A/N: Hey, guys! In the previous chapter, Mac woke up from a month-long coma and found that in two weeks, he will have to go to the World Boxing Hall of Fame, as he's been admitted. Over the course of these two weeks, he has decided to go around the world. Let's begin.

Chapter 25: Around the World

When Little Mac and Bald Bull met up with Doc Louis, Donkey Kong, Mike Tyson and the other boxers, they surprised them by showing them Bald Bull's new look.

''Hey, Bald Bull! You look great with this new look!'' exclaimed Aran Ryan.

''You can thank Mac for that. We also went to the spa together.'' said Bald Bull, smiling under his mustache. ''Your protégé is really great, Doc.

''You always surprise us, Mac, you're awesome.'' said Bear Hugger.

''You look way better like this. You look like a star.'' said Super Macho Man, and everyone escorted Mac to the Washington airport.

''Where will we go first?'' Doc asked.

''Well, I think we will start with Europe. Going from one location to another, I have already been around the United States.'' Mac replied.

''By the way, some the heads of government of some countries would like to see you, so you might meet them.'' Mike Tyson said.

''How about starting with Great Britain?'' Mac asked.

''Buena idea. (Good idea.)'' replied Don Flamenco.

The flight lasted to London for eight hours, during which Mac was able to admire the Atlantic Ocean. ''It's huge, it never seems to end!'' he exclaimed, amazed.

''You can say it loud!'' said Bear Hugger.

Since the group had taken the plane at 10:30 AM, and in London the time is five hours ahead of Washington, it was 11:30 PM, so they stopped at the hotel.

(''Castle Figaro- Final Fantasy VI OST'')

The next day, Mac woke up and together with the others, he dressed in shirt, jacket and tie for the occasion: they would go to Windsor Castle, not far from London, where the royal family, the house of Windsor, resides(1). Donkey Kong was always behind everyone in order to not create too much impression. Entering the castle at 10, they met Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, who led them to the royal chambers, and the guards allowed everyone to pass. ''You will soon arrive at the throne room. Be respectful.'' she said.

Mac met Queen Elizabeth II, her husband, Prince Consort Philip of Greece, Duke of Edinburgh, her sister Margaret and the elderly Queen Mother Elisabeth-Bowes-Lyon, widow of the former King George VI, who died in his sleep 35 years ago of lung cancer, and there were also the queen's four children: Charles, the heir to the throne, Anne, Andrew and Edward, and the two young children of Prince Charles, William and Henry, respectively five and three years old.(2) Bowing before the royal family as a sign of respect, he was amazed that despite the queen was 60, she looked younger than she really was, and by the size of the castle. Due to the difference in size, William and Henry were a little shy to approach Mac even while he was kneeling, but after being encouraged by both their father and the young champion, they took courage and got closer. The American boxer decided, during the journey, to have photos taken as a souvenir and have them sent to his parents, so that they can know how he was and stay informed about him, then he also began to explore London and admire the huge Big Ben and other symbols of the city.

"I can't believe I met the royal family!" the boy exclaimed excitedly.

Doc chuckled. ''Yeah, me neither. The queen said she followed your matches with some members of the royal family, and was amazed. Several million people from all over the world have watched your most important matches, so I am not surprised if the heads of government were among them.'' he said.

''What will the next stop be?'' asked Great Tiger.

''Vamos a España, aquì està también la monarquìa. El actual rey es Juan Carlos I de Borbón. (Let's go to Spain, there is a monarchy here too. The current king is Juan Carlos I of Bourbon.)'' (3) Don Flamenco proposed.

''Okay.'' Mac said.

The flight to Madrid took about four hours, so everyone had lunch at 1.30 PM. In Spain and most of Europe, the time zone was one hour ahead of that of Great Britain, so, upon arrival, it was 3 PM, and the group reached the Royal Palace of Madrid, where the Spanish royal family, of which Don Flamenco told the story. ''Good thing I studied French and Spanish at school.'' Mac murmured.

''I didn't know. This explains why you can understand Glass Joe and Don Flamenco when they speak their native language.'' Doc said. ''I didn't study these languages when I was your age.''

