Although his stamina was far from depleted, Caesar found no reason to continue fighting. Prolonging the battle would do him no good.
Moreover, the longer he delayed, the greater the chances of naval reinforcements arriving.
If someone like Fleet Admiral Sengoku rushed over, they'd be in serious trouble.
The moment Caesar decided to retreat, his fighting style shifted drastically. His aggressive offense turned into evasive maneuvers, making it painfully obvious—even to Garp.
Garp, ever the battle-hardened warrior, noticed the change instantly. He clenched his fists and charged forward with renewed vigor.
"Caesar, are you trying to run away?" Garp asked.
"Run away? You're mistaken," Caesar smirked. "If no one interfered, I'd fight you to the bitter end."
"But I know the Navy too well. Your reinforcements are on their way. You don't expect me to take on all 150 of you alone, do you?"
Garp was silent for a moment.
If possible, he wanted to take Caesar down himself.
But he knew better.
If he couldn't do it alone, he'd rely on the Navy's collective strength.
A siege. No hesitation.
For the safety of civilians, he had to act.
After a brief silence, he gritted his teeth and declared, "Caesar, I won't let you escape today!"
"I might not be able to capture you alone, but I can stall you long enough."
"For the peace of the world and the safety of the innocent, I fight with the name of justice!"
Caesar, unfazed, unleashed a flurry of attacks, trying to break free from Garp's grip. But each attempt failed.
After several failed attempts, irritation flickered in his eyes.
Garp, sensing Caesar's frustration, tightened his fists.
"I already told you—I won't let you run away," Garp growled.
Caesar smirked. "I don't need your permission to leave."
"I've already figured out my escape."
His eyes darted to a nearby naval warship. In a single breath, he unleashed a devastating flurry of slashes, splitting the sea into fragments like shattered glass.
The naval warship had deliberately kept its distance from the battlefield, but it wasn't far enough.
Now, it became the perfect distraction.
Even the seasoned Marines on board couldn't withstand Caesar's relentless slashes.
Garp's expression darkened. Without hesitation, he used Soru and Geppo, pushing his speed to the limit.
Faster than the slashes, Garp intercepted the attacks midair, shattering them one by one with his iron fists.
The warship was saved.
But Garp knew—this was exactly what Caesar wanted.
By forcing Garp away, Caesar created the perfect opening for his escape.
Sure enough, Caesar laughed.
"Garp! I told you—I have a way to leave!"
"Haha! We'll meet again!"
[93] The Birth of the Caesar Pirates!
As Garp turned back, Caesar had already enveloped his pirate ship in his mysterious ability. In an instant, the ship vanished beneath the waves.
Instead of sailing, it moved underwater, propelled by Caesar's power.
In mere moments, the Navy's warships lost sight of him.
Garp stood at the bow, watching the turbulent sea.
How were they supposed to chase him?
The Navy's ships weren't built for underwater pursuit. They had no way to dive—no time for temporary coating.
And what kind of ability lets a ship move like that?
Beside him, the other Marines exchanged silent glances.
"Return to base," Garp finally ordered. "This operation failed."
"We underestimated Caesar. We didn't expect him to be this strong."
"And we never imagined his escape method would be so… unthinkable."
The sailors nodded, but in their hearts, they felt a creeping despair.
They had prepared extensively for this battle—even Garp himself had come.
Yet, they failed.
And next time? Even if they prepared better, who's to say Caesar wouldn't grow stronger, rendering their efforts useless once again?
To capture one pirate, would the Navy have to mobilize all its top forces? Even the Marine Headquarters and major bases?
Back in his cabin, Garp relayed the news to Marine HQ.
The high-ranking officers, who had anxiously awaited updates, fell silent.
A seventeen-year-old pirate had just slipped through their fingers.
Even with Garp on the battlefield.
How could they justify this?
If Caesar was already this dangerous, what would he become in the future?
"This is unacceptable!"
Steel Bone Kong's fist slammed against his desk, shattering it.
"No matter what happens in the future, we must increase Caesar's bounty immediately!"
"The World Government must understand how dangerous he is!"
A marine officer hesitated. "How much should we raise it?"
"At least 2 billion. We'll finalize the number when Garp returns," Kong muttered.
Meanwhile, far away from Marine pursuit, Caesar stood at the helm of his ship, grinning.
If even Garp couldn't capture him, why should he worry?
Would the Navy really send their entire force just to chase him?
And even if they did—so what?
At worst, he'd sink his ship beneath the ocean again.
Could those Devil Fruit-using Marines follow him down?
At this point in time, even Aokiji's existence was unknown—his Devil Fruit might not even have been eaten yet.
The ocean was Caesar's domain.
Once they were safely away, Caesar surfaced the ship.
He turned to his crewmates with a confident smirk.
"If the Navy is so eager to fight me…" he said.
"Then why bother hiding?"
"Let's form a pirate crew!"
Brad, Gliner, and Hades exchanged excited glances.
"You mean… right now?"
They had been waiting for this moment.
Caesar nodded.
Brad grinned. "Boss! You finally made up your mind!"
"Yeah! But we need a name," Caesar mused.
"And a Jolly Roger."
The crew fell into deep thought.
Pirate crews were usually named after their captain's defining trait.
But what was Caesar's defining trait?
He had no unusual hair, no iconic scars. Just a handsome face.
It couldn't be something ridiculous like The Handsome Pirates, could it?
Meanwhile, Brad, Hades, and Gliner argued over names.
Suggestions ranged from Scorching Sun Pirates to The Invincible Pirates—all completely absurd.
Caesar sighed.
If naming the crew was this bad, what nightmare would designing the flag be?
Then, Hades spoke up.
"Why not just call it The Caesar Pirates?"
"Simple. Easy to remember. Just like The Roger Pirates."
Brad and Gliner exchanged glances.
It made sense.
A pirate crew's name had to be iconic. Something that would spread like wildfire.
And after today's battle, Caesar's name was already famous across the sea.
"Then it's decided."
Caesar grinned.
From this day forward—The Caesar Pirates were born.
Subscribe to Patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters