After the cargo ship was fully loaded, it moved extremely slowly.
If it had been a passenger ship, it would have taken only a day and a half to reach Magnolia Port, but as a cargo ship, the journey stretched to three full days.
During this time, Caesar became increasingly familiar with Inuyasha's abilities.
Using Take Over Magic and equipping the Inuyasha card, Caesar transformed into a half-demon form with silver hair, golden eyes, and white dog ears.
The only difference between him and Inuyasha was his small build, which slightly limited his strength.
But compared to Caesar's original power, the difference was night and day.
The two main abilities from the Inuyasha card were Soul-Scattering Iron Claws and the long-range Flying Blade Blood Claws, which required blood to activate.
If Caesar had access to the Iron Fang sword, he could have unleashed powerful techniques like the Wind Scar. Unfortunately, Iron Fang was a gold-grade weapon—difficult to obtain.
Still, Soul-Scattering Iron Claw and Flying Blade Blood Claw were more than enough for the early stages.
Caesar tested the claw technique and found he could easily tear apart a boulder. If he struck a person, unless they had a dragon's physique like Natsu, they would be ripped apart on the spot.
"Take Over Magic massively boosts my strength, but my base stats haven't increased. That's a problem. Do I need to train my body to raise my personal attributes?"
Caesar sat at the bottom of the ship's cargo hold, deep in thought.
Just as he prepared to start experimenting, the entire ship suddenly trembled. Caesar lost his balance and fell to the ground.
"What the hell? Did we hit a reef?"
He quickly checked the lower deck but saw no water leaking in.
Soon, the sound of combat echoed from above. Realizing what was going on, Caesar's face turned serious.
"Pirates."
Without hesitation, Caesar climbed the ladder from the hold.
He gently pushed open the heavy hatch and peeked through the crack. Sure enough, pirates in ragged clothes were storming the deck, wielding all sorts of weapons.
The battle between the ship's crew and the pirates was brutal. Blood painted the wooden deck red, severed limbs littered the floor, and cries of pain filled the air.
At the center of it all, Uncle Corey—the cargo ship's owner—was panting hard as he flipped through a magic book, hurling weak water spells at the intruders.
But Corey was over fifty. His magic reserves and physical strength were lacking, and the water bombs he cast had little effect.
"Aha!"
Caesar's eyes lit up with an idea. He kicked open the hatch and stepped out.
The sudden noise caught everyone's attention, but when they saw Caesar's slim figure, they paid him no mind.
"Uncle Corey, do you want help?"
Caesar called out, "I know magic. Hire me, and I'll fight the pirates for you."
"Kid, get back below deck!"
Corey waved him off, not taking Caesar seriously. After all, Caesar had avoided public training sessions—no one knew he could use Take Over Magic.
Smacking his lips, Caesar shrugged. With a flash of energy, he activated Take Over Magic and transformed into Inuyasha.
Power surged through him. He crouched low and dipped his claws into the blood on the deck.
"Flying Blade Blood Claw!"
He slashed. Blood sprayed from his hands, forming several razor-thin crimson blades that shot through the air, striking down a pirate who hadn't even seen it coming.
The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. Two pirate thugs rushed Caesar with swords raised.
Using his enhanced legs, Caesar jumped high into the air, easily dodging the attack, and landed beside Uncle Corey.
"You're strong!"
Corey stared in awe. "Alright, take care of those pirates."
"No, no. Not for free," Caesar said. "I'm for hire. 200,000 Jewels, and I'll wipe them out."
"200,000?! Are you out of your mind?"
"They're robbing you. I'm saving you," Caesar replied calmly, pointing at the pirates.
"Fine! 100,000!" Corey snapped.
"180,000. That's my bottom line."
Caesar stepped back. With 290 spirit stones in reserve, 180,000 Jewels would get him 1,800 more stones—enough for two ten-draw sessions.
"If you're not willing, I'll walk. But Uncle Corey, think about how much you'll lose if those pirates win."
Corey hesitated. Gritting his teeth, he finally shouted, "Fine! 180,000 J! But if you fail, I won't pay you a cent!"
"Deal."
Caesar grinned. He could already picture those glorious red and gold cards dancing before his eyes.
With a sudden burst of speed, he shot forward like a blur. His Soul-Scattering Iron Claws slashed into a pirate, tearing five deep, bloody gashes across the man's chest.
Blood gushed. The pirate screamed and collapsed.
"Flying Blade Blood Claw!"
Crimson blades flew out. Some pirates blocked with solid weapons; others weren't so lucky. Cheap swords shattered. Blood blades struck flesh, sending more pirates crashing to the deck.
Alternating between the two attacks, Caesar became a whirlwind of death on the battlefield. To the pirates, he was an unstoppable demon.
Uncle Corey and the sailors could only gape in shock.
"That's the power of a wizard... Even a kid can surpass grown men once he controls magic."
With their morale broken, the remaining pirates scrambled for their ship. They cut the ropes and fled without looking back.
Standing amidst the carnage, Caesar felt his Take Over Magic fading. His form reverted to normal.
He turned to Uncle Corey with a grin.
"All done, Uncle Corey. Don't forget my payment!"
Corey closed his magic book and rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. I won't forget. You'll get your Jewels later!"
Caesar's grin widened even further.
180,000 J—enough for two full ten-draws. Time to level up again.