every detail was absorbed like a sponge.
Even from that single, casual attack, Ares understood the sheer strength embedded in Shiki's slash.
It wasn't just force it was skill, flow, and terrifying precision.
Seeing Ares so eager, Golden Lion burst into booming laughter.
"Gurararara! Now you understand how powerful swordsmanship is!"
"Ares, someday you'll look back on this moment and realize how lucky you were!"
"Having me, a Dual-Blade Grandmaster, as your personal teacher that's a blessing you won't find twice!"
Wang Zhi patted Ares's shoulder, his eyes full of hope.
"Learn well from Shiki. If you master his swordsmanship, your name will echo across the sea."
He turned to Shiki and chuckled. "He's yours for now. I'll leave you to it."
As he turned to leave, a flash of blue light caught his eye.
A sharp whoosh pierced the air, followed by a burst of wind that slammed into him.
He turned, stunned. "Was that... a flying slash?!"
A massive blue arc several meters wide tore through the air, slamming into a towering tree and detonating with a thunderous boom.
"What...?!" Shiki's eyes went wide in disbelief.
"That brat already launched a flying slash?!"
Both men were speechless.
Gulp.
Wang Zhi swallowed hard and asked, his voice stiff, "Shiki, how long did it take you to learn the flying slash?"
Shiki's expression turned thoughtful. It had been many years, but he remembered clearly.
"Took me two or three years."
He turned to Wang Zhi. "What about you?"
"Four years," Wang Zhi replied heavily.
He was deeply shaken. He had taken four long years to master the technique that Ares just reproduced in minutes.
Ares, however, frowned slightly.
"No... it's still far off from your slash."
"Is it because my body isn't as sharp as a named blade?"
Shiki's slash could cleave a mountain with surgical precision. Smooth, clean, like a mirror's edge.
But his own slash had been brutish. Less like a cut, more like a bomb going off.
He returned to his mental replay, mimicking the motion with his arm, treating it like a blade.
With each swing, the wind roared around him.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Like swinging an enormous iron rod through the air.
With each motion, dazzling blue arcs erupted from his arm and slammed into the ground, exploding on impact.
Wang Zhi quickly stepped aside and exclaimed, "Shiki, doesn't that slash remind you of the Navy's Six Styles?"
Shiki nodded in agreement. "But Ares's slash isn't quite like the Navy's Tempest Kick. It lacks sharpness."
"His force isn't focused enough, so it ends up bursting instead of cutting cleanly."
He let out a sigh of admiration. "Still, for a first attempt, that's terrifying. His talent is absurd."
Wang Zhi nodded, eyes locked on Ares.
"His sword path is destined to be one of hardship," he murmured.
With each attempt, Ares's flying slashes grew stronger and more refined. The power was rising rapidly.
Wang Zhi's heart was in turmoil. "If he keeps growing like this, his body will become one of the deadliest weapons alive."
Beside him, Shiki's eyes sparkled. He laughed with sheer joy.
"Gurararara! I told you, this guy was born for the sword!"
"In Ares's hands, swordsmanship will blaze across the world!"
His gaze was fierce with pride and expectation. A new star had risen before him a prodigy who might one day illuminate the entire sea.
Wang Zhi stroked his beard and tried to settle his shaken heart.
"Ares's talent is beyond belief. Maybe fate led him to the Rocks Pirates for a reason."
"This crew might be the soil he needs to truly grow."
He glanced at Shiki, a little envious. "If I'd known he had this kind of gift, I would've taught him first."
"Anyway, I'll leave you to it. No point getting in the way."
Once Wang Zhi left, Shiki stepped up to Ares, towering over him.
He lifted his chin slightly. "Now you see how powerful swordsmanship is, right? But that's not all."
"Training in swordsmanship also builds agility, reflexes, endurance and sharpens your mind, too."
"Swordsmanship trains your focus, your decision-making. It's not just physical. It's spiritual."
He wanted Ares to understand the full value of what he was about to learn.
Shiki had studied the sword for over a decade, and the benefits it brought were immeasurable.
Ares listened, then gave a solemn nod. His voice was firm.
"I'll train seriously."
Then, eyes blazing with ambition and confidence, he declared,
"I'll become a swordsman stronger than anyone else!"