Ares spoke as if stating a fact, his voice calm and emotionless.
"That punch... wasn't strong enough."
Kaido's eyes flared with rage, the flames of fury reflected in his enormous pupils.
"My punch... lacked power?!"
No one had ever dared say that to him.
His strength was his pride and this brat had just stomped all over it.
Unforgivable.
"You little bastard! I'll show you what real power looks like!" Kaido bellowed.
He reached down and gripped his massive kanabo, veins bulging like cords beneath his skin.
They snaked across his arms, pulsing with fury and raw power.
A savage aura erupted from him as he roared, swinging the giant weapon down toward Ares.
It screamed through the air, howling like a banshee.
Kaido's eyes locked onto his target, wild and unblinking. This strike would leave nothing behind but blood and pulp.
"Let's see you block this, punk!!"
Just as the kanabo came crashing down, Ares moved.
A blur of motion. A crouch. A jump.
He sprang up like a monkey, bounding high into the air
And landed neatly atop the very weapon aimed to crush him.
"What?!" Kaido's eyes widened in disbelief.
Ares stood on the kanabo, poised and balanced.
Then, his fist came flying.
A massive, brutal punch slammed straight into Kaido's face.
CRACK.
The blow drilled deep into Kaido's thick, rubbery skin, driving into his skull like a sledgehammer.
His nose shattered.
Blood burst out in a red spray.
Teeth flew from his mouth.
Kaido's enormous body reeled backward, his grip loosening.
The kanabo clattered to the ground.
Then
BOOM!!
Kaido crashed onto the earth like a falling mountain.
Dust exploded into the air.
Ares landed beside him with all the grace of a predator, calm and focused.
"Kaido," he said, his voice flat. "I'll remember your name."
"That punch of yours... it helped. Let me push my power further."
He'd mimicked Kaido's technique the way he'd thrown that punch and it worked.
It was better than anything he'd learned from fighting beasts.
Stronger. Sharper.
Quieter than a graveyard, the crowd stared.
They couldn't believe it.
Kaido downed in one punch?!
A pirate near the front swallowed hard. "That kid... he's insanely strong!"
The dam broke. Shocked voices erupted.
"Kaido lost?! One punch?!"
"What the hell is this monster?!"
"My money!! Damn it, Kaido!!"
"I actually bet on you! I believed in you!!"
The area was a frenzy of disbelief and outrage.
Kaido wasn't just any rookie he was the strongest among them.
Even seasoned officers would think twice before challenging him.
And now?
He'd been dropped like a sack of potatoes.
No one saw that coming.
Not even Rocks.
Eyes narrowing, Rocks let out a low chuckle, baring his gleaming white teeth.
"Jihahaha... this brat is something else."
"Sharp reflexes, monstrous strength, unshakable will..."
"He'll make one hell of a pirate."
Rocks threw his head back and laughed.
He'd come to this island expecting treasure but found something better:
A monster worth raising.
Ares had potential. Real, terrifying potential.
Captain John tipped back his bottle, guzzled deeply, and wiped his mouth.
"That kid... what a natural," he said with a grin.
"No training. No guidance. And he's already this strong?"
"Give him two or three years on this ship, and only the captain'll be able to keep him in check."
John was more than pleased.
The Rocks Pirates were filled with ambitious, ruthless men.
Another monster was always welcome.
More strength meant more power to challenge the world.
To stand against the great beast looming over all
The World Government.
Not far off, Whitebeard beamed with satisfaction, flashing a smug smile at Shiki.
"Gurararara... told you the brat would win!"
"I'll take that hundred million now. Ares just made me rich."
He was positively giddy.
Winning that bet was more satisfying than raiding a treasure ship.
And watching Shiki's stunned face? Pure bliss.
Whitebeard laughed so hard, it echoed through the crowd.
Shiki scowled and gritted his teeth around his cigar.
"Tch."
"You only picked him first. I didn't have a choice, dammit!"
"This time, you won. Next time... I'll win."
But his gaze never left Ares.
That fire in his eyes burned bright.
"I want him," he muttered.
"That brat... he'll shake this whole sea one day."
He thought back to when Kaido had joined the crew.
Too bad the guy got tangled up with Linlin.
With Ares now on board, Shiki couldn't help but wonder:
Could the kid survive Linlin's... appetite?