The group was welcomed by the President of the government Felipe Gonzàles, who allowed them to enter, and so they met the King of Spain John Charles I, his wife Sofia of Greece and their three children: Elena, Cristina and Felipe, who, being the only male child, is the heir to the throne. They too had watched Mac's most important matches on TV and learned of his achievements after a message from Don Flamenco.

(''Castle Figaro- Final Fantasy VI OST-s'')

''You know what, Mac? An NES boxing video game based on your feats is in an advanced state of development and will be released later this year.(4)'' said Doc.

Mac was amazed by this. ''Wow, I didn't expect that!'' he exclaimed. ''Anyway, tomorrow, we'll go to France!''

Everyone was happy with this choice, especially Glass Joe, as he comes from Paris. After a dinner of gazpacho, a cold vegetable soup, they stopped at the hotel and went to sleep.

(''Spagonia Day- Sonic Unleashed OST'')

The next day, the group left for Paris at 8 AM, taking a 2-hour flight, and reached the Parliament, where they were greeted by the President of the Republic François Mitterrard and met with parliamentarians. Glass Joe told Mac about French history, and as they glimpsed the Eiffel Tower, there was an inviting smell. ''What a delicious smell! It smells like freshly baked bread!'' the boy exclaimed.

''Oui, les baguettes sont typiques de la France, maize elles sont aussi populaires dans le rest du monde. (Yes, baguettes are typical of France, but they are also popular in the rest of the world.)'' Joe said.

''I feel a calm and elegant atmosphere here.'' said the young man. On the street, there were men with mustaches playing the accordion, making the atmosphere even more relaxing.

''It's not like Russia, but I agree.'' Soda Popinski agreed.

They then went for breakfast in a nearby bar and ordered croissants of various flavors and a cup of cappuccino, then stopped at a hotel and organized the following days. It was decided that their next destinations would be Italy, Belgium, Russia and Japan, and they ate lunch, which consisted of chicken stewed in red wine sauce. During the afternoon, they visited other areas of Paris, including the Louvre, a museum containing some of the most famous works of art from around the world.

''What a great experience! Viva la France!'' Mac shouted, when it was time to go back to the hotel for dinner. Glass Joe chuckled happily.

''I'm happy about it.'' replied the French.

Dinner was a quiche followed by a Burgundian beef dish, which Great Tiger didn't eat for religious reasons, so he was given a bisque, a soup based on shellfish broth.

On the third day of travel, the group flew to Italy and reached Naples. They stopped at another hotel, had breakfast with milk and honey and went out to explore the city.

''There is a lot to talk about Italy. There are tons of tourist destinations here, both in big cities and in small ones.'' Doc said.

''Really?'' Mac asked curiously. ''I would love to visit all those places, but then I'd waste a whole month doing it.''

''It's good that you enjoy life to the fullest. It helps with stress.'' Mike Tyson said.

The group explored some of the best known squares and museums, including the Piazza del Plebiscito, and at lunchtime, they ate a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce. During the meal, Mac noticed that King Hippo gorged himself by putting a third of his dose in his mouth and eating it wildly before the others even started to chew the first forkful. His face was so full of tomato sauce that it looked as if he had just eaten an animal, and the color of the sauce, similar to blood, seemed to make it more evident, and the boy laughed out loud. ''You look like a cannibal!'' he exclaimed.

King Hippo nearly belched as Piston Honda rose from his chair and put his hand over his mouth. ''Shush! If they hear you burp, they'll kick us out! A little control, please!'' he scolded.

As for his protege, Doc couldn't hold back the laughter, and the others laughed too. ''Ah, Mac, you never stop influencing us positively.'' Super Macho Man said.

At the request of Disco Kid, it was decided to have dinner in a pizzeria. Pizza, a typical dish of Naples, with a very deep history and references to a queen who lived a hundred years ago(5) and with its simplicity, being round with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil, has become famous throughout the world. In the afternoon, they reached Rome at 3:00 PM by train and met the President of the Italian Republic and Head of State, Sergio Berlinguer, who was elected just a ittle more than two months ago. He was very surprised to meet the young Mac, and he didn't expect it at all, but he took him and the group to Palazzo Chigi, the seat of the government, where they also met the various parliamentarians and senators. After a couple of hours exploring Rome, they returned to Naples, and at 8:30 PM, they went to eat a pizza margherita, also reminding King Hippo not to eat in such an animalistic way because it is not nice to see.

