ONE PIECE: THE GREAT VOYAGE

Open your eyes.

In an instant.

A wave, invisible to the naked eye, surged outward.

It swept through the area like a silent storm, an unseen force cutting through everything like a blade slicing air.

Yet, he stood still.

Silent.

A wild wolf's eyes rolled back. It collapsed with a dull thud.

Then another.

And another.

One by one, a pack of wolves—some nearly two hundred meters away—fell unconscious.

In the nearby pond, the crocodiles, apex predators of the waters, showed the whites of their eyes before flipping onto their backs, motionless.

Two distinct pops echoed.

Caesar and Brad collapsed as well.

The Next Morning

When Caesar regained consciousness, he remained silent for a long time.

Then, certainty struck him.

This was it.

This was the awakening of Haoshoku Haki.

He had already awakened Kenbunshoku Haki—his ability to sense presences, foresee attacks.

Now, he had grasped another—Haoshoku Haki.

Two of the three great Haki had surfaced within him.

And this one… this was the most exclusive of all.

A power that could not be learned.

A power one could only be born with.

A power possessed by conquerors.

Caesar's lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk.

But this alone wasn't enough.

He needed control.

Yesterday, his power had burst out wildly, knocking out not only beasts but also himself and Brad.

That couldn't happen again.

He clenched his fist.

Precise control. The challenge of the strong begins now.

---

Years Passed

Time slipped by like sand through fingers.

The coconut trees along the shore of the island swayed gently toward the sea, their leaves whispering in the wind.

But deeper in the forest, the sharp echoes of a young man's training never ceased.

Heh! Hah!

This year, Caesar was twelve.

He had grown from a thin, wiry child into a strong, battle-hardened youth.

---

Deeper in the Forest

Bang!

A massive tree shuddered.

Then, with a loud crack, it toppled over.

Caesar retracted his leg, having snapped the trunk with a single kick.

He stepped back, narrowly avoiding the falling tree.

But something strange happened.

As the tree hit the ground, it… shifted.

By a few centimeters.

A presence flickered through the air.

Brad, agile as ever, dodged the impact, grabbing onto a vine and swinging to safety.

"Caesar, come on!" he called, raising an eyebrow with a playful challenge.

Excitement flashed in his eyes.

Caesar narrowed his gaze.

He made a quick calculation of the straight-line distance between them.

Then, in the next instant—

He opened his eyes.

An invisible force rushed toward Brad like a tidal wave.

Brad's body reacted before his mind could process it.

His legs trembled.

Every instinct screamed at him—RUN!

But he couldn't move.

His pupils contracted violently.

Sweat dripped down his face like rain.

Brad knew it instantly.

He was being crushed by Haoshoku Haki.

Crack!

The thick branch beneath his feet splintered.

"Ahhh—!"

Brad fell, landing with a thud.

He barely had time to roll away before a smaller branch crashed down beside him.

Lying on the ground, he looked up at the deep crack in the branch.

Awe flickered in his gaze.

"You've gotten stronger again…" he muttered, a mix of admiration and envy in his voice.

Caesar smirked.

"Are you ready to admit defeat?"

After years of relentless training, he had gained precise control over his Haoshoku Haki.

Now, within a controlled radius, he could selectively target opponents without affecting others.

Brad exhaled in defeat.

"I already surrendered the moment you unleashed that."

"You're insane—your speed, your strength, your endurance—it's inhuman!"

He slumped onto the ground.

"I'm a Devil Fruit user, but I can't even compare to your raw physical power."

At those words, Caesar frowned.

Something had been bothering him.

"My physical training… it's reached a bottleneck."

Over the years, his Haki mastery had strengthened his body in tandem.

Daily training had pushed his limits, making his physical prowess grow exponentially.

His memory had sharpened.

His reflexes had become razor-sharp.

But now…

Now, no matter how much he trained, his progress had slowed.

Brad scratched his head.

"Now that you mention it… you haven't been pushing yourself in training as much lately."

The two walked side by side toward their base.

Caesar sighed.

"Yeah. I've been thinking… maybe there's a better way to train."

With his advanced Kenbunshoku Haki, he could sense his own body's condition.

Every night, he analyzed his physical changes.

Every week, he compiled his findings.

And recently, the pattern had become clear—

Pure physical training alone was no longer enough.

If he kept going down this path, he'd only be wasting effort.

He needed to change his approach.

Caesar placed his hands behind his head, looking up at the dappled sunlight filtering through the forest canopy.

"So?"

Brad tilted his head.

"What's your plan?"

Caesar stopped walking.

A slow grin spread across his face.

"If stillness isn't enough…"

His eyes glowed with resolve.

"Then I'll turn stillness into motion."