"How quickly time flies. A whole year has passed… it's about time we return," Ares murmured, anticipation stirring in his chest for what awaited tomorrow.
"Brother Ares!"
"Brother Ares!"
Two small voices piped up as a pair of tiny figures dashed over to his side. They were none other than the young Mink twins, Inuarashi and Nekomamushi.
Inuarashi looked at him with reluctance in his eyes, his babyish voice trembling, "Are you… leaving tomorrow?"
"Yes," Ares answered gently, "Kaido and I are pirates. We can't stay here forever. Out there are countless adventures and battles waiting for us."
Though they were only a year old, the twins already had the bodies of three- or four-year-old human children.
Nekomamushi's wide black-and-white eyes brimmed with pleading. He clutched Ares's arm and begged, "Brother Ares, I don't want you to go. I want you to stay and teach me how to fight. Please, can't you?"
Over the year, both Ares and Kaido had often shared food with them, and the twins, fascinated by their training, had grown deeply attached.
Ares sat up and shook his head with a smile. "I'm sorry. I can't stay. I still have dreams I must chase. But believe me, one day we'll meet again on the sea."
He ruffled their hair with a reassuring grin. "This world is filled with powerful warriors. Even I still have opponents I can't defeat. So you must train hard and grow strong."
"Stronger than Brother Ares?!" Inuarashi's eyes lit up like stars. "Then I'll go to sea when I'm grown and challenge all those warriors myself!"
He raised his chubby paw like a clenched fist and declared proudly, "I'll defeat them all!"
Nekomamushi smacked him on the head, almost knocking him over. "Idiot! I'll be the one to defeat them!"
"You hit me!"
"So what?!"
"Jerk!"
The two immediately tumbled into a scuffle, soon returning with panda eyes and swollen lumps, which made Kaido laugh so hard he nearly rolled on the ground.
"Brother Ares, Brother Kaido," Nekomamushi suddenly asked with innocent curiosity, "what is a pirate?"
"A pirate…" Ares's smile faded into thought. He recalled the battles, the betrayals, and the weight of being part of the Rocks Pirates. "Every pirate is different. But if you ask me… most of them are what people call villains."
"Pirates are wolves," Kaido muttered simply.
The answer left the twins tilting their heads in confusion, still too young to grasp the meaning.
Inuarashi pouted. "Bad guys, wolves whatever. I just want to become a strong pirate like Brother Ares and Brother Kaido!"
"Yeah!" Nekomamushi puffed up his cheeks in agreement.
Ares chuckled, ruffling their heads again. "Then you'll have to work hard. Becoming a pirate like us isn't easy."
Kaido smirked proudly. "Just wait until you're older. By then, everyone will know the name Kaido. All you'll have to do is ask around the seas, and you'll hear about my strength."
He believed that by the time the twins grew up, his name would already thunder across the world as one of the strongest pirates alive.
The next day, the twins bawled uncontrollably as Ares and Kaido prepared to depart.
Doctor Mitsuyō, holding one child under each arm, sighed at the dampness soaking into his clothes. Watching the two leave, he called out with sincere blessing:
"Ares, I hope you fulfill your dream. May I live to see the day when a human body surpasses even the Supreme Grade Blades themselves. I believe you can."
Over their time together, Ares's sheer will and madness had convinced even the old doctor. That body… it was truly one of a kind.
Above the open sea.
Riding on blazing orange flame clouds, Ares and Kaido soared across the sky.
Ares glanced at Kaido. "Do you know where we are? Which direction should we fly to get back to Hachinosu?"
They stared at each other blankly.
Kaido scratched his head sheepishly. "Not a clue. Zunesha keeps moving, and it's been a year… I don't even know where we ended up."
They weren't hopeless with directions, but maps of this world were scarce, and they had little knowledge of its vast seas.
"Then we'll just keep flying," Ares sighed. "As soon as we find an inhabited island, we can ask."
Their flame clouds carried them as fast as any aircraft, streaking across the sky.
After some time, Kaido suddenly pointed ahead with excitement. "Ares! Look! A ship!"
Ares halted their clouds midair, hovering as he followed Kaido's finger. A black speck drifted along the sea. His eyes lit up. "A ship means people."
They shot forward at lightning speed. Within seconds, the vessel's outline came into view.
But when Kaido saw the emblem on its sail, his face darkened. "That's… the World Government's insignia."
The white sails bore the mark of authority that only the Government's direct ships carried. Affiliated kingdoms used their own flags but only the Government's men sailed under that symbol.
"It's a Government vessel," Ares muttered. "But we've no choice. Pirates we may be, but we need directions. Let's see what we can get out of them."
Kaido's face grew stern, nodding. "Brother Ares, we must act fast. Don't let them call the Government or the Navy for reinforcements. If they use a Den Den Mushi, we're finished. We'll have to seize control immediately."
Ares agreed with a firm nod. "Leave it to me."
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