On the way back, Marco and the others learned that the Baboon King was the leader of those baboons. It was even larger and far stronger than the others.
And more than that…
The Baboon King often trained with Kaido and had learned a great many combat techniques. It had even already begun training in Haki.
Its intelligence was far beyond that of ordinary baboons, and Tengetsu Ares had even given it a name.
Its nickname was Sun Wukong.
It was a name everyone found rather strange…
That night, after returning to Kuri Town, Whitebeard looked at Marco, Jozu, and Vista, all bruised and swollen with injuries all over their bodies.
He immediately flew into a rage and demanded, "Marco, did that brat named Alber bully you yesterday?"
"No." Marco shook his head. "We ended up like this because we trained with them."
Whitebeard did not quite believe him, so he looked at the honest-looking Jozu. "Is that true?"
"It is."
Whitebeard frowned, then went to fetch medicine and bandages. As he treated their wounds, he said kindly and gently, "You're still too young. This kind of training… isn't suitable for you."
"But Alber, Kuma, and even Ivankov are around our age too. Pops, you've always been taking care of us, but we want to grow stronger too. I… not only want to get stronger, I also want to learn medicine, so that if you get hurt, I can treat you too." Marco spoke with a serious face.
During the past one or two months of travel, it had always been their old man fighting enemies and protecting them.
Vista added, "Pops, I… I want to train in swordsmanship. I asked around, and aside from Ares, the best swordsman in Kuri is Ashura Doji…"
"And…"
"Wano is famous for producing samurai. There are many powerful swordsmen here."
Jozu said nothing, but the look on his face already told Whitebeard what he was thinking.
"Ah…" Whitebeard sighed, then suddenly smiled. "Gurarara… then go pursue your own dreams. We'll stay in Wano a little longer."
Vista immediately lit up with excitement and hugged Whitebeard's arm. "That's great! Pops, I heard Wano has a lot of incredible swordsmiths. Later on, I want a famous blade of my own!"
"I'm going to beat Sun Wukong during this time!" Marco declared confidently.
Sun Wukong?
Whitebeard paused. "What's Sun Wukong?"
Jozu explained, "Pops, Sun Wukong is the Baboon King!"
After that, under Whitebeard's questioning, they honestly told him everything that had happened that day.
"That Ares…" Whitebeard praised with admiration. "He's tamed baboons, built up Kuri, and come up with so many training methods… If this keeps going, sooner or later, Rocks will be replaced by Ares!"
The next day, after his boys left early in the morning, Whitebeard asked Ares's subordinates about him and learned that Ares was training.
Filled with curiosity, he headed toward Ares's training grounds.
"That brat's strength is improving so fast. Just how exactly is he training now?"
When he arrived, Whitebeard immediately saw the enormous crater.
The crater was full of pits and craters of all sizes, charred black everywhere.
It looked as though lightning had caused it.
In the center of his vision, Ares was wearing shackles on his wrists and ankles while continuously smashing his own body with a spiked club. The bulging steel-like muscles under each strike glowed red like heated iron.
Each blow rang out with a clang clang clang, like a blacksmith forging metal.
Whitebeard's pupils shrank in surprise. He muttered, "Ares has grown stronger. His training method is a little different from before, and those shackles seem to be…"
"Seastone?"
He leaped down into the crater and walked toward the center.
Ares naturally noticed him and grinned. "Whitebeard, what brings you here?"
"Nothing much. I came to take a look at you." Whitebeard's gaze fixed on the heavy shackles. Curious, he asked, "Those shackles… they're Seastone, right?"
Ares nodded. "Not completely. These shackles aren't pure Seastone."
"Tsk tsk…" Whitebeard clicked his tongue. "You really are as crazy as ever…"
"With training like this, who knows what level your physique will reach in the future?"
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sounds of impact were like war drums, stirring Ares's blood. He laughed and said, "What I'll become in the future is a matter for the future."
"What I need to do now is make the most of the present and wait for the day qualitative change arrives."
At present, Ares's skin and external muscles had astonishing defense, but his internal body still could not match it.
Once his internal organs, meridians, and everything inside him reached the same level as his outer muscles and skin, he would begin the next phase of training.
Ares asked, "How's it been? Settling in all right?"
"It's not bad. Wano's oden and sake have their own unique flavor." Whitebeard smiled. "I'm even more looking forward to the Night of the Fire Festival, when I can see Wano's samurai for myself."
Ares smiled. "Soon enough. There are only ten days or so left."
The matter of the wager between Ares and Sukiyaki had already spread throughout Wano and become one of the hottest topics in people's daily conversations.
It had become the number one matter in the whole country.
Many commoners were already planning to wait for the Night of the Fire Festival, which was also the most lively day in all of Wano.
Whitebeard smiled. "Gurarara… I'm sure you've already made all your arrangements. But I still have to remind you, the World Government's power isn't something a single Wano can stand against."
It was a well-meant warning, and Ares returned it with a smile.
"Don't worry. I'm not arrogant enough to think that controlling Wano means I can already stand against the World Government."
His plan was for ten years, twenty years, perhaps even longer.
Everything would depend on…
How far he could develop Wano, how many strong fighters he could gather, how many troops he could raise, and other such factors.
In the blink of an eye, ten days passed.
In Kuri, Ares smiled and said, "Whitebeard, that kimono makes you look a lot more handsome and imposing."
"Gurarara…" Whitebeard laughed happily. He was wearing a luxurious white-and-gold kimono, and on the back was embroidered the emblem that would later become the Whitebeard Pirates' mark.
"I really like this outfit!"
Kaido was wearing an extravagant black-and-purple kimono. He grinned and said, "Worororo…"
"This kimono's pretty comfortable!"
Just like Ares and Whitebeard, they were only draping the kimono loosely over themselves.
Their developed, powerful chests were exposed, as were their abs like stacked bricks and even their shark lines.
Even Marco, Alber, Jozu, Kuma, and the others had changed into Wano-style clothing.
Meanwhile, in the streets of Kuri Town, many people had voluntarily come out to see them off, packing both sides of the road.
Ares smiled. "Set out. We're heading for the Flower Capital!"
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