Clang—
Caesar blocked the palm strike with his sword, but a powerful impact force suddenly surged, sending his figure flying sideways.
"A Gimmick Monster!"
With a flap of his wings, he steadied himself, and Caesar couldn't help but marvel.
The strike just now didn't use Haki; it was purely a test of raw strength, and unsurprisingly, he was sent flying.
Caesar thought that if even his current strength couldn't withstand such elasticity, it could almost be considered a Conceptual Technique.
Whoosh—
Kuma's figure flashed again, appearing almost instantaneously.
Caesar once again raised his sword, wrapping it in Armament Haki, and clashed with the Paw Pad on Kuma's hand.
Boom—
His figure was sent flying once more, and Caesar was somewhat surprised. "Even Armament Haki Infusion can be repelled?"
"Yes."
Kuma nodded slightly. "Armament Haki attacks need to adhere to the surface of an object. While they can cause damage, they can also be repelled."
"I see…"
Caesar swung his sword, releasing an Armament Emission slash.
Kuma waved his hand, and with a clang, the slash abruptly veered off into the sky.
Caesar was stunned again. "Even Armament Emission can be blocked?"
Kuma silently raised his hand, his palm covered in a layer of Armament Haki, enveloping the Paw Pad. His calm tone carried a hint of pride.
"After all, I can also use Armament Haki. It doesn't interfere with my Devil Fruit ability, and attacks like slashes or impacts, which can't be sustained, are easier to repel."
This is just plain cheating, isn't it?!
Caesar was dumbfounded, realizing for the first time just how annoying a Gimmick Monster could be.
All his opponents up until now had followed the path of raw power, including Yamato's freezing aura and Kaidou's storms, lightning, and thunder, which were essentially forms of power scaling.
But Kuma, a Gimmick Monster, was his first encounter with such a foe.
It did feel a bit disgusting…
Against such an enemy, as long as your power doesn't exceed their limit, you're pretty much doomed to be beaten up!
Of course, this isn't absolute, as battles are dynamic. Different opponents and states might produce different outcomes, like Usopp in desperate situations…
"Come on, let's go again!"
Caesar's interest was piqued. He sheathed his sword and threw a punch!
Conqueror's Haki infused with Flowing Sakura clashed heavily with the Paw Pad in Kuma's palm!
Boom—
Lightning erupted, and the clouds in the sky were instantly scattered!
Feeling the tremendous force transmitted through his palm, a flicker of surprise flashed in Kuma's eyes.
In his vision, the air between the fist and palm was compressed to its limit before exploding violently!
Kuma's Paw Pad ached, and his figure was sent flying uncontrollably.
"Phew… the value of Conqueror's Haki is still rising!"
Caesar blew on his faintly steaming fist and grinned triumphantly.
In the distance, Kuma got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and appeared before Caesar in the blink of an eye.
He looked down at his slightly swollen Paw Pad, somewhat surprised. "Truly remarkable strength. With just Conqueror's Haki Infusion, you've already become one of the top powerhouses on this sea."
Caesar observed Kuma's condition. "You're also quite something… acting like nothing happened."
Unlike the punch that had landed on King's face earlier, Kuma had caught this one with his hand and resisted it with his own strength, so he seemed unscathed.
Caesar felt that Kuma's defensive capabilities should be inferior to King when he was engulfed in flames, but far superior to King when his flames were extinguished.
However, in terms of raw strength, Kuma was likely stronger than King, and by a significant margin.
"Then... let me see your overall combat prowess now!"
Caesar's hand brushed over the hilt of his sword, and the blade vanished. In the next instant, his figure flickered, appearing abruptly in front of Kuma like a skipped frame.
Kuma was startled and instinctively threw a punch, but it hit nothing.
His Observation Haki sensed danger, and he swiftly turned around, raising his hand to aim at Caesar, who was lunging toward him from mid-air. "Pressure Cannon!"
Whoosh—
The moment the transparent, bear-shaped cannon was fired, Caesar's figure suddenly rose a meter in height, dodging the Pressure Cannon while simultaneously throwing a punch toward Kuma's face!
Thud!
Before Caesar's fist could connect, Kuma pushed himself backward, flying a dozen meters away.
"An interesting way to use it, but I've caught onto your weakness..."
With a sweep of his massive wings, Caesar surged toward Kuma like a predatory bird.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of dull sonic booms erupted in Kuma's ears, and in the hazy steam, he saw dozens of Caesars appearing in his vision.
Afterimages?
Was that even possible?!
Kuma stared in disbelief, his mind filled with incredulity.
