Smoke curled from Shiki's lips as he chuckled wickedly. "Jihahahaha... what an arrogant brat."
"But I'm starting to like this kid more and more."
Whitebeard's eyes sparkled with a sharp gleam. Locking gazes with Shiki, he let out his trademark laugh.
"Gurararara... I like him too. That one's mine."
Their stares clashed in midair, igniting an invisible spark.
Behind them, the pirates looked utterly confused. Ares had just been sent flying by Kaido so why were these two legends even more intrigued by the kid?
Among the onlookers, Linlin's crewmate Long Bread stared at the fading dust, a serious look on his face.
"That kid... that kid..." he muttered. "Could he be another monster?"
As a swordsman of considerable renown himself, he had seen clearly what had just happened.
Ares had willingly rushed headlong into Kaido's punch as if craving the impact.
It made no sense. It was as if the boy wanted to be hit.
Linlin licked her lips, her eyes burning with a primal hunger.
"With a body that strong, I'll breed the most perfect offspring," she said breathlessly.
"A monster with another monster..."
"What comes from that union... will be another monster."
Her heart surged with anticipation. "Kaido, Ares..."
"If I mate with them, I'll create the most powerful bloodline in the world!"
The reactions of these high-ranking pirates only fueled the confusion among the rest of the crew.
All eyes turned toward the lingering cloud of dust.
And then, from within it... a hulking shadow emerged.
It was Ares.
He hadn't been defeated.
Every pirate in the area was thinking the same thing: "Did even Kaido's punch fail to bring him down?!"
They knew how terrifying Kaido's strength was. He might not be the strongest on the ship yet, but in terms of raw power, few could rival him.
That punch of his could easily pulverize solid stone.
As they watched, Ares calmly stepped out of the smoke, murmuring to himself.
"That was a good punch," he said. "It actually made my body vibrate."
"Better than crashing into a mountain."
"And the way he delivers power... it's different from mine."
Ares was curious. He wanted to learn how warriors outside his island fought.
That pirate had said it through battle, one could forge themselves into the sharpest of blades.
And Ares believed it.
So he had taken Kaido's punch head-on. No tricks. No hesitation.
Now, he was analyzing the impact. Dissecting it.
This was the first time he had encountered truly powerful pirates. It filled him with hope.
Hope that he could turn himself into a blade more powerful than even the Supreme Grade swords.
As he stepped through the dust, jaws dropped.
The pirates couldn't believe their eyes. Some even looked like their chins had literally hit the floor.
"What the hell?! He took Kaido's punch and walked away?!"
"That's not human! Even steel would've buckled!"
"He's... he's a monster!"
"No wonder he dared challenge the captain! He's no ordinary punk!"
"Ohoho... now this'll be interesting. Which little monster's gonna win?"
"Wanna place a bet? I got a million on Kaido!"
"I'll put half a mil on the brat!"
Cheers and shouts erupted around them. Whatever doubts they had about Ares vanished. Taking Kaido's punch without flinching? That wasn't something just anyone could do.
Kaido himself looked stunned.
"He's... he's fine?"
That punch could've wrecked a pirate ship.
Aside from the captains, no one on the crew should've been able to withstand it.
And yet...
That kid had taken it. Head-on.
Kaido's eyes narrowed.
"His body... it's insanely tough."
Gone was his smug bravado. Now, Kaido looked at Ares with genuine respect and wariness.
From the crowd, someone sucked in a sharp breath.
"What the hell is this kid? He might have the same freakish durability as Linlin!"
"But Kaido will still win, right?"
That speaker had fought beside Kaido for a while. He knew how devastating that punch was.
If he'd taken it himself, he'd be coughing up blood.
Almost no one could withstand that kind of force.
Meanwhile...
Whitebeard smirked and nudged Shiki.
"Hey, Yellowmane, feel like making this interesting?"
Shiki sneered. "Heh. You betting against me, Old Whitebeard? Who you got?"
Whitebeard looked back and forth between Ares and Kaido.
"I'll take the brat. One hundred million Berries. You in?"
His snowy mustache twitched in challenge.
Shiki barked a laugh. "You're on. I'll back Kaido."
"That guy's not just a monster he's a grinder. Been training nonstop. His battle instincts blow that brat's outta the water."
"Even some of our senior members can't handle Kaido."
"This time... the win's mine."
Whitebeard shrugged. "Maybe. But Ares... that kid's the toughest body I've seen besides Linlin. He might surprise us."
His eyes were fixed on Ares, who wore the same calm expression as before.
No fear. No anger. Just pure focus.
It didn't matter who stood before him. The boy didn't flinch.
The two titans watched closely.
Ares had stepped forward again, now face-to-face with Kaido.
His voice was cold as ever.
"That punch..."
"It wasn't strong enough."