A Meeting of Ambition and Justice
"Would you like to have a light meal together?"
This wasn't a mere invitation to eat—it was an invitation to pay.
Caesar immediately recognized the intent behind the words. The man before him was smiling, but behind that expression lay the clear rhythm of someone expecting him to foot the bill. Still, he didn't call it out. He didn't mind.
It just so happened that he had had enough.
"Hmm... it's time to eat something!"
With that, Caesar scooped up the remaining chips from the table, exchanged them for money at the counter, and left the casino with a smirk.
"Your Excellency, please."
As soon as they stepped outside, the blind swordsman Issho—better known in the future as Admiral Fujitora—took the lead, walking ahead as though he were guiding Caesar rather than the other way around.
Caesar raised an eyebrow. Though blind, Issho moved effortlessly, his cane tapping the ground in a manner that had nothing to do with finding his way.
Onlookers took notice. Some pedestrians whispered among themselves, their expressions filled with curiosity. "Is he really blind?"
After about five minutes, the two arrived at a modest noodle shop.
"Boss, udon noodles!"
As soon as he entered, Issho greeted the shopkeeper warmly, his familiarity suggesting he was a regular. He made his way to a corner table and sat down.
Caesar glanced at the menu before ordering a bowl of the house specialty pasta.
The food was served quickly—but not as quickly as Issho devoured it.
Bowl after bowl, he inhaled dozens of servings of udon, all within a quarter of an hour. Finally, he let out a satisfied burp, masking his embarrassment with a sip of tea. But his slightly flushed face gave him away.
He had no money to pay.
Caesar, however, didn't seem to mind. Without a word, he got up and settled the bill, paying for both his meal and Issho's veritable feast.
Issho, wiping his mouth, looked at Caesar with newfound interest. "Your strength is impressive."
Caesar chuckled, breaking the silence. "You're not bad yourself."
For the first time, Issho's expression grew serious. Though his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) wasn't as refined as it would be in later years, he was already highly perceptive. He could sense emotions, an ability found only among the strongest users of Kenbunshoku.
At its peak, Observation Haki could even predict the future, as seen in Charlotte Katakuri and Monkey D. Luffy. Other extreme forms existed—like the monstrous Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) of Garp or the supreme Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) wielded by legends like Gol D. Roger.
Caesar's own Observation Haki stood among the strongest. His abilities extended beyond standard perception—he could see images, much like Charlotte Linlin, and with his Force Field Fruit, he had taken it a step further.
His mastery over electromagnetic fields allowed him to refine his Haki, granting him abilities such as signal interception, communication jamming, and even direct eavesdropping on Den Den Mushi transmissions.
And in the future, as his control grew even more precise, he might even be able to read brainwaves—perhaps even manipulate bodies through finely tuned electromagnetic waves. But that was a long way off, even for him.
Even now, though, his Observation Haki was unrivaled.
His only weakness was in Busoshoku Haki—his Armament Haki remained the weakest of the three.
Yet as he observed Issho, Caesar noticed something remarkable.
The man sitting across from him carried an overwhelming presence—like a king surveying the world from above. His aura was immense, unmistakably that of a man who would one day become a powerhouse among the world's strongest.
"You're a terrifying man," Issho admitted.
A rare compliment.
Caesar's smirk deepened.
"Since you already know who I am, I won't bother with introductions."
Issho nodded. "King Caesar… One of the strongest of the old era. A legend among pirates."
The exposure of his identity didn't surprise Caesar. He knew that news of his arrival had already spread. A pirate of his caliber was always under surveillance—his wanted posters were plastered across the world, embedding his name in the minds of countless people.
"So…" Caesar leaned forward. "Why not join me?"
Issho's fingers tightened slightly around his cane.
Caesar continued, his tone casual but laced with intent. "A man of your caliber shouldn't waste his talents wandering aimlessly. The Kaiser Pirates would benefit from your strength."
Issho didn't respond immediately.
He seemed to be thinking—hesitating.
He wasn't opposed to the idea of being a pirate. His later actions in the Navy would prove that his sense of justice was his own, not dictated by labels like "pirate" or "marine."
Years later, in Dressrosa, Issho would let the Straw Hat Pirates go despite being an admiral. He could have crushed them after their battle with Donquixote Doflamingo—but he didn't.
So, at this moment, it wasn't piracy that made him hesitate.
It was Caesar himself.
The man before him was not just any pirate—he was an ambitious force of nature, akin to Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, or Shiki the Golden Lion. His ambitions made Issho instinctively wary.
Ambition often led to destruction.
In this world, justice wasn't black and white. The Navy weren't always righteous, and pirates weren't always evil. Everything depended on one's perspective.
And Issho needed to consider what path to take.
Caesar, noticing his hesitation, chuckled.
With the finest Observation Haki in the world, he didn't need words to understand what Issho was thinking. He already knew.
Still, he chose to speak.
"I do have great ambitions," Caesar admitted. "Like Rocks before me… like Shiki today… I want to be the King of the World."
Issho frowned.
"But," Caesar continued, "the king I seek to be is not one who rules through fear. I want a world where the common people—those without power—live in equality, safety, and prosperity."
Issho's fingers twitched slightly.
"If I were to become king," Caesar declared, his voice rising, "I would create a world where the oppressed are freed, where hunger is abolished, where people can live without fear!"
He looked Issho directly in the face.
"In this so-called free world, the greatest tragedy is that not everyone is free."
Issho listened carefully.
Caesar wasn't lying.
Despite his overwhelming aura—his ambition that could shake the world—his words rang true.
Issho had spent years seeing the cruelty of the world. He had witnessed the suffering of the innocent. It was why he had blinded himself—to rid himself of the horrors he could no longer bear to watch.
But now, for the first time in years, he wished he could see.
He wanted to see the world Caesar spoke of.
He wanted to know if such a future was truly possible.
"Is it really possible?" Issho murmured.
Caesar smiled. "With your Observation Haki, you should already know the answer."
Issho was silent for a long time.
Finally, he exhaled, a small smile playing at the edges of his lips.
"King of the World, huh…?"
For the first time, he seriously considered it.
A world without oppression. A world of peace and equality.
Could such a dream become reality?
Perhaps.
Just perhaps.
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