Chapter 77: Enter Caesar
Roy, having just come from the Fleet Admiral's office, had his usual, playful smirk back on his face.
The sun beat down on the training ground, the air hot. In the distance, the sounds of shouting and steel clashing could be heard.
Just as the recruits were training—
"FWOOSH!"
A blur appeared, and the air in the center of the field seemed to tear.
The next second, Roy's figure materialized, his arms spread wide. "Brats! Did you miss me? Bwahahaha!!!"
Ace, who was in the middle of a sparring match with Luffy, didn't even turn around. "Hmph. Who would miss you? Don't be so full of yourself."
Luffy, however, abandoned the fight and shot over, his eyes shining. "Big Bro Roy! Teach me a new move! Grandpa just keeps hitting me!"
Kuina, who was dueling with Zoro, just smiled faintly, casually grabbing Zoro by the head to stop his charge. She gave Roy a polite nod. "Welcome back, Vice Admiral Roy."
Zoro, struggling under Kuina's grip, waved his swords. "Hey! Let me go! I want to challenge him!!"
On the other side of the field, Law—now 16, a graduate of the boot camp, and a Marine Major—walked over calmly, his long sword Kikoku resting on his shoulder. "Vice Admiral Roy."
Roy grinned, his gaze sweeping over the vibrant group of young fighters. A mischievous thought popped into his head.
"Alright, brats, I'll give you a chance!"
He held up one finger, waggling it tauntingly. "All of you, at once. If any of you can even touch me, I'll treat you all to a massive feast!"
The training ground was silent for one second.
Then—
"BOOM!!!"
Ace exploded forward, his feet wreathed in fire, launching himself like a rocket. "Flame-Charge!"
Roy didn't flinch. He just shifted his weight, and Ace's punch hit empty air. "Too slow, Ace!"
Before the words had even faded, the air tore behind him! Luffy, his legs coated in Armament Haki, came at him in a high-speed spin.
"Rankyaku: Whip!"
Roy didn't even turn around. He just put his hand back—
Smack!
"Not so fast, little monkey." He had effortlessly caught Luffy's ankle and, with a simple flick of his wrist, tossed him like a sack of potatoes.
"Waaaaah—!" Luffy yelled, tumbling across the ground.
"Two-Sword Style: Hawk Wave!!"
Zoro, seeing his chance, unleashed a powerful slash at Roy!
"FWOOSH!" Roy vanished, and Zoro's attack hit nothing but air.
"What?!" Zoro's pupils shrank.
"Behind you!" Kuina shouted, her Wado Ichimonji already flashing in a silver arc!
"CLANG—!"
Roy blocked the high-speed strike with a single, Haki-coated forearm, his smile never wavering. "Good reflexes, Kuina!"
Law, who had been watching from a distance, calmly raised his hand.
"ROOM... Shambles!"
The transparent blue sphere expanded instantly!
"Oh?" Roy's eyes lit up with interest.
Law didn't waste the opportunity. He pointed. "Switch!"
"FWOOSH!" Roy was instantly teleported, swapping places with a giant boulder, which placed him right in the middle of Ace and Zoro!
Seeing their target, the two charged!
"HAAAA!"
Fire and steel, a Haki-coated fist and a two-sword slash, came at Roy from both sides!
"Too naive!"
Roy's body was instantly coated in a flawless, jet-black layer of Armament Haki. The fist and the blades struck him, ringing out with the CLANG of metal on metal!
Ace's eyes went wide. "How is he as hard as a steel plate?!"
Roy just stomped his foot, his arms spread wide. "Warp-Strike: Void-Quake!"
"BOOM!!!!"
A shockwave that seemed to distort space itself erupted from him, a sharp krak echoing as the air tore!
Ace, Zoro, Luffy, Kuina, and even Law at the edge of his "ROOM" were all sent flying, blasted back by the massive, invisible force.
"Waaaaah—!"
The five of them landed in a heap, groaning.
Roy stood in the center, his arms crossed, laughing. "You brats... you've still got a long, long way to go!"
Ace slammed his fist on the ground, his face red. "Damn it!! I'll definitely hit you next time!!"
