The next day, at noon.
Bright sunlight filtered through the room, and Caesar slowly opened his eyes, nestled between two pairs of soft Thunderous Peaks.
Feeling the warmth of the smooth skin on either side of him, Caesar silently clasped his hands together.
Amitabha…
Great God of Transmigration, I thank you for your mercy and generosity in bringing me to this wonderful world. I offer my most sincere blessings to this beautiful world!
Amen…
"Mmm… Darling, you're awake?"
Baby 5 rubbed her sleepy eyes and slowly propped herself up. "Sorry, I overslept. I'll go prepare breakfast right away!"
"No need!"
A slender, fair arm reached over Caesar and gently pressed Baby 5 back down.
Yamato, with her left leg draped over Caesar and a glistening smile on her lips, chuckled, "I want Caesar to cook!"
"Isn't it possible that the mansion has chefs?"
"No! I want Caesar to cook! His food glows!"
Yamato hugged Caesar tightly, nuzzling her cheek against his, her Ogre Horns lightly tapping his head.
"Spending all day cooking for you instead of doing proper work, huh? Get up already!"
Caesar gave her a light smack on her perky bottom and sat up.
Yamato followed suit, propping herself up on the bedding and leaning close to Caesar, her Thunderous Peaks swaying precariously. "I want you to make Sukiyaki Hot Pot!"
"That's not allowed, Sister!"
Baby 5 also leaned in, gently holding Yamato's arm. "How can we trouble our dear with such things? Let me make it for you!"
"No, I want Caesar to cook!"
Yamato stubbornly clung to Caesar, while Baby 5 tried to pull her away.
As Caesar gazed at the radiant "holy light" before him, he felt a sense of surreal nostalgia.
Just as Robin had said, he had not one but two such innocent girls!
No need for any elaborate schemes or efforts—after the banquet, the two had naturally gravitated toward him. Thinking about last night…
Woo-hoo!
"Refreshed and invigorated!"
Caesar stretched lazily and pulled out a recipe from somewhere, handing it to Baby 5. "Since you're so eager, I'll pass this secret manual to you! Once we set sail, you'll be the ship's chef!"
"Yay~"
Baby 5 happily took the recipe, holding it up high as if she had just received a priceless treasure.
"What about me, Caesar? What about me?"
Yamato looked at Caesar eagerly. "What's my role?"
"You'll be the combat captain!"
Caesar said cheerfully. "You'll be in charge of all the fighters from now on. How about it? Combat captain?"
"Yes, sir!"
Yamato saluted Caesar like a Marine from a comic, her smile practically overflowing.
Then she pounced on Caesar again. "Caesar, how much longer until we set sail?"
"Soon…"
Caesar gently patted her smooth, jade-like back, his voice warm.
But before setting sail, the biggest issue at hand was that, as his strength grew, there were no suitable opponents left to spar with.
Yamato was certainly strong enough, but looking at her face, Caesar couldn't bring himself to go all out.
Fights at the level of the Three Calamities could satisfy him, but they couldn't help him break through further—they were just good for daily physical training.
And if he were to seek out Kaidou…
It was unlikely that the other party, no matter how foolish, would choose this time to act as his sparring partner. If a fight were to break out, it would undoubtedly be a life-and-death battle.
To be honest, facing Kaidou at this point in time still made him somewhat apprehensive.
But fortunately, his physical strength was still steadily increasing. The only thing Caesar could do was eat more, sleep more, and keep training.
Since his mind couldn't settle, he decided to channel that restlessness into motivation for training, pushing his stats higher!
As long as he didn't train himself to death, he would train as hard as he could!
After breakfast and his daily fight with Yamato, Caesar headed to the outskirts.
A massive cube of Sea Prism Stone, five meters on each side, appeared before him. Caesar took a deep breath, gripping the bottom of the stone with both hands.
A wave of weakness instantly spread through his body, but thanks to his long-term exposure to Sea Prism Stone products, Caesar had somewhat adapted to it.
"Up… you go!"
With a low shout, he lifted the hundreds of tons of Sea Prism Stone.
Caesar let out a loud laugh, threw the stone with both hands, and then raised his arms to catch it.
The massive stone flipped gently in the air, and Caesar lowered his body, catching it steadily before slowly and firmly beginning to perform squats.
One, two, three…
One hundred, two hundred, three hundred…
Sweat dripped down his jawline, and in the blink of an eye, a day had passed.
The second day, the third day, the fourth day…
Squats, long-distance running, push-ups, or using the Sea Prism Stone as a punching target…
Day after day, week after week.
Half a month later, Caesar's mind finally settled.
He found his focus sharpening, his willpower growing stronger. Even when faced with the dual temptations of Yamato and Baby 5, he remained unwavering, waking up at seven every morning without fail.
As he trained daily, Caesar gradually began to appreciate the beauty of what he called "stats"!
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
His unprotected fists pounded heavily against the Sea Prism Stone. Days of relentless strikes hadn't changed the stone, but Caesar himself had undergone a dramatic transformation!
As his focus intensified, Caesar found his use of Armament Haki becoming smoother and more responsive to his will.
The shockwaves he unleashed by compressing Armament Haki reached the size of a small house, and the slashes he released by friction could easily cut through steel.
Moreover, through his extreme training method of constantly foreseeing the future, Caesar noticed that his Observation Haki seemed to have evolved once again.
He found that he could vaguely sense the thoughts and emotions of his targets.
And occasionally, in fleeting moments, Caesar felt as though he could influence the emotions of his targets, such as making the already excited Yamato even more frenzied…
Without a doubt, this was an extended branch of Observation Haki—Mind Reading!
Not just Mind Reading, but also emotional resonance.
In the original storyline, Otohime of Fish-Man Island seemed to possess such an ability.
Overall, this sense of calm was entirely different from the clarity he had experienced before.
If the previous sensation was like unlocking his body's potential, enabling evasion and prediction,
then this time, Caesar felt as though he had steadily leveled up to a maxed-out character, fully mastering his body and integrating every movement into instinct!
Boom—
With a kick, he sent the massive stone flying. Under the glow of the setting sun, Caesar let out a long exhale.
Wiping the sweat that trickled down his cheek, Caesar paused for a moment, sensing something as he turned his gaze in a certain direction.
There, a bear-eared man, nearly as tall as Kaidou and with a robust build, stood quietly observing him.
The man was draped in a massive cloak, cradling a tightly sealed small cage in one arm, while his other hand held a piece of Life Paper. The edge of the paper curled slightly toward Caesar, as if guiding him.
"What a... fateful encounter!"
Caesar broke into a smile, his expression warm and inviting, which eased the giant man's heart slightly.
With Robin, it was about emotions; with Yamato, it was about ideals...
But what about the man before him?
Noticing the wooden cage in the man's arms, Caesar's eyes flickered subtly.
"Actually... it was the guidance of your Life Card," the Bear-Eared Man spoke softly, his voice gentle.
"Ah, indeed!"
Caesar nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world: "And also the fate I... personally crafted!"