Two days later, on a deserted island in the East Blue.
"Hahahaha, long time no see, brat Caesar!"
Two ships docked side by side along the shore as Hanafusa and Caesar met on the beach.
Casually catching the small box tossed his way, Caesar opened it and glanced inside. There lay a green Devil Fruit, its shape resembling a perfectly round virus—utterly ominous no matter how you looked at it.
Hanafusa grinned, baring his teeth. "I checked the Devil Fruit encyclopedia. This is the Sick-Sick Fruit, right? A pretty decent Paramecia Type!"
Caesar chuckled. "Whether it's the Dark-Dark Fruit or the Flare-Flare Fruit, they've all been a great help to me. I owe you one."
Hanafusa smirked proudly. "Hahaha, just got lucky, that's all. And it's not like I came out empty-handed either."
An Ancient Zoan and a powerful regular Zoan—for a battle-crazed guy like him, those were far more valuable than any Logia Type.
"By the way, do you have any other Devil Fruits on hand? I'm willing to pay top beri for them," Caesar asked.
"Well..."
Hanafusa thought for a moment. "Aside from a few Zoan Types, there's one Paramecia Type left. But honestly, it's probably the most useless one I've ever seen. If you want it, I'll just give it to you."
"For you to say that, just how useless is it?" Caesar asked curiously.
Hanafusa shook his head with a sigh. "The Silence-Silence Fruit, a Paramecia Type. All it does is muffle sounds."
"Perfect, then hand it over. I plan to research the Lineage Factor of Devil Fruit users later, so I need to collect more Paramecia abilities."
Caesar was inwardly delighted.
The fruit was indeed trash-tier, but it was the very one eaten by Corazon—Trafalgar Law's savior—before his death.
Since Law was also one of his targets, who knew? This fruit might just come in handy.
"Wait here, then!"
Hanafusa called over a subordinate and gave a few orders. Soon, another small wooden box was delivered to Caesar.
Storing both fruits away, Caesar waved a hand. "Thanks for this! I'll take my leave now!"
"Hey?!!"
Watching Caesar flap his massive wings and soar into the sky, Hanafusa's face darkened instantly. "I came all the way from the Grand Line to deliver this to you, and you won't even treat me to a drink?"
"Next time!"
Caesar's voice carried down from above. "My navigator isn't too fond of Pirates. Once we're back in the Grand Line, I'll treat you then!"
"Navigator?"
Hanafusa blinked, then hurriedly took a few steps forward. "Oi, brat, you got yourself another woman? How about considering my Xiao Run?"
"That depends on whether she's willing!"
Caesar laughed. You're being so blunt about it—how could I possibly refuse now?
Whoosh—
Anchor raised, sails unfurled, the ship slowly set course toward Reverse Mountain.
Deuce watched Caesar with envy. "As expected of our captain, getting people to willingly offer their daughters to him."
Ace, however, scoffed. "Tch, I hate people who force their kids' lives onto others like that."
"Well, Pirates are Pirates. The law of the jungle is in their blood—naturally, they'd want to secure a strong future for their children."
Robin smiled faintly. "Though it seems that girl might actually have some interest in Caesar."
"Is she pretty?" Deuce asked curiously.
"A super cute girl, same race as Yamato, with features as delicate as Nami's, a lively personality, and formidable strength."
Robin glanced at Caesar. "If it's her, I wouldn't mind having another little sister."
Hearing this, Deuce and Ace exchanged looks before simultaneously bowing to Caesar.
"Please teach us!" ×2
"You two..."
Nami was speechless. "Can't you learn something decent? If Caesar were an illiterate, rude, and hideous brute, do you think any girl would like him? Why not focus on improving yourselves instead?"
Deuce smacked his palm. "Since you say that, it means in your eyes, the captain is actually a knowledgeable, elegant, and handsome man, right?"
Nami glanced at Caesar, who tilted his head with amused interest.
"Well... passable, I guess."
Nami turned her face away. "But I don't like womanizers."
Caesar snapped his fingers, signaling Kuma. "Double Nami's training tomorrow."
"Ah! You despicable person!!" (Note: "Beibi Xiaoren" is intentionally left in pinyin as "Beibi Xiaoren" is a common Chinese insult meaning "despicable/villainous person," and the exclamation is contextually clear.)
Ignoring the furious Nami, Caesar took out two Devil Fruits.
One fiery red, the other eerie green.
