"It's always this Caesar! This man has become a cancer to the World Government!"
Inside the grand chamber of Pangaea Castle, the Five Elders sat in their usual seats, their expressions dark.
This time, however, they did not engage in long discussions.
Because no matter how much they spoke, it would not change the outcome. Caesar—a relic from the Rocks Pirates era—had once again exceeded their expectations, causing a crisis beyond their control.
"Damn it! What now?!"
One of the Elders, his frustration boiling over, slammed his palm onto the table as he read the latest intelligence report.
Their authority had never been so passive.
"What options do we have?"
"There is only one—send Sengoku to handle the situation!"
"His objective is simple: extract the Army General before we suffer an irreparable loss!"
The bald-headed Five Elder, normally the most composed, could no longer hide his anger.
If Caesar were in front of him now, he would personally end him.
But anger alone would not resolve the crisis. They had no choice but to act swiftly before the situation spiraled even further out of control.
"Tch! This is getting out of hand!"
"Fine! We'll go with that!"
After a brief discussion, they issued their orders.
Sengoku, the former Fleet Admiral, was to be deployed to Prodence Kingdom to reinforce the Army General and ensure his safe retreat.
But beyond salvaging this battle, this was also a calculated display—an effort to reassure the world that the World Government remained in control.
Yet, mere days later, before Sengoku could even reach the battlefield, a shocking report arrived like a thunderbolt.
The news left the Five Elders stunned. Then, anger. Then, regret.
The intelligence was clear:
Caesar and Douglas Bullet had defeated and captured the Army General.
A grim realization settled over them.
If Sengoku proceeded as planned, it would be akin to a Gourd Baby saving his grandfather—one by one, they would all fall.
Realizing the trap, the Five Elders issued an urgent recall order.
Sengoku was instructed to halt his approach. Instead, an additional Army General and backup forces were mobilized to assist in a new rescue operation.
The World Government and the Navy Headquarters were now walking a tightrope.
The seas were already in chaos.
The pirates of the Four Blues and the Paradise were proving difficult to suppress. The New World was filled with unpredictable power struggles.
And now, with the loss of a General, they were looking at an unprecedented crisis.
A loss like this could shake the foundations of their centuries-old rule.
But the blows did not stop.
As the reinforcement forces embarked, another urgent report arrived.
This time, it was information about Caesar.
Hours ago, Caesar had successfully acquired a rare Mythical Zoan-type Devil Fruit—one so powerful that its existence alone could shift the world's balance.
But he did not openly announce this.
No, he was far too cunning.
Revealing it would instantly make him the world's biggest target.
Not recklessness—strategy.
The greatest warriors knew when to advance and when to retreat. A fool who flaunted his power without forethought could never rise to the top.
The fruit would remain hidden, nurtured in the shadows until the time was right.
Yet, to avoid suspicion, Caesar employed an old trick.
He contacted a prominent underworld broker.
"Hey, I have business for you."
"Your Majesty Caesar, it's been a while! I'll take any deal you offer!"
"Find me a Devil Fruit."
"Name?"
"Zoan-type, Human-Human Fruit, Mythical Model: Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara."
"Got it! I'll spread the word immediately!"
After hanging up, the broker swiftly spread false information.
The market was now flooded with rumors of a hunt for the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Fruit.
With this deception in place, Caesar's possession of the real fruit was perfectly concealed.
The Five Elders were livid.
Outraged, they immediately canceled the second rescue mission and recalled their troops.
At the same time, they issued an order to every intelligence agency under the World Government's jurisdiction:
"Recover the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Fruit at all costs!"
This fruit was far too important. If they could secure it, they might be able to cultivate a new Admiral-class warrior to compensate for their losses.
But if they failed—
It would be a devastating blow.
Losing a General in a failed rescue mission, while the targeted nation was still doomed, was an unmitigated disaster.
Meanwhile, another powerful force caught wind of the fruit's existence.
Kaido of the Beasts.
The Mythical Zoan user who had spent years constructing an army of Devil Fruit users.
A fruit rivaling his own Seiryu (Azure Dragon) Fruit?
Unacceptable.
He would claim it.
What he didn't know was that Caesar had already set his next plan into motion.
From the shadows, Caesar's secret organization had crafted a perfect decoy—a counterfeit Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Fruit—which was quietly leaked into the West Blue.
This move ensured that even if the World Government, Kaido, or any other force pursued the fruit, they would be chasing a phantom.
When the news broke, chaos erupted.
The West Blue became a battleground as multiple factions raced to claim the so-called mythical fruit.
Caesar, Kaido, and others all converged on the island.
For Caesar, this was a mere performance.
The perfect opportunity to "publicly" obtain the fruit—when in reality, he had already secured the real one long ago.
On the battlefield, CP0 operatives had already seized the fake fruit from a low-tier pirate crew—an unwitting pawn of Caesar's intelligence network.
As the Five Elders' enforcers, they sought to retreat immediately.
But before they could—
A monstrous dragon descended from the skies.
Kaido had arrived.
A full-scale battle erupted.
CP0 agents, Kaido, and even other pirate crews all clashed over the fake fruit.
Caesar played his role flawlessly.
He joined the fray, unleashing his full strength. Within moments, he seized the counterfeit fruit right under their noses.
The entire world witnessed him claim the Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Fruit.
Unknowingly, they had all played into his hands.
And the real fruit?
Hidden, waiting.
With this masterstroke, Caesar not only eliminated suspicions but also positioned himself as the uncontested owner of a powerful, yet entirely fake, prize.
This was no simple deception.
It was a perfect game of shadows.
Playing the Role to Perfection—Caesar Seizes the "Thousand-Armed Avalokitesvara Fruit"!
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