Time passed as dusk gradually fell over the desert.
Bodies lay scattered haphazardly across the sands. Ms. Goldenweek Marianne and Bonney, both teary-eyed little girls, crouched stubbornly on the ground, refusing to get up while clutching their swollen, reddened foreheads.
Baby5, Robin, Vivi, and Nami showed no obvious injuries. Caesar had clearly been gentler with the women, though they were all thoroughly exhausted now.
The others had fared much worse.
Galdino lay unconscious with his eyes rolled back, missing two teeth. Bon Clay mirrored his posture exactly. Bonis still retained some awareness, but with two ribs kicked in by Caesar, he could only lie there wheezing heavily.
Barto and Law—the two with the most troublesome abilities—received special attention from Caesar. Not only were they beaten unconscious, but they also suffered multiple bone fractures.
Deuce had exhausted his stamina and fallen asleep during the break. Bepo remained unharmed but had heatstroke from his thick fur and passed out. Fortunately, Yamato helped cool him down, so he'd mostly recovered—though continuing to fight was impossible.
The rest of the minor fighters were in similar states. The only one still barely standing was Ace!
Though in rough shape, Ace's physical prowess alone placed him far above the others—even surpassing Zoan users Chaka and Pell by a wide margin. Among his peers, only Ulti and Page One could compare, and that was with their Ancient Zoan enhancements.
Without considering Devil Fruits, only natural-born monsters like Kaidou and Big Mom could surpass him.
"Hah... hah..."
Ace panted heavily, his eyelids weighing like bricks, threatening to shut at any moment. Yet an irrepressible grin stretched across his face.
In just one day, he'd gone from being instantly defeated by Caesar to lasting two moves against him! The progress might seem minor, but the improvement was substantial.
It was worth noting that Caesar hadn't held back his abilities. While he showed restraint against others, against Ace, he started with at least External Armament.
After this single day, Ace's Armament Emission already showed promising signs. At this rate, he'd likely grasp this technique—one of the sea's most formidable powers second only to Conqueror's Haki Infusion—within a week.
Whoosh—
The desert wind blew as the last rays of sunset vanished beyond the distant dunes.
"Hmm... time's up."
Caesar leaned on his longsword, glancing at the darkening sky. "Today, you're the only one who qualifies."
"Just qualifies...?"
Ace's mouth twitched at Caesar's words. His vision blurred as his legs wobbled uncontrollably, forcing him to brace his knees.
"You're doing well. Your progress is fast, but Haki cultivation isn't a matter of days. Strength, proficiency, reserves—all require time to accumulate and refine. Even if you mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion right now, it'd be no different."
Ace clicked his tongue. "You're only a year older than me!"
"This is the most infuriating and tragic thing—the gap in talent. Look at all these fallen guys. Your talent is already something countless people envy."
Caesar shook his head with a wry smile. "Alright, let's get ready for dinner. As for the others, no dinner tonight!"
No one responded.
Most of the people in the arena had already lost consciousness and would need to be carried back later. As for the few who still retained some awareness, none of them had any objections.
They were exhausted!
Utterly exhausted!
Even Bonney, a girl with a huge appetite, was so tired she didn't want to lift a finger.
Boom, boom, boom...
Kuma walked over with heavy footsteps, scooping up Bonney and Marianne in his hands. Marianne looked a bit flustered at first but quickly composed herself, nodding slightly at Kuma. "Thank you."
Kuma smiled gently.
Soon, Cobra, having received the news, hurried over with soldiers to escort everyone back to the palace.
Caesar and the others, meanwhile, enjoyed a hearty dinner before retiring to their rooms for the night.
Yamato was particularly excited tonight because both Robin and Baby 5 were fast asleep—meaning Caesar was all hers for the evening.
Though she had a somewhat carefree personality, Yamato was still a woman at heart, a clingy, dog-like girl who naturally longed for more closeness with Caesar.
————
"I regret to inform you."
Early the next morning, in the dining hall, Caesar looked at everyone with a face full of regret. "Starting today, everyone except Ace will have their training load doubled."
"Wha—"
As soon as Caesar finished speaking, Nami's expression crumpled in despair.