The red fruit resembled warm flames, while the green one looked like a sinister virus.
"You two..."
Caesar looked at Ace and Deuce. "The red one is the Flare-Flare Fruit, allowing you to become fire, with formidable combat abilities. The green one is the Sick-Sick Fruit, enabling you to create and release various diseases, useful for both medical and combat purposes."
"These... are for us?"
Ace was stunned. "Deuce aside, I get one too?"
"What are you saying?"
Caesar raised an eyebrow. "At least for now, you're part of this crew, aren't you? We're nakama, right?"
"Nakama..."
Ace faltered, then awkwardly turned his head away. "Forget about me. I'll defeat you sooner or later anyway, and with so many people on board, it's not like I'd be a priority."
"Aside from Nami, the rest of us are Devil Fruit users. I've already picked out a fruit for Nami too."
Without further discussion, Caesar handed the fruits to them.
Ace stared blankly at the Flare-Flare Fruit in his hand, lost in thought.
Crunch!
A crisp sound echoed beside him.
Ace turned to see Deuce already taking a bite.
"Blech—disgusting!"
"You just ate it?!"
Ace exclaimed. "If you eat a Devil Fruit, you'll never be able to swim again!"
"What else was I supposed to do?"
Deuce wiped his mouth and grinned. "Our captain's goal is to overthrow the World Government. There's no avoiding battles in the future. I may not be a fighter, but I can't afford to hold everyone back, can I?"
"The captain gave me the chance to pursue my dreams. It's only right that I respond in kind!"
"Is that so..."
Ace admired Deuce's resolve.
Holding the Flare-Flare Fruit, he found himself at a crossroads.
Over these days, without even realizing it, he'd grown accustomed to life on the ship.
Every morning, eating together, training together, playing cards, fishing, throwing parties...
Whenever he saw everyone laughing together, he felt an indescribable... ease!
Without a doubt, whether it was Caesar or anyone else on this ship, they were all nakama he could trust.
"I... I need to think about it some more."
Ace put away the Devil Fruit without rushing to eat it, and the others just smiled at his behavior.
"Hey hey! Deuce!"
Bonney bounced over to Deuce, looking at him curiously: "What's your Devil Fruit ability?"
"Uh... let me summarize."
Deuce looked down at Bonney and suddenly froze: "Did Bonney have some serious illness before?"
"It was Jade Scale."
Caesar nodded: "But I already cured her. Could there still be remnants?"
"No matter what kind of disease, there are always some remnants after being cured. But Bonney already has antibodies in her body."
Deuce stretched out his hand, and dense green scales suddenly grew on it: "Is this the disease?"
"Jade Scale?! Are you okay?!"
Kuma's expression changed drastically—he knew all too well how dangerous this disease was.
"It's fine. My ability allows me to create and release various 'diseases' along with their corresponding antibodies. The diseases and antibodies I create are contagious."
As Deuce spoke, the scales on his hand faded away: "Additionally, once a disease I release is cured, the target's body will automatically produce antibodies for that disease, and these antibodies are also contagious."
"That's a dangerous ability."
Robin mused: "Used properly, it could destroy a nation."
Nami twitched her lips: "Robin always says such scary things."
"Hey... honey."
Baby 5 looked at Caesar: "Do biochemical weapons count as weapons?"
"Theoretically, they should, right?"
Caesar thought for a moment: "But your ability is tricky—you need some understanding of the weapon in question. To create biochemical weapons, you'd need some knowledge of viruses, right? I don't recommend developing this path. It's fine to learn a bit, but it's better not to mess with such dangerous things. A single mistake could hurt you."
"Mhm mhm~ I'll listen to you!"
Feeling Caesar's concern, Baby 5 hugged his arm tightly, nuzzling her cheek affectionately against his shoulder.
"Anyone want to experience my ability? I've got plenty of fun diseases here!" Deuce asked eagerly.
The moment he finished speaking, everyone took a step back in unison, with Kuma even carefully pulling Bonney back into his arms.
Seeing this, Deuce's face darkened: "Do you all have to be so disgusted?!"
"I'll give it a try!"
Caesar stepped forward, spreading his arms: "My ability makes me immune to most diseases. Having a few more antibodies wouldn't hurt."
"In that case, then—"
Deuce waved his hand, and a handful of invisible 'disease agents' scattered onto Caesar.
Whoosh—
Caesar's body suddenly shrank slightly, while his chest swelled into a full pair.
