"Grandpa Wolf!"
After navigating through the underground harbor's passageway to reach the backyard of Wolf's residence, Law finally revealed himself before the old man once confirming no one else was present. Behind him stood a large white-furred Mink named Kuma, along with two men clad in white jumpsuits with hats shadowing their faces.
"Oh, it's you, Law!"
Wolf appeared genuinely surprised at their arrival. "Didn't you say it'd take another week to get here?"
"That was just to keep him complacent."
Seeing Wolf unharmed, Law got straight to the point. "Has that guy given you any trouble?"
"Not at all. Little Caesar isn't a pirate—quite reasonable actually."
Wolf chuckled warmly at Law's concerned tone. "He even invited me to join his research team with tempting offers. I planned to wait for your return before deciding, but you moved faster than expected."
"Not a pirate?"
Law frowned. "Then what is he?"
Dr. Wolf pondered. "Hmm... An explorer? Or perhaps someone like the Revolutionary Army?"
"To be precise, I am the future emperor destined to unite these seas."
An unfamiliar voice suddenly rang out. Law's pupils contracted as he whirled toward the window, where an eighteen or nineteen-year-old youth leaned casually against the sill, arms crossed as he observed them with amusement.
"Yikes! When did this guy get in?!"
The fluffy white Mink behind Law yelped in terror, the other two equally startled. They'd thoroughly checked the room upon entry—no one could explain his sudden appearance.
Law studied the intruder grimly. "Jin Caesar."
"My apologies for intruding."
Caesar made an elegant, sweeping gesture with his right hand. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance."
"You've been surveilling this place?" Law demanded warily.
"Perception would be more accurate. My sensory range easily blankets this entire island."
"Observation Haki?"
The term clicked instantly—Law's time with the Donquixote Family had exposed him to Haki. Though less common than in the New World, separated only by the Calm Belt, such abilities weren't unheard of in the North Sea. It was Doflamingo's awakening of Conqueror's Haki that originally drew Trebol and others to crown him as their young master.
"So you're familiar with it."
Caesar smiled. "Want to learn? I could teach you."
Law's lips curled slightly. "Nothing's free in this world."
"One condition—work for me."
Caesar extended the offer. "I'll even train you to grow strong enough to personally behead Doflamingo."
"Shouldn't you demonstrate your capabilities first?" Law's hand subtly tightened on his sword hilt, muscles coiling.
Truly, might makes right...
Caesar chuckled ruefully and beckoned. "By all means."
The air grew thick with tension.
Suddenly, Law raised his thumb, index, and middle fingers simultaneously, releasing a colorless field that instantly enveloped the entire courtyard.
"Room! Scalpel!"
An invisible force surrounded Caesar, whose chest was immediately coated in Armament Haki, blocking the intangible force attempting to extract his heart.
A second later—whoosh!
The flowerpot on the windowsill to his right vanished abruptly, replaced by Law, who had already been poised to strike. Meanwhile, the flowerpot appeared on the sofa where Law had been sitting moments before.
A sharp blade swung toward Caesar's neck, but a slender hand was already waiting in its path.
Clang—
Effortlessly catching the blade between his fingers, Caesar yanked it free in one fluid motion and followed up with an elbow strike to Law's face.
The tremendous force sent Law flying backward, skidding to a stop at the feet of the massive white bear.
"Captain! Are you okay?" the bear exclaimed, jumping to his feet before bowing his head abruptly. "Sumimasen!"
Law: "..."
"A Demon Blade, huh?"
Twirling the longsword in his hand, Caesar compared its length to Phantom at his waist. Both blades were similar in size, though this one felt slightly lighter.
As for its grade—even without appraising it, Caesar could tell it was a Skillful Grade Blade, not quite reaching Supreme Grade Sword level.
Now a Great Swordsman himself and possessing blacksmithing skills, he had some expertise in judging blades.
The narrow, lightweight blade and its demonic nature made its purpose clear—this sword had been forged purely for slaughter.
While all swords were weapons, most smiths treated their craft as an art, creating blades to please themselves or gift to friends. A weapon forged solely for killing was rare among renowned swords.
