Hearing what Linlin had said, Kaido's mouth twitched. Deep down, he secretly swore to obtain the Devil Fruit in Linlin's hands as soon as possible.
He needed to get away from this "monster" as soon as possible!
Linlin's monstrous body was practically a disaster for him.
In the end, Linlin still emerged victorious from the battle.
Feeling the strength in Kaido's body gradually weaken and seeing that he was beginning to falter, Linlin looked displeased and said, "Kaido, learn Armament Haki quickly and grow stronger!"
"Your body is far inferior to that brat Ares's!"
"You may be big, but you're all show and no substance!"
As she spoke, she stood up directly from Kaido's body. Her enormous eyes held an unmistakable warning. "If you can't do it, I won't give you that Devil Fruit!"
"I'll be waiting for the day you become strong!"
Kaido pushed the rubble aside and rose from the ground with a gloomy expression. Linlin's words had struck directly at his pride.
As a "man."
Being told at a time like this that he was inferior to someone else instantly stirred up a fierce rage in his heart.
"Just wait. I'll definitely surpass that guy!" Kaido gritted his teeth as he spoke, unwilling even to mention Ares's name.
He stepped forward and forcefully crushed the rubble beneath his foot, then put on his clothes and immediately left the room.
Inside Skull Castle.
Captain John entered Rocks's room carrying a bottle of alcohol. Seeing Rocks sitting boldly on the sofa, he walked over and said, "That commotion earlier was caused by that brat Ares."
He dropped onto the sofa and raised the bottle to his mouth, gulping down the liquor.
"Ah~"
After swallowing a large mouthful, Captain John revealed a pleased expression and continued, "That fellow Shiki taught Ares how to drink, but accidentally got Ares drunk."
"That caused the brat Ares to attack without knowing his own strength."
The corners of his mouth lifted as he smiled. "Hehe... Ares even pounded a lump onto Shiki's face."
A hint of surprise also appeared on Rocks's face as he reached up and stroked the hair atop his head, which swayed in the wind like bundles of seaweed.
The corners of his mouth curved faintly. "Interesting."
"That brat's mentally unstable. Aren't you planning to have someone take a look at him?"
Captain John placed the bottle on the table with a bang. Staring straight at Rocks opposite him, he widened his grin. "Why have Ares treated? Isn't he fine just the way he is?"
"A man with persistence and dreams cannot be stopped by this sea!"
"That guy wants to forge himself into a Famous Sword. Captain, don't you want to see whether this brat can actually succeed?"
Although he was the navigator and part-time doctor of the Rocks Pirates, he had no intention of treating Ares.
Instead, he was considering how to let Ares go even farther down this "impossible path."
"Ze hahahaha..."
Hearing John's words, Rocks could not help laughing loudly. "Well said. I also want to see how far someone with the courage to challenge me, Rocks, can grow in the future."
He leaned back, resting both arms against the back of the sofa. His face was filled with arrogance and confidence. "As long as they're aboard my ship, I, Rocks, am confident that I'm the strongest!"
"Whether it's Newgate, Shiki, or Linlin, my ship is more than capable of accommodating their dreams!"
"The ultimate destination of the Rocks Pirates will be this—world!!"
This ship held many pirates with ambitions and dreams. Rocks understood that perfectly, but he had absolute confidence that he could control these people.
He would make them become his capable generals on the road to pursuing their dreams and ambitions!
Captain John reached into his clothes and pulled out a bottle of alcohol, then tossed it straight at Rocks. "That brat Ares really is a monster. I have no idea what method he used to raise his body temperature and drastically increase his combat power!"
He then recounted everything that had happened to Rocks in detail.
Only a quarter of the bottle remained. Rocks set it down, his domineering eyes shifting slightly in their sockets. "It may be some kind of special instinct."
"That guy still needs some time before he can truly grow."
As he spoke, his expression became solemn and serious. "Let's discuss the important matter. There are quite a few enemies on this sea now."
"There are the Byrnndi World Pirates, the Roger Pirates, and so on. There are even a few exceptionally powerful pirates, such as Redfield, the Lone Red."
"But our true enemies are the Marines and the World Government!"
There were countless pirates, each with their own ambitions and dreams.
Compared to the pirates, Rocks cared more about the World Government, which had stood in this world for over seven hundred years, and its affiliated Marine organization.
That was the greatest obstacle to his conquest of the world.
John's expression also turned solemn. After pondering for a moment, he said, "Over these next two years, the Rocks Pirates must rapidly develop and grow stronger. At the same time, we need to search for powerful Devil Fruits."
"In two years, the World Government will hold the Reverie. That will be the best opportunity. Otherwise, if we miss it, we'll have to wait another four years!"
The current year was 1480 of the Sea Circle Calendar, leaving only two years until the next conference.
Rocks nodded and drained the remaining alcohol from the bottle. A sharp glint flashed through his eyes as he spoke with added emphasis. "Then we'll finish it within these two years!"
"We must also find powerful Devil Fruits!"
He set down the bottle and looked toward John. "John, you're the person I trust most. You've also read the Devil Fruit encyclopedia."
"So, for the sake of our respective dreams, we must find powerful Devil Fruits!!"
"I'll leave this matter to you. Keep a low profile and don't let the Marines discover you."
John stood up from the sofa and smiled. "Leave it to me. I'll definitely find a Devil Fruit that satisfies the captain!"
Their gazes met in midair. As they looked at each other, they could both see the ambition filling the other's eyes!
The scene shifted.
Inside the training room on Hachinosu Island.
Pirates were a group of men overflowing with energy. Some chose to vent their excess energy with fine wine and women.
Others chose training as their outlet.
Some of those who chose training did not dislike wine and women. It was simply because they had—no money!!
That was reality.
Their strength would also determine their status in the Rocks Pirates and the amount of treasure they received.
The sounds of "ha, ha, heh" rang out continuously through the training room, but they were drowned out by a series of tremendous bangs.
Those were the sounds produced by Ares during his training!
A wind-and-thunder-like howl came from the iron rod before it slammed heavily into Ares's sturdy muscles.
Bang!!!
His bronze-colored muscles trembled violently.
Looking at Ares, whose training created such an imposing spectacle, Golden Lion raised the corners of his mouth with interest. "Jahaha..."
"Newgate, I have an idea. What do you think would happen if I taught Ares swordsmanship..."
"With this brat's persistence and diligence, how far could he cultivate his swordsmanship?"
Before you continue