As soon as the two landed, Yamato and the others hurried over.
"So this is Shiki? The legendary figure who once rivaled Roger?"
Yamato looked skeptically at Shiki, who was lying on his back with his eyes rolled back. She had already learned the newcomer's identity from Kuma and had been eager for a fight. But to her surprise, Caesar had taken him down in an instant.
"Not that impressive, huh..."
"Well, he's old now, with a rudder stuck in his head and unable to use Haki. Not surprising," Caesar chuckled before turning to Issho. "How are you holding up?"
"I'm fine, but I can only keep this up for a day at most."
Issho's expression was serious. Unlike the Float-Float Fruit, the Press-Press Fruit required continuous energy output. Though he could easily pull down meteors from the sky, that was just directional force. Maintaining anti-gravity to keep several floating islands aloft was an immense drain on his stamina.
Caesar thought for a moment. "Leave one island between Upper Yard and Sky Island, merge another with Jaya, and combine the rest to place them along the route between Jaya and Alabasta. Once the islands' magnetic fields stabilize, we might even have a direct route from Alabasta to Jaya."
Issho nodded.
Soon, a beautifully lush floating island descended from the sky, gently settling into the White-White Sea. This was the island Caesar had carefully selected—covered in dense tropical vegetation and rare creatures, with a crystal-clear freshwater river winding through it.
Due to the environmental shift, the river gradually merged with the White-White Sea, though the water flowing from its source on the island transformed into a Cloud River. The surreal sight left Caesar marveling.
Of course, the Cloud River was just an illusion—beneath the mist, its state was somewhere between cloud and water, still navigable for ships. Similar Cloud Rivers existed within Upper Yard.
Before long, Issho departed with the remaining floating islands, and Caesar ended Shiki's life, happily claiming the Float-Float Fruit.
As for the fleet Shiki had brought, Caesar gladly took possession of the ships, though he sent all the crew members back to the Blue Sea—dropping them directly from the White Sea.
Truth be told, Caesar wasn't surprised by Shiki's attack.
His decision to reveal Sky Island's existence and the ten thousand tons of gold had been deliberate bait. The most likely ones to take it were Shiki and Gild Tesoro, the Golden Emperor.
As for others—the Navy and the World Government wouldn't dare make a move on his territory unless they wanted Marineford and Mary Geoise destroyed.
Among the Four Emperors, Kaidou, the only one who could directly threaten Sky Island, was his father-in-law. Shanks might drop by out of curiosity, Whitebeard had no interest in treasure, and Big Mom would die if she came—if not now, then eventually.
Among the remaining individuals capable of reaching Sky Island, a significant portion were likely Devil Fruit users—which was precisely why Caesar had revealed the City of Gold's location in the first place.
With Shiki dealt with, Caesar prepared to set off for Punk Hazard.
Over the past few days, the beautiful navigator had grown clingy like a kitten, sticking to Caesar whenever she had the chance.
After a week of indulgence, the once lively and beautiful young girl had gained a touch of tender and considerate maturity. It took Caesar considerable effort to tear himself away from such tender comforts.
After a final passionate embrace from the women at home, he leaped from a height of ten thousand meters...
In the end, Caesar decided to head to Punk Hazard alone.
For one, Kuma's massive size made it difficult to conceal their movements, and secondly, Kuma's palm strike could send them flying for days—there was no guarantee they wouldn't end up in some mishap...
Whoosh—
With his black wings spread wide, the powerful air currents at several thousand meters allowed Caesar to soar swiftly with minimal effort, carried effortlessly by the wind.
Following the guidance of the Eternal Pose, he flew until a grand and imposing Navy base appeared below.
G8!
Seeing the bold black lettering on the fortress walls, Caesar suppressed the urge to comment and continued flying toward Water 7.
He rested overnight at Long Ring Long Land before boarding a Flame-Powered Ship to reach Water 7.
The vast city resembled a giant fountain, with yellow-walled, red-roofed buildings encircling the massive central spout.
Draping himself in a black cloak, Caesar made his way to the backstreets. After a brief inquiry, he arrived at Blueno's bar.
Since it was daytime, the bar was sparsely populated.
Blueno, the bartender with his distinctive bull-horn hairstyle, stood behind the counter with a deadpan expression, leisurely polishing a glass.
Boom—
Without a word, a wave of Conqueror's Haki swept through the room, instantly knocking everyone unconscious, their eyes rolling back.