"Scan!"
Whoosh!
The sword in Caesar's hand vanished, reappearing in Law's grip.
"Worth a 2.8 billion berry bounty indeed. You're strong," Law remarked, wiping blood from his mouth. "You fought Doflamingo earlier, didn't you? A draw?"
Caesar shook his head regretfully. "No. I just broke his fingers before he backed down. That man knows when to retreat."
"If I joined your crew, how long until we could finish him?"
"He still has some uses to me. The earliest would be Wano Country's autumn harvest this year," Caesar said coolly. "After that, whether I train you to kill him yourself or beat him half-dead and deliver him to you—either works."
Law was tempted but hesitated as he glanced at his companions. Though desperate to avenge Rosinante by killing Doflamingo, he wasn't alone—he had comrades who trusted him.
"Worried about your crew?"
Sensing his thoughts through Observation Haki, Caesar suggested, "They can join too. Establish a base on the Grand Line first before bringing them over, but they'll have to abandon their Pirate identities."
After a pause, Law turned to the trio behind him.
"Bepo, Penguin, Shachi..."
"I'm staying with the Captain!" Bepo declared without hesitation.
"Same here!" Penguin and Shachi chorused.
Law's face softened into a gentle smile before he turned to Caesar. "I accept your offer, but I need to discuss it with the others. Also, Bepo must come aboard with me."
"Agreed!"
Caesar nodded. The giant white bear was adorable and could double as a lifeguard—plus, he was currently lacking Mink bloodline samples.
"What about us, Captain?" Penguin asked anxiously.
"You'll stay in the North Sea and wait for me."
Law spoke seriously. "I'll come back for you all later. Until then, Penguin, Shachi—I trust you to lead everyone well."
Seeing this, Caesar turned to Dr. Wolf. "Made up your mind yet, Doctor? What'll it be? Coming with us to explore new frontiers, or staying here to retire in peace?"
"Don't underestimate me!"
Wolf snorted. "I'm not that old!"
"In that case... my ship's docked on the west shore. Best not waste time."
Caesar gave a slight nod before his body dissolved into Blood Mist, vanishing without a trace.
The trio didn't keep Caesar waiting long. By the next morning, they were ready.
Law, Bepo, and Dr. Wolf stood at the shore, surrounded by the former members of the Heart Pirate Crew, who were bidding them farewell.
Leaning against the railing, Caesar counted them—about a dozen people, not yet the original twenty from the story.
"Take care of yourself, Captain!"
"Don't forget about us!"
"Grandpa Wolf, look after your health!"
"Waaah..."
Shachi and Penguin wiped their tears. "We're really gonna miss you, Captain!"
"It's just for a little while."
Law sighed. "All of you, stay safe. Keep a low profile—none of you have bounties, so the Navy won't pay attention. Just stay here for now."
"Got it! Stay safe, Captain!"
"Yeah. Let's go."
Whoosh—
The anchor rose, the sails unfurled, and the ship slowly sailed toward the horizon where sea met sky.
Once the course was set, the crew gathered around, eyeing the three newcomers with curiosity.
Caesar introduced them one by one. "The Surgeon of Death, Trafalgar Law. This is Dr. Wolf, and this is Bepo."
"First time meeting."
Law rested Ghost Cry on his shoulder and gave a slight nod, his expression cool.
"Oh? So these are your crewmates?"
Wolf hunched slightly, hands clasped behind his back. "Nice to meet you all. I look forward to working with you."
Bepo bowed deeply. "Sumimasen!"
"Why are you apologizing?!" ×N
"Oh... long time no see, Law."
Baby 5 crossed her arms, looking haughty. "Never thought you'd actually join my dear Caesar's crew. Just a warning—if you dare lay a hand on a comrade, you're dead!"
At that, Law gave Baby 5 a cold glance before turning away expressionlessly. "Tch..."
"Hah?! What's with that attitude, you bastard?!"
Seeing Law dismiss her like that, Baby 5's face darkened.
Sure, you made me cry as a kid, but I'm not the same weakling anymore, you bastard!
"Lay a hand on a comrade?"
