Hunting Return: Ares

"I need a group of brave, capable fighters!"

Rocks's eyes shone with astonishing light. His ambition continued to grow within him, and he said with overwhelming authority, "Next, I'm going to seize the entire New World!"

"I'm going to become the king of all pirates!"

In the past, he had chosen to establish the Rocks Pirates for the sake of money.

Now.

The Rocks Pirates had grown at an astonishing speed. As far as Rocks was concerned, he already had more than enough wealth.

Once a person accumulated enough money, they would start pursuing other things.

A person's ambitions would also change with time and with what they possessed.

Captain John grinned. "The pirates in the New World are all terrified of you, Captain!"

"Our Rocks Pirates are unstoppable!"

"You'll become the king of the New World sooner or later!"

He would never dare compete with the man before him for power. All he wanted was an endless supply of treasure.

After downing a mouthful of fine wine, heat began to burn in his stomach.

As long as he followed Rocks and helped the Rocks Pirates grow stronger, he would be able to obtain more treasure.

The two of them strolled toward the town.

At that moment, the pirates of the Rocks Pirates in the town had charged into the village like a pack of wolves among sheep.

The villagers were utterly powerless against these vicious pirates, who had survived countless bloody battles.

Splurt!

Shiki the Golden Lion cleanly sliced through a villager's throat with one sword. Blood sprayed through the air, and the corpse collapsed to the ground with a thud.

He casually flicked the blood from Withered Tree, the Twenty-One Great Swords, and wore a cruel, frightening smile. "Everyone, listen up. Hand over all your money obediently. Don't even think about resisting!"

"Otherwise, this will be your fate!"

"We're after treasure, so... if you don't want to die, hand over everything you've got!"

He exhaled a mouthful of white smoke that coiled around his face, completely unconcerned by the villagers crying and trembling in fear.

Some pirates violently broke into the villagers' homes and loaded up everything of value.

They kicked and punched the homeowners, and sometimes even killed them with a single slash.

The sound of gunshots rang out from the town from time to time.

Cries and pleas for mercy echoed throughout the village, accompanied by the constant sounds of smashing and destruction.

It was a living hell!

Shiki the Golden Lion leisurely smoked his cigar while the members of his Division piled treasure, valuables, and even wine in front of him.

Before long, they had built a mound of treasure half a man's height.

It wasn't just Shiki the Golden Lion. Whitebeard, Charlotte Linlin, Ochoku, Silver Axe, and the others had also reaped plentiful harvests.

That meant they would receive even more treasure when it was divided among them.

Gradually, more and more pirates gathered in the street, forming distinct groups.

Every pirate wore a wild, delighted grin.

"I didn't expect this place to yield so much. When we get back to Hachinosu Island, I'm going to book three bunny girls at once!"

"Only three?! Hey, hey... looks like you're not up to it!"

"What's so great about women? Cigars and fine wine are the best. The women in the bars just climb out of one man's bed and into another's!"

"If the captain hadn't forbidden us from taking the women in this village, I'd really want to bring them back to Hachinosu Island!"

"Hmph! You've got lust on the brain, don't you? Aren't you afraid one of them will stab you in the middle of the night? Women carrying this much hatred are capable of anything."

"If you're really that desperate, give me one hundred thousand Berries. I'll keep watch for you and guarantee that no one ruins your fun! How about it?"

"··········"

The pirates joked around in small groups. To them, all of this had become routine.

Indulgence was life.

After all, if they didn't seize enough wealth during this period to spend for the rest of their lives, they would only end up starving to death in the streets when they grew old.

Of course, people like that were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Most pirates spent as much money as they had!

Because no one could hold on to wealth. If they weren't strong enough, their riches would only attract the greed of the other pirates aboard the ship.

The pirates' wanton laughter mingled with the villagers' sobs.

At that moment, Rocks and Captain John also appeared in the town.

"Looks like we had a pretty good haul this time!" Rocks swept his gaze over everything the pirates had collected. "Then let's follow the usual rules!"

"Yeah!!"

"The captain is mighty!!"

"·······"

The pirates immediately howled with excitement.

Suddenly.

A pirate's pupils widened dramatically as he cried out, "Everyone... everyone, look!"

"Over there... is that a monster?!"

Following the pirate's shout, all laughter abruptly ceased.

Everyone turned toward the distant end of the street in unison. A burly man appeared in their view, his body covered in terrifying bronze-colored muscles, making him look like a "brown bear."

Even more shocking was the fact that the man was dragging a colossal creature over ten meters long with one hand.

It was a tiger covered in brownish-yellow stripes.

Its enormous body was completely comparable to an ordinary small two-masted sailing ship!

How heavy was it?!

And how great was this man's strength?

He was dragging such a massive tiger with one hand!

At the sight of this scene.

One pirate after another changed expression, their faces filling with shock and fear.

"This man... this man feels even fiercer and more savage than the tiger on the ground, like he's overflowing with wildness!"

"Who exactly is he? Why does he feel like a monster like the newcomer Kaido?!"

"Could this guy also be a villager from this island?!"

"What terrifying pressure. It feels like being watched as prey by a wild beast!"

"········"

Even the elite pirates of the Rocks Pirates couldn't help but break into cold sweat when they saw this scene.

Each of them tightened their grip on their blades.

"Gyahahaha... looks like this operation won't be boring after all. His face is still somewhat youthful, so he should still be young!" A glint flashed through Shiki the Golden Lion's eyes, and his voice was filled with intense interest.

Whitebeard Newgate also grinned. "This guy... looks like he's a pretty good prospect!"

"Just that savage, violent aura of his is enough to intimidate quite a few people!"

A hint of appreciation filled his eyes. Men like this were extremely rare across the sea, and the most recent one was the newcomer "Kaido" aboard their ship!

He was another monster!

"A man like this... I wonder if he's enough to satisfy me!" Charlotte Linlin's eyes held a trace of lust. She was even so excited that she stuck out her scarlet tongue and licked her lips.

"I just love young, strong bodies. Most importantly, this guy is quite handsome."

Captain John smiled. "This guy seems to have pretty decent combat power. Captain, should we consider letting him join the Rocks Pirates?!"

He watched the changes in Rocks's expression from the corner of his eye.

"Let's see how things go." Rocks spoke calmly, though a trace of interest showed in his eyes.

Meanwhile, a group of villagers huddled together for safety. When they saw Ares appear, a glimmer of hope ignited in their eyes.

An elderly man suddenly rushed out of the crowd. Tears welled in his eyes, and he cried out in anguish, "Ares, hurry and stop these vicious pirates!!"