The intelligence division is already closely monitoring Caesar's whereabouts. We will inform you of his latest movements shortly, Lieutenant General Garp."
The head of the intelligence department spoke respectfully to Garp.
"I see."
Garp nodded. Sitting idly at Marineford had become dull, so this was a perfect excuse to go out for some action.
"It's not too late. Go now, Garp!"
After Commander-in-Chief Kong gave the order, he turned to the other subordinates.
"You will be responsible for capturing the rest of the notorious pirates."
—
Lieutenant General Monkey D. Garp, the "Hero of the Marines," personally set sail from Marine Headquarters with a fleet.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in the vast ocean, a two-masted sailing ship moved leisurely across the waves.
The ship belonged to Caesar. At this moment, he reclined comfortably on a deck chair, reading the latest newspaper while basking in the sun.
He remained unaware that the Marines' intelligence agency had located him and that Garp himself was leading a fleet toward his position.
"John, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe are causing quite the stir these days."
"They've all formed their own pirate crews, wreaking havoc across the seas."
Looking at the headlines in the newspaper, Caesar sighed.
Although those three weren't the absolute strongest of their era, they were still formidable figures.
According to some analysts—Haimi, as they were called—these three had combat strength on par with or close to an Emperor's top commanders.
That was no small feat.
Now that each of them commanded their own crews, they had become a significant headache for the Marines.
"The Golden Lion is making waves as well... His name now resounds across the entire world."
"He's on a different level compared to John, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe."
"As expected of someone who stands shoulder to shoulder with the greatest of our era."
Brad, one of Caesar's crewmates, grinned with envy.
"That just works in our favor," another crew member, Gliner, remarked while practicing his swordsmanship.
"With them drawing the Marines' attention, they won't have time to chase after us—at least not until the captain secures his ultimate weapon."
Hades, a newer member of the crew, remained silent as he listened to their discussion. Though he was still adjusting to life aboard the ship, his gaze fell on the bounty posters stacked on the nearby table, and he felt a surge of disbelief.
The three posters belonged to Caesar, Gliner, and Brad.
Caesar carried the highest bounty—1,020,000,000 berries.
Gliner ranked second, with 300,000,000 berries.
Even Brad's bounty reached 105,000,000 berries.
"They're about my age... maybe even younger, yet their bounties are already so high."
Hades couldn't help but be amazed.
—
[89] The Merman Karate That Shocked Hades
Three days later, Caesar's pirate ship drifted toward their next destination.
Hades, now recovering from his previous injuries, stood at the stern. He stretched his body slightly before taking a deep breath and diving into the ocean.
Despite his tall and burly frame, his dive was surprisingly smooth—almost elegant.
His entry into the water barely caused a splash, and the moment he submerged, he immediately began his training.
Beneath the surface, currents surged around him, responding to his movements. Even above the waves, the ocean's flow subtly shifted, producing deep, rumbling sounds.
The commotion at the stern didn't go unnoticed.
Sensing the disturbance, Caesar moved without hesitation. He rose into the air using his psychic abilities, then parted the seawater with his mind and descended into the ocean.
Watching from a short distance, Caesar observed Hades' movements.
Each punch and strike contained immense force, yet Hades also demonstrated an uncanny control over the surrounding water.
When underwater currents rushed toward him, he redirected them with ease.
Not only that, but he could transfer the force within the currents and unleash it in an entirely different direction—often with even greater power.
One after another, water-based shockwaves erupted from his palms, surging through the ocean.
"As expected of Merman Karate," Caesar thought to himself, impressed.
"The ability to manipulate water at will... this technique is truly remarkable."
He recognized an underlying principle within the art—something akin to the concept of "leveraging a small force to exert a great one."
If he could learn and integrate Merman Karate into his own martial arts system, his physical combat abilities would reach a new level.
At that moment, Hades, still focused on his training, noticed Caesar observing him.
Seeing his captain floating freely in the water without sinking, a look of shock flashed through Hades' eyes.
"Is this... a Devil Fruit ability?"
"No... something's off."
"If he had a Devil Fruit power, he wouldn't be able to move so freely in the water like this."
"Captain?" Hades swam toward Caesar, greeting him with a mixture of curiosity and surprise.
Caesar nodded slowly.
"You were practicing Merman Karate just now, weren't you?"
"It's quite impressive. But your body hasn't fully recovered yet. Pushing yourself too hard isn't wise."
"I want to become stronger as soon as possible, Captain," Hades replied seriously.
"I've seen your bounty, as well as the vice-captain's and Brad's. You're all incredibly powerful pirates. I don't want to be a burden—I want to stand alongside you."
Hearing this, Caesar smiled approvingly.
"That's the kind of resolve I admire."
He had sensed Hades' determination when he first recruited him.
A person like that would never simply accept their fate—they would always push forward.
Caesar placed a hand on Hades' shoulder in encouragement.
"Can you teach me Merman Karate?"
Hades nodded without hesitation.
"Of course."
He began demonstrating various techniques, explaining each move in detail.
Initially, he intended to give Caesar a slow, systematic introduction. But to his astonishment, after a single explanation, Caesar began asking about advanced details that a beginner wouldn't normally even consider.
Hades answered his questions one by one, but his curiosity grew.
"Captain, why do you want to learn Merman Karate? Aren't you already a master swordsman?"
"I am," Caesar replied, deep in thought. "But my martial arts skills aren't weak either. If I can incorporate the essence of Merman Karate into my fighting style, I can refine my abilities even further."
Hades was momentarily stunned.
He knew that Merman Karate was a deeply intricate martial art, passed down for generations among the Fish-Man race.
The idea of extracting its essence and integrating it into another combat system seemed... nearly impossible.
How profound must one's martial comprehension be to achieve something like that?
Despite his doubts, Hades kept them to himself. Caesar was his captain and his benefactor.
Caesar, unaware of Hades' skepticism, replayed what he had learned in his mind before attempting the techniques himself.
He surrounded his head with psychic energy, forming a hollow tube connected to the surface so he could breathe. Then, fully submerged, he mimicked the movements of Merman Karate.
The seawater around him responded immediately.
At first, the waves simply trembled. Then, as he refined his motions, the water began swirling around him, forming a vortex that rotated in sync with his movements.
Even though his control wasn't yet on par with Hades, the progress was astonishing.
This was his first time witnessing Merman Karate, and his first time attempting it.
Yet he was already manipulating water with it.
Hades could hardly believe his eyes.
"Captain, you…" He struggled to find words.
"What's wrong?" Caesar asked.
"N-Nothing." Hades shook his head, still in shock.
"Captain, you're a genius! You just learned Merman Karate by watching it once… Even the best prodigies among my people couldn't do that!"
Caesar merely smiled.
Could he tell Hades that he was a time traveler?
Instead, he simply said, "Let's spar."
Hades' eyes lit up.
A battle would show just how quickly Caesar could adapt—and just how powerful he truly was.
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