"Hehehe, this place is really interesting."
As the Sunny pulled into a VIP dock filled with golden statues, a woman with wavy, wine-red hair walked over gracefully.
"Nice to meet you all."
She wore a long black dress, low-cut and backless, with a high slit running all the way up her thigh. A snake-shaped tattoo wrapped around her left thigh, complementing her sun-kissed skin and an absolutely stunning figure that could—
Well, too bad. No one in the Straw Hat Crew was the type to be swayed by beauty anymore.
"I am Baccarat, a VIP hostess."
The elegant woman gave a slight bow to the crew, showing off an impressive...
"Roman!"
"Are you really that distracted by a cow?"
Nami, standing beside him with a darkened expression, glared at Roman. Unfazed, Roman stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"She is quite something."
"Not like Boa Hancock or Perona, but... Nami, why does your face look a little pale?"
Oh? So that's the kind of person you are, Roman!
"Anyway, if we're not careful, her ability could be really tricky. She's got the Luck-Luck Fruit— Wait, Nami, why is your face turning red now?"
"...Nothing. Just feeling great."
?!
As Nami clenched her teeth, Roman thought for a second... then decided to drop it. There were more important things to deal with.
"Government officials, Marine officers, big-time pirates... I keep track of them all. But someone like you, a newly crowned Emperor of the Sea? There are very few in this world who wouldn't recognize you."
Hearing Luffy ask, "Do you know us?" the tall, wine-haired woman put on a surprised look as if to say, "Who in the world wouldn't?" After lightly flattering Luffy, she gestured ahead.
"Please, right this way. I've already prepared transportation for you."
A luxurious stretch Cadillac—well, at least the kind of car Roman had only ever seen at the Melbourne Auto Show in his past life. It carried that understated opulence of old money and a refined sense of class!
Of course, in this world, it was more like some flashy "high-tech" marvel.
"These are muscle turtles. They provide 400 horsepower and are considered the 'nobility' of muscle turtles, guaranteeing a smooth and comfortable ride..."
So in other words—
Looking at the eight turtles attached to the front of the luxury car, Roman was speechless.
So, in the end, it's still just "biotech" at its most basic level. How is this any different from the "moving sidewalks" the Celestial Dragons use?
"Wow, so fancy~~"
As the Straw Hat Crew rode in this stretched-out luxury car, they passed by rows of clothing stores, jewelry shops, and pastry boutiques, completely overwhelmed by the dazzling sights. It was like they had stepped into a grand palace, marveling at everything around them.
The towering, brightly lit buildings reflected the glow of golden decorations everywhere. It was more extravagant than any entertainment district Roman had ever known—even Middle Eastern oil tycoons wouldn't go as far as putting golden streetlights everywhere.
But still—
"Boring."
"Just take a quick look. It's all just flashy junk."
To Zoro and Roman, strength was always the most important thing. No matter how fancy a city looked, it was still just a few sword swings away from turning into rubble.
"You two really don't know how to enjoy life! This place is a shopping paradise! We're going to shop till we drop—Robin, Pudding, let's go!"
"Sounds good."
"Eh... um, okay."
Hah, women.
Roman thought about all the clothes Nami had bought on every island they'd visited. A huge pile of them was still stuffed inside his storage space, many only worn once… He didn't really care about money anymore, but wasting things like that still felt a bit—
"Everyone, this is just the 'normal district.'"
The driver, Baccarat, dutifully introduced the Straw Hat Crew to their surroundings.
Names carry weight. After all, these were the pirates who had just toppled Kaido. At this point, no force in the world would dare look down on them.
"The entire 'Gran Tesoro' is a massive entertainment city. In the VIP area, you'll find three golf courses, a giant artificial surfing beach, and a 10-kilometer-long 'turtle car' race track…"
"Apart from these attractions, the ship also has a library with over 100,000 books, a special marketplace selling rare ingredients and valuable blueprints…"
"Whoa! It's like a country packed with all kinds of amazing stuff!"
"That's right,"
Seeing Franky, Sanji, Usopp, and the others immediately perk up, Baccarat continued her explanation.
"This floating kingdom was built by Lord Tesoro, and its motto is: 'As long as you have money, you can buy anything.' Even Devil Fruits aren't out of reach here. At our biannual auction, there's always at least one Devil Fruit as the grand finale."
