"Ah... I see, I see..."
Inside the World Economic News headquarters airship, Morgans flipped through the fax sent by Caesar, clicking his tongue in amazement.
"Royal Shichibukai Crocodile was actually the mastermind behind Baroque Works, plotting to steal the kingdom of Alabasta. His death exposed the plan, and with Caesar's help, the Alabasta royal family completely eradicated Baroque Works... While not as explosive as the news of his death, the intelligence value far surpasses the former."
Leaning back on the plush sofa, Morgans rubbed his chin, lost in thought.
Caesar's motive for sending this news wasn't hard to guess—he simply wanted to undermine the credibility of the Navy and the World Government.
But what was his ultimate goal?
If he were just a pirate, whether good or bad, given how those freedom-and-treasure-obsessed fellows behaved, such political considerations would be impossible.
Was he planning to establish a force like the Revolutionary Army?
Come to think of it, Morgans hadn't studied Caesar closely before. Due to his identity as Kaidou's son-in-law, he had simply labeled him as a pirate.
Now it seemed Caesar's ambitions extended beyond that.
Otherwise, with his strength, he should have already claimed the title of Emperor in the New World by now, instead of lingering in Paradise.
After much deliberation, Morgans still couldn't fathom Caesar's intentions. He simply waved his hand and ordered his subordinates to publish the news.
If he couldn't figure it out, he wouldn't dwell on it. Sooner or later, this man would make a big splash anyway.
As for the World Government's reaction after the news broke...
Who cared!
The World Government never said they couldn't publish it.
By the time those fools realized what was happening, the news would have already spread across the four seas...
Morgans acted swiftly. Fresh newspapers, still smelling of ink, were delivered across the seas by Newspaper Gulls.
...
Two days later, New World, Dressrosa.
Doflamingo reclined on his sofa, the latest newspaper covering his face, exuding a gloomy aura.
He had already learned about Law joining Caesar's crew, which meant his immortality plan had gone up in smoke.
Not only that, but he also had some understanding of Caesar.
Despite his flamboyant demeanor and readiness to kill him at the slightest provocation, Caesar's moral standards were clearly much higher than his own—as evidenced by the Alabasta news.
The reason Caesar acted so arrogantly toward him was, at its core, because they were fundamentally different people who could never coexist peacefully. Sooner or later, they would end up on opposing sides.
This was fucking frustrating!
Right now, they were in a cooperative relationship, with Doflamingo helping Caesar search for Devil Fruits.
This was essentially aiding the enemy. The stronger Caesar's forces became, the greater the threat to him.
But if he didn't comply... Caesar would undoubtedly use it as an excuse to come and kill him.
The only reason they were coexisting peacefully now was because Doflamingo could still provide benefits to Caesar. Besides, no matter how you looked at it, Baby 5 had been raised by him—she might as well be his adopted daughter.
Doflamingo wouldn't normally care about such relationships, given that he had even killed his own younger brother.
But now, this previously insignificant familial tie had become the thread maintaining his relationship with Caesar.
Damn it, what a headache.
A guy with this kind of strength shouldn't be like Kaidou or Big Mom, losing his brains and letting himself be fooled, right?
...
At the same time, Oni Island.
"Alabasta? Hmph, boring..."
Casually tossing aside the newspaper Black Maria had brought, Kaidou took a large swig of liquor.
"What's the point of stirring up trouble in Paradise? He should hurry back and help me unify the New World."
"Well... he is a man destined to become the King of the World, after all."
Black Maria flipped through the newspaper, chuckling softly. "In terms of ambition, your son-in-law surpasses even you."
"Oroorororo... If he weren't like that, he wouldn't be worthy of conquering my daughter!"
Kaidou laughed heartily, completely unbothered by Black Maria's impertinence.
He couldn't be more satisfied with his son-in-law, Caesar.
Though he was annoyed by the younger man's obvious intent to overshadow him, he had to admit that Caesar's talent, strength, and intellect far surpassed his own when he was young.
Being surpassed by such a successor left him with nothing to complain about.
Still, he was eager to see just how far this guy could go.
"What's the situation at Punk Hazard?"
"Queen has people keeping an eye on it."
"Hmm... notify that brat immediately if there's any news."