Suddenly, a hand rested on his shoulder from behind, causing his body to stiffen slightly. He shook his head helplessly. "Sharp combat instincts, extreme burst speed... even without considering your frontal combat strength, there's probably no one in the world who could escape your assassination."
"Every inch has its strengths and weaknesses..."
Caesar landed lightly back on the ground. "As I expected, in close-quarters combat, your reactions can't keep up with that kind of speed."
"True, but your fighting style is dangerous."
Kuma warned, "It puts too much strain on your body and will rapidly deplete your stamina. You should be careful—fatigue accumulates in layers and might suddenly exceed your limits at some point."
"That's something I should indeed pay attention to."
Caesar nodded. Kuma was undoubtedly the person in the world who understood fatigue the best. It was wise to heed his advice.
His Vampire Fruit didn't grant him infinite stamina either. Manipulating blood also consumed physical energy, and while he could recover by drinking blood, mental fatigue was a factor that couldn't be ignored.
"Excellent! With this, we now have three top-tier fighters! Congratulations all around~"
Caesar clapped his hands. "To welcome you, let's throw a banquet tonight!"
"Three top-tier fighters? Who's the other one?"
"My girlfriend, Yamato!"
Caesar grinned. "She's mastered Conqueror's Haki Infusion, and her strength is no less than yours!"
"Young people these days... truly remarkable!"
Kuma was about to say something when the Den Den Mushi in his pocket suddenly started ringing.
"Hello, this is Kuma."
"Kuma, it's bad!"
The voice on the other end belonged to a middle-aged man, sounding extremely urgent.
"King Beckley, that bastard, is back! The elders have been captured! He's demanding that you surrender at the palace within three days, or he'll kill them!"
"What's going on?"
Kuma's expression darkened. "Weren't his soldiers all defeated?"
"It's the Marines!"
The man's voice was filled with anger: "King Beckley has found the Marines. That guy is the former king. I don't know what he promised the Marines, but he managed to get them involved."
"What about Brudo Grudge?"
"He's been captured too!"
"Three days? I see..."
Kuma was calculating the time in his mind and was about to hang up the Den Den Mushi when Caesar suddenly stopped him.
"Wait, tell him you're willing to pay the ransom! Tell him not to rush and to name his price first!"
Caesar explained in a low voice: "The Celestial Tribute that the World Government-affiliated countries have to pay every year is no small amount. That guy has the Marines as his backing, so he must have spent a considerable price. Don't rush. Buy as much time as possible. I'll find someone to negotiate with him."
"I understand... Tell King Beckley that I'm willing to pay the ransom and to name his price first."
Kuma hung up the Den Den Mushi, his expression urgent: "You heard it too. Can you take care of Bonney for me? I'll finish things over there as quickly as possible."
"What are you talking about? You're my subordinate now. How can I let you go alone? Although it's earlier than expected, it's about time..."
Caesar took out the Den Den Mushi and called Doflamingo.
Purupurupuru... Click...
"Good evening, Doffy!"
"Fufufu... So it's Caesar. What's the urgent matter at this late hour?"
Doflamingo's tone was relaxed, and faint music and laughter could be heard from the other end of the line, as if he was at a party.
"Have you heard about the revolution in the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue?"
"Of course, after all, my people just delivered that person to you..."
"I just received news that King Beckley has the Marines as his backing and is holding the citizens hostage to threaten Kuma. I need you to help me stall him for a while by offering a ransom. Name your price?"
"Fufufufu... Such a small matter. Talking about money would hurt our friendship."
Doflamingo readily agreed.
King Beckley had just gone through a turmoil and had the Marines as his backing. It was obvious he was short on money, so this was a sure thing.
All he had to do was say a few words and send a subordinate to handle the details, and he could earn a favor from Caesar. This deal was too good to pass up. Only a fool would ask for money.
"Then I'll leave it to you."
Caesar raised an eyebrow, naturally guessing the other's thoughts.
Fortunately, he was shameless. If he really wanted to move against Doflamingo, this favor wouldn't save him at all.
"What's all this talk about trouble? We're practically family. You should come over sometime, fufufu..."
"Alright."
"..."
After the call, Doflamingo's smile stiffened slightly.
Wait, are you really coming?
I was joking!
But the words were already out, and it would be awkward to take them back.
Otherwise, whether the people of the Sorbet Kingdom lived or died was unclear, but he would definitely be in big trouble...
"Don't worry, with his abilities, there's no need to worry for now."
After hanging up, Caesar reassured: "Just wait for his news."
"Then when do we set out?"
