When Ares finished training, the large muscles covering his body looked like red-hot branding irons.
Under the astonished gazes of a group of pirates.
Ares left the training room.
After he left, deafening cries of surprise erupted throughout the training room.
"Fuck me, where did this monster come from? He's really broadened my horizons!!"
"Is he even human? One swing of his training method could smash us to death!!"
"With a body this perverted, those women probably wouldn't be able to satisfy this guy even if they screamed their throats raw!!"
"Satisfy this guy?!! I'm afraid even giving up their lives wouldn't be enough. Do you know how many times that guy hammered himself?!"
"Tens of thousands!!!"
"Tsk, tsk... From now on, our pirate crew has another monster. The other pirate crews and the Marines are going to have a headache!!"
"······"
The pirates clicked their tongues one after another. Such a "mad dog" was simply insane.
He was treating his own life like something to throw away and joke about.
After replenishing his energy, Ares left the cafeteria under the stunned gazes of the pirates.
Because he was an official crew member, he had the right to enjoy free food.
As for unofficial crew members.
They had to rely on their own abilities, as well as whether others were willing to give them food.
Thus, many newcomers were actually choosing sides, becoming affiliated with various captains.
This was a world of survival of the fittest, however, and the newcomers were more like a "vanguard camp."
They did the dirtiest and most exhausting work, transporting supplies, cleaning the pirate ship, and handling all the work at Skull Castle.
They risked their lives just for the chance to become official members of the Rocks Pirates.
Ares casually found someone, asked where Shiki the Golden Lion was, and left.
Inside Skull Castle.
"Captain, that guy eats too much!!!"
"Do you know how much he eats in one meal?!!"
"We can't keep this guy around!!"
"He ate enough food for over a hundred people by himself. The chefs almost collapsed from exhaustion!!"
"·········"
Listening to the complaints directed at him, even Captain Rocks, currently the most famous man on the seas, wore an awkward expression.
He gave an embarrassed laugh. "Shakky, we've already recruited him."
"Besides, that guy Ares has limitless potential. He'll definitely grow into a powerhouse like Newgate and Shiki in the future."
"He may eat a lot now, but he'll bring even greater benefits to the crew in the future."
"We can just hire a few more chefs. If the chefs collapse from exhaustion, who's going to cook for our crew?"
Standing before Rocks was a woman with short black hair and a cigarette between her lips.
Shakky pinched the cigarette between her fingers, exhaled a cloud of white smoke, and said unhappily, "Do you know how much money he consumes in one meal?"
"The ingredients alone cost over a hundred thousand Berries."
"And that's just what he consumes in one meal. At three meals a day, that's ninety meals a month."
"He'll eat more than a million Berries by himself every month."
"Add in the labor costs and everything else..."
"Adding just him is equivalent to supporting over a hundred people!!"
After hearing Shakky's tirade, Rocks instead threw his head back and laughed. "So what if it's over a million Berries? I'm very optimistic about that kid."
"If the Berries are spent, then they're spent. Someone like him is worth it!!"
Shakky snorted. "It's not my money anyway. Do whatever makes you happy!"
She turned around and walked straight out of the room.
Rocks chuckled and walked to the window. Through it, he gazed at the outside world, his deep eyes filled with the light of ambition.
He murmured, "Talents are far more important than gold. As long as I become the ruler of this world..."
"I'll have as much money as I want!"
"I'm not interested in money, nor do I want to touch it. I only want this world!"
He could say something so pretentious because, over the years, he had led the Rocks Pirates to amass enormous wealth.
He was no longer the "Rocks" who had once struggled to make a living.
In another room of Skull Castle.
Ares knocked on Shiki the Golden Lion's door. His enormous palm struck it with a series of booming thuds.
A panicked sound immediately came from inside the room.
Inside.
Shiki the Golden Lion hurriedly said to Bagin, "Leave through the back quickly. I'll give you every Berry I promised!"
He frantically picked up the clothes on the bed and tossed them to her.
He had no time to admire her magnificent, fair, and full bosom. Bagin caught the clothes Shiki had thrown her, but at this crucial moment, she threatened him instead. "We agreed on fifty million Berries. Not a single Berry less!"
"Leave quickly!"
"I won't shortchange you!"
Shiki urged her anxiously. He also put on his clothes, lit a cigar, and took a deep drag.
That woman had an absolutely perfect figure, appearance, and skin.
She was just fucking obsessed with money.
After receiving Shiki's assurance, Bagin smiled sweetly, put on her clothes, and immediately left through the back door.
"Phew~"
Shiki exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, stood up, walked to the door, and opened it.
When he saw the figure outside, he said in surprise, "Ares?!"
"Did you come to see me about something?!"
He had never expected Ares to come looking for him. Back when he and Whitebeard had competed to recruit him, he had offered quite a few conditions, but Ares had not been swayed in the slightest.
He had not made a choice either.
Ares stated his purpose directly. "Mr. Ochoku said you're the best swordsman on the ship. I want to know whether you have a way to forge a person into a blade that surpasses the Twelve Kizuki, the Supreme Great Swords."
His enormous eyes were filled with a thirst for knowledge as he stared intently at Shiki the Golden Lion.
This question again?
Shiki was naturally familiar with it. The first time he had met Ares, the man had asked Captain Rocks this very question.
Captain Rocks's answer at the time had been: battle!
Later, he had also heard Rocks question that old man, and learned about Ares's past.
At some point several years ago, the man had seemingly become a completely different person, frantically asking the villagers how to forge himself into a Famous Sword.
In the end, he had begun that "devil's hell" of training!!!
Ares was extremely obsessed with turning himself into a Famous Sword!
"Let me think..."
Shiki did not immediately answer Ares's question. Instead, he decided to think it over carefully first.
After a moment, the corners of his lips lifted as he smiled. "A human body is far inferior to a Famous Sword, but there is a way to make the body comparable to one of those Famous Swords."
"A swordsman can use his own Haki to temper his blade into a Black Blade!!"
"And Armament Haki can greatly increase a person's defensive power!"
"As long as you're strong enough, even a Famous Sword won't be able to cut you down!!"
Hearing Shiki's answer, Ares's eyes lit up, and he asked excitedly, "Armament Haki?!"
"What is that?!"
Before you continue