"Gyahahaha..."
Golden Lion Shiki turned to Shakky, speaking nonchalantly, "Eating more is a good thing!"
"Ares is growing the fastest right now. You can't let him fall behind on nutrition!"
He patted Ares on the shoulder, like an elder looking after his junior, and laughed heartily, "Ares, eat to your heart's content! Eat as much as you want!"
"Eat more, it'll help you grow stronger and healthier!"
Deep in Shiki's eyes was a hint of astonishment. Ares's digestion speed was extraordinary. Even after all that food, his stomach didn't bulge in the slightest.
Thinking of that terrifying physique of his, Shiki could only feel impressed.
Hearing Shiki's words, Shakky's eyelids twitched. She clenched her teeth so hard that deep marks formed on the cigarette's filter. In disbelief, she asked, "You're saying this giant is still growing?!"
"Shiki, how old is this guy anyway?"
As the head chef of the Rocks Pirates, her whole world suddenly seemed to go dark.
Black lines crept across her pale, flawless forehead. This brute, who was already four meters tall and several times larger than a bear, was still growing?!
A guy whose meal could feed dozens of people if he kept growing, just how much would he eat in the future?
"Fourteen or fifteen," Shiki replied. He briefly thought about helping Ares solve this issue, but then he remembered losing a hundred million Berries to Whitebeard, plus the hefty sum Miss Bakkin had squeezed out of him. He was a bit strapped for cash himself now, so he quickly dismissed the idea.
Shiki chuckled, "Besides, he's an official member personally recognized by Captain Rocks. His food doesn't cost him anything!"
"Relax. With his strength, he'll be making contributions to the Rocks Pirates in no time."
Shakky shot a furious glare at Ares, who was still devouring food like a wild beast. She stomped her foot hard in frustration and grumbled, "What's with all these big eaters joining the Rocks Pirates? Kaido, Big Mom, and now Ares!"
"Is there no limit to how much they can eat?!"
Fuming, she turned and stormed back to the kitchen.
Inside, the chefs were frantically busy, working up a sweat in the stifling heat. Their hands didn't stop moving. It was like they were on a battlefield.
Shiki boomed, "Don't worry, Ares. Eat as much as you want. If there's not enough, just have the chefs make more!"
If it weren't free, anyone might've thought he was the one footing the bill.
The meal lasted nearly an hour. The stack of empty plates on the table reached a height taller than three or four people combined.
"Ares, your talent really makes people jealous!" Shiki stood up from his bench, watching in amazement at Ares's incredible appetite and digestion. He was practically a food-processing factory.
Excited, he continued, "You're the type who was born to be a pirate!"
Someone like him would have extraordinary vitality and an insane recovery rate.
"Burp~"
Ares let out a loud, satisfied burp and happily said, "The food here is amazing! It's so much better than anything I've ever cooked myself!"
"I've never tasted food this delicious before. From now on, I want to eat like this every single day!"
For years, he had only ever roasted whatever animals he hunted over a fire and ate them plain.
Now that he had tasted meals crafted with skill, spices, and professional culinary techniques, he was completely hooked.
He was genuinely excited and happy.
"Let's go. Time to head back," Shiki said.
Ares stood up. His towering frame loomed over Shiki as he looked down and said, "I need to keep training!"
"Even though I'm practicing swordsmanship now, that won't make my body surpass the Supreme Grade Meito. Physical training must never stop!"
His steadfast, unshakable tone left Shiki with no room to argue. Shiki couldn't help but admire him, "What a disciplined guy. If even you can't achieve your dream..."
"Then there probably aren't many people in this world who can."
Shiki patted Ares on the shoulder, his voice a little wistful, "Ares, one day you'll see me, Golden Lion, achieve my dream."
"I hope you'll stand by my side when that day comes, and together we'll share that supreme glory!"
His eyes burned with intensity as he looked at Ares, full of expectation. Even though they were currently serving in the Rocks Pirates, Shiki believed that one day
He would surpass Rocks and become the true ruler of the seas.
And Ares would be the comrade who helped him reach that throne.
Unfortunately, Shiki's words meant little to Ares, who was just fourteen or fifteen and had only just begun exploring the outside world. With a puzzled look, Ares asked, "What's your dream, then?"
Shiki's bold expression faltered. He glanced at the other pirates nearby and casually deflected, "To make my name famous across the seas, of course."
"I'll make my name famous too!" Ares replied confidently. "I know that only a blade that has endured countless trials and tempering can be recognized as a true masterpiece."
"I will achieve that. When the time comes, I will be the blade, and the blade will be me."
"This world will witness a sword that surpasses all Supreme Grade Meito, and its name will be Ares!"
Shiki burst out laughing, "Gyahahaha... Go on! Go chase your dream!"
"This vast ocean is a place where dreams collide and intertwine. To me, Golden Lion, most people are just chasing fame, fortune, and status. But you're different..."
"Your dream will shatter the world's rules and perceptions. I hope you succeed!"
He roared with laughter and turned away. Shiki firmly believed that the world would become far more interesting because of Ares.
From the kitchen, Shakky glanced over curiously, watching Ares with some surprise. This kid had earned Shiki's genuine respect.
He had his own dedication, his own dream.
She muttered to herself, "Maybe this big eater isn't so annoying after all."
Ares strode out of the mess hall, heading straight for the training room.
His blood pumped faster, his body heating up it was the perfect time to train.
He knew full well.
Choosing to forge his body into a blade that surpasses the Supreme Grade Meito was something most people would call impossible.
But he didn't care.
Giving up without trying is the mark of a coward. It's nothing but self-deception.
Some dreams aren't waiting right in front of you, ready to be seized. Some dreams require relentless pursuit, no matter how far away they seem.
Inside the empty training room.
As always, the thunderous sounds of heavy strikes echoed as Ares pounded himself like a blacksmith hammering steel.
It was destined to be a long and grueling journey of endless perseverance.
His skin and muscles flushed red under the relentless blows, and even the iron rod in his hands began to heat up.
His body was becoming harder, tougher.
Even his resistance to high temperatures was steadily increasing.
Quantity would eventually lead to a qualitative breakthrough he believed that day would come.
----------------------------------------------------
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