It was just that everyone on the Oro Jackson was strong, so there was no way they wouldn't hear the conversation.
Bucky and Shanks, the youngest members of the crew, were whispering about who was stronger—Roger or Caesar. Of course, this wasn't a real debate. They were merely excited, their voices filled with curiosity and admiration.
After arriving at the Central Kingdom, Caesar turned to Roger and his crew. "Welcome to my kingdom. I hope you all have a good time."
Then, without hesitation, he left.
To the world, Caesar was still regarded as a great pirate, but in reality, his more important identity now was that of a king—the supreme ruler of the Central Kingdom. He was no longer just a rogue pirate roaming the seas; he had responsibilities. There were countless matters demanding his attention.
Though he had officials to handle smaller affairs, major decisions and the kingdom's direction still required his oversight.
Kingdom Administration and Expansion
The first task at hand was the integration of the newly acquired islands into the Central Kingdom.
Caesar had recently relocated more than 100,000 people who had been rescued from various troubled nations and territories. Half a year ago, he had introduced a household registration system and issued identity cards to every citizen.
This wasn't just a means of collecting demographic data—it was a way to instill a sense of belonging among the people.
After all, Caesar's goal was to expand the kingdom's population to 30 million within three years. To maintain order and ensure effective governance, a structured system was necessary.
Fortunately, the initiative had been a great success. Over the past six months, every citizen had been registered, and even the rescued people had been integrated into the system.
Receiving an ID card gave them a sense of security and citizenship. Many of these people had already trusted Caesar for saving them, but now, with official recognition as citizens of the Central Kingdom, they fully embraced their new homeland.
Despite the massive influx of people, the kingdom's prosperity continued to grow, rather than decline.
For those living in this era of piracy, war, and chaos, having a stable and thriving country to call home was an unimaginable fortune.
Land Integration: Binding Islands to the Mainland
Arriving at one of the newly moved islands, Caesar began using his abilities.
With electromagnetic manipulation, gravitational control, and terraforming techniques, he reinforced the island's connection to the Central Kingdom's continental plate.
He also linked underground water veins between the new and old lands, ensuring seamless access to resources.
These efforts ensured that the new island blended naturally with the existing land.
The results spoke for themselves: flora and fauna adapted well, and residents were able to settle in comfortably without fear of collapse or instability.
With the foundational work complete, the administrative process of registering new citizens and issuing ID cards was left to his officials.
Caesar, however, had another pressing matter to attend to.
Devil Fruit Research: Forty-Six Unknown Abilities
Over the years, through raiding, trading, and battlefield acquisitions, Caesar had collected a total of forty-six Devil Fruits whose abilities remained unknown.
While searching for inhabitable islands and rescuing oppressed nations, he had often come across Devil Fruits, as they frequently appeared in places of conflict.
Now, with only a few months left before his three children were born, it was time to test and evaluate these Devil Fruits to find suitable ones for them.
He needed powerful, top-tier abilities—something on the level of Goro Goro no Mi (Thunder Fruit), Pika Pika no Mi (Glint-Glint Fruit), or Tenshi Tenshi no Mi (Angel Fruit).
However, such rare Logia and Mythical Zoans were extremely difficult to find.
Fortunately, Caesar had an efficient testing method thanks to his Seastone (Kairoseki) research.
Instead of experimenting on animals—which lacked the intelligence to describe their powers—he now used convicted criminals for testing.
These were individuals who had committed heinous crimes, captured during his rescue missions.
To Caesar, these villains weren't even worth as much as small animals. He felt no guilt using them as test subjects.
Since the Caesar Pirates had long cleansed the Central Kingdom of major criminals, there were no evildoers left within his territory.
Thus, whenever he liberated a nation, he would capture the worst criminals and bring them back for experimentation.
Now, it was time to put them to use.
---
Meanwhile, Roger Pirates Explore the Central Kingdom
While Caesar was occupied with Devil Fruit testing, Roger and his crew wandered through the Central Kingdom.
Bucky and Shanks, the youngest members, were especially excited.
"Whoa… This place is amazing!"
"Captain, look! That entire street is filled with bars!"
"And over there—looks like a massive market! Let's go check it out!"
Even the normally calm Shanks was starting to get carried away by the bustling atmosphere.
Roger chuckled at their excitement.
"Hahahaha! Alright, alright! Let's have a look around—and find a place to grab a drink!"
So, the crew followed him into a bar.
Of course, it wasn't just the youngsters who were amazed.
Even the veteran Roger Pirates were deeply impressed by the kingdom's order, prosperity, and architecture.
"This Caesar is truly different from other pirates," said Jabba, shaking his head in admiration.
"He isn't just strong," added Kourokas, the ship's doctor. "He's intelligent too."
Even Silvers Rayleigh, Roger's first mate, nodded in agreement. "There's something special about this place."
Roger remained silent, listening to the conversation with a small smile.
He had traveled to many nations, yet none had been like this.
Most countries ruled by pirates were lawless wastelands, rife with crime and anarchy.
But Caesar's kingdom was different.
It was a land where people of all races and backgrounds coexisted peacefully.
Every street was meticulously planned, greenery thrived, and there was a sense of order unlike anything seen in the pirate world.
This wasn't just the work of a strong pirate—this was the work of a visionary leader.
---
Back to Caesar: The Apex Devil Fruit
At the Central Research Institute, located on a floating island above the kingdom, Caesar continued testing the forty-six unknown Devil Fruits.
So far, the results had been underwhelming.
Most were Zoan Fruits with mediocre abilities, like the Raccoon Fruit and the Sparrow Fruit.
The Paramecia types were even more disappointing—Sponge Fruit, for example, seemed utterly useless.
Caesar sighed, growing irritated.
But just as he was about to lose hope, he picked up one particular Devil Fruit—and immediately felt something different.
It was silver-colored, with concentric ripple-like patterns covering its surface.
Caesar's eyes narrowed.
"This one… feels special."
He had a strong premonition.
This wasn't just any random Devil Fruit.
This was something powerful.
Something rare.
Something… at the peak of Devil Fruit abilities.
Turning toward one of the criminal test subjects, he tossed the fruit over.
"Eat it."
Now, he would finally see what this mysterious fruit was capable of.
Visit patreon.com/Akeyno to get 30+ chapters