Luffy just lay on his back, holding his stomach. "Aaaah—! My feast is gone!!"
Zoro pushed himself up, his hands trembling. "Damn it, I almost had him..."
Kuina just panted, her eyes burning with a renewed fire.
Law quietly stood, brushing the dust off his uniform. "His strength... it's truly monstrous."
Marineford - Roy's Courtyard - Evening
Firelight danced as the smell of roasting meat filled the air. A lively barbecue was underway.
Belle-mère was at the grill, expertly flipping skewers. Nami and Nojiko were setting out plates, laughing.
"WHOA!! BARBECUE!!"
Luffy's eyes had turned to stars. He was practically diving at the grill, drool pooling at his feet.
Ace was sitting on a bench, chewing on a chicken leg. "Hmph. Don't think this makes up for you blasting us across the field!"
Roy just laughed, ruffling his hair. "Not happy about it? Then get stronger."
Ace just turned his head, but he didn't push his hand away.
Kuina was sitting quietly, sipping her juice, when she suddenly asked, "Vice Admiral Roy... does your Warp-Warp Fruit even have a weakness?"
Roy paused, then a mischievous look crossed his face. He leaned in conspiratorially. "Of course it does. But—"
He dragged out the word, looking at all the kids, who had suddenly perked up and were listening intently.
"I'm not telling you! Hahaha!"
"CHEEEAP—!!" they all groaned in unison.
"He's so childish..." Law muttered, but then he spoke up, his voice clear and sharp. "One day, I will surpass you."
His voice was calm, but his will was like iron.
Roy's smile faded slightly. He looked at Law for a long moment, then nodded. "Good. I'll be waiting."
"Next time, I won't lose!" Zoro added, his mouth full.
"Alright, it's ready!" Belle-mère called out, bringing over a massive platter of food and breaking the tension. "Eat up, you brats. You're always so full of energy."
The courtyard was filled with laughter and shouting as the sun set, casting a warm, golden light over the scene.
At the same time, in the New World... A secret laboratory...
The air was thick with the smell of chemicals and metal. The lab was a mess of strange organs, test tubes, and failed experiments.
"Shurorororo... just 0.03ml more... add 0.01 units of the catalyst... Ahahaha! The success rate is climbing! This is true science!"
Caesar Clown, his eyes bloodshot and manic, cackled as he worked.
"BOOM!!"
The lab door was kicked open.
Queen, of the Beast Pirates, stomped in, his cigarillo dangling from his lips, his face the definition of "annoyed."
"Caesar! You psycho, I've been looking for you for two days! Are you trying to die on this rock?!"
Caesar spun around, furious at the interruption. "What are you yelling about?! I just perfected a new batch of artificial Zoan fruits! Do you know what this means—"
"Yeah, yeah, you're a genius, I get it," Queen said, clapping him on the shoulder. He then pulled out a newspaper and slapped it onto Caesar's chest.
"Well, 'partner,' don't say I didn't warn you. Check the news~"
Caesar ripped the paper off his chest, annoyed... and then he froze.
"Wh-What?! Impel Down?!" His hand shook, and he dropped a vial. "Doffy... was captured?! When?! Why didn't I know?!"
Queen rolled his eyes. "When you're in one of your 'funks,' you wouldn't notice if the world was ending."
"It's over! It's over! The funding! The SMILEs! The supply line! Doffy handled all of it!!"
Queen sighed. "Stop panicking, you idiot. Lord Kaido said... a psycho like you is exactly what we need."
"You just bring your poisons and your research to Wano. We'll give you all the funding, facilities, and security you want."
Caesar's eyes slowly lit up. "...Wano? Are there... test subjects... available?"
Queen let out a huge, booming laugh. "Wano is full of two things, Caesar: Seastone, and idiots who don't know how to fight back. You can 'research' as much as you want."
Caesar licked his lips, his own sick laugh returning. "Shurorororo... then I won't hold back..."
"That's the spirit!" Queen said. "Now let's go. Lord Kaido is making a big move. It's time for the Beast Pirates' plan to move forward!"
The two of them walked out of the ruined lab, leaving the "KEEP OUT" sign to rust in the wind. A new, insane plot was already beginning.
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