Caesar didn't stay long on Little Garden.
After the banquet, the group bid farewell to Brogy and Dorry early the next morning and departed.
As their ship reached the western exit of the island, Dorry and Brogy were already waiting there, standing like sentinels on either side of the waterway.
"Travelers who come to this island usually can't continue their journey," Brogy said solemnly, gazing at the sea ahead.
"And the reason they can't reach the next island lies right before you," Dorry added.
With solemn expressions, the two giants watched as a colossal goldfish emerged from the sea while their ship sailed into open waters.
"GIAGIAGIA... Though this creature poses no threat to ones of your strength, you've honored our duel's glory. Not seeing you off would shame the honor of our friendship!"
Dorry declared loudly, his greatsword wreathed in Haki.
"KABABABA! Watch closely, friends! May you learn—the true Elbaf's Spear!"
Brogy raised his massive axe high, its blade trembling with Haki.
The giant goldfish opened its maw, swallowing seawater as it attempted to devour the entire ship, causing Nami to scream in terror, her face pale with fright.
"Conqueror's Nation!" ×2
Two earth-shaking shouts echoed as terrifying shockwaves erupted from their weapons.
Caesar observed keenly—the two shockwaves that should have collided instead merged seamlessly, multiplying their destructive power severalfold!
BOOM—
The powerful gust from the impact billowed the ship's sails, propelling them rapidly toward the goldfish's gaping mouth.
Yet the devastating shockwave outpaced the ship by countless times, striking the goldfish's maw in an instant before piercing clean through its island-sized body!
"WOOOOOW!!!"
Yamato and Deuce leaned over the railing, eyes sparkling at this fearsome display.
"I see... Charging, focusing, merging..."
With just one glance, Caesar grasped the essence of the technique.
Though calling it an "essence" might be overstating it—this wasn't some impossibly difficult skill, merely one with exceptionally high execution requirements.
Dorry and Brogy's Conqueror's Nation far surpassed the crude imitation he and Yamato had attempted earlier—more concentrated, more penetrating, likely due to the charging process.
But now that he'd witnessed it firsthand, mastering it completely wouldn't take long.
WHOOSH—
The sea cratered, the air quaked.
As the goldfish's massive remains began to collapse, Caesar casually swung his blade. A flash of black light, and the remnants vanished into nothingness under the slash's dark radiance.
"Farewell, you two!"
"Till we meet again!"
"See you in Elbaf!"
The crew crowded the stern, waving enthusiastically at Dorry and Brogy—their genuine fondness for the giant friends evident.
Issho sat smiling beside Bonney as the little girl scribbled in her notebook, recounting their island adventures to him. This sketchbook—her record of every place visited—served as her Voyage Log, much like Nami and Deuce's, chronicling her journey as a gourmet traveler.
Due to her age, Bonney could only scribble and draw, with most of her notes consisting of delicious foods and fun things from various places.
Her records of Little Garden mainly focused on the two giants and roasted dinosaur meat.
"Captain, where are we heading next? To Alabasta to search for Crocodile's treasure?"
Nami glanced at the erratic Log Pose on her wrist. It would take a full year for Little Garden's recording to complete and point to the next island. Of course, they wouldn't stay on the island for a year. Caesar had previously bought several Eternal Poses, so there was no need to worry about getting lost at sea.
"First, we'll make a stop at Drum Island."
Caesar spoke calmly, "There's a decent Fruit there."
The Munch-Munch Fruit—this was something they absolutely had to obtain. It could be given to one of their researchers, and Dr. Wolf, who specialized in machinery, would be a perfect fit.
In the original story, after Wapol was defeated by Luffy, he was forced to scavenge in a garbage dump, making toys to sell to the local children. By sheer luck, he accidentally created Wapol Metal, which propelled him to the peak of success…
Honestly, the guy had some absurd luck.
Wapol Metal, officially known as Wapol Memory Alloy, was a type of memory metal that combined both flexibility and durability, making it an ideal material for weapons and armor.
In the original storyline, both Franky's General and the Vinsmoke family's battle suits were made from this alloy.
With Dr. Wolf's level of expertise, it wouldn't take long for him to synthesize it once he had a research direction.
"Drum Island? I've heard of it."
