Not long ago, a world-renowned pirate crew that had clashed with Vice Admiral Garp in the East Blue suddenly arrived on a small island. The islanders reacted with mixed emotions.
Some were in awe—after all, their arrival meant a brush with legend. Others were anxious, wary of drawing the pirates' ire.
"Let's talk about surprise—it's inevitable. After all, they're infamous across the seas," someone murmured.
"But it's Caesar we're talking about. What if we accidentally provoke him?" another whispered.
Fear was natural, but even among the fledgling pirates on the island, there were those who dreamed of challenging Caesar, seeking glory through battle.
As the town watched in tense silence, the owner of a repair shop, a grizzled old man, shook his head and addressed the group of pirates standing before him.
"I'm sorry, but there aren't any ships for sale on this island. We only handle repairs and maintenance."
"None at all?" Caesar frowned, his arms crossed.
"Not a single one," the old man confirmed. "This island isn't big enough to support shipbuilding. There aren't even proper trees here for a keel. We only do basic repairs."
"Is your ship beyond repair? If you can manage, you might want to head to the next island and check there."
Caesar fell silent.
The old man had no reason to lie—who would dare deceive him once they recognized his identity?
Still, if they couldn't buy a new ship, they had only one option: repair the one they had.
"Boss, what do we do now? Are we stuck fixing our ship?" Brad asked, concern evident in his voice.
"Or we could just steal one," Gliner suggested. "There are plenty of pirate ships docked here. Taking one and sailing to the next island wouldn't be a big deal."
Caesar nodded, considering it.
If they could take a ship, and their target was another pirate crew, why waste money?
"Why doesn't Caesar just fly us to the next island?" Wei Na asked with a grin. "Wouldn't that be more comfortable than taking a boat?"
"Yeah! No dealing with waves, no relying on Brad's navigation!" she added.
It was no secret that Wei Na enjoyed being flown by Caesar.
Caesar understood—flying was definitely more convenient than sailing.
But he refused.
The thrill of sailing, the unpredictability of the Grand Line—that was what he enjoyed. If all he wanted was to get somewhere fast, he could simply fly straight back to the New World. Why bother retracing his journey from the East Blue?
"No. We'll repair the ship," he decided. "If we're worried about it holding up, we'll make sure it does."
"Besides, we might find a decent shipwright while we're at it."
With that, the crew set out to arrange repairs while also keeping an eye out for a boatwright worth recruiting.
Yet, despite searching the island, Caesar found no one impressive.
It wasn't surprising—this was only the starting point of the Grand Line. The island was small, insignificant. There were boatwrights, but none with real skill.
Caesar had hoped to find a talent he could train, but there was no one even remotely promising.
That left them with one option: stealing a ship.
At the harbor, several pirate vessels were moored. They weren't great, but they would serve as temporary transports.
Caesar sighed. If only he had recruited a boatwright while he was still in the New World, he wouldn't be in this predicament.
"Boss, you're not hesitating, are you?" Brad asked.
"We could always steal a ship that's decent enough for now," he added.
"Yeah, we grab something usable and upgrade when we find something better," Hades suggested.
Meanwhile, news of the Caesar Pirates' arrival had spread.
By evening, the island's tavern was buzzing. Pirates and off-duty shipwrights filled the room, drinking and gossiping.
"They're really here," one pirate whispered.
"I heard they fought Garp in the East Blue. Thought it was a rumor, but I guess not," another said.
"What do they want on a backwater island like this?"
"I heard they're looking to buy a ship," someone offered.
"Probably damaged theirs fighting Garp."
"Hah! Imagine if they lost their ship here," a voice chuckled. "That'd be a hell of a story."
"Maybe we should burn their ship," another pirate suggested. "Wouldn't that make us famous?"
Some pirates laughed, while others grew wary.
Destroying the ship of a pirate crew with a combined bounty of over four billion berries? That wasn't just reckless—that was suicidal.
Smarter pirates began making quiet plans to leave the island before things escalated.
Among the crowd, a young man in the corner listened intently.
He drained his drink, wiped his mouth, and left the tavern with determination.
---
[104] Challenge? The New Crew Member, Eli the Shipwright
By morning, trouble had already come knocking.
The previous night, a few reckless pirates had attempted to sabotage Caesar's ship, but they hadn't accounted for Hades standing guard.
The fish-man had easily dealt with them. Now, they had no choice but to wait for repairs.
As Caesar walked through town, a young man suddenly stepped in front of him.
He looked to be in his mid-twenties, older than Caesar himself.
Caesar studied him.
Is he looking to challenge me?
"What do you want?" Caesar asked. "You here to fight?"
The man quickly shook his head.
"No, you misunderstand! I want to join your crew!"
Caesar raised an eyebrow.
"I heard you're looking to fix your ship," the man continued. "I also heard your crew doesn't have a shipwright. I want to join you and sail the seas."
The man's eyes shone with excitement—he clearly longed for the pirate life.
Caesar sighed. He had seen plenty of wannabes eager to join his crew.
If he accepted every volunteer, the Caesar Pirates would be overflowing with dead weight.
He scrutinized the man.
"Not just anyone can join my crew," he said. "What can you do?"
"I'm a shipwright! One of the best on this island!" the man declared. "My name is Eli. I heard about you in the tavern and figured my skills could be useful."
"A shipwright, huh?" Caesar said with mild interest.
Of course, he wasn't about to accept just anyone.
"Just being good at repairs isn't enough. My crew fights when needed. Are you strong?"
Eli grinned, clenching his fists.
"I'm confident. Pirates try to skip out on their repair fees all the time—I beat them down every time. Never lost a fight."
Caesar smirked.
"You talk big. But I need proof."
"You want a fight?" Eli asked, eyes lighting up.
"I've wanted to test myself against you since I heard about your battle with Garp," he admitted. "I know I can't beat you, but I'll prove I belong on your crew!"
Eli drew a hammer and an axe from his toolbelt.
Caesar's smirk widened.
"Interesting choice of weapons," he remarked.
"I'm a shipwright," Eli said with a grin. "These feel natural to me."
"Alright, then," Caesar said, stepping forward. "Show me what you've got."
Eli gritted his teeth, ready to prove himself.
But Caesar remained still, hands at his sides, not even reaching for his weapon.
Eli blinked in confusion.
"You're not even getting ready?"
Caesar smirked.
"Go ahead. Take your best shot."
Eli scowled.
Is he underestimating me?
"Damn it," he muttered. "Fine, then—I'll make you take me seriously!"
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