Refined Version
"I can tell you with certainty that the promise I made to you just now is true."
"It's up to you whether to believe it or not."
Caesar Pirates?
Hearing this name, the man was visibly shaken.
It wasn't that he was ignorant of the world's affairs. Even though he couldn't afford newspapers, Caesar's reputation echoed across the seas—especially in the New World.
"You... you are that Heavenly King Caesar?"
"Would our captain have any reason to lie to you?"
Hearing the man's trembling voice, Caesar merely nodded slightly.
Meanwhile, Douglas Bullet, who had been sitting nearby, rose to his feet, exuding an ominous aura.
The man had occasionally overheard sailors and travelers whispering about the sea's events. The name Caesar was one that surfaced more than a few times—always in a tone laced with fear and reverence.
And now, standing before him was the infamous "Heavenly King"—a pirate even the World Government found difficult to contain.
A pirate of such magnitude had come to his country.
More shockingly, Caesar was not here merely for plunder. He intended to change the status quo of the entire island.
It was too much to process.
"With my strength, you don't need to worry about the future," Caesar declared. "And I have no need to deceive you."
"The reason I established myself in this nation in such a manner is simple—to gain the people's trust."
The man, still paralyzed with disbelief, could only listen as Caesar explained his grand plan.
He understood that a mere commoner wouldn't easily accept something of this scale.
"If I truly wished to claim the throne, I could do so with force."
"I could slaughter the royal family outright, seize control, and rule by fear. No one could resist me."
As he spoke, Caesar stretched his hand toward the sea.
A flicker of purple energy crackled through the air—gravity shifted.
The vast ocean rose into the sky, as if the laws of the world had been rewritten in an instant.
The spectacle was beyond comprehension.
The man's worldview shattered.
A pirate wielding such a godlike ability had no reason to trick a mere commoner like him.
Even if Caesar turned out to be more tyrannical than the current king, who could oppose him?
Absolute power was right before his eyes—yet Caesar was not using it for meaningless slaughter.
That alone spoke volumes.
The man swallowed hard and, after a long silence, finally asked:
"...What do you need me to do?"
A small smirk formed on Caesar's lips.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
Without lifting a finger, Caesar summoned something from the captain's quarters.
A single Devil Fruit floated through the air toward his palm—one with a swirling pattern of deep violet.
"This," he said, presenting the fruit, "is the Imitation Fruit."
"As long as you touch your target's face, you will become them—voice, physique, gender, even their most intimate details—completely identical."
The man examined the fruit, captivated by its intricate markings.
He had heard tales of Devil Fruits before, but never in his life had he seen one.
"Your first task is to master this ability."
"Then, you will transform into the king and issue unbearable, tyrannical decrees—so extreme that the people rise in revolt."
"And at that moment…"
Caesar's eyes gleamed.
"I will arrive as their savior—destroying the tyrant and bringing new hope to the nation."
The man clenched his fists.
He was already a dying man—his life hanging by a thread. Yet in these final moments, he had been drawn into something far greater than himself.
His wife and children would be provided for. His homeland would change.
That was enough.
Seeing his resolve, Caesar coldly reminded him:
"You realize that once the king dies, so do you."
The man chuckled dryly.
"I know. But what does it matter?"
"My life was already meaningless. Now, it will have value."
Death, in this case, was worth it.
Without hesitation, he bit into the Devil Fruit.
---
A Midnight Coup
Before executing the final phase of the plan, Caesar ensured the man was fully proficient in his newfound Imitation abilities.
Luckily, the transformation process was deceptively simple.
When the time came, under the cover of night, Caesar levitated the man into the sky.
They infiltrated the royal palace undetected.
Inside, the corrupt king lay fast asleep—his arms wrapped around his concubine, ignorant of the people's suffering.
The sight enraged the man.
Were it not for Caesar's oppressive telekinetic force, he might have acted rashly.
Without hesitation, Caesar released a burst of Conqueror's Haki—
A wave of invisible pressure swept through the room.
The king and his concubine fell unconscious instantly.
"It's time," Caesar said.
"Touch the king's face. Assume his identity."
The man hesitated, his fingers trembling.
Caesar's voice remained calm.
"Don't be nervous. Everything is going according to plan."
Swallowing his fear, the man pressed his hand against the king's cheek.
A moment later, his form shifted.
Now, in the king's bed, laid an identical copy of the tyrant himself.
Caesar, meanwhile, effortlessly lifted the real king into the air and departed.
---
The King Meets His Fate
Floating in the night sky, the real king began to stir.
Dazed, he blinked.
Then—
"W-WHAT?! WHY AM I IN THE SKY?!"
The man flailed in terror.
"Guards! Concubine! Somebody help me!"
His voice cracked with sheer panic.
And then he saw him.
Floating beside him—unfazed—was Caesar.
The king's breath hitched.
He knew this man.
No pirate in the world didn't know of him.
"Y-you're... the Heavenly King... Caesar…?"
Realization struck him.
He was finished.
"Please! I-I'll give you anything! Money, land, power— you can have it all! Just spare me!"
Tears streamed down his face.
Caesar remained silent.
The king wailed.
"I have children to raise! I can't die! Please, please, I'll give you anything!"
Pathetic.
A supposed ruler, reduced to a sniveling beggar.
Caesar sighed.
"Trash like you should never have been king in the first place."
With a flick of his fingers—
The air compressed.
The king's body crushed into a compact sphere.
Without another word, Caesar hurled him far into the sea.
The tyrant was no more.
---
The New Reign Begins
Back aboard the Rex, Caesar's crew awaited.
"Boss, how'd it go?" Brad asked, grinning.
Caesar smirked.
"Perfectly. Now, we wait for the fake king to fulfill his role."
"Soon, I will become this nation's true ruler."
As Caesar spoke, a tiny pair of wings fluttered.
Alice threw herself into his arms.
"Papa, does that mean I'm a princess now?"
Caesar chuckled, kissing her forehead.
"Of course. You are my little princess."
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