Kuma said flatly, "It's said to be a medical powerhouse."
"Yeah… but most of the doctors there have been driven out by their king. Only twenty remain, specifically tasked with treating the king."
Caesar chuckled. "Our target is that king. It'll also be a good opportunity for Law and Deuce to further their studies. There's still a witch doctor there who's lived for over a hundred and thirty years—a truly remarkable physician."
"Over a hundred and thirty years? That's insane…" Nami couldn't help but mutter.
"So, there must be a lot of medical texts there, right?"
Deuce perked up. Though he was a Sick-Sick Fruit user, his actual medical skills were only average—nowhere near Law's practical expertise. Over the past few days, the two had occasionally exchanged medical knowledge, and Deuce realized that without the Sick-Sick Fruit, he wouldn't even have heard of many diseases.
"You're talking about Kureha, right?" Wolf suddenly spoke up.
"You know her?" Caesar was surprised.
"Heard about her from a friend. She's an incredible doctor, especially in pharmacology—her expertise is outstanding." Wolf nodded.
"You've got quite the connections…"
Caesar smiled, though it made sense when he thought about it.
While communication between the Four Seas and the Grand Line was inconvenient, there were still tools like the Den Den Mushi that made interaction easier.
Especially for researchers like Wolf, Den Den Mushi were indispensable. Devices like Visual Den Den Mushi and Fax Den Den Mushi were household necessities.
In the original story, whether before or after the timeskip, Den Den Mushi didn't get much screen time.
Probably because the Straw Hat crew couldn't afford Den Den Mushi two years ago, but now they have them. However, to emphasize the loneliness of sea voyages, not much was written about this aspect.
Wolf likely frequently engages in academic exchanges with other researchers. With Den Den Mushi around, there's no need for him to travel everywhere.
By the way, Den Den Mushi transmit information through bio-electromagnetic waves. Each Den Den Mushi has its own unique wave frequency, but there's also a public channel for general information. In other words, each Den Den Mushi acts as a transmission base station, which explains how their signals propagate and why they can be intercepted.
Under Caesar's organization, there's a specialized industry for breeding Den Den Mushi. Caesar even attempted to develop an online game, but it failed and nearly exhausted a few Den Den Mushi to death...
...
The voyage to Drum Island didn't take long. At full speed, it took less than a day to enter the stable winter island climate zone. Thick snow soon covered the entire deck, and everyone donned heavy winter coats.
"Snow-clearing duty is yours, Ace!"
Caesar draped a glossy black mink coat over his shoulders, giving him a more aggressive aura.
"Got it! Leave it to me!"
Ace was still wearing his open short-sleeved shirt, flames burning around him. A ring of fire spread out, instantly melting the snow on the deck.
"Ah! My snowman!"
Bonney watched helplessly as her snowman melted under the flames and stomped her feet in frustration. "Ace, you idiot!"
"Seriously, aren't you guys cold?"
Nami, bundled up in her coat, looked enviously at Ace and Yamato, neither of whom had changed into winter gear.
Ace stuck his tongue out at Bonney and laughed. "Of course I'm not cold—I am fire, after all!"
Yamato, full of energy, added, "I'm a Great Mouth True God user! I can control freezing air, so the cold doesn't bother me!"
Bepo chimed in with a blank expression, "I'm a polar bear mink. I don't feel cold either!"
"No one asked you..."
Nami karate-chopped Bepo lightly. "With all that fur, of course you're fine!"
"Sumimasen..."
"Land ahead!"
Barto's voice came through the broadcast Den Den Mushi. Everyone looked forward and saw a small snow-white island gradually coming into view.
"Yep, that's it—Drum Island."
Nami checked the Eternal Pose to confirm their course.
Caesar glanced at her. In the original story, this girl had been bitten by ancient disease-carrying mosquitoes on Little Garden and nearly died from a severe illness. This time, thanks to his warning, they'd taken anti-mosquito precautions, so nothing had gone wrong.
Moreover, his ship had two doctors—one specialized in disease treatment, the other in surgery—providing comprehensive protection for the crew's health. Not to mention, there was him, a Vampire with extraordinary healing abilities.
Soon, the ship sailed into a concave bay. Before anyone could disembark, a dense crowd of soldiers had gathered on the shore.
