The massive pirate ship sliced through the waves, churning up white foam as it departed from the port.
At the same time, other ships led by different captains also set sail.
On deck.
Wang Zhi, visibly exasperated, reached into his helmet and scratched his ear. "Ares, can't you take a break for once?"
"Don't you want to experience life on the sea, the life of a pirate?"
Leaning against the iron-plated railing, he watched Ares relentlessly hammering his own body.
"I won't stop until I've achieved my dream!" Ares replied flatly.
Ever since training with Whitebeard Newgate in close-combat techniques, Ares had gained a deeper understanding of his body.
He was now deliberately tensing his muscles when the iron rod struck, trying to use his muscle control to counter the force and reduce the pain and damage.
Relentless strikes.
The loud bang, bang, bang echoed across the deck, drawing horrified stares from the nearby pirates. Though Ares's story had already spread across Hachinosu, seeing his brutal and violent training methods in person was still a terrifying shock.
Some pirates even broke out in cold sweat, visibly uncomfortable.
Wang Zhi looked up at the endless blue sky and spoke, perhaps to Ares or perhaps to himself, "How many people are really born to be pirates?"
"How many were destined to set foot on this path from the very beginning?"
He lowered his gaze, looking at Ares, and smiled. "Ares, most pirates aboard this ship have no family. When they chose this life, each of them had their own dreams and goals."
"But this sea is full of temptations. And it's dangerous."
"Over time, countless people forgot their original dreams..."
Wang Zhi chuckled self-deprecatingly, but then his smile grew wider, his presence becoming a little more unruly and commanding. "As pirates without family ties, we should chase our dreams without hesitation!"
"Do something big, something legendary, and make our names known across the seas!"
"I just hope you don't lose yourself along the way."
His words made several nearby pirates lower their heads in shame. Many of them had once chased dreams, but now they lived each day looting, indulging, and numbing themselves.
Of course, Wang Zhi hadn't said this casually. Since Captain Rocks had personally placed Ares under his command, Wang Zhi took it upon himself to teach Ares what it meant to be a pirate.
Usually, Ares was completely focused on training, but this mission was a perfect opportunity to mentor him.
Ares turned his head to look at Wang Zhi, his eyes firm. "I will always stay the course."
He kept swinging the iron rod, the impact making his rock-hard muscles tremble under the force.
As his control over his body improved, he deliberately used his muscles to absorb more of the impact, allowing himself to strike even harder than he had just a few days earlier.
"Let's hope so." Wang Zhi chuckled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
People, like ships on the open sea, often drift off course without realizing it. No matter how skilled a navigator might be, they still needed to constantly use compasses and Log Poses to adjust their heading.
Only by steering constantly could a ship stay on the right path.
After a day or so, the pirate ship reached its first island.
The mission officially began: collecting "protection fees."
This was gradually replacing the old pirate way of surviving solely through looting.
Rocks had built an enormous pirate organization, which required massive wealth to maintain power, recruit soldiers, buy weapons, ships, cannons, guns, and cover other pirate expenses.
All of it demanded vast resources and Berries.
After collecting the protection fee from one island, they immediately sailed to the next.
As the ship accumulated more supplies, its speed gradually slowed.
By now, twelve days had passed since they left Hachinosu.
Wang Zhi leaned listlessly against the rail, his head in his hand, grumbling to himself, "Maybe bringing Ares along was a mistake..."
"Next time, unless it's a combat mission, I'm not bringing him again."
The images flashing through his mind were all of Ares devouring food like a bottomless pit. Nearly half the ship's provisions had been consumed by Ares alone.
Thankfully, most of the protection fees they collected came in the form of supplies. Otherwise, they would have run out of food days ago.
Propping his elbows on the railing, Wang Zhi turned to glance at Ares on the deck, who was still training diligently.
Even in storms.
Ares had trained on the deck during brutal storms, swinging his iron rod without pause.
At the time, Wang Zhi had genuinely feared that the iron rod would attract lightning and strike Ares right in front of his eyes.
Thankfully, that never happened.
If Ares had been struck or killed by lightning, that would have been a disaster.
Wang Zhi called out to the navigator, "Hey, how much longer until we reach the next island?"
He was already sick of staring at the unchanging sea.
"Not long now, probably one or two more hours," the navigator answered, studying the sea charts and estimating their position.
An hour or two later.
They could clearly see the island ahead, and the pirates on board grew excited.
Suddenly.
A lookout stationed atop the mast shouted in panic, "This is bad! A pirate ship is charging straight toward us!"
Through his spyglass, he focused on the enemy's flag, and his face instantly drained of color. Cold sweat poured down his cheeks as he screamed at the top of his lungs, "It's... it's the World Pirates!!!"
At that name.
Wang Zhi's expression changed instantly. He drew the massive sword at his waist, raised it high, and roared, "All hands, prepare for battle!!"
"Helmsman, change course immediately!!"
"Gunners, load the cannons!!"
"..."
The lazy, carefree pirates on deck snapped to attention. Their faces tensed, their expressions hardened, and they rushed into battle positions.
Ares stopped training and walked over to Wang Zhi, asking, "Wang Zhi, is the World Pirates really that strong?"
"Of course they're strong!"
Wang Zhi's eyes were locked on the rapidly approaching dot on the horizon, his voice heavy. "The captain of the World Pirates is none other than the 'World Destroyer' Byrnndi World. His bounty is 200 million Berries!!"
"They're one of the most notorious and powerful pirate crews out there!"
His grip tightened around his massive sword, his brow furrowed. "Do you know how Byrnndi World got the title 'World Destroyer'?"
"Because he's wiped out towns, Navy warships, even other powerful pirates."
"That's how he earned the name 'World Destroyer.'"
"Looks like..."
"We're in big trouble this time!"
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