Suddenly, Vice Admiral Garp no longer voiced his usual complaints about orders from Marine Headquarters.
The addition of this individual was bound to bring significant strength to the Caesar Pirates.
Such a development could disrupt the delicate balance of power at sea, plunging the world into further turmoil.
The battle raged on for several days, and news of it quickly spread across the globe.
Aboard the Moby Dick, New World
On the deck of the Moby Dick, a towering man with thick blond hair sat comfortably on his custom-made seat. Edward Newgate—better known as Whitebeard—held a freshly delivered newspaper in one hand and let out a booming laugh.
"Gurararara! As expected of Caesar!"
"He's come this far… Almost comparable to Captain Rocks!"
"What's the matter, Pops? What's so funny?"
Nearby, a group of young, inexperienced pirates watched their captain in amazement, their faces full of curiosity.
A few of them gathered closer, bombarding him with questions.
"Caesar? Was he really an old crewmate of yours, Pops? He doesn't look much older than us!"
"Yeah, judging by his appearance, he doesn't seem older than us, and yet he was once your companion?"
"Garp and Sengoku teamed up against him? No way! Even together, they couldn't defeat him?"
The young pirates, seeing the picture of Caesar in the newspaper—someone barely older than them—couldn't believe the hype surrounding him.
They, too, had read the contents of the article, but many dismissed it outright.
"Must be fake news!"
Whitebeard chuckled and decided to explain to his crew.
"That brat Caesar was only sixteen when he joined the crew."
"Even back then, he had already awakened all three types of Haki. His Conqueror's Haki? Stronger than mine at the time. Second only to Captain Rocks!"
"Now? That kid must be ridiculously strong—probably even stronger than me."
"In terms of Conqueror's Haki, in today's seas, only that guy Roger can stand on equal footing with him."
"Gurararara! Looking at things now, I doubt even I could beat him. What an insane brat!"
After finishing his statement, Whitebeard picked up the massive barrel of sake next to him and took a deep swig.
In just a few years, the Caesar Pirates had risen at an astonishing rate, something that even Whitebeard found surprising.
Although he had known from the start that Caesar was a terrifying figure—even back on the Rocks Pirates' ship—his growth had exceeded all expectations.
The newspapers didn't just cover this legendary battle. Several articles analyzed the Caesar Pirates' strength in detail.
One section of the report boldly declared:
"The Caesar Pirates now rival the strongest pirate crews!"
"Only the Roger Pirates can be compared to them. And with his current momentum, 'Heavenly King' Caesar is still recruiting. Soon, their dominance will be unquestionable!"
Upon reading this, Whitebeard's younger crewmates scoffed in protest.
"What nonsense! Pops is the strongest!"
"Exactly! Even if they were old shipmates, Whitebeard and the Whitebeard Pirates are still the number one crew!"
Knowing their captain's true strength, they outright rejected the claims in the newspaper.
They were certainly amazed that Caesar could go toe-to-toe with Garp and Sengoku, but the idea that he was already being called the strongest pirate?
That was too much to accept.
"Gurararara!"
Whitebeard simply laughed and said nothing more.
His ideals were different from Caesar's, and seeing his "sons" defend his name so fiercely made him smile.
Elsewhere in the World
Other legendary pirates were also paying close attention to this battle.
Above the Seas, Aboard the Golden Lion's Floating Fortress
On a massive island floating in the sky, Golden Lion Shiki sat in his chair, gripping a newspaper with trembling hands.
The same ambition burned within him—to conquer the world.
But his pirate crew was nowhere near as fearsome as Caesar's.
Though his forces were vast, he was the only real top-tier fighter in his crew. His subordinates weren't even at vice admiral level.
Reading the newspaper's assessment of Caesar's crew—especially one particular individual—Shiki clenched his jaw in frustration.
He had once tried to recruit Caesar as his right-hand man.
Now, that same man had completely surpassed him in power.
Not only that, but even his subordinates were monstrously strong.
"Damn it! Compared to them, my crew is filled with weaklings!"
His face twisted in anger.
"Jihahahahaha! Just wait, Caesar…"
The newspaper was torn to shreds in his hands.
A dark glint flickered in his eyes.
Totto Land, New World
Meanwhile, in Totto Land, Charlotte Linlin—Big Mom—had been tracking this battle for some time.
She had known about the Navy's move against Caesar before the newspapers even reported it.
But what exactly was their goal?
The battle's outcome revealed some useful information, but at the moment, it was of little concern to her.
Her focus had been elsewhere.
For years, she had prioritized expanding Totto Land and strengthening her family.
Raising her children to become the backbone of her empire.
By now, she had built an entire "kindergarten" of promising young warriors.
As she flipped through the newspaper, her attention quickly shifted to a plate of sweets.
Within moments, the battle was forgotten.
On an Isolated Island, the Roger Pirates
The only pirate crew the world recognized as Caesar's equal—the Roger Pirates—was in the middle of a grand feast on a picturesque island.
When a News Coo arrived, the crew immediately grabbed the latest paper.
"Two Great Marines vs. Caesar! Garp and Sengoku's Fierce Battle!"
A typical sensational headline.
But reading deeper, it became clear—only Sengoku had actually fought Caesar.
Seeing this, the younger members of the crew were unimpressed.
"Hey, Captain! When are we heading out?"
"Yeah! We've been on this island for too long!"
A red-haired boy and a blue-haired brat with a red nose ran up to their captain.
The implication was obvious.
They wanted Roger to lead them into a battle just as grand as Caesar's!
"We can't just let the Caesar Pirates take all the glory!"
Roger, laughing heartily, knocked them both on the head.
"You little brats, what nonsense are you thinking?!"
After giving them both a playful flick to the forehead, he went back to drinking.
But while the others couldn't tell, his closest crewmates—Rayleigh and Jabba—saw the seriousness in his eyes.
Roger had always kept tabs on Caesar.
He knew exactly how dangerous the man was.
The Navy wouldn't send both Garp and Sengoku after just anyone.
Ever since God Valley, Roger had become more certain of his own goal.
But Caesar?
Roger could see it clearly.
His ambition was just as vast as Rocks or Shiki's.
Perhaps even more so.
And now, his power had grown beyond what the world expected.
The newspapers claimed the Caesar Pirates were "becoming the new Rocks Pirates."
But Roger didn't agree.
There was one crucial difference—Caesar's crew was truly loyal to him.
Unlike Rocks, his subordinates actually stood united.
If another God Valley Incident occurred, the Caesar Pirates would likely emerge unscathed.
It was only a matter of time before they surpassed the legend of Rocks D. Xebec.
And the world…
Wasn't ready for that.
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