Grow Up Quickly, Monster

"Follow me?!"

Hearing Captain Rocks's arrangement, Ochoku's face went blank. He asked in disbelief, "You want this brat to follow me?!"

After a moment of surprise, he understood the captain's intention.

Clearly, Rocks did not want Whitebeard's, Golden Lion's, and Linlin's divisions to become even stronger. He had handed Ares over to Ochoku to balance the forces aboard the ship.

But Ochoku also knew he could not refuse. He said, "Then I'll take this brat!"

He immediately beckoned to Ares. "Brat, come here. From now on, you'll follow me. I'll tell you the rules of the Rocks Pirates!"

Ares rolled his shoulder, breaking free of Whitebeard's large hand, and walked toward Ochoku.

"This brat..." Whitebeard looked dejected. He had extremely high hopes for Ares's future.

If Ares joined his division and they developed a bond, he would become a capable assistant and companion of his in the future.

Whitebeard let out a regretful sigh.

He could not object to Captain Rocks's decision.

Golden Lion's mood also sank. He regretted losing such a promising youngster as Ares.

The most displeased of all was naturally Charlotte Linlin. Her eyes remained fixed on Ares as she licked her lips. "I won't give up!"

"Only a physique as powerful and talented as Ares's can satisfy me and allow me to give birth to even stronger descendants."

Her blatant words gave Whitebeard and Golden Lion beside her a wave of chills.

They both quickly moved away from her.

This woman was simply a "pervert"!

Her mind was filled with nothing but lewd and violent thoughts.

Rocks turned to Ochoku and said, "Ochoku, take Ares back to the ship first. While you're at it, tell him the rules aboard."

Under Rocks's order, Ochoku took Ares straight toward the pirate ship by the coast.

Rocks, meanwhile, walked directly toward the villagers huddled together and trembling in fear. He looked at the old man who had previously pleaded with Ares for help.

He squatted down and asked with interest, "Tell me about Ares."

He also wanted to know what Ares's life had been like before.

The old man sitting on the ground instinctively shuffled backward. Trembling violently, he said in terror, "Don't... Don't kill me."

"Take... Take everything. You can have it all."

He lowered his head deeply, lacking the courage to look at Rocks's face.

Seeing that the old man had not answered Rocks's question, Captain John impatiently shouted, "Hey, old man! The captain asked you a question. Answer quickly if you don't want to die!"

The old man immediately shuddered, his body trembling even more violently.

Then, as if he had finally seized a lifeline, he poured out everything he knew about Ares in one breath. "Ares's father was an extremely famous swordsmith."

"That year, his father forged a Famous Sword, but it was... it was taken... taken by someone."

"His father died too, leaving him all alone."

"He was fine at first, but for some reason, he suddenly went mad three years ago!"

"······"

As he spoke, the old man could not help recalling the day it happened. Ares had suddenly run out of his house.

He had asked everyone he encountered how he could forge himself into a Famous Sword surpassing a Supreme Great Sword!

Quite a few people had been frightened at the time.

Ares had originally followed his father in forging swords and working metal. Though he was only around ten years old, he had already been as strong as a bull.

Many people had been unable to restrain him.

At the time, Ares seemed to have fallen into a kind of demonic obsession.

In the end, a villager answered Ares's question and told him that through training, he could forge himself into a hard and durable blade.

From that day onward, Ares did nothing but eat, rest, and train.

As time passed, his training methods became increasingly terrifying and horrifying!

He had started with ordinary push-ups and lifting heavy objects. Later, he used his own body to ram trees. In the end, he had gone so far as to crash his flesh against mountains.

After listening to the old man's account, Rocks stood up and turned toward the sea. He muttered, "So there was something wrong with his mind?"

"Still, this fellow's potential is truly extraordinary. Merely through training and fighting beasts, he actually managed to grow to this level..."

"This brat's potential is truly monstrous!"

He understood that Ares possessed not only immense potential, but also an utter lack of fear toward grueling training and an incredible level of persistence.

He was far better than Linlin.

That wanton woman had completely wasted her terrifying talent.

Ares, however, was entirely different. He possessed inhuman talent and potential, and he constantly made himself stronger through various forms of training.

Compared with Linlin, Rocks naturally had much higher hopes for Ares.

He walked slowly toward the coast and shouted to the other pirates, "Men, set sail!"

Captain John took a small sip of strong liquor and said excitedly, "Once this brat grows up, he definitely won't lose to Whitebeard or Golden Lion."

He leisurely followed behind Captain Rocks.

Kaido had also heard the old man's story. His eyes trembled, and he said in shock, "That Ares guy actually went through such terrifying training."

A sharp glint flashed through his huge eyes. Gritting his teeth, he said, "I, Kaido, won't lose to him!!!"

"I'll use hellish training to temper my body too!!"

"Next time... I'll be the one who wins!"

As he stared at Ares's back, Kaido's heart filled with soaring fighting spirit.

He followed the main group toward the pirate ship on the shore.

By the coast.

This was also Ares's first time seeing such a huge pirate ship. It was practically a mobile fortress of war.

Even his four-meter-tall body appeared tiny before the ship.

Ochoku said proudly, "Well? It's huge, right?!"

"Our Rocks Pirates are the strongest pirate crew on these seas. Countless pirates shit themselves in fear just from hearing the name Rocks Pirates!"

"Hahaha···"

He could not help laughing heartily, as if something like that had really happened before.

Ares, however, remained completely calm beside him. Apart from his interest in forging himself into a Famous Sword, he seemed uninterested in everything else.

Ochoku patted Ares on the shoulder and said, "From now on, you're an official member of the Rocks Pirates."

"There'll be countless battles waiting for you!"

"Grow up quickly. I'm really looking forward to seeing a monster like you mature!"