Caesar Sustained Release and the Pursuit of the Navy
"However, nowadays, the Navy pays more and more attention to us and hunts us down from time to time."
"Can we really keep a low profile?"
As soon as Gliner said this, the room fell silent.
Caesar himself knew the truth all too well.
Over the past year, although the Navy had been unable to take down Caesar and his crew, their pursuit had never relented.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku, former Admiral Zephyr, Vice Admiral Garp, active admirals, and elite vice admirals all took turns hunting them whenever they came close.
If word got out that the Caesar Pirates were heading to the East Blue, Garp would undoubtedly return.
After all, that was his homeland.
And when the time came, the Navy would surely lay a net across the East Blue.
Though Caesar was not afraid, would he willingly walk into a carefully laid trap?
Furthermore, that troublesome man, Gol D. Roger, also hailed from the East Blue.
If he caught wind that the Caesar Pirates were heading there, he might rush over out of suspicion, believing Caesar was planning to bring disaster to the region.
"It's fine. What I mean is, during the period of forging our swords, we should stay put."
"Hide the ship, disguise ourselves, and ensure no one notices."
"A sudden disappearance will make the Navy anxious."
"I see. That makes sense." The crew nodded in understanding.
Without another word, Caesar enveloped the pirate ship with his psychic power, lifting the entire vessel into the sky.
Since he had performed such feats multiple times before, the ship rose without a single tremor.
While the crew was used to it, the spectacle of their captain's abilities still amazed them.
Many rushed to the ship's edge, gazing at the sea below as it grew more distant.
Especially Arnold, the sniper who had joined just two months prior. His eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Captain, your ability is truly incredible!" Arnold exclaimed.
"It feels just like the Float-Float Fruit of the legendary Golden Lion, Shiki—but even better!"
"You can achieve the same feats without preconditions or the fear of seawater. It's amazing!"
As the ship climbed to a few hundred meters, they could see the sea's curvature.
This vantage point gave them an extensive view of the ocean—enough to spot a Marine warship a few kilometers away, positioned to monitor them.
When the Caesar Pirates ascended into the sky, the sailors aboard the warship panicked, scrambling for their binoculars.
But it was futile.
Even with binoculars, once Caesar's ship disappeared into the clouds, they had no way to track it.
They could neither determine the direction Caesar's crew was heading nor follow them.
Their warships, bound by the constraints of currents and the Red Line, could not keep up.
Gliner peered down at the warship below and scoffed, "After all this time, the Navy still hasn't learned anything."
The Navy Headquarters in Turmoil
After the Caesar Pirates vanished, the Marine surveillance crew sighed in frustration.
Though they had seen this many times before, it was no less infuriating.
With no other option, they reported the incident to Marine Headquarters.
At Marineford, the high-ranking officers took the news with calm expressions.
They had long since grown numb.
> [95] The materials are collected. Goodbye, Kozaburo Shimotsuki.
With the Navy's vast intelligence network, they were confident they would locate Caesar again soon.
They had already developed a deep understanding of his abilities—tracking him was difficult, but not impossible.
As long as they knew where he was, they could prevent him from threatening Marine Headquarters or major bases.
However...
One week passed.
Two weeks.
Three weeks.
One month!
For an entire month, they completely lost track of the Caesar Pirates.
Now, they were genuinely concerned.
"A pirate crew as notorious as Caesar's just vanished?!"
"Have they stopped moving entirely?"
Commander-in-Chief Kong slammed his fist on the table.
"You all know the kind of threat the Caesar Pirates pose to the world, don't you?!"
"Do I need to remind you?"
The room fell silent.
The Navy's intelligence officers looked helpless.
They, too, wanted to locate Caesar as soon as possible.
But what could they do?
Their ships couldn't fly or dive like Caesar's.
They all understood how dangerous Caesar's abilities were.
Just imagine—if Caesar suddenly appeared in Mariejois, attacking the Celestial Dragons, who could stop him?
The admirals stationed there wouldn't have time to react.
His ability was as strategic as Shiki's, if not more dangerous.
After extensive research, they had identified its strengths and weaknesses.
Compared to Shiki's Float-Float Fruit, Caesar's psychic power had:
Weaker stamina and material control, but...
Far greater combat potential and the ability to affect living beings.
Even an admiral-level fighter couldn't completely resist his influence.
Defeating him was one thing.
Protecting the defenseless Celestial Dragons while fighting him?
That was an entirely different problem.
Even Garp, one of the Navy's strongest, had struggled to protect a warship from Caesar's power.
And while the Navy was busy worrying...
Caesar Arrives in the East Blue
As early as a month ago, Caesar and his crew had already reached the East Blue.
High in the sky, Caesar used his Haki to scan the area for an uninhabited island—a place where they could lay low.
After all, both he and his ship were infamous.
Though the East Blue was not yet known as the "weakest sea," its Marine forces were still far inferior to those in the Grand Line.
But that didn't mean they wouldn't recognize his flag and alert Marine Headquarters.
If an admiral were dispatched, it could disrupt his sword-forging mission.
For a swordsman in pursuit of the ultimate blade, such an interruption was unacceptable.
Soon, Caesar found the perfect hideout—an uninhabited island with towering mountains, dense forests, and a natural lake at its center.
It was the perfect place to dock their ship.
After disguising themselves, they took a small boat and set sail for Shimotsuki Village, not far from the Goa Kingdom.
With Caesar using his abilities to accelerate their journey, they reached their destination in just a few hours.
After docking, they entered Shimotsuki Village.
The newer crew members were puzzled.
"This is Shimotsuki Village? It looks... plain."
"Caesar, does the swordsmith you mentioned really live here?"
"Shouldn't a famous blacksmith be on a more prosperous island?"
Caesar simply smirked.
Did he foresee the legend of Zoro?
Or the past of Shimotsuki Kozaburo?
Who knew?
But that didn't matter now.
Caesar led his crew toward the Isshin Dojo.
And there, waiting for him, was Shimotsuki Kozaburo—already prepared with tea.
As Caesar stepped inside, Kozaburo studied him with a complicated expression.
Finally, he sighed.
"In just a year and a half... I never expected you to grow to this level."
"Your talent is terrifying. You're still a teenager—not much older than my son."
"To reach such heights at this age... truly astounding."
"Heh, it's nothing." Caesar chuckled, feigning humility.
But his confidence was unmistakable.
He then unsheathed the Wado Ichimonji from his waist.
Simple yet elegant, this Great Grade Sword had served him well.
And though it no longer suited him, he had grown attached to it.
Relinquishing it now felt... bittersweet.
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