Chapter 78: Back to Wano Country
“You’re strong?”
Kain cracked a smile.
“Of course,” Ace replied as if it were obvious.
“Then how about you spar with Sanji?”
Kain rested his chin on one hand, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
“Then I won’t hold back!”
Seeing Sanji was about his age and height, Ace didn’t stand on ceremony, immediately rolling up his sleeves and lunging forward.
In the Gray Terminal of Goa Kingdom, even those fierce pirates were no match for him.
Then.
Bang!
Ace was sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground.
“How is that possible?!”
Ace grimaced in pain, looking in disbelief at Sanji, who had just retracted his leg and wore a relaxed expression.
His attacks were easily Detected and dodged by the opponent.
But he couldn’t see Sanji’s moves at all.
Is even a regular apprentice pirate on this ship that strong?
“Now you know the difference, don’t you?”
Kain wasn’t surprised.
Even if Sanji hadn’t fully awakened his exoskeleton yet, the high-intensity training during this period wasn’t for nothing.
In contrast, Ace had been somewhat neglected over the years.
Garp’s survival-style education indeed laid a physical foundation for Ace and gave him countless wild combat experiences.
But lacking systematic Haki and martial arts guidance, Ace was like an unpolished gem, full of potential but unable to convert it into true combat power.
“I’ll work hard.”
Ace clapped his hands, flipped over, and stood up, showing no sign of dejection, but instead, an unprecedented excitement.
Compared to a single failure, seeing a broader prospect for improvement thrilled him more.
Thus, Ace also joined Sanji and Zoro’s team.
Time quietly slipped away amidst sweat and the sound of punches.
After crossing Reverse Mountain, Kain and his group re-entered the New World.
“The New World seems different?” Violet slightly furrowed her brows.
She felt a tense atmosphere pervading the air.
Kain stood at the bow, stating calmly, “That’s natural. The new Emperor is already struggling to contain his ambition.”
According to the plot, Shanks would officially become a Four Emperors next year, and the New World would bid farewell to the Three Emperors era, entering the Four Emperors’ rule.
It was October 1517 of the Sea Calendar.
Shanks’s influence was rapidly expanding like a Snowball.
His unruly strong subordinates were probably eager to push their Captain to that supreme position.
Now, Shanks only needed a war to prove himself.
A war to announce the arrival of a new era’s Emperor.
He just didn’t know who he would choose as his opponent.
After several more days of sailing.
“Wow! What a huge waterfall!”
Bonney was practically leaning over the ship’s rail, her small face flushed with excitement, gazing greedily at the mind-boggling spectacle before her.
A massive waterfall, like a water curtain connecting heaven and earth, roared as it flowed upwards.
Ace, Sanji, and Zoro, the three teenagers, tried to act composed, but their wide-eyed stares and slightly agape mouths had already betrayed them.
Kain smiled and introduced, “If we enter the waterfall ahead, we can go to Wano Country through the submerged port.”
There was nothing more to say about the subsequent journey.
Raikougo smoothly arrived at Onigashima.
Kain had Kozuki Hiyori arrange lodging for Ace, Sanji, and Zoro, while he took Kuma and Bonney to Wano Country.
“Wow, it turned into a Dragon.” Looking at the divine Dragon before her, Bonney’s eyes lit up.
This was her first time seeing Kain transform.
“Hold tight, lift off!”
Kain’s massive Dragon Claw gently grasped Kuma and his daughter, soaring into the sky and speeding towards the Kibi region.
In less than an hour, a lush, vibrant forest appeared below.
Thanks to the careful tending of the Tontatta tribe, the vegetation here was incredibly dense.
Bonney suddenly pointed curiously at a prominent snow-capped mountain deep within the forest: “Kain, Big Brother, there’s a snow-capped mountain here too?”
Hmm?
How could there be a snow-capped mountain in Kibi this season?
Kain looked down and instantly understood.
No wonder Bonney mistook it.
It was a massive, pure white animal, the size of a small mountain.
The Mountain God!
A giant pure white wild boar unique to Wano Country.
However, Kain hadn’t expected the Mountain God to come all the way to the Tontatta tribe’s settlement.
Regardless, he had to go down and see.
Soon after, Kain landed steadily with the two.
“So, so… so big a wild boar!”
Bonney saw the Mountain God’s colossal body, like a moving hill, and its enormous tusks, letting out a frightened gasp and quickly hiding behind her father, only revealing half of her small face.
“Don’t be afraid, Bonney,”
Kuma gently comforted his daughter, “This is just a wild boar with a particularly special physique.”
At the same time, the resting Mountain God also detected the three uninvited guests.
Its massive body slowly stood up, like a small mountain rising from the ground.
“Oink!” The Mountain God let out a warning grunt.
Kain’s gaze sharpened, and a terrifying, intimidating aura blasted towards the Mountain God!
“Thud—”
The moment before, the Mountain God was majestic, but the next moment, like it was drunk, its huge body swayed a few times, letting out a few unintelligible grunts, then crashed sideways to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
“Doduo—...—”
The forest instantly filled with sharp, urgent whistles, one after another.
“Warning! Warning! Mama Mountain is down!”
“Enemy invasion!”
Accompanied by a series of anxious shouts and dense “pat-pat-pat” sounds, a group of “little Mountain Gods,” several meters tall, also pure white, but much smaller, rushed out of the forest.
“Ah ah ah! So many, so many big wild boars are charging over!”
Bonney clung tightly to her father’s leg in fear.
“Mr. Kain?” Kuma raised his palm, and the paw pad on it glowed faintly.
Kain, however, gently patted Kuma’s body: “Don’t worry, they’re allies.”
Sure enough, just as this group of angry little pigs rushed to within tens of meters of Kain, new, surprised shouts rang out in the forest:
“Stop, stop, it’s Kain Landeau!”
Under the Tontatta tribe’s soothing and guidance, the little pigs slowed down and slowly came before Kain.
A Tontatta warrior wearing a green hat nimbly jumped out from the thick fur of the leading pig.
“Long time no see, Kain Landeau.”
Leo saluted excitedly.
“Long time no see, Leo.”
Kain praised, “That’s amazing! It’s only been a few months, and you’ve already tamed the Mountain God and her offspring.”
The Tontatta tribe’s ability to tame animals was indeed extraordinary.
“We are Helping Hand partners!”
Leo awkwardly rubbed his hat: “We provide food for Mama Mountain’s children, and they help us protect the safety of this forest.”
“Are those the Tontatta tribe?”
Bonney’s fear was replaced by curiosity. She cautiously let go of her father and moved a little closer: “They look exactly like they do in the picture books!”