...
Grand Line, Marineford, Navy Headquarters.
Inside the conference room, the top brass of the Navy had gathered.
"A Royal Shichibukai seizing a country, while Caesar's crew assists the royal family in suppressing the rebellion..."
Slap!
A newspaper was slammed onto the table as Sengoku's expression darkened.
"Let's hear your thoughts."
"Hmm—he did a good job?"
Kuzan leaned lazily in his chair, his words instantly spiking Sengoku's blood pressure.
"Seems like this guy wasn't just spouting nonsense..."
Kizaru scanned the newspaper, clicking his tongue in amazement. "And he's already made his move so soon? Taking down a Royal Shichibukai in his first strike—scary~"
Sengoku's face darkened further, his blood pressure rising even higher.
"At least he did something useful."
Akainu sneered. "I've said it before—those scum would never behave. What a joke the Warlords are, just making deals with the devil."
"Enough. The three of you can stay silent now."
Sengoku massaged his temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Kuzan shrugged, completely unbothered.
He had been in this state for a while now.
Ever since his last encounter with Caesar, the World Government had been suspicious of his loyalties.
Lately, he had been confined to headquarters, with no chance of being deployed elsewhere.
It made him think the World Government was being petty.
Sure, he wasn't exactly the most loyal.
But he hadn't betrayed them yet, had he?
"Gahahaha, Kuzan's right. Isn't this great?"
Garp grinned carelessly. "At least it proves that brat isn't a bad guy."
"Garp!"
Sengoku snapped. "You shut up too! Whether he's a good guy or a bad guy, he's already severely damaged the Navy and the World Government's reputation and credibility!"
Garp blinked. "Huh? We had those?"
Sengoku: "..."
Just let the Navy collapse already!
"Alright, what's done is done. Dwelling on it now is pointless."
Vice Admiral Tsuru sighed helplessly, "What we should consider now is how to mitigate the fallout from this incident. A Royal Shichibukai stealing a nation is no small matter. If this continues to escalate, it will deal a severe blow to the Navy's credibility."
Sengoku also rubbed his temples in frustration, feeling utterly powerless.
Although Caesar was currently in Paradise—the territory under the Navy's strongest control—dealing with a Four Emperors-level combatant was no easy task.
Even if they could capture Caesar, the Navy would undoubtedly suffer heavy losses.
And the truth was, they couldn't even capture him!
With his ability to fly and a subordinate wielding the Paw-Paw Fruit Devil Fruit ability, even if all three Admirals were deployed, they still wouldn't be able to stop him.
And if they targeted Caesar's subordinates, the Navy would undoubtedly face a Four Emperors-level powerhouse with no restraints and unmatched mobility!
Sengoku was deeply troubled.
But fortunately, he wasn't the only one feeling this way.
In the Holy Land Mariejois.
Within Pangaea Castle, the symbol of supreme authority over the seas, the Five Elders—the highest authority in the world—also wore expressions of exasperation.
After Morgans' news broke, they had already given up on controlling the narrative. Their minds were now preoccupied with figuring out how to deal with Caesar.
This was also why they hadn't given the Navy any trouble—because they couldn't come up with a solution either.
And precisely because of this, they understood that pressuring the Navy to act against Caesar was asking too much.
"An insolent fool! Truly an insolent fool!" roared Warcury, the Legal Military God, his boar-tusk-shaped mustache quivering in anger.
"Calm down, Warcury," Saturn, the Scientific Defense Military God, said coolly, leaning on his cane. "This brat is trying to undermine the Warlord system to weaken our control over the seas. But he's being naive."
"The Warlords were only created because the Navy lacked sufficient strength. To think he could threaten us with this is pure fantasy. Vegapunk's cyborg project has already begun. Soon, the Warlord system will become obsolete."
Mars, the Environment Military God, stroked his long beard and nodded in agreement. "He's just another Dragon. Even if we ignore him, he won't amount to much. There's no need to complicate things at this stage."
"The Navy excels at public relations, doesn't it? Let Sengoku handle it. Contact Morgans and leak some information to divert attention."
"Agreed!"
"Agreed!"
"Then it's settled."
…
Meanwhile, in Paradise.
