ONE PIECE: THE GREAT VOYAGE

Caesar frowned. Before stepping off the boat, he heard the noisy, chaotic sounds coming from the island.

"Finally back, our Pirate Paradise!" Rocks opened his arms, laughing loudly, "Bwahahahaha, go have fun, pirates!"

"Oh!"

The pirates couldn't wait to land on the island.

A true paradise indeed. People were drunk from too much alcohol, others were playing poker, and some were enjoying themselves with women.

The air was thick with the arrogant, wanton laughter of pirates.

The entire island was a chaotic mess, more disordered than a casino.

Caesar could only describe it as "smog."

[28]Fight against Whitebeard again!

Though he didn't like the environment, Caesar didn't show it. He carried on training as usual.

He and Brad found a house on the island, away from the noisy streets.

As for the original owner of the house? Well, he had been driven out without question!

On this island, the law of the jungle reigned—only the strong survived!

West Coast of Hive Island.

Boom!

Caesar slammed his hardened fist into the massive stone before him.

Click, click, click...

Dozens of cracks quickly spread from the point of impact and exploded with a loud bang.

Gravel flew everywhere.

Smoke billowed.

The boulder, which had been tens of meters high, was instantly reduced to rubble.

"Great," Brad exclaimed from behind him.

Caesar turned around and met Brad's wide-eyed gaze, smiling.

Under the sunlight, his handsome face was warm, exuding a sense of security. His powerful muscles added to the sense of strength.

A few women, who had been peeking behind the boulder, gasped and flushed.

Caesar sighed, glanced at the stone, and said nothing, leading Brad deeper into the forest.

"Let's practice gymnastics."

"Fine."

Brad was here for training, so he had no objections.

Boom!

Caesar's black-armored, domineering fist slammed forward, the attack making a heavy sound as it cut through the air.

The air scattered in all directions.

Though Brad's own Armament Haki had improved recently, it was still no match for Caesar's.

After hundreds of rounds of combat, Brad lay exhausted on the ground, looking up at the clouds above, feeling strangely at peace.

Anxiety began to well up in Brad's chest.

Perhaps it was because the life on Hive Island, with its pirates and their chaos, felt so foreign to him.

He didn't feel a sense of belonging here.

Only with a familiar partner could he feel at ease.

Noticing Brad's sigh, Caesar asked what was wrong.

Brad explained honestly, telling him how he felt.

Caesar fell silent for a moment before responding, "It's okay. Don't force yourself to find a sense of belonging here. The Rocks Pirates might only be our temporary home."

Brad suddenly understood.

Having known Caesar for so long, he was well aware of his ambitions. Caesar was someone who would never be inferior to others, and for now, this was just a temporary phase.

...

A small deserted island near Hive Island.

Caesar and Whitebeard stood facing each other.

After training for a while and feeling his strength increase, Caesar decided to challenge Whitebeard.

"Kuhahahaha, you're really persistent."

The young Whitebeard's characteristic laugh echoed as he spoke.

Newgate, in his thirties, looked at the young Caesar with eyes full of tolerance and tenderness, almost as though he were looking at a child. It seemed his fatherly instincts were already developing.

Caesar's expression grew serious, his pupils narrowing slightly as he vanished in the blink of an eye.

Whoosh!

In an instant, he appeared in front of Whitebeard, jumping into the air to strike with his black-armored fist.

The speed was incredible, the punch cutting through the air with a sharp whistling sound.

Whitebeard's naginata was already standing beside him, and as Caesar's punch came down, Whitebeard swung his own fist forward.

No arrogance, no wasted motion.

Click, click, click...

The air shattered from Whitebeard's punch, cracks spreading like spider webs.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Behind Caesar, the ground, struck by Whitebeard's tremor-based ability, was filled with dust and sand.

Caesar was stopped mid-air, unable to advance.

"Ahhhh..."

The veins on his forehead bulged, and he roared in frustration.

With a growl, he swung another powerful punch.

His Armament Haki was at its peak.

A transparent ball of light, emitting a pale white glow, suddenly appeared in Whitebeard's hand.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Caesar was sent flying by the shockwave.

Even without Whitebeard using Haki, the power of the Gura Gura no Mi (Tremor-Tremor Fruit) was overwhelming.

Taking a deep breath, Caesar drew the long sword from his waist.

Whitebeard, seeing this, grabbed his naginata and swung it fiercely.

Rumble.

There was no direct contact between their weapons. The shockwaves of the clash shattered the air around them.

In an instant, the sky and earth seemed to change color.

From the nearby town, all that could be seen was smoke and dust, with loud rumblings echoing intermittently.

"Hey, hey, what's going on? Is the captain fighting? It's too loud!"

The ground around Caesar and Whitebeard was completely shattered by their intense clash.

The deserted island's ground was completely torn apart.

Caesar, his body wrapped in Haki, struggled to resist Whitebeard's naginata and the tremors of his Devil Fruit ability.

His body was being slowly pushed back by an immense force. His muscles were tensed, his upper body wrapped tightly in Haki to withstand the terrifying vibrations.

He gritted his teeth, telling himself to hold on.

He had grown stronger. He couldn't afford to lose to Whitebeard.

If he did, what kind of future could he claim?

"Get out of my way!"

With a roar, it was as if the clouds above were swept aside by his sheer will.

Fighting against the vibrations, it felt as though he was rising against a storm.

Whitebeard's eyes glinted with appreciation. This kid's not bad.

[29]Conquer Overlord's Color, and find a worthy sword.

Zila, zila.

Caesar held his long sword, lightning arcing from the blade.

Whitebeard raised an eyebrow, surprise flashing in his eyes.

What's this?

The young man had learned to coat his sword with Haki?

Caesar blocked Whitebeard's shockwave with his sword, sending it flying into the sky.

There were a few cracks in the air.

Fully engaged in the fight, Caesar didn't even notice the change in his sword's power.

With pure instinct, he jumped, gripping his sword with both hands, and swung it with all his might.

Clang!

The swords collided.

Amidst thunder and lightning, a massive shockwave blasted outward.

The sound of weapons clashing echoed across the island.

The air, charged with Haki, formed a fierce vortex, sweeping everything in its path.

In the nearby forest, trees were uprooted as the shockwaves tore through the landscape.

Boom! Boom! Boom!