Boro Town.
As the earth-shaking explosions finally quieted, the townsfolk who had stepped outside exchanged bewildered glances.
"Dad, your hand is bleeding! You need to bandage it!"
A girl around eleven or twelve, wearing a faded dress and sporting short, messy brown hair, tearfully called out to the tavern owner.
She clutched a roll of bandages tightly in her hand.
The tavern owner had been craning his neck, staring toward the coast.
Only when the girl's voice cracked with sobs did he snap out of it.
Seeing the lingering fear on his daughter's face, warmth filled his chest.
He quickly crouched down, forcing an awkward smile.
"Anna, didn't I tell you to stay hidden? Oh, you stubborn kid... Fine, hand me the bandages."
The little girl name Anna bit her lip.
"Daddy, let me help bandage your wound!"
The tavern owner's eyes grew warm as he forced a smile.
"Don't be afraid, Anna. As long as that great man is here, he'll definitely defeat the bad guys."
No sooner had he spoken than the townspeople crowded together on the main street, gazing toward the cataclysmic battle by the shore, let out gasps of astonishment.
Immediately forgetting about his injury, he scooped up his daughter and turned to look.
Thud.
Thud.
Thud.
As if the earth itself had a heartbeat, heavy and powerful footsteps echoed from the distance.
At that moment, a fierce wind whipped up clouds of dust.
Through the swirling yellow sand, a towering figure—massive as a mountain, his sinewy body coiled like a dragon—could be seen striding across the land, step by step, toward Boro Town.
The world fell silent, save for this lone figure tearing through the storm, an eternal image etched into the hearts of all who witnessed it.
In Anna's pupils, Caesar's demonic yet godlike form was reflected.
In that instant, the fear in her heart vanished without a trace, as if some inexplicable power radiated from this demon-god of a man, cleansing the souls of all who beheld him.
Submit to him.
Revere him.
And all shall receive supreme protection.
Thump, thump...
For no apparent reason, the townspeople of Boro Town, as if worshiping a deity, simultaneously dropped to their knees.
Caesar strode onto Boro Town's main road, looking down upon the masses prostrating before him.
In that moment, it was as if he alone ruled this land.
Amid the sea of kneeling figures, only one small girl with short, tousled hair dared to lift her head and meet his gaze.
"Anna... heh, that's a good name."
Caesar suddenly grinned, his gaze softening as he looked at the girl.
A brilliant smile spread across Caesar's face as he suddenly took several large strides, bringing him right before the tavern owner.
"G-Great One!"
Hearing those earth-shaking footsteps, the tavern owner instantly realized Caesar had come to stand before him!
Excitement, terror, nervousness—all these emotions flickered across his face in rapid succession.
Anna blinked her brown eyes, gazing up at this towering "god."
Caesar crouched down and extended his massive hand, gently patting the little girl's head.
"Borororo! You've got potential. How about joining my Beast God Pirates?"
"Join the Beast God Pirates? Wow! Anna, quickly accept the great one's offer! This is an incredible opportunity!"
The tavern owner was so overjoyed he nearly fainted.
Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined his daughter Anna would earn Caesar's favor.
At that moment, he could clearly feel the waves of envy radiating from the surrounding townspeople of Boro Town.
Yet to his shock, the daughter in his arms, Anna, decisively shook her head in refusal!
"I don't want to leave home. I need to take care of my father. He's getting old, still drinks too much, and can't manage the tavern alone. I can't just abandon him like this."
Anna spoke with utter sincerity, her eyes showing not a trace of hesitation.
The tavern owner felt his heart bleeding, unsure whether to feel happy or sorrowful.
"Borororo! What a shame then. We'll meet again if fate allows, Anna."
Caesar grinned widely, standing up as his Observation Haki broke through its limits once more, enveloping the entire town of Habu.
He raised an eyebrow, glancing toward the street Kid had shattered.
Whoosh!
Caesar's massive frame vanished from everyone's sight.
The tavern owner looked at his precious daughter with a mournful expression.
"Anna, my dear, why didn't you seize such a great opportunity? The Beast God Pirates—joining them would let you see the vast world beyond these shores! Haven't you always said Habu Town is too small?"
Anna stared blankly at where Caesar had disappeared, not answering her father's question.
...
In the crater on the street, Caesar looked down at the completely naked Kiku, his brow furrowing.
He could sense Kiku still had a faint, flickering breath—not completely dead yet.
Immediately, he extended a finger and flicked a drop of his blood, which landed precisely on Kiku's wounds.
The immense Life Force contained within the drop caused Kiku's numerous gaping injuries to heal at astonishing speed.
Within moments, this person on the brink of death had been pulled back from the edge by Caesar.
Kiku's eyes fluttered open dazedly, taking in the mountain-like figure of Caesar, yet feeling an inexplicable sense of calm.
Silently, he knelt on one knee and spoke respectfully, "My lord."
"Hmph! I already know everything about Wano Country. As for Hiyori's situation, I'll handle it shortly. Kikunojo, you stay in Habu Town and deal with the aftermath here."
Caesar glanced at Kiku, noticing that this man—more beautiful than most women—seemed to have a slightly unusual body structure compared to normal people.
Not that he cared.
Reviving Kiku had just been a casual act.
As one of the Nine Red Scabbards, Kiku's combat abilities were quite impressive.
Though he'd appeared utterly defeated earlier—likely by either Kid or Law—those two were, after all, the Supernova captains who'd teamed up to defeat Linlin.
Their growth potential and strength weren't to be underestimated.
It would've been strange if Kiku hadn't been crushed.
Kiku bowed in acknowledgment.
Though he hadn't seen Kid or Law, he understood perfectly well the might of the man before him.
With Caesar having withdrawn his hand, Kid and Law's fates were easy to imagine.
Caesar glanced at the sky, then suddenly stomped the ground, shattering the earth beneath as he shot into the air.
Transforming into a golden-winged bird, he streaked like lightning toward Udon's direction!