"There are actually islands inside!"
"Sure enough, the sea is full of wonders!"
"Captain Caesar, did you know that a fish's belly could be like this?!"
The sight before them left the crew in awe.
As the youngest members of the Mink Tribe, Gnali and Eli were especially shocked. If they hadn't witnessed it firsthand, they wouldn't have believed such a thing existed.
Even though Caesar had expected this, seeing it with his own eyes still made him marvel.
"I once heard an old man at sea tell me about this legend…"
Not wanting to explain how he knew what was inside the fish's stomach, Caesar simply smiled, using an excuse to brush it off. After all, he couldn't exactly say that he had seen an animation about this world.
He exhaled slightly, looking at the shimmering golden light surrounding them. This was the inside of Bonbori, the legendary anglerfish from One Piece: Heart of Gold, known for swallowing entire islands.
Even Caesar remembered the fish's name—King Bonbori.
But that wasn't important. What mattered was the treasure hidden within this fish's belly, a treasure sought by the entire world—Pure Gold.
A material capable of slowing human cellular aging, granting near-immortality.
Caesar's eyes gleamed.
No matter how powerful one was, no one could escape the grasp of time. Even the mightiest warriors—Edward "Whitebeard" Newgate and Shiki the Golden Lion—had fallen victim to aging.
Caesar had no intention of sharing their fate.
Besides, who could truly resist the temptation of eternal youth?
With precise control over his telekinesis, Caesar guided the Rex safely past the digestive acids, landing it smoothly on one of the islands inside Bonbori's stomach.
After all, he couldn't afford to have his ship corroded. He still needed it to sail the Grand Line!
As the crew disembarked, their amazement didn't fade.
"I can't believe it… We actually landed on an island inside a fish!" Brad muttered, stepping onto solid ground.
"Hahaha! You're making a fuss now? Didn't we just land on an elephant's back not long ago?" Eli laughed, referencing Zou.
The others also gazed around in astonishment. Besides the eerie absence of a normal sky and ocean, this island was no different from any other.
Just as they were taking in the surreal landscape, Caesar's powerful Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) spread outward.
At the edge of the dense forest, he sensed something.
His telekinesis immediately activated—like an invisible hand, it reached toward the presence he had detected.
Suddenly, the sound of rustling leaves and panicked cries echoed from the forest.
A figure, clad in tattered dinosaur-themed clothing, was pulled from the underbrush and placed before Caesar.
Caesar narrowed his eyes.
He vaguely recognized this man.
It was Myskina Acier, the scientist who had been swallowed into Bonbori's belly years ago—the very man who had discovered and synthesized Pure Gold.
Caesar smirked.
Perhaps keeping this scientist alive would be useful. His research could be an invaluable asset.
And if Caesar's memory served him correctly, Acier's daughter should also be somewhere in this fish's belly…
The crew gathered around.
"Huh? There are people living here? Are they natives?"
Seeing his crew's curiosity, Caesar answered calmly, "I just used Kenbunshoku Haki to locate him. So I brought him here."
But even as he spoke, his Haki continued scanning the area.
On another small island inside the stomach, he sensed another presence. Judging by the signature, it was likely the scientist's daughter.
However, she was too far away for him to reach with his telekinesis.
Turning to Gnali and the others, he instructed, "I've detected a girl on the other side of this place. I'll check it out. Wait here."
At that moment, Acier's eyes widened in shock. His body trembled as he rushed toward Caesar.
"That… that must be my daughter, Olga! Please… Please, let me see her… Please don't hurt her!"
Caesar simply nodded. He had no intention of harming them.
Using his telekinesis, he took off, flying toward the island where the girl was.
However, Caesar wasn't heading straight for Olga.
He had another goal first.
After distancing himself from the others, he changed course, flying toward a hidden location.
Soon, an ancient ruin came into view.
Caesar's lips curled into a smirk.
This was his true destination.
Landing before the entrance, he felt a surge of excitement but quickly steadied himself.
Without hesitation, he stepped into the ruins.
Traps lined the corridors, but they were nothing to him. With Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki) and telekinesis, he bypassed every mechanism with ease.
At last, he arrived at his true prize—
The Pure Gold Repository.
Before him, Pure Gold shimmered with an ethereal golden light.
Even though he was still in his prime, he couldn't help but feel thrilled.
Without delay, Caesar used his telekinesis to manipulate the surrounding metal—compacting the triggered trap's hidden weapons into a high-density iron sheet, completely concealing the Pure Gold.
Now, the once-glowing treasure was hidden within a dull, black iron sphere.
His mission complete, Caesar turned and left the ruins, utterly satisfied.
Just before departing, he paused.
With a flick of his fingers, his telekinesis surged—collapsing the ruins entirely.
If the World Government or Celestial Dragons discovered that he had Pure Gold, they would stop at nothing to hunt him down.
Caesar knew better than to take such risks.
Even though he spared Acier, it was only because his scientific expertise could be useful.
If not, Caesar would have silenced him too.
He was ambitious, after all.
Taking to the sky once more, Caesar quickly reached the second island, where a young girl roamed the dense forest.
Her disheveled red hair framed her cautious, piercing eyes as she searched for food.
This was Myskina Olga, Acier's daughter.
She had been trapped here for nearly two hundred years, frozen in time by the effects of Pure Gold.
As she bit into a fruit, lost in old memories, a dark shadow suddenly descended from the sky.
Startled, she immediately drew a knife, swinging wildly at the intruder before attempting to flee.
But before she could take a step—
An invisible force lifted her off the ground.
Suspended in mid-air, she panicked, struggling in vain.
Caesar calmly observed her reaction.
"Relax. I'm not here to hurt you," he said with a smirk. "I'm taking you to your father."
At the mention of her father, Olga's expression twisted.
She despised him.
Because of him, her mother had died, and she had been trapped in this nightmare for centuries.
And yet…
The loneliness had gnawed at her for so long.
Tears welled in her eyes.
Seeing her reaction, Caesar understood.
Despite being nearly two hundred years old, she was still just a lost little girl at heart.
Without another word, Caesar flew back to his crew, carrying Olga with him.
As he landed, Brad and the others waved.
In that moment, Acier spotted Olga. His entire body trembled.
Tears streamed down his face.
After so many years, he finally saw his daughter again.
"Olga!"
Overcome with emotion, he ran toward her, embracing her tightly.
Olga, too, burst into tears.
After all these years, she had finally reunited with her father.
And as the crew watched, they realized—
This island inside Bonbori's belly was just the beginning of an even greater adventure.
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