No wonder this guy's attitude was so good—turns out he was trying to recruit a son-in-law?
Hanafusa's words couldn't even be called a hint anymore; it was practically a direct slap in the face!
But to be fair, Ulti is indeed a good girl, just a bit too young.
Sixteen years old…
Caesar didn't care about the legal implications, since they were all outlaws anyway.
But whether it was personality or physique, he tended to prefer women over twenty, unless they were exceptionally gifted.
As for Ulti's talent, it was just average.
In the original story, her figure was quite good by her twenties, but her personality was still that of a little girl.
He liked having Yamato call him "Dad," but he didn't actually want to become a real father…
"You bastard, Pops, are you trying to make Caesar your son-in-law?"
Ulti froze for two seconds, then suddenly looked horrified: "You want to marry Page One off to this guy? No way! Page One is a man, you know!"
Caesar rolled his eyes: "Have you lost your mind?"
Ulti glanced at Caesar, then suddenly cupped her face with both hands: "And I'm even more out of the question!"
"No need to be so dismissive."
Caesar's face darkened: "Besides, I already have a girlfriend…"
As soon as he finished speaking, the father and daughter duo suddenly tilted their heads in unison, as if they were about to say something in perfect sync, but Caesar abruptly raised his hand to stop them.
"Alright, I know what you're going to say. There's definitely something off about the feng shui in Wano Country…"
Caesar waved his hand and turned toward the cabin: "We've rescued the people, so don't bother me unless it's important. Let me have some peace."
For this trip, Caesar was staying in Page One's room. The siblings each had rooms on the ship, and the rooms were kept spotlessly clean, so Caesar was quite comfortable.
Lying down on the bed, Caesar closed his eyes and recalled what Whitebeard had said when they parted.
Purity…
He could somewhat understand what Whitebeard was trying to convey.
But just like when he was learning Armament Haki, some things are hard to truly grasp until you've experienced them firsthand.
That said, the World's Strongest Man definitely had something to him. With just one glance, he had pinpointed Caesar's issue.
Caesar had vaguely sensed this dissonance before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
It was somewhat similar to the profound enlightenment described in fantasy and martial arts stories, but it felt more grounded in reality.
It was definitely a state he already understood, but for some reason, he just couldn't achieve it!
Aside from their conversation before parting, Marco hadn't brought up the matter of treating Whitebeard's illness this time.
Caesar didn't think Marco would forget something so important, so he didn't bother asking about it himself.
In the end, there were only two possible reasons.
First, it was a matter of identity—after all, Caesar was now one of Kaidou's people.
Second, it was a matter of ability—the power of a Thrall could make someone's mind and body submit to him, something Caesar had mentioned to Marco before.
Given Whitebeard's level of Haki and willpower, it was impossible for him to be controlled by a Thrall. If Caesar hadn't explained this beforehand, it might have led to unnecessary misunderstandings.
Caesar leaned more toward the latter reason. With Whitebeard's strength and boldness, it was unlikely he'd be hesitant or wary due to identity issues.
But after all, this was the World's Strongest Man, someone who had once rivaled the Pirate King.
Given the pride of these old-timers, they would probably rather die than allow their minds and bodies to be controlled by others, even if only for a brief moment.
"Strength..."
"Conviction..."
"Purity..."
"Pride..."
Lying on the bed, Caesar stared straight at the ceiling, muttering to himself.
After all, he was a modern-day transmigrator. Although his strength had grown rapidly, his mindset couldn't change overnight.
In a daze, Caesar's consciousness began to scatter.
His time with the Whitebeard Pirates had been relatively harmonious, but he still felt somewhat tense inside.
After all, they were pirates. Caesar wasn't foolish enough to interact with them through rose-tinted glasses. Back then, if he had any other choice, he wouldn't have risked seeking Marco's help to find the fruit.
People like Kuma and Issho were his first choices.
However, Issho was always elusive, and Kuma was busy seeking medical help for Bonney.
Caesar wasn't sure if the Vampire Fruit could cure Bonney's illness, or even if the fruit truly existed. If it turned out to be a wild goose chase, it might delay Bonney's treatment...
Not to mention whether Kuma would kill him, Caesar himself would feel too ashamed to live on.
He could eradicate an enemy's entire family due to conflicting stances, but if it came to selfishly delaying someone's life-saving treatment, he wasn't that far gone.
His moral standards weren't high, but they weren't nonexistent either.
As his mind relaxed, Caesar gradually fell asleep.
This sleep was chaotic, even bordering on a deep slumber.
Caesar felt as if he were in a half-awake state, vaguely aware of the outside world but unable to wake up.
In his dream, memories from both his past and present lives flashed through his mind like scenes from a movie.
After what felt like an eternity, Caesar suddenly opened his eyes, his body drenched in sweat.
Despite the chaotic sleep, he didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue. Instead, he felt inexplicably refreshed.
"Ha! You're awake!"
With a loud bang, the door was suddenly kicked open, and Ulti stormed into the cabin.
Gurgle...
Caesar's stomach growled: "Is it time to eat?"
"Eat? What are you talking about?"
Ulti rolled her eyes and spread her arms wide, drawing a huge circle: "The ship is about to dock! What are you talking about eating? You're such a—lazy bum! You slept for two whole days!"
"Two days?"
Caesar was slightly stunned, not realizing he had slept for so long.
"Huh? Why are you so sweaty? Are you sick?"
Ulti leaned in, her forehead pressing against Caesar's, her big eyes blinking as she stared into his.
Looking at the beautiful face so close to his, Caesar was momentarily stunned.
He didn't move away.
A few seconds later, Ulti suddenly turned fierce, her forehead slamming into Caesar's with a loud thud!
"If you're not sick, why are you sweating so much, you jerk! You've soaked Page One's bed!"
"I really shouldn't have had any expectations of you..."
Caesar rubbed his forehead and stood up, yawning before stretching comfortably.
Stepping out of the cabin, the ship was already approaching the dock of Oni Island.
With a flap of his wings, Caesar appeared on Oni Island in the blink of an eye.
"Hey, King!"
Following the guidance of his Observation Haki, Caesar arrived at a spacious basement beneath the main building.
The basement was slightly chilly, filled with barbells of various sizes and weights.
In the dimly lit room, King was swinging a barbell the size of a small sailboat, repeatedly performing slashing motion
s.
"You're back? What about Hanafusa?"
"He's back too."
Caesar beckoned to King with a gesture: "Forget that for now, come and spar with me, full strength!"