''Mr. Sandman is missing out on something fantastic.'' Disco Kid said.

''I agree. I don't even know if his apology is sincere.'' Bear Hugger replied.

''With my old trauma, I have completely forgotten what it means to enjoy life. I owe Mac one.'' Von Kaiser said.

Everyone took their knife and cut their pizza into four equal parts, and when Mac took a bite of his pizza, he felt the soft and thin dough mixed with the flavor of tomato and mozzarella. ''Oh, yeah, pizza is so good! The simplest details are always the most iconic!'' he exclaimed.

''Well said!'' said Super Macho Man.

''Quite right! Nothing can beat the classics!'' Doc exclaimed.

''I admit, it's really well done.'' Bald Bull said, and Aran Ryan nodded in approval.

''I've never met a person like you, Mac. You feel comfortable even with what is foreign and you enjoy life despite good and bad. You're just unique, buddy!'' Bear Hugger yelled.

''Hey, that's nothing.'' Mac said.

Doc chuckled. ''Oh, Mac. You are always so modest and humble.''

(''Spagonia Day- Sonic Unleashed OST-s'')

(''On My Way- Phil Collins'')

The next morning, they all left for Brussels, Belgium, and reached the Royal Palace, where they met King Albert II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and his three children: Philip, the heir to the throne, Astrid and Laurent. They also reached the headquarters of the European Economic Community, and as the days passed, the other offices in Luxembourg and Strasbourg, France as well.(6)

At the beginning of the second week, the group flew to Moscow. In this part of Russia, the time zone was one hour ahead of most of Europe, seven hours ahead of New York and ten hours ahead of Los Angeles. For the occasion, everyone dressed in heavy clothing to withstand the cold, and most of them, such as Glass Joe, Von Kaiser, Don Flamenco and Bald Bull were also able to see snow for the first time, since in their countries, unless you are in the mountains, it's too hot for snow to fall, even in winter, thus creating a new experience for them.

''This is my humble abode. Be careful, you don't want to get hypothermia.'' Soda Popinski warned.

The group also had the opportunity to drink hot soup with camel's milk, have a snowball fight, lying in the snow and meet Gorbachev, then left for Tokyo the next morning. The flight was very long, ten hours, and in Japan, the time zone was five hours ahead of Russia, eight hours ahead of London, seven hours ahead of Europe, thirteen hours ahead of New York and sixteen hours compared to Los Angeles, so upon arrival, it was already late at night, forcing the group to find a hotel to sleep in, and some boxers began to feel strangely tired and confused. Mac was confused to see them like that. ''Doc, what's going on? Some of us don't seem to feel so good.'' he asked.

''I think they're suffering from jet lag, son. Air travel in areas with very different time zones, such as those with five or more hours between countries, can cause drowsiness, fatigue and confusion. For example, the time difference between Los Angeles and Paris is nine hours: if in Los Angeles it is 4 PM, in Paris it is already 1 AM of the following day, and in the West, if we take into account daylight saving time, the time zone has one extra hour if you go to South America except Chile and Paraguay, in Asia except for part of the Middle East, in Africa or Australia except the southeastern part, as they don't use it. For example, if it is 2 AM in Tokyo and there's the daylight saving time in New York, it will already be 4 PM, a difference of fourteen hours. The time zone is particularly confusing and problematic if you don't adjust your watch to the local time, and when you suffer from jet lag, it can happen that you can't sleep or wake up hungry in the middle of the night.'' Doc explained.

''I feel so dizzy I might pass out!'' Bald Bull exclaimed.

''I'm sorry, guys. It's my fault if any of you aren't feeling well.'' said the young champion, feeling guilty.

''No, it's not your fault. Traveling so much and in these places has this effect. And we are all loving these trips anyway.'' replied the Turk.

"Mike, how many days to Sunday's Hall of Fame event?" Mac asked Mike Tyson.

''It is now midnight, so today is Wednesday. There are just a little more than three days to go. Remember that we have to be there at 5 AM.'' replied Mike.

