It wasn't that no one considered escaping alone.
However, the high-ranking members of the Divine Guard on Birka Island were well aware of this possibility. That's why they specifically explained the concept of Mantra (Heart Net). After all, some among them had awakened the ability to use Mantra themselves.
Once everyone understood the power of Mantra, the idea of fleeing was abandoned, and they continued their desperate search.
That's right—right now, they were searching with everything they had.
They were even on the verge of digging three feet into the clouds.
As the people of Birka Island scoured every inch of their home for the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit), the crew of Caesar's Pirates was also keeping a close watch. They remained vigilant, making sure that no one secretly escaped, as at least one crew member possessed Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki).
Everyone knew the power of the Goro Goro no Mi. This time, they had to obtain it at any cost.
One day, two days…
For Caesar and his crew, time crawled by. Their only real task was preventing escapes, which made things dull. Every day felt the same.
But for the people of Birka Island, time was slipping away far too quickly.
Days passed in a blur.
They had searched relentlessly, yet there was still no sign of the Goro Goro no Mi. Anxiety spread among them.
A week had passed, and still, there was no trace of the fruit.
Watching the islanders practically tearing apart the island in their search, some members of Caesar's crew began to doubt its existence.
"Gnaly, do you think the Goro Goro no Mi is even on this island?" Hades asked, frowning.
The level of searching over the past seven days was extreme, yet they had found nothing. Suspicion crept into Hades' mind.
"I don't know…" Gnaly replied, rubbing his chin. "Seven days, and still nothing. Maybe we really do need to dig deeper. Or perhaps it's buried somewhere for some reason."
"That'd be a pain," Eli sighed, overhearing their conversation.
Other crew members shared the same doubts.
During their meal that evening, Regina finally voiced what many were thinking.
"Caesar, are you absolutely sure the Goro Goro no Mi is on Birka Island? The islanders have been searching nonstop, and they still haven't found it."
Caesar put down his utensils, his usual casual demeanor giving way to seriousness.
"This information is one hundred percent accurate," he declared firmly. "The Goro Goro no Mi is definitely here."
Though Caesar typically interacted with his crew as equals, his authority as captain was well established through countless battles. His unwavering confidence was enough to quell their doubts.
After the meal, they resumed their watch.
By this point, though, they felt there was hardly a need.
The islanders were searching so frantically that there was no room for rebellion.
Caesar's display of power had left an indelible mark of fear on their souls.
No one dared resist. Their only focus was finding the fruit.
"I wonder when they'll find it," one crew member mused. "Seven days have already passed. They don't have much time left."
"If it reaches the tenth day and they still haven't found it… what will Caesar do?"
"Caesar was probably just trying to scare them," another crew member speculated. "He wouldn't actually wipe out an entire island… right?"
"Caesar isn't that kind of person," Lily said.
Lily, Weina, and Regina observed the desperate islanders and whispered among themselves.
Weina sighed. "If it really was buried, like Gnaly suggested, then it might be impossible to find."
Still, they remained on guard.
Meanwhile, the captain of Birka's Divine Guard was drenched in sweat, his hands frantically combing through the area he was responsible for.
Several of his subordinates were also searching nearby.
"Damn it! Where is it?!" he muttered under his breath. "If we don't find it soon, we're all going to die!"
Sleep had been a luxury he couldn't afford these past few days. Even when he tried, the memory of Caesar slicing through the White Sea and White-White Sea with a single stroke haunted him.
"Keep searching! Search until you drop! If we don't find it, we're as good as dead!" the captain roared.
And so, another night passed under the watchful eyes of Caesar's crew.
By dawn, the eighth day had arrived.
In the temple of Birka Island, the so-called God of Birka sat pale and trembling.
Panic gripped him.
Eight days… and still, no sign of the Goro Goro no Mi.
It was as if the fruit didn't exist at all.
But he didn't dare say that.
He didn't dare resist.
He could only push his subordinates to keep searching—keep scouring the island until they either found the fruit or met their end.
Even he had joined the search himself.
He had once considered resisting, but like so many others, that thought had been crushed before it could fully form.
Because he feared that Caesar possessed Mantra—that he could read thoughts.
If Caesar sensed even a hint of rebellion, it would be over.
So, he didn't take the gamble.
Instead, he searched.
The image of Caesar's sword cleaving through the sky flashed through his mind, filling him with dread.
His fate was no longer in his own hands.
Just as he was scouring yet another area, his deputy suddenly spoke.
"My lord… do you think that the Devil Fruit could be…"
"Could be what? Speak!" the God snapped, his frayed nerves making him lash out.
"The ruins," the deputy suggested.
A spark of realization flickered in their eyes.
The ruins weren't on Birka Island itself but were only a few kilometers away.
Long ago, that place had been the true Birka Island—until disaster struck, destroying it.
A new Birka was built in its place, and the old island was left abandoned.
Now, it was little more than a wasteland, occasionally used to exile criminals.
Clutching onto this new hope like a drowning man grasping for air, the God of Birka hurried to request an audience with Caesar.
Once in front of Caesar, he revealed the possibility of the Goro Goro no Mi being in the ruins.
Caesar's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"There's a high chance it's there," he said.
Turning to Gnaly and Lily, he ordered, "You two, go with them to the ruins. If the fruit is there, I want it found immediately."
Without wasting another moment, the God of Birka led a group of his men—along with Gnaly, Lily, and several others—to the ruins.
They searched tirelessly, combing through every inch of the area.
As the hours ticked by, frustration mounted.
By the time the ninth day drew to a close, despair began to settle in once again.
Perhaps the fruit wasn't here either.
But the God of Birka refused to give up.
"Keep searching!" he bellowed. "I don't care if you have to tear this place apart! We will find that fruit!"
At this point, desperation had twisted his resolve into something ruthless.
Then—just as the ninth day ended—they stumbled upon something.
A buried structure.
An old, seemingly advanced laboratory hidden beneath the clouds.
"Go inside," the God of Birka ordered. "If the Goro Goro no Mi exists, it might be in there."
And with that, they stepped into the unknown, still clinging to their last hope.
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