Netero arrived at the conference room, a full hour and a half late.
He entered the room while holding a cold drink, sipping from a straw as he casually made his way to the head seat.
"You guys are here pretty early."
Netero glanced at Ging, who was sitting on the floor and dozing off, then nonchalantly settled into his chair.
"Pretty early?"
The Zodiacs all turned to Netero with expressions full of resentnt.
"What?" Netero feigned ignorance, looking puzzled.
"Chairman, it's not that we got here early, but it's that you're nearly two hours late." Ginta said weakly.
Netero's eyes widened in exaggerated surprise, and then he glanced at the clock on the wall and said, "Beans told the eting starts at twelve. It's only 11:40 now, isn't it?"
"Chairman!?" Beans was dumbfounded. That was the most shaless attempt at shifting bla he had ever seen.
Slurp.
Netero pretended not to notice Beans's reaction, finished the last of his drink, and said seriously: "Well, since everyone's here, let's start the eting."
Without giving others a chance to protest, Netero first dumped the bla on Beans and smoothly brushed past the issue.
Both Beans and the Zodiacs sighed softly. They were more or less used to this kind of thing by now.
"The review process this ti…"
Netero stroked his beard, then suddenly clapped his hands as if he had just thought of sothing.
"Ging." Netero called out.
Hearing Netero's voice, Ging groggily opened his eyes and said, "Oh, is it ti?"
"Yes, we're starting the review right now," Netero said.
"Alright." Ging rubbed his eyes, placed both hands on his knees, and looked up at the people seated around the conference table.
"You only need to answer one question." Netero said.
"What's the question?" Ging asked.
'Here we go again…!'
The Zodiacs were already feeling exasperated, 'If it was just one question, why even bother gathering we all here?'
"What is your motivation for becoming one of the Zodiacs?" Netero asked.
Without even thinking, Ging responded, "Abusing my privileges."
The sheer bluntness of the answer shocked all the Zodiacs' mbers at the table.
"I see." Netero nodded in understanding before imdiately declaring, "Alright, from now on, you're the Boar of the Zodiacs."
'How could this bum's answer, which had so many flaws that it could be drowned in saliva, still pass?'
The mbers of the Zodiacs were speechless for a mont, and Beans man felt a deep sense of despair.
"So… do I get so kind of badge or naplate as proof of my new status?" Ging stood up and asked.
"The Zodiacs don't have anything like that." Netero replied.
Ging scratched his head and said, "So, it's over, right?"
Netero nodded.
"Then, can I leave now?" Ging asked again.
Netero grinned and said, "If you'd like to stay and play a round of volleyball with , you don't have to leave."
"No thanks, I'm very busy. See you."
Without hesitation, Ging turned around, waved lazily, and opened the door to leave.
And just like that, Ging beca the Boar of the Zodiacs.
"Chairman, are you sure this is okay?" Beans asked weakly, voicing his usual concern.
"Oh, right!" Netero patted his head as if he suddenly realized sothing, looked at everyone present, and said apologetically: "I forgot to let you all ask a question too."
"That's not the issue here!" Everyone said in unison.
With that, the eting to review the new Zodiac mber officially ended, and the mbers of the Zodiacs left one by one. However, Gel was asked to stay behind by Netero.
Being singled out, Gel felt a bit confused, but in the end, Netero only asked her a few questions.
After a while, Gel walked out of the conference room, her brows slightly furrowed. Every question Netero had asked was about Law, and she had answered them all truthfully without holding anything back.
She walked down the corridor, turned left at the corner, and saw Pariston leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. When he saw Gel coming, he imdiately looked over. It's clear that he had been waiting for her.
Seeing Pariston, Gel's frown relaxed and she asked expressionlessly, "Sothing you need?"
Pariston smiled and said, "Just a little curious, that's all."
"Oh, then keep being curious."
Gel didn't even bother asking what Pariston was curious about and simply walked past him without hesitation.
Even though Gel was so rude, Pariston remained calm and just watched Gel leave.
…
On March 12, the weather was clear and there was a long line outside the Heavens Arena. At a glance, there were at least two to three thousand people, all of whom were contestants who had registered today.
The Heavens Arena has been standing for many years and receives more than four thousand contestants every day, so the registration process was highly efficient and well-practiced.
Even so, despite the smooth handling of sign-ups, the number of people waiting outside barely seed to decrease in the short term.
Law had just completed the final phase of his training and arrived at Heavens Arena with Biscuit.
"So this is the Heavens Arena."
Law tilted his head back, staring up at the towering structure piercing the sky. The experience was completely different from seeing it in the ani.
"It's been a long ti since I was last here… not much has changed." Biscuit sighed as she took a look at the surrounding environnt.
The city where the Heavens Arena is located is very prosperous, as the live broadcast of the matches brought in trendous revenue to the Heavens Arena, which, in turn, boosted the entire city's economy.
Not to ntion the staggering number of people watching these live broadcasts, there are more than one billion spectators purchased tickets to watch the matches in person each year. It was easy to imagine how massive the ticket revenue alone must be.
With such high foot traffic, industries related to food, lodging, and entertainnt flourished. Restaurants, in particular, were everywhere, spreading out with Heavens Arena as the center.
Luxurious, nine-star restaurants lined the streets, alongside sprawling shopping malls and bustling pedestrian zones. The prosperity of the area attracted countless visitors, making the city a major attraction beyond just the fights.
And then there was the biennial Battle Olympia, which the ultimate spectacle for the city. During this ti, the number of viewers watching live broadcasts would reach its peak over the two-year period.
Such a grand occasion is possible because only the top fighters, Floor Masters, can participate in the Battle Olympia. It was the ultimate fighting competition, guaranteeing matches of the highest caliber.
Moreover, the winner of the Battle Olympia was granted ownership of Heavens Arena's highest floor for two years. This is a supre honor for any Floor Master who made their na in the Heavens Arena.
Law looked up at the Heavens Arena for a long ti without saying a word.
It wouldn't be long before he faced off against Atomu again. With his current strength, if he used poisons, he was fully confident he could defeat Atomu.
However, while Heavens Arena allowed the use of any weapons, poisons were strictly prohibited. This may be for the sake of the quality of the matches. After all, each high-profile match was watched by countless spectators, and using poison will make the competition lose so of its appeal.
Law withdrew his gaze and looked at Sanbica, then asked with a smile: "Do you want to sign up together?"
"No." Sanbica refused decisively.
"Alright then." Law shrugged.
Just then, Biscuit asked, "The person you're waiting for isn't here yet?"
"He should be here soon." Law replied.
As soon as he finished speaking, Law heard a familiar voice.
"Boss!"
Law turned toward the voice and saw a man, who was even bigger than a bear, running towards him.
"Sanbica… that's Buhara, right?" Law's mouth twitched slightly.
"It's him, no doubt about it." Sanbica's reaction was not much better than Law's. She wondered how co Buhara had grown up like this after just over a year of not seeing him.
"He's been complaining about how tough his training is… but why did he get even fatter?"
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