Tonight, Whole Cake Island was destined to be a sleepless night.
Caesar and the others chatted freely, reminiscing with old-timers like Rayleigh and Ganzui about tales from the bygone era.
Like the treasure hidden by John, which included over a hundred tons of gold alone—enough to make the pirates in the square breathe heavily, their excitement palpable.
Or the terrifying power of the Golden Lion's Devil Fruit, strong enough to levitate islands weighing hundreds of millions of tons.
In battle, he'd just drop a few islands on you first.
If you survived, then he'd fight you properly.
And never let him touch your ship—otherwise, it'd be gone in an instant.
Then there were the juicy rumors.
Who was Newgate's wife? Besides adopting sons, did he ever adopt brothers or uncles?
What did Rocks look like? Just how strong was he?
Were Silver Axe still alive?
How many other powerhouses had served on Rocks' crew?
These old stories had the younger generation of pirates enthralled, wishing they could travel back to that era and sail the seas alongside those legends.
"Borororo, Teach, since we get along so well, why don't we continue this conversation through the night? It's getting late—come on, let's head to my place. We can keep talking there. Oh, and I can treat those injuries of yours while we're at it."
Caesar grinned at Blackbeard.
Blackbeard's smirk froze.
Hesitantly, he replied, "Zehaha… no need, Caesar. These injuries will heal in a few days."
Caesar's expression instantly darkened as he sternly reprimanded the man.
"Are you saying you don't respect me? I invite you to dinner, and you treat me like an outsider? I'm going to get angry!"
The moment Caesar spoke, the table fell silent.
Kaido, Linlin, Ganzui, Katakuri, King, and Doflamingo all fixed Blackbeard with ominous stares.
Caesar then turned to Shanks and coughed loudly, startling the drooling redhead awake from where he'd been slumped over the table.
Shanks glanced around with a dazed expression, taking a few seconds to snap back to reality.
He then turned to Blackbeard with a serious look and said.
"I'm not trying to lecture you, Teach, but you're really in the wrong here. Why would Caesar invite only you and not the rest of us? It's because he recognizes your talent, right? Do your best and keep it up!"
'Keep it up my ass, Shanks!'
Blackbeard cursed inwardly, eyeing the hostile crowd around him—it seemed like no one was on his side.
'I should've known better than to come here.'
Caesar stood up with a hearty laugh.
"Everyone, enjoy your drinks! I won't disturb you anymore. I'll take my leave first."
He then turned to Blackbeard with a disarmingly kind smile.
"Come on, little man let's have a chat. My place is quite spacious."
"Who the hell is Little Man, you bastard?! I really want to slap the shit out of you right now!"
Blackbeard looked as if he'd just lost his father, his face twisted in reluctance as he grudgingly stood up and followed Caesar.
"Woroorororo, keep drinking, keep drinking! Nobody leaves until they've finished ten barrels of whiskey today! Otherwise, I'll bring the entire Beast God Pirates to their house for free meals! Red Hair, I'm talking to you—why are you crawling under the table?"
Kaido slammed a massive barrel onto the table, scanning the room with a predatory gaze.
"Mamamama, as a delicate lady, I'll retire early. I can't stay up too late—it's bad for the skin. Katakuri, take good care of our guests."
Linlin stood up, smiling sweetly at Katakuri before turning to follow Caesar.
"Of course, Mama!"
At the table, Van Augur and Doc Q exchanged glances.
Van Augur: "This too is fate's design..."
Doc Q: "Screw fate! If there's really a goddess of fate, I'll rip her panties off!"
Caesar and Blackbeard walked side by side.
As they moved, Blackbeard watched in stunned silence as Caesar's towering nine-meter frame gradually shrank until he was about the same height as him.
"Borororo, Little man, big bro's gotta tell you—now that you're an Emperor, you should be more generous. Look how skinny you are, like a damn ghost."
Caesar casually slung an arm around Blackbeard's neck, his bulging muscles making Blackbeard feel like his neck might snap.
"Here, this is where I'm staying."
Caesar dragged Blackbeard by the neck to the courtyard gate of a house.
Their combined bulk—standing shoulder-to-shoulder—exceeded four meters in width, completely blocking the temporary residence's entrance.
Just as Blackbeard tried to turn sideways, Caesar yanked him forward by the neck.
BOOM!
The concrete pillars shattered instantly, crushed to powder between their bodies like crumbling tofu.
Next, the front door suffered the same fate, cracking into pieces with a loud snap.
"Borororo, see how big my place is?"
Caesar laughed, his breath reeking of alcohol as he grinned at Blackbeard.
Blackbeard stared blankly at the scene before him, a chill running down his spine.
The entire hall was decked in pink—plush pink rabbit dolls scattered on the floor, a massive pink sofa, pink wall art, even the fireplace was shaped and colored pink.
"Come, come, have a seat."
Without hesitation, Caesar dragged Blackbeard onto the sofa.
Crack.
The sofa's legs snapped, collapsing inward as both men thudded onto the floor.
"Super soft, right? Hahaha! This is top-grade wool upholstery."
"...Yeah. Totally." Blackbeard's face was the picture of despair.
"Are we friends, Little man?" Caesar's black horns poked into Blackbeard's skull.
Blackbeard nodded woodenly.
"You're causing trouble in my territory, and I haven't done anything to you. That's because I, Caesar, am a hic magnanimous man."
Blackbeard's lips twitched.
Lafitte was reduced to dust, and you call that magnanimous?
Where's Shiryu?
Who knows which godforsaken corner you've tossed him into.
My once-mighty Yonko crew is now left with just a few stragglers.
Oh right, Catarina Devon was also killed by your wife.
Caesar chuckled amiably, "Since we're friends now, brothers even, shouldn't we share some secrets openly?"
'Who the hell is your brother? If you're going to say that, could you at least make that old hag outside leave? Do you really think i'm blind?'
'The door's already broken—you don't even need Observation Haki to see that...'
Blackbeard wanted to cry but had no tears left.
"Little man, we're as close as brothers, the kind who'd share underwear. Tell me, how did you manage to absorb two Devil Fruit abilities? And it seems you've got more than two—I can sense other power fluctuations too."
Caesar's words instantly sobered Blackbeard up, his expression changing drastically.