Kaido's eye twitched at Linlin's words, but deep down, he was already plotting to get that Devil Fruit from her as soon as possible.
The sooner he could get away from this monstrous woman, the better.
Her titan-like body was pure torture.
In the end, Linlin came out victorious.
As Kaido's strength waned and his stamina gave out, Linlin frowned. "Kaido, hurry up and learn Armament Haki already. You need to get stronger!"
"Your body is nothing like Ares's!"
"You're big, sure, but what good is that if you're all show and no substance?!"
She stepped off him, her massive eyes narrowing in warning. "If you keep slacking, you're not getting that Devil Fruit."
"I'm waiting to see the day you actually become strong."
Kaido shoved aside chunks of shattered stone and stood, his face dark and brooding. Linlin's words had pierced his pride.
As a man...
Being told he was inferior, especially now, was like a punch straight to the gut. Rage surged within him.
"Just wait. I'll surpass that bastard," Kaido growled, refusing to even say Ares's name.
He stomped forward, grinding rubble beneath his heel, then dressed quickly and stormed out of the room.
Inside Skull Castle...
Captain John, clutching a bottle of rum, strolled into Rocks's quarters. There, Rocks lounged casually on the couch.
John took a seat beside him and lifted the bottle. "The ruckus earlier? That was Ares."
Gulp.
He downed a mouthful of booze and sighed in satisfaction.
"Shiki taught the kid how to drink, but Ares ended up plastered. He got drunk and started throwing punches without restraint."
John chuckled. "He even gave Shiki a lump on his face."
Rocks raised an eyebrow in surprise, brushing back his wild, seaweed-like hair. A faint smirk tugged at his lips.
"Interesting."
"That brat's clearly not right in the head. You're not gonna treat him?"
John slammed the bottle on the table. "Why would I fix that? He's great the way he is."
"A man with that kind of obsession and dream... the sea won't stop him."
"He wants to turn himself into a living black blade. Don't you want to see if he can actually do it?"
Though he doubled as the ship's doctor, John had no intention of curing Ares.
If anything, he was curious to see just how far that madness could take him.
"Zehahaha..."
Rocks burst into laughter. "You're not wrong. I want to see what kind of man dares to challenge me, Rocks."
"How far can someone like that go?"
He leaned back, draping his arms along the couch, voice brimming with confidence.
"As long as you sail under my flag, I don't care who you are Newgate, Shiki, Linlin. This ship has room for all your dreams."
"And the final destination of the Rocks Pirates... will be the world itself!"
This crew was filled with ambitious monsters, and Rocks knew it. But he believed he could tame them all.
Make their ambition serve his ambition.
John pulled out another bottle and tossed it to Rocks. "Ares really is a freak. Somehow, he's managed to raise his body temperature and boost his combat strength."
Then he explained everything that had happened in detail.
As Rocks downed the rest of the bottle, his gaze sharpened.
"Maybe it's some kind of instinct... but he's still got a long way to go."
His expression turned serious.
"Let's talk about real business. We've got plenty of enemies out there Waldo's crew, Roger's pirates, and that loner Red the Aloof."
"But our true enemies are the Navy and the World Government."
Countless pirates roamed the seas, each with their own dreams. But Rocks cared less about them.
He was aiming at the true rulers the government that had ruled for over 700 years.
That was the wall he had to tear down.
John nodded solemnly. "In these next two years, the Rocks Pirates need to grow fast. We also need to hunt down powerful Devil Fruits."
"In two years, the World Government will hold its next Reverie. That's our chance. Miss it, and we wait another four years."
It was the year 1480 of the Sea Calendar. The clock was ticking.
Rocks nodded and downed the last of his rum, eyes flashing. "Then we'll get it done in two years."
"We must find powerful Devil Fruits."
He set the bottle down and looked John dead in the eye. "You're the one I trust most. You've seen the Devil Fruit encyclopedia."
"For the sake of our dreams, we need to find the strongest Devil Fruits out there."
"I'm counting on you. Keep it low-key. Don't let the Navy catch wind."
John stood up and grinned. "Leave it to me. I'll find a Devil Fruit that'll satisfy even you, Captain."
Their eyes met and in that instant, they saw it clearly.
Each other's burning ambition.
Elsewhere...
In the Beehive Island training hall...
Pirates were a rowdy bunch, full of unchecked energy.
Some burned it off with booze and women.
Others, with training.
Of course, some didn't skip the wine and women by choice. They were just broke.
That was the cold, hard truth.
In the Rocks crew, strength determined your standing and your share of the loot.
Grunts filled the air as pirates pushed themselves but all of it was drowned out by a thunderous rhythm.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Ares was training.
His massive frame absorbed blow after blow from an iron staff, each strike slamming into his muscles like rolling thunder.
Bam!!
His bronze skin rippled with each impact.
Shiki watched the display with a smirk. "Kehahahaha..."
"Hey, Newgate. What do you think would happen if I taught Ares swordsmanship?"
"With that obsession and work ethic... just how far could he take it?"
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