In combat, his strength and speed were double-A rank, equipped with long-range attacks.
For endurance, he possessed the immense physical stamina of a Zoan, plus the ability to continually heal injuries and replenish stamina by draining blood.
His means of stealing life force weren’t even limited to drinking blood!
For example, Caesar could directly plunder an opponent’s life force through physical touch, provided there was no Haki blocking it.
The stolen life force would be stored within him to maintain his youthful body and heal injuries when wounded.
As long as there were enemy fodder around during battle, he would always be at full health.
It was no wonder this fruit’s ability had only existed in a video game before.
Fortunately, perhaps because they shared the same extended world setting, this broken fruit actually existed in this real world of pirates, allowing him to score a massive bargain.
“Still, you don’t need to be too disappointed.
Even if the ability ends and the life force drains away, old chronic injuries that have already been cured won’t relapse.
You asked because of Whitebeard, right?” “Ah, yeah.” Hearing that old chronic injuries could be cured, Marco perked up again.
“My Phoenix flames heal wounds by accelerating cell regeneration and stimulating the body’s potential.
While that’s highly effective for external wounds, it can’t properly heal deep, chronic injuries.
Plus, cellular division has its limits.
I have an endless supply of Regeneration Flames, so I’m not affected, but for Pop at his age…” Marco shook his head with a soft sigh, sounding helpless yet relieved.
Over the past two years, Pop’s health had started going downhill.
Aside from age, the main issue was those old, lingering battle injuries.
While aging couldn’t be stopped, curing those troublesome old injuries would be a great blessing.
“In that case, let’s set off right away.” Caesar turned eagerly to Robin.
“It just so happens I need to trouble you, Marco, to take me to Fish-Man Island.
The reward I promised Robin is there…
Actually, even without going, I already know the contents.
Do you want to hear it?” This trip to Sleeping Town would have involved far more trouble without Marco’s help.
After all, the waters of the New World weren’t a place just anyone could navigate.
Thus, Caesar was more than happy to do him a favor.
As for Robin…
In the past, Caesar’s strength was limited, so he didn’t dare get dragged into major conflicts.
But now that he had the Vampire Fruit, Caesar possessed a decent foundation of confidence.
He had collected almost every type of object in the world, yet his main quest—”Collect the World”—remained stuck at nine percent.
Caesar strongly suspected that this quest wasn’t limited to physical objects; it likely extended to conceptual holdings such as power and factions.
The proof was that the instant he became the Vampire Fruit user, his main quest progress had jumped from nine percent to ten percent!
Therefore, in Caesar’s eyes, “Collect the World” might, in a sense, mean conquering or ruling the world.
And to achieve that, he had to win over Nico Robin.
To Caesar, Robin herself held no practical utility; he had no interest in history.
To the world, however, Robin’s existence was crucial.
Judging by the manga’s plot, Robin was bound to be the person who would completely reveal the truth of the Void Century at a critical moment.
Therefore, Caesar had to secure her.
Caesar didn’t care much for ruling, but as the saying went—since he was already here!
While the Vampire Fruit granted eternal youth, it didn’t guarantee immunity to death.
What if the main quest reward was true immortality?
“Mr.
Caesar, can you read Poneglyphs too?” Hearing Caesar’s words, Robin immediately looked at him inquiringly.
“Is it convenient to share?” “It’s just that mess from eight hundred years ago and the locations of the Ancient Weapons.
I don’t know everything, but I happen to know key information—more than enough to cover your reward.” Caesar tilted his head toward Robin, paused for a moment, and suddenly spoke.
“Jaguar D.
Saul…” Hearing that familiar name, Robin’s eyes shrank sharply.
She stopped in her tracks, looking at Caesar with shock and doubt.
“Want to know?” Caesar smiled slightly.
“What happened to him after ‘that incident’?” “After…
that incident?” Robin murmured, and then seemed to realize something.
The shock in her eyes was instantly replaced by delight.
“He…
he’s still alive?” Seeing the fish take the bait, Caesar smiled, in no rush to answer.
“To tell you the truth, I happen to be missing a secretary.” “Then I look forward to working with you, Boss.” Robin didn’t hesitate for a single second.
She stepped quickly to Caesar’s side, instantly getting into character.
Truthfully, she had many questions, but now clearly wasn’t the time.
Caesar obviously knew something.
After all, the only person who knew about her connection to Saul was the current Marine Admiral, Aokiji.
Though she didn’t know where Caesar obtained this information, she could be sure it was reliable to a degree—perhaps he had even met Saul!
No matter what, to get news of Saul, she had to stay by Caesar’s side.
