One piece: The Greatest Swordsman of the Rocks Era!

"Gurararara… I, Newgate, finally have a little brother!!"

Whitebeard burst into hearty laughter, slapping Ares's broad shoulder with uncontainable joy, his smile stretched from ear to ear.

In contrast…

Shiki's face instantly darkened. He glanced at Ares, his tone filled with protest. "Big brother?!!"

"Then what does that make me? Second brother?!"

"No way!!!"

"There's no chance I'll be the second brother if that Whitebeard is the big brother!"

Seeing the proud, satisfied grin on Whitebeard's face, Shiki felt a surge of irritation.

Why should he be the big brother?

"Shiki, big brother!"

Ares's voice suddenly rang in Shiki's ears, instantly blowing away all his displeasure.

His heart filled with joy and delight.

"Jihahaha… that's more like it!!" Shiki laughed loudly. "From now on, Ares, you're my little brother!"

"Whoever dares to mess with you better ask my sword if it agrees first!"

The room echoed with Whitebeard's and Shiki's hearty laughter, mixed with Ares's occasional chuckles.

After some friendly banter, Ares turned to Shiki and asked, "Shiki, big brother, how long was I unconscious?"

"Three days."

For once, Shiki wasn't puffing on a cigar. He added, "Oh right, you must be starving. I'll go get someone to bring you something to eat and maybe have a smoke while I'm at it."

He turned and pushed the door open.

As soon as he stepped outside, he pulled out a cigar, lit it, and took a deep, satisfying drag. His gaze landed on the massive figure waiting just beyond the door.

"I say, Kaido, why aren't you sticking with Linlin? What are you doing standing outside Ares's room all this time?"

Shiki's sharp eyes narrowed as he stared at Kaido.

"Did Ares… wake up?" Kaido didn't answer Shiki's question but instead asked directly, his gaze firmly locked onto Shiki, unfazed by his piercing stare.

Shiki frowned, letting out a cold snort. "Hmph, Ares is awake. If you try anything funny, Newgate will cut you down on the spot."

He was just a trainee. If he died, he died.

Even if he had Conqueror's Haki, he was still a trainee.

Shiki's body floated up as he passed Kaido. His cold expression and faintly raised lips carried a warning. "You'd better know your place. If you don't, I'll tear you to pieces."

With that, he flew off into the distance.

Kaido paused for a few seconds, then pushed open the door and walked inside.

Immediately, both Ares's and Whitebeard's eyes locked onto Kaido.

Whitebeard narrowed his eyes, his entire body exuding an incredibly dangerous aura.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop instantly, like stepping from a hot summer day into an air-conditioned room. The chill tightened the pores on their skin involuntarily.

Ares was also puzzled, curiously watching Kaido.

He had already defeated Kaido twice. Was he here for another challenge?

Kaido walked straight to Ares's bedside, his expression complex.

The man before him had crushed him twice and had taken the Devil Fruit that was supposed to be his a powerful and rare Mythical Zoan, the Azure Dragon.

He opened his mouth but couldn't say a word. Finally, he gritted his teeth and said firmly, "Ares, please… please…"

"Please let me follow you!!"

"Let me become… your subordinate!!"

Both Whitebeard and Ares were stunned.

They hadn't expected those words to come from Kaido.

"You… you want to follow me?!" Ares looked at Kaido in surprise. "Why?"

"Because you've taken my dream."

Kaido stared into Ares's eyes without hesitation and said directly, "Since I can't become the strongest creature in the world, then I, Kaido, will watch you Ares become the strongest creature."

"I'll witness you climb to the top of this world. And if you fail, then I, Kaido, will continue down that path."

"Until I become the strongest creature in the world!!"

He understood.

Without the Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, and against Ares's extraordinary talent, surpassing him was now a hopeless fantasy.

So… he chose to bear witness to the rise of this legend and fulfill the dream through him.

He would witness Ares step by step becoming the strongest creature in the world!!!

"I see…" Whitebeard grinned, then turned to look at Ares, curious to see his decision.

Ares's and Kaido's eyes locked in midair.

They stared at each other for several seconds.

Ares saw unwavering determination in Kaido's gaze. Suddenly, images of the Straw Hat Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates flashed through his mind.

One more comrade meant one more strength.

A smile crept onto Ares's face. "Fine! I accept. You will witness the day I stand at the very top of this world!!"

"I will also become the world's greatest living blade, Ares!!"

And in his heart, he silently added, "I will never let the people who care about me suffer another tragedy!!"

"Roar roar roar roar… from now on, I'll call you Boss Ares! I'm Kaido!" Kaido burst out laughing.

Whitebeard also smiled. "Ares, little brother, today we drink until we drop!!"

"Yes!"

Ares grinned. "Let's drink to our hearts' content! And eat until we can't move!!"

Soon after, Shiki arrived with mountains of food and barrels of wine floating in the air, and the four of them feasted and drank wildly.

In the end, they all passed out completely drunk, sprawled shamelessly on the floor.

The next morning.

As the first rays of dawn broke through the dark sky, bringing a sliver of light to this world, Ares slowly opened his eyes, remembering last night's madness, his lips curling into a smile.

He reached out to push Shiki's head, which was resting on his stomach, gently lifted Kaido's thick leg off himself, and carefully moved Whitebeard's massive leg off his body.

He couldn't even remember how much they had drunk.

All he knew was they eventually collapsed on the floor, blackout drunk.

Empty wine bottles were piled up everywhere in the room.

Ares stepped outside and, as always, headed to the training ground, pulling a brand new iron rod from the rack.

His intense body-tempering routine had caused countless iron rods to bend and deform over time. Thankfully, the island's craftsmen had made plenty of replacements.

Ares gripped the iron rod tightly, his eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation. "With the Devil Fruit enhancing my recovery… how much further can I push my training?"

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