''OK. Thanks.'' the boy said.

Tokyo was gorgeous at night, with all the lovely lights on that made the area look as bright as day, and the next morning, everyone explored the city area, which was a mix of very populated metropolitan areas and Zen gardens with various Japanese flowers and trees, often pink in color, such as cherry blossoms, also known as sakura in Japan. Piston Honda also gave the others a set of yukata, Japanese summer clothes.

Mac was amazed by the beauty of the Zen gardens. ''It's really lovely here.'' he said.

''Zen teien wa watashitachi ga meiso suro bashudesu. (Zen gardens are where we meditate.)'' Piston Honda said.

''Splendid, huh?'' Glass Joe asked. Donkey Kong nodded.

After some time in Japan, the group took a plane and flew to Brazil, but for the duration of the flight, it was decided to save a few hours by crossing the Pacific Ocean, lasting about eight hours and a half and the time zone in Brazil was 12 hours backwards, so it was noon on arrival, and Mac said it would be the last stop. After lunch, they found they were close to the Amazon River, and Donkey Kong knew where to go. ''What is it, DK?'' Mac asked. Following the gorilla, the group found themselves faced with a huge rainforest full of life.

''¡Esto sì que es un paraíso! (This really is a paradise!)'' exclaimed Don Flamenco.

''I don't believe it! The Amazon rainforest!'' shouted Bear Hugger.

The forest was chock full of life, Earth's green lung, full of parrots, insects, birds, monkeys and other animals, and Donkey Kong seemed very happy with this place, which reminded him of his home in the jungle. Some nearby monkeys seemed a little hesitant, but the gorilla replied and spoke to them in simian noises to soothe them and make them understand that those who were with him mean no harm. Intrigued, some birds, hummingbirds, a group of beautiful parrots and a couple of toucans stelled on Mac's arm, curious, and the young man giggled, as they then began to fly around them. Donkey Kong had a plan and climbed a tall tree to grab onto a vine, then motioned for the young man to climb onto his back. This led to some jumps between one vine and another between the two, but Mac, to avoid breaking his neck or legs, had to jump in front of the ape at just the right moment in order to be able to jump far enough to get to the vines.

''If I were in his place, I could wet myself.'' murmured Aran Ryan.

''Well, a fall from a tree can be fatal, especially if it is too high.'' said Great Tiger. ''But that doesn't stop him from enjoying this moment!''

In fact, Mac was feeling elated, enjoying this moment as he swayed on the vines, staying on top of Donkey Kong and clinging to him with his legs and one arm.

''Whoa! Mac, you look like Tarzan, especially with Donkey Kong!'' Doc exclaimed.

''I've never seen anything like that.'' Mike murmured.

''You never cease to amaze us.'' Super Macho Man said.

Some monkeys curiously approached, and Donkey Kong had little flashbacks, saying something to the other boxers.

''I think it reminds him of the moments he spent with his nephew. Since he's still too young, he needs him.'' Mac mused, and the gorilla nodded.

''Mac, these days, the Amazon rainforest is threatened by human activities.'' Bear Hugger said.

''Why? What's going on?'' asked the boy, worried.

''Rainforests like the Amazon are the lungs of our planet, but due to the ever-increasing needs of the population, man is cutting forests to obtain timber and to obtain new land for agriculture and livestock. This has negative effects on biodiversity, since it takes away the natural habitat from the species that live here, and this is a big problem for the environment. It is not only a problem here, but also in the forests of Southeast Asia and Central Africa there are these rainforests, and the pressure from humans becomes more and more difficult to bear.'' explained the Canadian.

''Someone should stop this, then! Those lands cannot be adapted for agriculture or livestock, they will become unusable due to the pressure, and it will threaten life! Bear Hugger, you were a woodcutter, so you know about these things!''

''True, I cut trees, but I was always careful not to cut too many. I'm sure my bear friend will like you.''

This made Mac smile, but what Donkey Kong had heard worried him a little, given the jungle he lives in is just as delicate. ''I don't think they can be compared to you, DK. Don't worry.'' he assured him.

The group took the train to the city of Rio de Janeiro, and after dinner, the plane back to Washington, and given the duration of the journey, once the seat belts were on, everyone fell asleep, and then arrived in the morning.