"Ah, doubled... well, doubled it is..." Deuce's face was pale; he hadn't even recovered from yesterday's battle. "Still better than continuing to fight like this..."
"Oh, right, I forgot to mention." Caesar smacked the back of his head cheerfully. "Training isn't something to rush. Today, you'll all keep fighting!"
"Wha—?!!"
Aside from Ace, Barto, Bonis, Pell, and Chaka—who were all eager to grow stronger—the rest of them groaned in misery.
"Can't be helped. The ship's space is limited and can't support this intensity of training. I don't have the time to waste on it either. Otherwise, fighting like this every day would be far more effective than any '200% effort' training."
As he spoke, Caesar patted Yamato's shoulder. "Just look at Yamato. She's been beaten up by Kaidou since childhood, and even now, she can hold her own against an Admiral."
"That makes sense..." Ace nodded in agreement.
"You actually believe that?" Nami's face darkened. This sounded like complete nonsense!
"Well... my little brother was thrown into all sorts of dangerous places by the old man when he was young. Probably because of that, though he's a handful, his vitality is terrifyingly strong."
Ace thought of Luffy, all the way back in the Goa Kingdom. When it came to sheer resilience, even he had to admit defeat. And though he'd always found Luffy's abilities ridiculous, he'd never underestimated his little brother's potential.
Ignoring Devil Fruit abilities, Luffy's strength and skills weren't far behind his own—despite the three-year age gap!
"So... we're fighting you again today?" Nami sighed weakly. She'd taken plenty of hits yesterday.
However, after this period of training, she realized her strength had genuinely grown significantly.
What surprised her most was that during yesterday's battle, her performance far surpassed that of the lower-ranking officers in Baroque Works.
Nami even vaguely felt that if she wanted to, she could easily knock those people down with a single kick.
She wasn't sure if this was an illusion brought on by her rapid growth, but the progress from this training period was undeniably visible. That was why, despite her constant complaints, she still obediently let Caesar do as he pleased.
Caesar patted Yamato's shoulder: "No, your opponent today is Yamato!"
The group fell silent, but no one said a word.
"Such a dull reaction?"
Caesar spread his hands: "We're switching things up here!"
Nami facepalmed: "Well... the daughter of a Four Emperor isn't much different, I guess."
Bonis also nodded: "A 1.3 billion bounty—her name carries a lot of weight in the bounty hunter circles."
Baroque Works was composed of bounty hunters, so whenever new bounties were issued, they could immediately obtain detailed information on their targets.
Moreover, the Navy made no effort to conceal Yamato's identity, so her status as the daughter of Kaidou, one of the Four Emperors, was widely known.
Add to that her initial bounty of 1.3 billion berries—Caesar might not have thought much of it, but among bounty hunters, Yamato's reputation was no less formidable than that of the Warlords of the Sea.
"And if we add Kuma and Issho to the mix, I assume you all won't have too much trouble accepting it?"
Caesar clapped his hands cheerfully: "Today, the three strongest members of our team—excluding me—will lead you in practical combat training. Please do your best!"
"Wait a minute! Three of them?"
Nami slammed the table and stood up, her face filled with horror: "If those three team up, even you wouldn't stand a chance, would you?"
"I think your understanding of me is still far too shallow."
Caesar clicked his tongue and shook his head but didn't bother explaining further.
Among the top-tier fighters on these seas, aside from him, every single one had their own strengths and weaknesses.
Kaidou and Big Mom excelled in physical resilience but fell slightly short in sheer offensive power.
Red Hair and Hawkeye were powerhouses in offense but couldn't match the former two in durability.
Among the three Admirals, Kizaru had unmatched mobility but clearly lacked defense, Akainu boasted devastating firepower but was lacking in speed and couldn't match Kaidou or Big Mom in raw toughness, while Kuzan was well-rounded but not outstanding in any particular area.
For fighters of this caliber, specialization meant weaknesses!
But Caesar had no weaknesses!
Strength, speed, destructive power, endurance—in his current state, Caesar stood unrivaled at the very pinnacle of these seas!
And that was just in his base form!
Admittedly, among these three, Yamato and Issho had stepped into the realm of Admiral and Emperor-level fighters, while Kuma was the undisputed gatekeeper just below that tier.