Nami subtly positioned Caesar in front of her, her eyes carrying a faint hostility. "Speaking of which, wasn't this guy a pirate before?"
"What's wrong with pirates?"
Ace pointed at himself. "I used to be one too!"
Nami nodded: "Yeah, yeah, pirates who got shipwrecked right after setting sail..."
"Uh..."
Ace's face turned red as he immediately became speechless, mumbling something about not having found crewmates yet, the storm coming too suddenly, and how pirates' misfortunes shouldn't be called shipwrecks... which made everyone burst into laughter.
"You've got it wrong."
Wolf explained cheerfully: "While Law is a pirate, he's never done anything bad."
Nami found this quite peculiar: "Huh? Then what kind of pirate is he?"
"No problem there!"
Ace actually agreed wholeheartedly: "Pirates are pirates, bad people are bad people—they're two different things!"
Deuce looked exasperated: "Aren't pirates by definition bad people?"
Ace quickly retorted: "Not at all! Just searching for treasure doesn't make you bad, right?"
Caesar rolled his eyes: "If you're just searching for treasure, you should be called an explorer. What kind of pirate doesn't plunder? Pirates are thieves of the sea—are you a petty thief or a robber?"
"Uh—"
Ace was at a loss for words again, racking his brains but failing to come up with any counterargument.
"Wait a minute—"
Baby 5 pointed at Law: "I know this guy. When I first met him, all he could think about was taking revenge on the world..."
"Now now, Miss Maid~"
Caesar reached out and patted Baby 5's head: "People can change."
"Ah—~"
Baby 5 immediately clasped her hands to her chest, her gaze at Caesar overflowing with affection.
Law glanced at her: "This idiot woman hasn't changed at all though."
"WHAT! DID! YOU! SAY!"
Baby 5 whirled around, her face full of fury.
Bepo stared blankly at Baby 5: "What a scary woman!"
Baby 5: "Huh?!?!"
"Sumimasen..."
Bepo lowered his head in apology.
"Hahaha, you're so cute!"
Yamato reached out to pat Bepo's furry head: "Speaking of which, are you a Mink?"
"Ah, yes."
Bepo nodded obediently.
"I found Bepo on an island back then. Do you know where his homeland is?"
Law asked, his tone noticeably softer than when speaking to Baby 5.
"The Mink homeland is in the New World, only reachable through Life Cards. That's why many Minks who leave can never return."
Caesar explained: "Fortunately, Zunesha's range of movement isn't far from Wano Country. We can take you there later."
"A country on the back of a giant elephant..." Deuce's face showed yearning.
Bonney was more curious: "How do people there eat and drink?"
"That's a secret—you'll find out when we get there!"
Caesar playfully booped Bonney's nose before turning to Law: "Your position is ship's doctor. You can discuss with Deuce later—he's a Sick-Sick Fruit user with medical training."
Deuce waved with a grin, and Law nodded in acknowledgment.
"Besides your medical duties, your abilities also qualify you for the support team."
Caesar briefly outlined the ship's three-team division: "Currently the support team will have four members including you. The other three are Kuma, Issho, and Ace. Considering the Operation Fruit's teleportation distance limit, you'll be paired with Ace."
"Looking forward to working with you!"
Ace waved too, his smile utterly guileless.
"Looking forward to it..."
Law nodded slightly, though inwardly he felt uneasy.
This guy... seems like the kind of hot-blooded idiot he's least good at dealing with.
"Dr. Wolf is a scientist, assigned to the logistics team. As for Bepo..."
Caesar glanced at Bepo: "Any special skills?"
"Bepo's navigation skills are excellent. He's been studying navigation diligently all these years to return to his homeland," Law spoke up.
Caesar nodded: "Then logistics team it is, assisting Nami."
"Ha, really?"
Nami happily patted the big white bear: "Looking forward to working with you, Bepo!"
Bepo obediently bowed his head: "Looking forward to it..."
"Alright, to celebrate our new members joining... let's prepare a banquet!"
Caesar clapped his hands, his tone carrying a hint of excitement: "After the banquet, we march into the New World!"
"YEAH!!!"