(''On My Way- Phil Collins-s'')

"How were these trips for you?" Doc asked.

Bald Bull, Von Kaiser, and Great Tiger hadn't been able to go to their home countries, but they didn't care, and they didn't even care that someone got molten sore.

''These trips are so great I could scream about them for hours, days or weeks, it doesn't matter to me!'' Disco Kid shouted, over the moon.

''I don't even know what to say!'' Great Tiger exclaimed.

''Even if we didn't go to Turkey, it doesn't matter. Mac gave us an experience we will never forget.'' Bald Bull said.

''Fantastic experience.'' Von Kaiser said, and everyone agreed.

''Nice. It's Thursday morning now, so there will be two days in which we can rest for a while before the event at WBHF.'' said Mike Tyson.

''Then let's take some rest before the event, so we will be fresh and ready and we won't risk falling asleep.'' Mac concluded, and everyone laughed. ''OK. See ya!''

A/N: This story is almost over, guys. I hope you enjoyed this chapter where I took you 33 years back in time and let you know a lot. See you soon!

(1): At the beginning of the 20th century, King Edward VII was an excellent diplomat who managed to improve relations with various European states, including France, he was known as ''Uncle of Europe'', being uncle or uncle-in-law of three European rulers, Wilheim II Kaiser of Germany, Alfonso XIII of Spain and tzar Nicholas II of Russia and ''the Peacemaker'' because of his great diplomatic skills. He had a tense relationship with Wilheim II, sparking an anti-German sentiment that culminated when the King signed a treaty under which if Germany attacked the France, it will have against Great Britain against it. Less than ten years later, when his son George V was King, Britain and France allied against Germany in World War I, and in 1917, he changed the name of the royal family house from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor, from the name of the castle of the same name, his favorite and very important in the history of the royal family.

(2): Prince Charles had his two children with his first wife, Diana Spencer, and their marriage was unhappy and quite strained, but the people didn't realize it. In 1992, they divorced, and five years later, Diana died in a car accident in Paris. The prince had a long-standing relationship with Camilla Shand, whom he had fallen in love with in the 1970s, defined controversial, and the people blamed them for the unhappiness of previous marriage between Charles and Diana. However, in April 2005, he was finally able to marry her because she had received approval from his mother, the Parliament and the Church of England.

(3): Starting from 1714, the kings of Spain are the Bourbons, also kings of France. During the revolution of 1868, Queen Isabella II exiled herself to France, under the protection of Napoleon III, and abdicated two years later, then the monarchy was temporarily replaced by a republic for four years, with unsuccessful results, and was restored with the accession to the throne of the queen's son, Alfonso XII. The monarchy was replaced by the republic for the second time in 1931 after King Alfonso XIII abdicated, left Spain and went into exile in Paris, then by the dictatorship of Francisco Franco eight years later, in the middle of World War II and with Spain in full civil war until his death in 1975, when Juan Carlos of Bourbon, grandson of Alfonso and son of Juan of Bourbon, was chosen by Franco as heir instead of his father and became king.

(4): The NES game was released between October and December 1987 for the NES, and a Gold version was also released in September.

(5): The pizza Margherita, the best known variant of pizza, is named in honor of Margherita of Savoy, wife of the first king of Italy Umberto I, thus making her the first Queen consort of Italy. Many things have been dedicated to her, including pizza and a lake in Ethiopia. The pizza then became a success in the rest of Italy and in other parts of the world, becoming in 2010 a guaranteed traditional specialty of the European Union, and in 2017, together with the art of the pizza maker, it was declared an intangible heritage of humanity by UNESCO. Plus, Pac-Man's iconic design is inspired by a pizza without the slice on the right side.

(6): The European economic community was established in 1957 by the six founding states: Italy, France, Germany, Holland, Belgium and Luxembourg. Over the years, other European states joined, and from 1992, it changed its name to the European Union. The seats of the European Commission, the Council of the European Union and the secondary seat of the European Parliament are in Brussels, Belgium, the main seat of the Parliament is in Strasbourg, France, and the Court of the European Union, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the Secretary General of the European Parliament are in Luxembourg.