"An official crew member?!!"
Shiki's face froze with surprise at Rocks' decision.
But after a brief pause, his expression relaxed and turned into a grin. "Not bad. That kid really does have what it takes to be a full-fledged member of the Rocks Pirates."
"Everyone saw what he's capable of."
Among the official crew, few could actually beat him.
Whitebeard stepped up to Rocks, his voice serious and his tone unusually earnest. "Captain Rocks, would you let Ares join my unit?"
A talent like that, properly nurtured, could become a powerful right hand. Whitebeard genuinely hoped to take him under his wing.
Before Rocks could answer, an angry voice thundered across the deck.
"Bastard!!!"
"Ares should be in my unit!!"
Shiki erupted in fury, using the power of his Float-Float Fruit to zip beside Whitebeard in a flash.
He turned to Rocks with urgency. "Captain! I like that kid! Let him join my division!!"
If Whitebeard snagged him first, his squad would grow too powerful.
That couldn't happen.
Shiki had seen Ares first. There was no way he was giving him up!
Whitebeard's expression darkened. He glared at Shiki and growled, "You want to sleep with the sea tonight, blondie?"
Shiki bared his teeth, biting hard on his cigar and snapping back, "Say that again and I'll slice off that ridiculous mustache!"
The two glared at each other, foreheads nearly touching, eyes locked in open hostility.
"Ares is mine!!"
"I called dibs first!!"
"He's joining my division!!"
"He'll pick me over you!!"
The argument exploded into a heated back-and-forth.
Then suddenly, behind them, a towering woman with an hourglass figure stepped forward.
Charlotte Linlin.
Without hesitation, she shouted, "That Ares kid... I want him!!"
She said it like she was claiming ownership.
Whitebeard and Shiki turned to face her, their expressions equally stunned.
And in perfect sync, they yelled, "NO WAY!!"
"Ares is MINE!!"
The rare moment of agreement made them turn and glare at each other again, sparks flying between their eyes.
The rest of the Rocks Pirates stood around watching the chaos, grinning in amusement.
Some even looked envious.
It was obvious the commanders were all fighting over Ares, wanting to make him their protégé.
Who wouldn't want that opportunity?
Being under a commander's protection meant safety, loot, and luxury.
As the bickering continued...
A shout suddenly rang out from the first mate Captain John.
"Wait... he's not hurt?!!"
Everyone turned to look.
Far off in the distance, Ares stood calmly next to Captain John.
Aside from a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth, he looked completely fine.
"Whew..."
Long Bread gasped, shocked. "That kid... he took a punch from Captain Rocks and he's still standing?!"
He was sent flying for hundreds of meters and came back like nothing happened.
Unreal.
If he had taken a punch like that from Rocks, he'd be out cold or worse.
"Monster..." he muttered. "That kid's a damn monster."
Wang Zhi was stunned too. "He's still fine? Even Rocks didn't hold back entirely."
Silver Axe chimed in, baffled. "We underestimated this kid."
"What the hell is that body made of?"
"There's no way there's another freak like Linlin out there... right?"
Linlin had skin like iron balloons. Without top-tier Armament Haki, no one could scratch her.
And she could heal by stuffing her face with cake.
A walking tank.
But now this kid... was he just as absurd?
Long Bread's mind raced, trembling at the idea.
Then he had a thought. A ridiculous, insane thought.
What if Ares and Linlin teamed up? Had children?
One? Two? A dozen?
In his mind, he saw Ares and Linlin side-by-side, raising a horde of monstrous children who would one day rule the seas.
He started breathing heavily, face flushed with excitement.
What a glorious future that would be!!
Meanwhile...
Ares followed Captain John quietly.
But in his mind, he was replaying Rocks' punch over and over.
"There's no way his frame is stronger than mine," he thought.
"So how did he overpower me so easily?"
"That punch... that technique..."
His brain worked like a projector, rewinding the moment again and again.
He mimicked it as he walked, copying Rocks' exact motions.
With each attempt, the air around his fist howled.
Wind cut the air. Power built.
Captain John noticed.
He stared, wide-eyed. "Ares... you're copying Captain Rocks?!"
What kind of monster had that kind of learning ability?
Just what had this kid gone through in his life?!