Although he had Caesar's assurance, Kuma couldn't help but feel a bit anxious.
Caesar shook his head slightly: "No rush, I still have some things to handle."
Thinking about Kuma's future experiences in the original story, Caesar couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness.
This guy is still too honest. He actually followed Saturn's words and didn't see Bonney again until his consciousness was completely erased.
Caesar had no doubt that if he hadn't encountered Kuma first this time, Kuma might have really bound his own hands and delivered himself to them.
"Peace exists when sought through struggle, but perishes when sought through compromise. Taking a step back won't bring you a vast sea and sky; it will only allow those people to take an inch and demand a mile. Those who lack morality will never reason with you."
"Disasters are a constant in this world. I know you're worried about the elderly, but in this vast sea, we must always be prepared for revenge. Those who can't go all out will only be manipulated by others."
Kuma fell into silence. He knew Caesar was right, but he truly couldn't bring himself to go all out.
Caesar, on the other hand, couldn't stand even the slightest threat.
If you can threaten me, then I can threaten you too.
Normal people all have things they care about—power, wealth, beauty, family, friends, or even their own lives...
For example, if the Navy publicly executed Ace, and if he were Whitebeard, he would probably capture a few Celestial Dragons right away.
If the Navy dares to carry out a public execution, I wouldn't mind shattering the myth of the Celestial Dragons' invincibility in front of the whole world, letting everyone see that even gods can bleed!
It's all about who has the better composure!
There are so many practical methods, yet Whitebeard charged head-on, even knowing the enemy was fully prepared and had the home advantage...
Compared to the Navy, King Beckley, a greedy and despicable man, was much easier to deal with in Caesar's eyes.
After being crushed once, as long as Kuma didn't show up, Beckley wouldn't dare to harm the elderly. After all, the Navy wouldn't protect him forever, and the ransom was just a last resort.
Relatively speaking, the truly difficult ones are those mad dogs who care about nothing, but such people are extremely rare and, ironically, the easiest to manipulate.
The strong prey on the weak, and the strong rule.
This is an iron law in any world.
But precisely because of this, many people subconsciously overlook something even more important: survival of the fittest!
Everyone has their own unique traits, so naturally, different approaches are needed when dealing with different people or situations. Only those who survive have the right to grow stronger...
Seeing Caesar's calm demeanor, Kuma forced himself to calm down as well.
The two returned to the General's mansion. In the room, Bonney was being held in Yamato's arms, and the two were engrossed in reading a comic.
Baby 5 hummed a tune as she brought dish after dish to the table, looking every bit like a newlywed bride.
In the courtyard outside, Robin was punching a sandbag, her black hair tied up in a high ponytail. Her punches were sharp and precise, showing significant improvement from before, and the lines of her abs were faintly visible under her sports tank top.
"Darling, you're back~"
Noticing the two entering the room, Baby 5 immediately pounced into Caesar's arms: "Dinner is ready!"
"Good job."
Caesar affectionately patted her little head, then turned his gaze to Yamato and Bonney: "It seems you two are getting along well?"
"Yeah! Bonney is very well-behaved!"
Yamato lifted Bonney by her armpits, giving off an inexplicable Simba vibe.
"Stop lifting me like that!"
Bonney struggled, her body suddenly transforming into that of an eighteen-year-old girl, and she leaped into Kuma's arms like a fawn: "Kuma, you're back! When are we going home?"
"Can't go back~"
Caesar's voice drifted lazily from the side: "Your father sold his life to me to cure your illness. From now on, he can only work for me to pay off his debt~"
"Huh?!"
Bonney looked at Caesar in shock: "You Vampire!!!"
"I am one!!!"
Caesar's face darkened; it was indeed an undeniable fact.
"Come on, everyone, gather around. I have something important to say."
Caesar beckoned to Robin in the courtyard. Robin wiped her sweat and entered the room.
She glanced at Kuma, deep in thought: "Are we leaving?"
Caesar nodded: "That's right. Let me briefly introduce you. This is Kuma, whose strength is no less than an All-Star. He's our new companion. And this pink-haired girl next to him is his daughter, also our new companion."
"Even I got sold?"
Bonney looke
d at Kuma, then chuckled: "Well, as long as I can be with Kuma, it's fine!"
Caesar couldn't help but smile and got down to business: "To cut a long story short, due to some unexpected events, we need to leave here earlier!"
"Earlier? When?"
Yamato suddenly stood up, her face full of excitement.
"Anytime now."
Caesar took out his pocket watch and glanced at the time, his eyes seemingly burning with ambition: "Of course, before that, I still have a tough battle to fight..."