"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 Armant 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 ca down to the strength of its wielder's Haki.
With that, Shiki drew one of the swords at his waist. His arm suddenly transford, turning pitch-black and tallic, gleaming coldly in the light.
Armant 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 excitent. "With Armant Haki, I can make my body even harder than a sword!"
"If my Haki's strong enough, I'll surpass all nad blades."
"No, not just nad blades... I'll surpass even the Supre Grade swords!"
Eyes blazing like twin searchlights, Ares turned to Shiki, nearly breathless with anticipation. "Co on! Teach Armant 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 ti."
The mont 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 n's quarters! He's learning Haki from , 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 n turned toward him, paused, then nodded in agreent. 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. "Armant 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 Armant 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 ."
Buzz.
A low hum rang out as Shiki's arm hardened in an instant, taking on the sheen of polished black tal.
"Incredible!" Ares cried, eyes wide with wonder. "So this is Armant Haki... turning flesh into sothing harder than steel!"
"This is exactly what I need!"
His heart pounded with excitent. This was it the power to surpass even the Supre Grade swords.
With Armant Haki, his body could beco tougher than any nad 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.
Armant 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 beco a top-tier powerhouse on these seas, mastering Armant Haki is a must."
Whitebeard grinned broadly. "Gurararara... Shiki's right. You won't stand at the top of the sea without mastering Armant 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 Armant Haki, it was no contest.
Ares now knew: this was the power he'd been seeking. The ultimate hardness.
The key to surpassing the Supre Grade swords.
He began ntally replaying every detail of how Shiki had used Armant Haki, like a slow-motion video etched into his mind.
Most people forget. mories fade unless reinforced through repetition or note-taking.
But not Ares.
If he chose to, he could replay anything in his mory, 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 mont over and over.
Shiki watched Ares closely, surprised. "He's thinking about how to use it already? But Haki isn't sothing you pick up in a day or two."
He chuckled. "Took 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 , Shiki the Golden Lion..."
"I'm a dual-blade grandmaster!"
Just then, a voice broke through their rivalry.
"So this... this is Armant Haki, isn't it?"
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