"Caesar..."
Linlin couldn't help but reach out, gently stroking the firm cheeks of the man before her.
In her understanding, Caesar was a man who feared nothing, respected no authority, and could accomplish anything.
From the earliest days of knowing this man on the Rocks Pirates, he had always been arrogant and domineering, never bowing his head to anyone.
He was fierce, cruel, and tyrannical, beating all the troublemakers in the Rocks Pirates into submission, earning the recognition of every division commander.
When he went berserk, even Rocks would steer clear.
Yet such a domineering man was now rarely showing confusion and hesitation.
At this moment, Linlin knew that this cold-hearted man had developed rich emotions in his heart!
He was no longer a beast acting on instinct, but a genuine person of flesh and blood.
Just as Linlin was about to comfort him, a thunderous, teasing voice came from the distant sky.
"Wororororo! Look who's crying over there! Huh? It's my heartless bro~ther~!"
Caesar's face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot...
"Jihahaha, what a rare sight! Caesar! You muscle-brained guy, actually hiding here alone and crying? What's the point of dwelling on those broken matters? If you want to seek answers, then just charge forward without thinking! At worst, it's just death! What, are you afraid to die?"
In midair, Shiki flew over through the sky.
A hundred-meter Azure Dragon wreathed in flame clouds carried Ganzui on its back.
The three of them landed on the ground with a swoosh, grinning as they looked at Caesar.
"Bastards! Are you looking to die?"
Caesar was so angry his mouth twisted, his massive fists clenched with cracking sounds that made the air distort.
"Hey hey! Put away those terrifying fists! This old man isn't mocking you, don't collapse this platform."
Ganzui spun the Seven Star Sword in his hand with practiced ease.
Whoosh!
Kaido raised a hand, tossing over a huge wine jug.
Caesar reached out to grab it, pulled out the cork, and gulped down several large mouthfuls.
Shiki plopped down opposite him, grinning mischievously.
"What's this? My muscle-bound strategist, why so sentimental all of a sudden?"
As he laughed, his large hand stretched out, and the wine jug Caesar had placed on the ground flew straight into his grasp.
Kaido also sat down, wearing an annoyingly smug smirk.
"Is this bastard worried about the others? How rare! A heartless old scoundrel suddenly growing a conscience—am I dreaming?"
Caesar's temples throbbed, and he gritted his molars tightly.
Seeing Caesar's awkward expression, Linlin covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
"I'm worried about you all! Hmph! You're all too weak. Sure, you can handle the Marines, but that mysterious ancient weapon Uranus and that elusive Imu give me this nagging feeling like thorns in my back."
Caesar snorted coldly.
"Imu? The Celestial Dragon who left that Hoofprint on Rocks? I heard from Rocks that he's lived for over a thousand years. Tsk, an immortal bastard—if he's been training for a millennium, how strong would his Haki, martial arts, and physical body be? It's simply unimaginable."
Shiki nodded thoughtfully in agreement.
Kaido curled his lip dismissively.
"Who cares! We'll crush Marine Headquarters, blow apart the Red Line, blast through Mary Geoise, and force that sneaky bastard out of hiding. Then, we'll all jump him and take him down! No matter how strong he is, could he possibly withstand all of us attacking at once?"
Ganzui, fiddling with the Seven-Star Sword, suddenly interjected.
"They say two hundred years ago, that great swordsman Ryuma, who slayed the dragon, at the peak of his power, suddenly killed himself with his own blade."
Shiki and the others looked at Ganzui in surprise, puzzled by his abrupt and seemingly random remark.
But Caesar fell into deep thought upon hearing it.
"Was his mind or actions controlled? Something like the Memory Fruit or Doflamingo's Parasitic Strings?"
After pondering for a moment, Caesar snapped out of it, realizing Ganzui was alluding to the answer he had been seeking.
Perhaps when he was ten years old, it wasn't the bloodlust from the demon blood that had assaulted him.
But rather, someone had controlled his mind or body.
"The unknown is always the hardest to deal with. So, to increase our chances in the final battle, I think it's necessary to make some preparations in advance."
Caesar looked at Kaido. "This upcoming war probably won't end quickly—the intensity of the fighting will be unimaginable. How about it? Should we send Yamato to Merveille? It might at least preserve your lineage."
Before Kaido could respond, Shiki said, "If I die, Merveille will fall straight down. Where in these seas is truly safe anymore? Honestly, it's better for her to stay with us, where we can at least look out for her."
"Yamato... she'll make her own decision. I won't interfere with her choices. Everyone dies eventually—I don't know why you're overthinking this so much."
Kaido shook his head, unable to comprehend.
Caesar shook his head, dismissing those thoughts, and turned to Shiki again.
"Regarding the Pluton, we must find a way to activate it before the war arrives. If that Uranus proves too powerful, at least we still possess the Pluton to counter it. The Pluton has strong connections to Wano Country. Tomorrow, take Hiyori and some of the old-timers from Wano Country up to Merveille to study that thing."
"By the way, why did you call everyone here for a meeting?" Kaido asked curiously.
"I want to organize the combat forces of the Beast God Pirates. Currently, although we have many combatants, they're somewhat disorganized. Aside from having some advantage in high-tier combat power, our mid and low-tier forces are in chaos and can't form effective fighting strength."
"So, I plan to divide them into several major legions, each led by one of you leaders. You'll command your respective legions to form different military branches."
As Caesar finished speaking, the sound of many footsteps could be heard approaching from afar.
Under the bright light of the lamp posts, the platform quickly became populated with numerous figures.
"Fufufufu, boss, I've notified everyone you wanted as instructed."
Doflamingo, clad in a fiery red cape, led the way forward.
Following behind him were Bullett, King, Gin, Moria, Crocodile and others.
Without exception, all of these individuals had reached a terrifying height of about six meters, clearly the result of taking the Evolution Potion, which had greatly enhanced their physical body.
Gin had replaced his large hammer with a giant spiked club.
Now standing six meters tall, he still wore his eternal leather shorts, his body covered in well-defined muscles.
All the fat on Moria's body had disappeared, replaced by lean and powerful muscles.
Even his previously listless eyes had become sharp and penetrating.
Caesar could clearly sense that this weakest of the Seven Warlords had already developed Haki within him.
"Father! Everyone is here."
A magnetic voice rang out.
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