Dusk, Little Garden.
Dry branches crackled in the campfire as the group gathered around, drinking and feasting.
Thanks to Caesar's abilities, Brogy and Dorry enjoyed their first proper drinking session in a century. Their thunderous laughter echoed through the primeval jungle, scaring away dangerous creatures lurking nearby.
Amidst the aroma of roasting meat, Crocodile slowly opened his eyes.
Gazing blankly at the starry sky above, he momentarily forgot where he was.
Only when he turned and saw Caesar's group did he remember—he was now Caesar's prisoner.
Clink...
The crisp sound of chains reminded him of the handcuffs on his wrists and the weakness permeating his body. His heart sank.
Sea Stone Handcuffs?
"Oh, you're awake?" Noticing Crocodile's movement, Caesar approached.
"Hmph..." Crocodile's face darkened as he looked at the young man's face.
"Don't be so grumpy!" Caesar smiled cheerfully. "After all, you were the one who provoked me first—trying to take my woman without even talking. I'm being merciful by not killing you."
"Tch..." Crocodile sneered. "Don't bother asking me to join you. That's just stupid."
"Don't flatter yourself. I don't recruit scum." Caesar chuckled, ignoring Crocodile's livid expression. "But you've been lying low in Paradise for so many years—you must have saved up quite a fortune, right?"
"So that's it..." Crocodile laughed darkly. "You want money? Fine. Release me."
"No, no, no. I'm not bargaining for your life. You made a move on my woman—you have to die. The only question is how you'll die."
Caesar shook his head and casually pulled out a photo, handing it to Crocodile with an innocent smile.
Crocodile scoffed. After all these years in the underworld, did they think he feared death?
What a joke!
But when he saw the photo's contents, his mocking grin froze.
"You bastard!!!" Seeing the compromising image of himself in a seductive pose, Crocodile erupted in fury.
"Now, now, calm down." Caesar patted his shoulder. "We're both respectable figures. As long as you cooperate, I won't send these photos to Morgans."
"Everyone dies eventually. Like I said earlier—it's just a matter of how you go out."
"Take Gol D. Roger, the Pirate King. His death launched the Great Pirate Era. If you're bold enough, you too can leave your mark on history!"
"You damn bastard..." Crocodile glared. "Have you no dignity as a strong fighter?"
"Of course I have dignity. But given your strength and status, you don't deserve to be treated as an equal. At best, you're just entertainment—something to amuse myself with after dinner."
Caesar sighed regretfully. "But isn't this better? After hiding in Paradise for so long, the world has probably forgotten your name. Instead of fading away quietly, why not go out with a bang? Become a legend..."
Who the hell wants to be that kind of legend?!
Crocodile's face darkened like the bottom of a pot.
"Alright, let's talk now."
Caesar sat down beside Crocodile, his posture so casual that an outsider might mistake them for old friends reuniting after years apart.
"Where's all your money hidden? Let me make this clear—if the number you give doesn't meet my expectations, then… not only will I make sure you make headlines, but I'll also cut that thing off and auction it!"
Hearing this, Crocodile's face twitched violently.
The Navy's bounty titles were far too careless. Compared to Barrett, this guy was the real Devil's Heir!
"Why should I trust you?"
"Someone capable of such shameless acts—even if I give you the money, how can I be sure you'll keep your word? That you won't spread this around?"
Crocodile's expression was grim.
Truth be told, if Caesar had tortured him, he wouldn't have even flinched.
But this move was truly terrifying!
Not just him—even one of the Four Emperors would have to back down!
"You don't have a choice, do you?"
Caesar snorted coldly. "The only thing you can do now is hand over all your money and help me gather all the Devil Fruit users among your subordinates."
A long silence followed.
After what felt like an eternity, Crocodile finally let out a cold snort. "Fine… My total assets amount to about 22 billion. 8 billion of that is in real estate, the rest is treasure."
"As for where the treasure is buried—it's beneath the desert of Alabasta. No one but me can retrieve it."
Caesar raised an eyebrow. "So, to get your treasure, one would need the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit?"
