They appeared to have come solely for Caesar.
From what El had learned from the two captured All‑Stars, the one sent to seize him should logically be the third and strongest of the three Disasters:
King the Conflagration!
Yet El could sense no such overwhelming presence anywhere on the island.
Did this mean that a mere scientist like Caesar was not worth Kaido's personal attention?
El shook his head faintly.
If Kaido would not come himself, but El had—was that meant to imply El stood beneath the Emperor?
El thought nothing of the sort. If anything, he suspected Kaido had grown far too proud.
Knowing full well how vital Caesar was, the only sensible course would have been to commit his full strength and resolve the matter at once.
Instead, perhaps the Beasts Pirates' immense power had bred complacency in their captain?
Whatever the reason, Kaido's decision to stay behind was a critical blunder.
"In that case—Caesar is mine for the taking."
El surged forward toward the signature he had sensed.
With his Immortal Body, his speed was second to none even without drawing on other abilities; in raw physical might alone, he feared no Devil Fruit user alive.
And since Kaido had sent only his right hand—the strongest of the three All‑Stars—El would simply have to make King his first example.
…
King was indeed on the island, acting on Kaido's direct order to capture Caesar.
Yet his mission remained unfinished.
As the strongest fighter in the crew after Kaido himself, he should have made short work of a scientist far out of his league.
But Caesar had entrenched himself here for years, knowing every ridge and ravine like the back of his hand.
He had also long understood his precarious position: though sheltered by the Donquixote Family, he had crossed not one but two Emperors, and Doflamingo's protection was fickle at best.
To rely entirely on such a volatile man would have been utter folly.
For all that Caesar seemed obsessed solely with surpassing Dr. Vegapunk, he guarded his own safety with fierce care.
A Logia user he might be, but he had never been a frontline combatant—so he had turned every other resource to defense.
The whole island had been transformed into a fortress.
Alongside Artificial Devil Fruits, he had poured years into designing weapons of mass destruction, trading lethal poisons and ordnance in the underworld to fund his research.
It was that very hunger for capital that had led him to swindle Big Mom's funds and flee; only the Donquixote Family's patronage had given him breathing room.
He had used every moment to lay traps and fortify his position—enough to hold King at bay for a time, and avoid capture on the first encounter.
"I never imagined Caesar possessed such tricks," King muttered.
He had chased the scientist across the island for hours, but Caesar was maddeningly slippery.
King was among the world's elite fighters, and his rare ability to fly made him the perfect choice for this mission—yet Caesar's long preparation had stalled even him.
Still, it could not last. One by one, his defenses were failing.
What was more, King's Ancient Zoan power—Dragon‑Dragon Fruit, Model: Pteranodon—gave him an advantage few could match.
Flight was a rarity among Devil Fruit users, and it let him scour every inch of the island below.
Without those traps, Caesar would have been his long ago.
Even now, it was only a matter of time and effort.
"Got you at last."
El picked out King's rough position with his Observation Haki, then caught the dark shape of the pteranodon sweeping low overhead.
Flight made searching easier—but it also made one easy to spot.
El could have dealt with King in an instant, but that was not why he had come.
"Enjoy your hunt a little longer."
El glanced upward, then pushed on faster. He would reach Caesar before King did.
His Observation Haki had already pinpointed the scientist amid dozens of hidden labs—many already smashed and abandoned, proof that King had come close before.
But El's perception far outstripped the All‑Star's; he needed no line of sight or luck to find his mark.
CRASH!
The entire facility rocked.
Caesar's heart leaped into his throat—this was his most secret hideout, buried deep in snow‑capped peaks, hidden by blizzards and sheer cliffs.
Even King should never have found it.
Yet the heavy blast doors blew wide open, howling gales and driving snow flooding in and plunging the lab's carefully controlled temperature to freezing!
"Blast it! Seal that breach at once—do not let anyone trace me here!"
__________________
For more advance chapters visit patreon.com/bars45.
For 10$- All advance chapters.
"Schedule"
Monday - Friday - Update 3 Chapters a Day
Saturday - Sunday - Off