Even if…
it was a trap!
“Wait, Caesar…” Marco, leading the way ahead, turned back and saw this scene, gaping in disbelief.
“Aren’t you moving a bit too fast?
You can’t wait to compete for the Pirate King title already?” “Well…
Whitebeard has no interest in that seat anyway, right?” Caesar chuckled.
“If he really wanted to be the Pirate King, he wouldn’t have waited until now, and you would’ve dragged Robin back to the Moby Dick long ago.” “You really know a lot, kid…” Marco grinned, not feeling embarrassed in the slightest.
As the second-in-command of the Whitebeard Pirates, he knew full well that Robin, who could decipher Poneglyphs, was essential for reaching the Final Island.
However, compared to the title of Pirate King, he knew what Whitebeard valued most.
“Hey, why don’t both of you join our crew?
Pop will definitely like you guys!” “Why are you trying to take everything?” Caesar rolled his eyes.
“I gave you three billion berries, and now I have to throw in two people?
Why don’t two meat pies fall from the sky for you while you’re at it?” Marco laughed, shading his eyes with a hand as he looked up into the sky.
“Don’t say that, y’know.
There’s a Sky Island up there.
Who knows, maybe a meat…
pie really will drop down?” Before he could finish his sentence, a small black speck suddenly appeared in his vision, catching his attention.
“Hey, hey…
no way?” As the speck plunged rapidly, Marco finally saw what it was, and his expression gradually darkened.
Noticing Marco’s strange behavior, Caesar and Robin also looked up into the sky.
Robin frowned slightly.
“What is that?” “Definitely not a meat pie.” Caesar narrowed his eyes, vaguely making out the outline of the falling object—a horned, humanoid creature.
What a familiar move…
Almost instantly, Caesar confirmed the intruder’s identity.
Without a second thought, he wrapped an arm around Robin.
Under her astonished gaze, he bit gently into her delicate neck, his sharp fangs piercing her skin to inject a trace of blood mixed with a paralyzing toxin into her body.
Immediately after, Caesar waved his hand, and Robin’s body turned into a golden card, which he stored inside a card album.
“It’s Kaido of the Beasts!
This is bad…
We need to get out of here fast!” Having identified the newcomer, Marco’s face changed.
He turned to Caesar, only to find Robin nowhere in sight.
“Where’s Robin?” “Don’t know.
Maybe she went to use the bathroom.” Caesar casually tore off his shirt, which had been shredded by his bat wings, revealing a lean, toned upper body with sculpted, perfectly proportioned muscle lines.
Spreading his black wings once more, he flapped them gently and shot up into the sky.
“That guy isn’t here for you.
Our journey ends here for now.
Marco, I’ll come look for you in a while.” Marco’s face sank.
“Stop joking around, you bastard!
Caesar, do I look like some spineless coward to you?
Don’t forget, you paid three billion!
If something happens to you, what will people think of us?” “Interesting…
risking the whole crew’s lives for someone who can’t die?” “You can’t die, you son of a…
Dammit, you actually can’t!” Marco gritted his teeth, his face flushing red with anger.
He was the second-in-command of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Kaidou couldn’t possibly be here to capture him.
If Kaido dared to try, Whitebeard would risk his life to flatten Wano.
However, while Kaidou wouldn’t dare fight Whitebeard to the death, he definitely had the nerve—and a big one at that—to beat down a second-in-command and snatch someone away!
Every dog in the New World knew Kaidou was obsessed with Zoan Devil Fruit users, especially top-tier Mythical Zoans.
Given Caesar’s identity, even if he were captured, his life wouldn’t be in danger, but as for the crew under him, that was a different story…
“Then hurry up and go, Caesar!
I’ll—” Before Marco could finish, Caesar turned into a streak of black light, cutting through the sky and disappearing over the horizon in the blink of an eye.
Just as Caesar anticipated, sensing his attempt to flee, the falling figure of Kaidou suddenly transformed into an azure dragon.
Treading on flame clouds, the dragon let out a sky-shattering roar and gave chase toward Caesar at breakneck speed!
“Tsk, reckless idiot, I wasn’t finished!
If it’s just stalling him…” Marco gestured, azure Regeneration Flames swirling around his body.
Just as he prepared to step forward and stall Kaidou, the azure dragon suddenly glanced down at him, then cast a menacing glare toward the harbor, red light flickering faintly in its mouth.
“That bastard!” Marco felt a chill run through him.
He quickly transformed into a phoenix and flew toward the pier.
By the time he reached the dock, the two figures in the sky were long gone…
“Dammit…
Set sail!
Back to Pop!”