"Exactly. But the desert is my domain. If I decide to leave, even you won't be able to stop me. If you're confident enough—"
"What's there to fear? If you dare run, I won't hesitate to make you famous worldwide! Enough of that—hand over the contact details of your subordinates with abilities."
Caesar waved his hand, cutting Crocodile off.
Crocodile didn't try any underhanded tricks, promptly surrendering the Den Den Mushi numbers of his men.
Joke's on them—his subordinates' lives were nowhere near as important as his own!
The only dilemma he faced now was—was his life more important, or his dignity?
If he ran, he'd likely become a laughingstock for the rest of his life.
If he didn't, there was an eighty percent chance Caesar would kill him.
But as it turned out, he was overthinking it.
Caesar never planned to give him a chance to escape in the first place!
After obtaining the exact location of the treasure, Caesar piled a heap of fruits in front of him.
Seeing the massive pile of fruits, Crocodile's eyelids twitched, an inexplicable sense of dread creeping into his heart.
"What's this for?"
The others noticed Caesar's actions, assuming he was about to feed Crocodile some fruit.
"Let me show you something fun!"
Caesar drew his sword and pressed it against Crocodile's neck.
"You—"
Crocodile's heart sank, then he couldn't help but sneer. "You're not thinking of killing me to make the Devil Fruit reincarnate in this pile, are you? How naive! The rebirth of a Fruit is uncontrollable. Even if there's a suitable type for the Sand-Sand Fruit among them, there's no guarantee it'll respawn here!"
"How would you know if you don't try?"
Caesar chuckled, a wisp of darkness silently coiling around his shoulder.
Then, the darkness rapidly expanded, transforming into a black sphere that enveloped both him and Crocodile.
The onlookers were utterly baffled.
Although Caesar had previously mentioned that obtaining the Dark-Dark Fruit could significantly accelerate his plans to conquer the world, no one had expected the Fruit to be used in such a manner!
Before long, the darkness dissipated.
Crocodile, who had been brimming with arrogance moments ago, was now a cold corpse. Caesar stood beside the body, holding a spiky, brownish-yellow Fruit resembling a cactus. Under the flickering firelight, the spiral Arabesque pattern on its surface was clearly visible.
"Did it work?!" Nami exclaimed in shock.
"This... how is this possible? You can actually steal Devil Fruit abilities?" Law stared at Caesar in disbelief. Initially, when Caesar claimed he had no interest in the immortality surgery, Law had assumed the man was bluffing.
Now, it seemed Caesar genuinely wasn't interested!
Otherwise, he could have simply killed Law and had a loyal subordinate consume the Operation Fruit. There would have been no need to go through the trouble of recruiting him.
Caesar smirked smugly. "Well? Interesting, isn't it?"
"Is this the power of the Vampire Fruit? Can it extract Devil Fruit abilities?" Law hesitated, aware that prying into another's abilities was somewhat impolite, but his curiosity got the better of him.
"This is the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. I'm a dual-Fruit user," Caesar revealed without hesitation, as he still needed Law's assistance for an experiment.
"I thought a person could only consume one Devil Fruit in their lifetime?" Dr. Wolf regarded Caesar with fascination, as if studying a rare specimen. "Yet you've eaten two?"
"I'm special. Besides, I've only eaten two because those are the only two Fruits I've fancied so far. In truth, I can consume one more—I just haven't found a suitable Fruit yet."
As he spoke, Caesar glanced at Dorry and Brogy, who were listening intently nearby. "I'd appreciate it if you two could keep this a secret!"
"Gahahaha! Don't worry about it!" Brogy grinned toothily. "I swear on the glory of Elbaf!"
Dorry nodded vigorously. "We would never betray a friend's secret!"
"No need to be so solemn," Caesar chuckled. "This kind of news will get out eventually. I just want to reclaim some of the more powerful Fruits before others catch on."
"So, you already have a target for your third Fruit?" Robin asked curiously.
"A few candidates..." Caesar nodded. "I've already consumed a Mythical Zoan and the Dark-Dark Fruit. The last one I'm reserving for a Paramecia Type."
His gaze fell on Crocodile's corpse at his feet, and for a moment, he felt a twinge of melancholy.