Blueno, too, was momentarily dazed by the sudden burst of Haki. By the time he regained his senses, Caesar's large hand was already gripping his neck.
"You're—"
Recognizing the youthful face beneath the cloak, Blueno's eyes widened in shock.
But before he could utter the name, a suffocating pressure overwhelmed him.
Amidst the encroaching darkness, a crisp snap echoed, and Caesar now held a fresh Devil Fruit in his hand.
Casually tossing Blueno's corpse into the void to be obliterated, Caesar left the bar and headed toward Franky House in the backstreets.
Upon arriving, he kicked the door open with a bang. Before anyone could react, another surge of Conqueror's Haki erupted!
Franky resisted for a brief moment, but even he couldn't withstand this level of Haki—enough to overwhelm even a typical Vice Admiral. His eyes rolled back, mouth agape, as he collapsed unconscious.
Strolling leisurely to Franky's side, Caesar crouched down and lightly tapped the metallic chest plate.
With a sweep of Observation Haki, a small hatch on Franky's chest popped open, revealing three half-empty cola bottles.
Tossing the cola aside, Caesar reached in and opened another hidden compartment, retrieving a stack of blueprints.
Flipping through them, he added the designs to his collection.
[Collection Item: Pluton Blueprint]
[Rarity: SS]
[Collection Value: SSS]
[Evaluation: Ancient technology from 800 years ago—capable of obliterating an island with a single shot. Yet, it remains an external force.]
[Achievement Unlocked: Collect an SSS-tier Item]
[Reward: Succubus Physique]
[Succubus Physique: Affinity MAX! Charm MAX! Anyone can find traits they adore in you! Fake Succubus: Makes women tremble with pleasure! True Succubus: Makes the world tremble with pleasure!]
"Succubus..."
Caesar raised an eyebrow, though he wasn't particularly surprised. He had already determined that the system's goal was to make him conquer the world.
However, this Succubus ability might prove inconvenient at times.
After all, even without it, he had long been plagued by the nuisance of women pursuing him relentlessly.
That said, Caesar was genuinely curious about the actual effects of the Succubus Physique.
But now wasn't the best time to test it. He'd wait until after he had whisked Vegapunk away.
With that thought, Caesar silently closed the panel on Franky's chest and turned to leave.
Steering the flame-powered ship, he sailed straight toward the Red Line.
Soon, a day passed.
In the distance, a gloomy mist obscured the clear sky.
Caesar knew what lay within that mist, but he had no intention of wasting time. He swiftly navigated through it, arriving beneath the Red Line.
Whoosh—
Stowing the ship away, Caesar spread his black wings and soared into the sky, reaching an altitude of ten thousand meters in an instant.
Skirting around the Holy Land Mariejois, he crossed the Red Line.
Finally, after two days, Caesar quietly infiltrated Punk Hazard.
Unlike the futuristic Egghead Island from the original timeline two years later, the current Punk Hazard was encircled by electric fences, bearing no resemblance to a high-tech city. Instead, it looked more like a heavily guarded military base.
Sensing no powerful figures with his Observation Haki, Caesar dissolved into a hazy Blood Mist and soon located Vegapunk at work.
The massive brain nearly touching the ceiling silently confirmed the man's identity.
Without hesitation, Caesar unleashed his Conqueror's Haki, knocking out Vegapunk and all nearby Surveillance Den Den Mushi in one go, then swiftly sealed him into a card.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Releasing waves of his not-overwhelming Conqueror's Haki, he continuously stunned the island's surveillance snails. Like a shopper on a spree, he indiscriminately collected every advanced machine in sight, regardless of its purpose.
Suddenly, a piercing alarm blared—the monitoring room had sounded the alert.
Unfazed, Caesar abandoned any lingering thoughts and dashed straight for a nearby laboratory. There, he snapped Caesar Clown's neck mid-experiment and seized the Gas-Gas Fruit.
"Hmph, what kind of low-tier trash shares my name?"
Tossing the fruit in his hand, Caesar strode away without a second glance.
To be fair, Caesar Clown's death was rather unjust.
Because his name was Clown—Caesar was his surname...
Soon, Punk Hazard erupted into chaos as Vegapunk's disappearance was discovered, alarms wailing across the island.
But by then, Caesar had long since left Punk Hazard, soaring into the night sky at ten thousand meters, heading back toward the Red Line.
Half a month passed in a blur as Caesar traveled nonstop, finally returning to Sky Island.
Throughout the entire journey, not a single soul had detected his presence.