At the front stood a tall, square-jawed man in a green coat. After spotting the flag atop the ship, he called out, "I'm Dalton, captain of this country's defense force. Are you merchants... or adventurers?"
Since the flag was white with a black emblem and lacked any skull motifs, Dalton didn't take the group for Pirates, assuming it was just an ordinary ship.
However, the moment Caesar raised his head and their eyes met, Dalton's expression instantly stiffened.
That face… it looked unmistakably like a certain wanted criminal with a bounty of 2.8 billion.
Caesar smiled faintly. "My name is Caesar. Jin Caesar. Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Dalton…"
Damn, it really is him!
Though uneasy, Dalton hesitated for a moment upon seeing Caesar's polite demeanor before asking cautiously, "You… aren't Pirates?"
"No, we're explorers."
Caesar casually pulled little Bonney over. "We're just passing through for a brief rest—letting the kid play in the snow and paying a visit to Dr. Kureha."
"Is that so…"
Dalton frowned slightly. He wasn't comfortable letting Caesar onto the island, but given the man's staggering bounty, he didn't dare act recklessly.
"Your reputation precedes you. If you'll excuse me, I need to report this to His Majesty first."
After a moment's thought, Dalton carefully studied Caesar's reaction as he spoke.
"Report?"
Caesar chuckled ambiguously. "Very well. I'll leave it to you, then."
Suppressing his unease, Dalton hurried off to make the report.
"Is all this really necessary?"
Law, holding his sword, stepped up beside Caesar and asked in confusion, "Didn't you say the king of this country is a tyrant?"
"He is. But we need a proper justification."
Caesar grinned. No matter how tyrannical Wapol was, it was still his country's internal affair. If Caesar acted without cause, it wouldn't be conquest—it'd be piracy. The nature of the two was entirely different.
As the saying went, you couldn't have your cake and eat it too. While he'd love to just kill Wapol outright, taking the righteous path meant he couldn't act purely on impulse. After all, Wapol wasn't a Pirate yet—he was still a legitimate king of a World Government-affiliated nation.
But in the end, it was just about finding an excuse. Regardless of Dalton's response, Wapol would end up dead today—provoked into firing first, only to be struck down in self-defense.
Not that Caesar minded. He was merciful enough not to take it out on the citizens. Instead, he'd install Dalton as the new king, ruling under Caesar's authority…
A military clash, the king's sudden demise…
How poetic it sounded!
Tendrils of Blood Mist seeped out, and soon, the eyes of a few on the shore turned crimson.
...
Drum Castle, the royal palace.
Wapol, having received Dalton's message, was stuffing his face with food, utterly indifferent.
"Hah? Caesar? Who's that? Never heard of him! Tell him to drop dead!"
"What? A 2.8 billion bounty? So what? How many are with him?"
"About ten? Hah! I've got a whole army!"
Shoveling food into his mouth with one hand and holding the receiver with the other, Wapol burst into raucous laughter. "If he wants to come ashore, tell him to get on his knees and beg! Then maybe I'll consider it! Hahaha!"
"Actually, that's a great idea. Dalton, you wait there—I'm coming down myself!"
With that, Wapol hung up, summoned two of his lackeys, and rode the cable car down the mountain, heading straight for the inner bay.
Soon, the group arrived at their destination.
Spotting Caesar and his crew on the deck, Wapol grinned and said, "Which one of you is the 2.8 billion bounty criminal? Step forward and let this king have a look!"
The deck fell into silence.
Everyone stared at Wapol in stunned disbelief, including the usually composed Issho and Kuma, who were equally shocked by his reaction.
Deuce swallowed hard and glanced at Caesar. "Has this guy... always been this bold? Or is he actually strong?"
Barto sneered. "No idea about his strength, but he's definitely an irredeemable idiot."
"I... I'm sorry."
Dalton wiped his sweat as he looked at the others. "I didn't expect things to turn out like this."
"Hey! Dalton! What are you doing? As this king's guard captain, how dare you apologize to outsiders?!"
Hearing Dalton's words, Wapol scowled. "This king orders you to take them out right now!"
Dalton: "..."
Huh?
Me... fight Caesar?
--Support me in Patreon for more chapters 35+ chapters in there
patreon.com/GoddessTL
Thanks!