After all, this guy had been a notable figure in the original storyline, yet here he was, dead by Caesar's hand.
Not that Caesar regretted it. Coming after him was one thing, but targeting his people—especially his woman—was unacceptable. He was fiercely protective of those close to him.
Moreover, Crocodile had dared to scheme against Robin despite knowing she was under Caesar's protection. Clearly, he hadn't taken Caesar seriously.
In the current popular parlance—he'd brought his death upon himself!
"This guy... just died like that?" Nami stared at Crocodile's body, her expression complicated.
It wasn't that Caesar thought his actions were wrong—after all, this guy was a pirate, and a pirate who had set his sights on Robin at that. There was nothing to say about him being taken out.
But witnessing someone die right before her eyes, even if they were an enemy, still made her acutely aware of the brutality of these seas.
"This is the sea for you—never short of ambitious souls."
Noticing Nami's expression, Caesar smiled faintly and patted her head.
"The strong prey on the weak—it's kill or be killed. Those without power are destined to become stepping stones for others. This is the iron law of survival that applies to all living things. Even if I were to unify these seas one day, I couldn't change that."
"But what if I don't like killing?"
Little Bonney looked up at Caesar with pitiful eyes.
"Former Marine Admiral Zephyr stuck to his principle of not killing, and as a result, his wife and child were slaughtered by pirates who held a grudge against him."
"I'm not telling you to kill, but you must have the strength to protect those around you. If you can't guarantee that, then listen to me—eliminate the threat for good!"
Caesar lectured. The little girl was at a crucial stage of growth—he couldn't let her develop the bad habit of naive mercy.
"You might not agree with this, but once I raise my blade, I make sure to uproot the problem entirely. I won't spare a single family member or loved one of my enemies!"
"Why?"
Bonney's face paled, and Nami frowned repeatedly, clearly disapproving of such a mindset.
"Because I can live with guilt for the rest of my life, but I refuse to live in fear. Of course, with my strength, I don't have to worry about revenge from remnants of my enemies—but what about you?"
"Simple folks like you? Someone could just walk past you on the street, stab you in the back, and that'd be the end of you!"
Caesar sighed. "If only the Celestial Dragons eight hundred years ago had been a little more thorough and wiped out the D. Clan completely, there wouldn't even be a so-called Pirate King today!"
"Among the people on this ship, Ace and Law are descendants of the D. Clan—both with the potential to become one of the Four Emperors. Robin, as the last survivor of Ohara, is the one most likely to shake the World Government's rule. Kuma is a descendant of the Buccaneer Tribe, and now he follows me in overthrowing the Celestial Dragons' regime."
"Setting aside morality, if the Celestial Dragons didn't exterminate them back then, it wasn't necessarily out of kindness—it could've been arrogance, or maybe just negligence. But whatever the reason, now all of you, who've suffered because of them, stand firmly against them!"
"And we'll inevitably make many enemies in the future. A moment of mercy from you could lead to the same thing happening to us—or even our descendants!"
Caesar found it hard to explain to them the concept of "wildfires that can't be extinguished, regrowing with the spring breeze."
But he hoped they could at least grasp his point—to be more cautious in everything.
"The D. Clan..."
Law looked surprised. "You seem to know something about them? Do you know what the 'D' stands for?"
"No."
Caesar shook his head. "I only know they're called the 'Natural Enemy of the Gods'—a people the Celestial Dragons cannot tolerate."
"Is that so..."
Law fell into thought.
Seeing everyone looking awkward yet unable to refute him, Caesar couldn't help but sigh.
"Rest assured, I won't impose my code of conduct on you, but I do hope you can remain rational and not let emotions cloud your judgment when making important decisions."
"To be honest, I never expected you to achieve such things in the first place. After all, I value character more than ability. The fact that I recruited you already speaks volumes about your integrity."
"Oh my... you flatter us~"
"Don't praise us so much, haha~"
"This is really too embarrassing..."
Hearing Caesar's words, the previously tense group immediately relaxed, waving their hands in unison with bashful expressions. Even someone as steady as Kuma scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.
"And I wasn't praising you! You idiots!!!"