Ares's matter-of-fact tone immediately made Kaido feel that he had suffered immense humiliation.
"My fist... has no strength?!" A blazing flame ignited in Kaido's eyes, fury filling his enormous lantern-like pupils.
No one had ever said that his fists lacked strength.
Strength was also one of the things he was most proud of, yet at this very moment, the little brat before him had actually "trampled" all over it.
He couldn't stand it!
He immediately roared furiously, "Today, I'll show you exactly what strength is!!!"
His right hand seized the spiked club lying on the ground. Thick veins, each as coarse as a hemp rope, bulged from beneath his skin.
They crisscrossed over Kaido's arms!
The sight made one's scalp go numb.
A savage, beast-like aura erupted from Kaido's body.
He swung the enormous, heavy spiked club in his hand.
It came crashing down toward Ares!
The club howled through the air like a vengeful ghost.
Kaido glared furiously, his eyes wide as he stared fixedly at Ares, determined to see the little brat smashed into a pulp by his club!!
"Let's see if you can block this!!!"
Facing the extraordinarily ferocious strike, Ares moved.
His movements were incredibly fast!
He crouched and sprang up, leaping into the air with a quick burst like a monkey.
His feet nimbly stepped onto the spiked club.
"What?!!" Kaido stared at Ares in shock.
The other party had actually stepped on his spiked club and leaped right in front of his face.
A massive fist rapidly grew larger in his eyes.
Bang!!
Ares's fist struck Kaido squarely in his huge basin-like face.
Crack, crack...
The fist did not slow down, sinking deeply into Kaido's highly elastic, extraordinarily thick-skinned face.
Kaido immediately felt a terrifying force travel from the other party's fist into his face. His nasal bone broke instantly.
Blood sprayed from his nose.
Several shattered teeth flew through the air along with it.
Kaido's entire body instantly reeled backward. His palm loosened, and the enormous spiked club fell from his grasp.
His massive body crashed to the ground.
Boom!!!
The tremendous sound shook everyone's eardrums, and even the earth seemed to tremble violently.
A thick cloud of dust rose from beneath Kaido's fallen body.
Ares's body also descended lightly beside Kaido's fallen form like a falcon. He said, "Kaido..."
"I'll remember your name. That punch of yours was very useful."
"It made my strength a little greater than usual."
In that punch just now, he had used the technique from Kaido's earlier blow against him. It was indeed much more powerful than the techniques he had learned from various beasts.
That was why the force behind this punch was greater than usual.
At this moment...
Other than Ares's voice, the entire scene was deathly silent.
Everyone stared in shock at Kaido lying on the ground. The battle had ended so quickly that they were caught completely off guard!
The pirates looked at Ares with blank, bewildered expressions.
Gulp.
One pirate swallowed hard in shock and shouted, "This brat... this brat is unbelievably strong!!!"
The other pirates were jolted awake by his shout and cried out one after another.
"The monster rookie Kaido was... was defeated by this brat with one punch?!!"
"Too strong! What kind of monster is this brat!!!"
"It's over!! My money!!! How could that Kaido be so useless?!"
"I actually chose to believe he could defeat this brat. I can't believe he was beaten just like that!!"
"..."
The pirates cried out in succession. Kaido was the strongest rookie in the Rocks Pirates.
Even quite a few official crew members aboard the ship were not confident they could defeat him, yet now someone had floored him with a single strike.
This outcome was something no one had anticipated.
It was completely beyond everyone's expectations.
Even Rocks was astonished. A hint of shock appeared in his deep, imposing eyes as he grinned, revealing two rows of silvery-white teeth. "Heh heh... this little brat is rather extraordinary."
"Excellent hunting reflexes, formidable physical strength, and an unshakable will."
"He'll definitely grow into an outstanding pirate in the future. Hahaha..."
In the end, he could not help bursting into loud laughter. What had originally been nothing more than a game to plunder treasure had instead led him to encounter a promising talent like "Ares." Once such a monster matured, he would become another capable officer!!
At that time, he would have another brave and battle-hardened subordinate under his command.
Rocks was overjoyed.
Seeing that even Rocks could not help laughing heartily, Captain John beside him also lifted his bottle and gulped down several mouthfuls. Wiping his mouth, he praised, "Good kid, what incredible talent."
"He's already this strong without anyone teaching him. If he stays aboard the ship for two or three years, I'm afraid only you, Captain, will be able to keep him in check!"
He was also happy to see such a monster emerge and strengthen the Rocks Pirates.
This ship was packed with pirates harboring all kinds of ambitions, dreams, and grudges. Even if another Ares joined them, he did not care in the slightest.
Instead, he was tremendously pleased. Only by gathering even more power could they go farther!
Only then could they stand against the enormous and powerful organization that had towered over this sea for hundreds of years—the World Government!
Not far away, Whitebeard wore a smug smile as he bragged to Golden Lion, "Gurarararara... I told you that brat would win!"
"I'll take that hundred million Berries of yours. You lost it to me fair and square!"
"Gurarararara... that brat made Whitebeard a hundred million Berries richer. I, Whitebeard, am going to have a great drink with him!!"
Whitebeard was incredibly exhilarated at that moment. The hundred million Berries he had won from Golden Lion made him even happier than if he had robbed a billion Berries!
He had seen Golden Lion's stunned, disbelieving expression when Kaido was defeated just now.
It made him laugh so hard he could barely close his mouth.
Whitebeard's booming laughter was unbearably grating in Golden Lion's ears. He gave an unhappy snort. "Hmph!"
Biting down hard on the cigar between his teeth, he said unwillingly, "You chose that brat, so I had no choice but to choose Kaido!"
"I lost to you this time, but I won't lose to you next time!"
Golden Lion fixed his blazing gaze on Ares in the middle of the battlefield, a powerful desire rising in his heart.
"I want that brat to join my Division!!"
"That guy will definitely grow into a pirate capable of making the entire sea tremble!!"
He could not help recalling the circumstances of Kaido joining the Rocks Pirates last time. Unfortunately, that fellow Kaido seemed to have gotten involved with Linlin.
At such a vigorous age, would that brat Ares be able to withstand Linlin's advances?
Before you continue