Though Yamato was relatively well-rounded, like Kuzan, her youth meant she wasn't exceptional in any single aspect.
Issho had overwhelming offensive power but lacked in endurance, while Kuma boasted A-rank strength and speed with masterful Haki but lacked Conqueror's Haki.
As mentioned earlier, specialization meant weaknesses, and weaknesses meant vulnerabilities!
For Caesar, at his peak, taking them down would be as simple as one slash each...
Well, Kuma, with his Buccaneer Tribe physique, might withstand an extra slash—but that was about it.
With an immense reserve of vitality supporting him, he could push his limits for hours, but these three couldn't withstand such a relentless assault.
Oda once said that no one among the Four Emperors could endure the combined assault of two Admirals, but Caesar felt that, in his current state, he might just be able to test that theory!
Of course, Nami's concerns weren't unfounded.
Though Caesar was confident in taking on all three at once, for Nami and the others, facing the trio would undoubtedly be far more exhausting than dealing with him alone!
"Hey, three of them?"
Ace swallowed his breakfast, his fighting spirit flaring.
The others were also curious, especially Bonis, who was eager to see just how strong the top officers under Caesar truly were.
And so, it didn't take long.
With a thunderous boom, a massive human-shaped crater appeared in the ground—Bonis had been slammed into the earth by Kuma's palm.
"Fire Fist!"
The word "fear" had never existed in Ace's dictionary. Flames erupted beneath his feet as he launched a blazing Fire Fist straight at Kuma!
Then—
"Servantless Ice Fang!"
Yamato flashed in front of Kuma, her mouth opening as a freezing gale transformed into a blizzard tornado, roaring as it clashed head-on with Ace's Fire Fist.
BOOM!
Heat and cold—two opposing forces collided, the resulting steam exploding outward like a shockwave!
Whoosh!
A figure shot through the steam, Haki swirling around Ace's fist as he aimed straight for Yamato's face.
But before he could reach her, an overwhelming pressure suddenly descended from above.
With a deafening crash, the ground caved in beneath Ace, sending him plummeting into the earth.
"Hell Trip…"
Issho's sword was half-drawn, his tone carrying a hint of apology.
"Damn it…"
Struggling to his feet in the deep pit, Ace's bones creaked under the strain.
"ROOM!"
Law, who had been biding his time, finally made his move: "Slaughterhouse!"
Clang!
Devil Fruit ability clashed against Haki as Yamato, Kuma, and Issho all channeled their Haki, simultaneously repelling the eerie force away from their bodies.
The trio turned their gaze toward Law, who instinctively took a step back under their combined scrutiny.
But the moment his foot touched the ground, his body froze.
Somehow, the three opponents in the field had been reduced to two—only Yamato and Issho remained standing.
And behind him, a massive shadow blotted out the sun above.
"Truly a dangerous ability. No wonder Caesar prioritized dealing with you yesterday."
Kuma's voice carried an ethereal calm.
Hearing this, Law's expression darkened.
His ability was indeed formidable. Though it drained his stamina, it was currently the only one that could effectively counter Caesar and his crew.
From the shade of a weathered cave not far away, Caesar watched the scene while happily munching on watermelon, amused as Law was smacked into the ground by Kuma.
Ace and Bonis, who had just crawled out of their respective craters, were being pummeled by Yamato, while Issho stood calmly, effortlessly parrying the others' attacks with his swordsmanship.
Exposure to different combat styles would be good training for these rookies.
It would take a week to fully record Alabasta's data, and by the time that week was over, the crew should have developed some semblance of combat readiness.
Silently observing their performances, Caesar mentally ranked their strengths.
Excluding Dr. Wolf as a researcher and the three top-tier fighters, Ace is undoubtedly the strongest, followed by Law, Baby 5, Barto, Robin, Bonney, Deuce, Bepo, and Nami...
That said, purely in terms of physical combat performance, Nami and Bepo's martial skills surpass Deuce's, and their physical prowess even exceeds his!
And if Nami could equip the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, her strength could potentially leapfrog Baby 5's, placing her alongside Ace and Law as a core-level combatant!
"We need to head to Sky Island as soon as possible..."