Now this was what you called infiltration! (Caesar's smug face)
The moment he appeared on the shore, a white blur shot toward him from the forest.
"Caesar! You're finally back!"
Yamato's face was alight with joy as she threw herself at him. Her Observation Haki had an absurdly high bonus when it came to tracking Caesar's whereabouts!
"I'm back~"
Caesar spread his arms and scooped up the lively Yamato, spinning her around twice. The monotony of his journey was instantly cured by the energetic cheerfulness of his little wolf girl.
Zap—
A flash of lightning streaked across the sky, and a slender, graceful figure appeared beside the two.
"I knew the aura felt familiar. So His Majesty has returned~"
Nami smiled as she looked at Caesar, her gaze lingering for a moment on his arms wrapped around Yamato, her expression unreadable.
"Yes, I'm back. Come here and give His Majesty a hug."
Catching the faint hint of jealousy in the air, Caesar set Yamato down and pulled Nami into his embrace.
Nami let out a proud, soft hum, but her body obediently leaned into Caesar's arms.
"Why were you gone for so long…?"
Her tone carried a hint of complaint. This past month had been torture for her with longing.
If their relationship hadn't progressed, she might not have said anything. But since they had just crossed that threshold and were in the midst of their honeymoon phase, Caesar's absence had left her feeling gloomy every day.
Not only did she miss him, but she also worried about him encountering danger out there.
Even though she knew full well how strong her man was, she couldn't help but worry.
"Punk Hazard was just too far away. There was no helping it."
Caesar chuckled and lightly pecked her soft cherry lips, his tone dripping with affection. "It won't happen again. From now on, wherever I go, I'll take you with me."
Nami quickly waved her hands. "Ah, no, if it's somewhere like Navy Headquarters, then forget it. That's really not necessary."
Caesar couldn't help but laugh. Sure enough, whether she had the Rumble-Rumble Fruit or not, a scaredy-cat was still a scaredy-cat.
But according to his Observation Haki, Nami's strength had clearly improved compared to a month ago. Her life force was vibrant—it seemed she had been training diligently every day.
"Caesar! Did you bring me any souvenirs from your trip?"
Yamato sidled up to Caesar, looking at him with eager eyes.
"I brought some Water-Water Meat from Water 7 and Long Fruit from Long Ring Long Land. But since I crossed over from the Red Line, I didn't pass through Sabaody or Fish-Man Island."
With an arm around each of their slender waists, Caesar led them toward the center of the island.
Meanwhile, the entire sea was in an uproar!
Naval forces from every corner of the ocean were mobilized, scouring the seas for any trace of Vegapunk.
Especially in the New World, where Kizaru and Akainu were sweeping through like a storm, their intensity making it seem as if they wanted to turn the entire New World upside down.
One was Vegapunk's friend, while the other feared the scientist falling into the hands of rival forces, which could spell disaster for the Navy.
The entire Navy seemed to have gone berserk—even a passing dog would get kicked. Even the Emperor Crews weren't spared from the fallout.
Marineford, Fleet Admiral's Office.
Sengoku hung up the phone, his face as dark as if it had been covered by the White Sea.
Over the past few days, he had been receiving calls from the Five Elders at all hours. Every time he picked up, he'd get chewed out mercilessly.
And yet, he had no room to argue. After all, while Punk Hazard had CP personnel stationed there, the bulk of the security had been the responsibility of the Navy's science division.
Now that Vegapunk had mysteriously vanished, he, as Fleet Admiral, was naturally the one to blame.
"Damn it! Who the hell did this?!"
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead, but with no one to direct his anger at, he could only pound the desk in frustration.
The Warlords of the Sea?
No…
Hawkeye was too aloof—he was the least likely suspect. And Jinbei was too honest to do something like this.
Among the others, the Empress and Moria were content guarding their own territories. Doflamingo had ambitions, but not to belittle him—that guy definitely didn't have the guts for something this bold.
The Four Emperors?
First, Whitebeard and Shanks could be ruled out.
Kaidou and Big Mom were possibilities, though the former's temperament would likely have him barging in directly.
Big Mom did have the Mirror-Mirror Fruit, which would be suitable for infiltration, but her ranks leaked like a sieve. If it were her, he would've gotten wind of it by now.
The Revolutionary Army?
They certainly had the motive, but probably not the capability...
One by one, names flashed through his mind.
Suddenly, Sengoku's expression shifted, as if he had thought of something, then abruptly calmed down.
Jin Caesar...
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