One piece: The Greatest Swordsman of the Rocks Era!

"Ouch... ouch..."

Streusen's face was twisted in pain. The weight and sheer impact of Linlin's body had left him aching all over.

His mind was still in a daze.

Holding his waist awkwardly, he turned toward the room with a puzzled expression. "What exactly is going on between Ares and Linlin in there…"

Inside the room

Ares was furious.

He had only come to examine Linlin's famously tough skin. He never expected her to immediately try to manhandle him, saying bizarre things like, 'I'm going to eat you.'

Right now, most of Ares' body was glowing with a deep blood-red hue. His muscles, originally bronze and solid like bricks, now gleamed like molten iron.

The sight alone was enough to trigger instinctive fear.

After a month of training, his unique Armament Haki could already cover most of his body, though he still hadn't achieved full-body hardening.

But he was getting close.

When that day arrived, Ares' strength would soar to an entirely new level.

Just then

Linlin's enraged roar echoed through the ruins of the room. Her massive figure shot toward him like a cannonball.

"Damn it!!"

Ares just couldn't figure out what was wrong with this woman. Her blood-red eyes burned with the madness of a wild beast, as if she had completely lost her sanity.

If Streusen had seen her in this state, he would have been horrified.

This was Linlin's Food Frenzy.

Unlike her usual hunger for sweets, this time, what Linlin craved was Ares.

Ares swiftly dodged to the side as Linlin's enormous body crashed into a wall, blasting open a massive hole. He had no idea what was happening to her.

He shouted, "Stop!!"

But Linlin, now fully consumed by her frenzy, didn't hear a word. She just let out a bizarre, unsettling laugh:

"Mama...ma…"

Standing just outside the wall, Linlin planted both hands on the edges of the broken hole and suddenly wrenched outward.

Crack crack crack!

The fractures spread rapidly.

The entire wall crumbled with a deafening crash.

Thankfully, the structure of the building was strong enough that the ceiling and upper floors didn't collapse entirely though they were visibly sagging.

Through the gaping hole, Streusen finally caught sight of Linlin's twisted face. Her shadowed expression and those glowing blood-red eyes sent a jolt of panic through him.

"Her Food Frenzy It's triggered!!!"

His heart skipped a beat.

This is bad really bad!!!

This was the monstrous Charlotte Linlin, the "Natural Born Destroyer." It was exactly this state that earned her the title, because when it struck, she would destroy everything in her path.

I can't stop her. I don't have the power! And if Shiki and Newgate find out Linlin lost control over Ares, she's going to be in deep trouble!!

Streusen's heart pounded with anxiety.

If this gets out of hand, with Newgate's fiercely protective nature… not to mention Shiki…

I have to stop Linlin!!

It's my only option!

Determined, Streusen drew the rapier at his waist and began slicing rapidly at the broken stone slabs in front of him.

Though it was a rapier, he wielded it like a cleaver.

In the blink of an eye, the giant stone slabs were carved into large chunks, their texture softening until they transformed into massive slices of meat!

He shouted into the room, "Linlin, there's food here!!"

"Food?!"

But Linlin's gaze never left Ares. Saliva mixed with stomach acid dripped continuously from the corners of her mouth, sizzling as it corroded the floor like acid.

"My food!!!"

"I'm going to eat you!!!"

She screeched and pounced at Ares again, only for Ares to dodge effortlessly, leaving Linlin to slam into the ground with another thunderous crash. The floor cracked beneath her, stone fragments scattering in all directions.

But Linlin didn't even flinch.

She crawled back up as if nothing had happened.

Ares frowned, utterly confused.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"What's wrong with Linlin?!"

Her behavior was bizarre, her appearance downright terrifying.

At this point, Linlin resembled a hawk relentlessly chasing its prey in a game of tag, lunging at Ares again.

This is bad… Streusen's face fell. He knew the food created by his Cook-Cook Fruit had almost no appeal to Linlin in this state it could fill the belly, but it tasted terrible.

It barely attracted her.

If I can't wake her from this frenzy, then the only option is to get Ares out of here. As long as Newgate and Shiki don't see this, maybe it won't get any worse!

A flash of inspiration hit Streusen.

He sprinted toward the broken wall, stepping into the room, and shouted urgently, "Ares, you have to leave now!!"

The shout immediately caught Ares' attention.

But just as he turned his head, his eyes landed on something lying on the ground a strange metallic object.

It was a tightly sealed iron box, partially opened and tilted just enough for Ares to see its contents something Streusen couldn't see at all.

Inside…

was a vibrant blue Devil Fruit, its skin covered with scale-like patterns.

Devil Fruit!?

The thought exploded in Ares' mind, his heart instantly pounding with excitement.

That has to be a Devil Fruit!!

Is it a Zoan-type?!

But in that moment of distraction, Linlin pounced, wrapping her arms tightly around Ares once more.

Ares immediately reacted, his massive right leg instantly covered in his Blood Armament Haki his unique form of Armament Haki.

(From now on, we'll refer to Ares' unique Armament Haki as "Blood Armament.")

"Blood Armament Bull's Charge!!"

His leg bent, revealing his steel-hard, round knee, and he drove it powerfully into Linlin's abdomen.

Linlin's enormous body crumpled like a cooked shrimp and was sent flying, smashing through the ceiling and disappearing from sight with a rumble.

Seizing the opening, Streusen frantically shouted, "Ares, hurry!!"

"Get out of here, now!!!"

But Ares didn't even look at him.

Instead, he turned around, squatted down, and picked up the box. He carefully poured the Devil Fruit into his palm.

The unique blue-scaled Devil Fruit sat perfectly in his hand.

Streusen's jaw dropped. His pupils shrank as he screamed in disbelief, "ARES!!"

"PUT DOWN THAT DEVIL FRUIT!!!"

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