"Feminization Disease!"
"Eh? Feminization?"
Caesar looked surprised, pulling out a mirror to check. A strikingly beautiful face appeared in the reflection: "Wow! I'm actually a total babe!"
As he spoke, he touched his throat in surprise—his voice had also turned feminine, and it was quite pleasant, with a slightly mature tone.
"Nani nani? Let me see, let me see!"
Everyone crowded around Caesar, marveling at his new appearance.
"So pretty!"
"Kawaii!"
Yamato and Baby 5's eyes sparkled with excitement, with Baby 5 covering her mouth, her cheeks flushed red.
"Haha, Caesar turned into a big sister!" Bonney laughed heartily.
"This disease targets males and spreads through touch. It has no effect on females, though they can become carriers."
Deuce grinned mischievously, glancing at the other male crew members. "Want to give it a try? Just touch the captain and you'll catch it too!"
At his words, Kuma immediately took a step back, while Barto and Ace quickly hid behind Kuma.
Barto tugged at Kuma's pants, looking up at him. "Kuma, can your ability counter this?"
Kuma sighed. "Probably not. Even if it could, I wouldn't want to suffer such humiliation."
On the deck, the girls surrounded Caesar, poking and prodding him curiously.
"So... if antibodies are only produced after the disease is cured, how exactly is this treated?" Robin asked with interest.
"The Feminization Disease is caused by abnormal estrogen levels. It'll resolve once hormonal balance is restored. Additionally, the Sick-Sick Fruit amplifies the disease's effects—normally, the feminization wouldn't be this drastic," Deuce explained.
Then, with a sly look, he winked at Caesar. "Want me to undo it, Captain? Or would you rather... experience some unique fun with your girlfriends tonight?"
"Sounds interesting, but I doubt it'll last till night..."
Caesar's body suddenly stretched taller, reverting to his original form, much to the girls' disappointment.
"My body stores vast amounts of vitality, maintaining me in peak health. A temporary hormonal imbalance like this gets corrected quickly."
Caesar laughed. "But this ability is fascinating! Any other tricks up your sleeve?"
"Yes, Captain! Absolutely! I've got the Masculinization Disease too!" Deuce said eagerly.
Suddenly, several icy glares locked onto him, freezing his grin in place.
"You've got what?"
Robin smiled sweetly at Deuce, though her cheerful expression sent chills down his spine.
"Haha, truly an... interesting ability!"
Yamato slammed her Spiked Club onto the deck, grinning broadly. "But if you use it on me, I'll smash your skull in!"
Baby 5 remained silent, quietly adjusting her left arm into a cannon barrel.
Nami and Bonney took two steps back, whispering to each other.
"Turning men into women, women into men... Nami, this is that thing, right?"
"Yeah, exactly that!"
"Pervert!" they chorused.
"Ahem... just joking!" Deuce forced a laugh, waving his hands. "Ah! I'm still getting used to the Devil Fruit ability—gotta practice some more!"
With that, he turned and bolted into the ship's cabin.
"I thought you'd be more interested, Yamato," Caesar teased. "Didn't you always insist you were a man?"
"Wah! Don't bring that up! Grrr!"
Yamato's face flushed red as she panicked and chomped down on Caesar's head.
"Ow! Ow! Get her off me!"
Caesar pushed at Yamato's head, making everyone burst into laughter.
Barto ran behind Caesar and started pulling him back by the waist, while Baby 5 clung to Yamato's waist, her face full of concern as she tugged backward.
Seeing this, Nami burst into laughter and stepped forward to help. She wrapped her arms around Baby 5's waist, Bonney grabbed onto Nami's waist, and soon they were all hanging off each other in a chain…
"Ahhh! It hurts even more now! Be gentler!"
"Please endure a little longer, sir! I'll save you right away!"
"Darling, are you okay? Sister, please let go!"
"Just bear with it a little, you pervy captain! We're here to help, you know!"
"Yeah, yeah! Hahaha…"
"Bullshit! You're all clearly laughing! You haven't stopped!"
Ace watched the scene unfold and couldn't help but chuckle along.
Suddenly, his smile faltered as he glanced down at the Flare-Flare Fruit in his hand, lost in thought.
"This fruit suits you well."
Kuma lowered his head, offering a gentle smile.
"Hey… Mr. Kuma."
Ace turned his gaze toward Caesar in the crowd. "You must be really strong, right? Why did you join under him—even bringing your daughter along?"