"The Log Pose changed direction!"
On the deck, Nami, who had been training as usual, suddenly exclaimed, raising her arm high.
Hearing this, everyone turned their gaze to the compass on her wrist.
The needle, which had previously pointed toward the next island, was now aimed at the distant horizon.
"Whoa—so that's the direction of Sky Island?"
The crew crowded around Nami, their eyes sparkling with excitement.
Legends of Sky Island were widespread across the seas, but compared to giants and Fish-men—rare but occasionally appearing in newspapers—the tales of Sky Island were far more fantastical.
After all, very few people had ever set foot there!
Even in the Grand Line, few truly believed Sky Island existed.
"According to Caesar's plan, we should head to Jaya Island first and ride the Knock-Up Stream to the sky..."
Nami's eyes sparkled with excitement, though her tone lacked a bit of confidence.
Riding a current into the sky—even with her confidence in her navigation skills—felt like something out of a fairy tale, and she couldn't help but feel uncertain.
But uncertainty aside, Nami trusted Caesar completely.
Not just because of the help he'd given her before, but because this was a top-tier powerhouse who could stand toe-to-toe with the Four Emperors. He had traveled all the way to Cocoyasi Village, humbly invited her to join his crew, and even taught her various combat techniques—a captain who fully believed in her navigational abilities.
Just for that alone, even if Caesar wanted to fly to the moon, Nami wouldn't hesitate to follow!
Whether it was possible or not, they had to make it happen!
"Finally, we'll get to see the legendary Sky Island!"
"The captain said the people there have wings!"
"Beautiful angel girls? I get it! Hehahaha~"
"I wonder what kind of delicious food they have up there?"
"Some okamas would be great too, yoh~"
"Sky Island!"
"Sky Island!"
"Sky Island!"
Ace, Deuce, Barto, Galdino, and Bon Clay linked arms, bouncing around and cheering in unison.
Bonney, clutching Kuma's head, was also brimming with excitement.
Going to Sky Island with her father—this was a promise they had made when she was sick, and something Caesar had assured her would happen.
"Sky Island, huh… It's been a long time since I last went."
Issho leaned on his cane sword, chuckling.
The moment he spoke, the deck fell silent.
"You've been to Sky Island before, Issho?"
Ace's eyes lit up. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Yeah! Tell us about it! What's up there?"
The others crowded around, unable to hide their eagerness.
"Is there good food?"
"Caesar said there are all kinds of special shells—have you seen them?"
"Uh…"
Issho awkwardly waved his hand. "Sorry, but when I went, I was already blind."
"Ah—sorry."
"It's fine, you'll get to see it this time!"
"Yeah, don't take it to heart…"
Their faces visibly fell, disappointment clear, but they still tried to console him.
Issho: "..."
You all are making me feel even worse…
"Though I was blind back then, I can confirm the captain is right—Sky Island does produce many unique shells. Also, there's more than one Sky Island. Besides the Knock-Up Stream, you can also reach it through the western sky route."
Issho briefly shared some information about Sky Island, and the gloomy atmosphere quickly brightened again.
"Ace's power ship can also be built there, integrating Shell Technology. Plus, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit is on the Sky Island we're heading to, along with the City of Gold."
Caesar grinned. "So? How's this base I picked?"
"NICE!"
Nami gave a thumbs-up, her eyes full of approval for Caesar.
A sky fortress ten thousand meters high, safe from pirate attacks. The strongest Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit. And the legendary City of Gold.
Without a doubt, Sky Island was Nami's Jerusalem!
The target was now within reach. Caesar halted his training and urged everyone to proceed at full speed in the direction indicated by the compass.
Suddenly, the sky darkened.
The dome above had unknowingly become covered with thick clouds.
"It's getting dark!"
Yamato exclaim
ed excitedly, "Just as Caesar said! This means we've reached directly beneath the White Sea! Sky Island must be right above us! Wait—I can sense it!"
As she spoke, she abruptly raised her head, gazing in a certain direction overhead.
Beyond those dense clouds, there were numerous human presences!
Without a doubt, that was where Sky Island lay!
Soon, the ship sailed out of the shadowy waters, and in the distance, a lush summer island came into view.
They had arrived at Jaya!