Of course, they weren't cheap. A single Devil Fruit wouldn't go for just a measly 100 million berries. After all, Tesoro's golden ship was worth over 500 billion! This place had the highest concentration of wealth in the world.
If Devil Fruits really were that cheap, he could have built an army of thousands of ability users by now.
Thinking about it, out of the 12 people in the luxury car, six of them were Devil Fruit users. That was an insane ratio!
"Wow, you all really match the style of this place."
Inside a high-end clothing store, the Straw Hat Crew had changed into suits and dresses that fit the casino city's glamorous vibe. They actually looked like they were here to relax and have fun.
At this point, their faces were well-known across the world. For most major powers, recognizing the Straw Hat Crew was a must. After all, accidentally offending such a "ruthless and ambitious" crew could lead to the downfall of an entire nation.
And to be fair… the Straw Hat Crew really had "destroyed" quite a few countries—Drum Kingdom, Dressrosa, and most recently, Wano.
So, some disguises were necessary. Otherwise, the chaos they'd cause just by showing up would ruin all the fun.
"Hehehe, that 'Turtle and Rabbit Race' looks really fun~~"
Dressed in a white suit with a fedora and sunglasses, Luffy excitedly stared at a huge screen advertising the "No-Limits Turtle Car Race."
And when they said "no limits," they really meant it—modified vehicles, all kinds of "special tools," even physical fights were allowed… As long as you stayed in the car, anything went.
"I'm more interested in the food here."
Sanji lit a cigarette. Cooking was his greatest passion, after all.
Everyone else was just as eager to explore. Even Jinbe seemed intrigued.
Here, as long as you had money, it didn't matter if you were a Fishman, a Mink, or even something entirely non-human—everyone was treated like royalty. In a way, it had achieved a unique kind of "racial equality."
"Alright then,"
After handing out their "spending money," Roman said, "Go have fun. I've got some business with the boss of this place."
"Let's go! Turtle and Rabbit Race!"
"Wait, Luffy! It's called the Turtle Car Race—"
Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper wasted no time, dashing off toward the race track. Meanwhile, Nami was already dragging Robin and Pudding toward the shopping district.
As for Zoro, Brook, Jinbe, and Franky, they decided to watch Luffy's race.
Roman, on the other hand—
"Take me to your boss."
"This way, Lord Neo."
Gild Tesoro—the ruler of this city, known as the "Golden Emperor."
But in reality… he was a tragedy.
As Roman followed Baccarat to the towering golden structure at the heart of the massive cruise ship, he glanced up at the skyscraping tower of gold and shook his head slightly.
No amount of money, no amount of cheering crowds, could ever fill the emptiness inside Tesoro.
Tesoro was, in a way, a reflection of the world's greatest tragedies.
He had a terrible childhood—an addicted gambler for a father and a mother who could only take out her frustrations on him. Though he loved singing from a young age and showed real artistic talent, dreaming of becoming a star, all he ever got in return were beatings from his father and scolding from his mother.
His father fell ill and died because they had no money, and his mother abandoned him shortly after. Left on his own, Tesoro became a thief. Lying, gambling, using money to make so-called "friends"—that was his life. Until one day, he got caught cheating at a casino, fell into the hands of slave traders, and all those "friends" he bought with money vanished without a trace.
Beaten nearly to death, Tesoro barely escaped and ended up at a human auction, where he met a woman named Stella.
At his lowest point, he sang one of his old songs. From behind the bars of her cage, Stella praised his voice. They talked, they connected, and they became each other's only solace. That's when Tesoro made up his mind—he would buy Stella's freedom.
No more crime, no more gambling. He worked day and night, pushing himself to the limit. He needed money—the only thing that could save the one person who truly cared about him.
Three years.
Three years without rest. Three years without a break.
The former gambler, thief, and con artist transformed into a hardworking, optimistic young man. He absorbed every bit of knowledge he could, learned every way to make money. And just as he was about to reach his goal—
"I'll take this one."
A bloated, pig-faced Celestial Dragon, his head covered in a glass bubble, shattered Tesoro's dream with a single sentence.
Tesoro fought back, of course. But what could an ordinary man do against a Celestial Dragon?
Nothing changed—except that Stella was taken for free.
After that, Tesoro became a slave in Mary Geoise.
Using the survival skills he had learned on the streets—flattery, cunning, knowing when to grovel—he barely managed to stay alive.
But Stella…
After three years of torment, all that was left of her was a corpse.
Eventually, during Fisher Tiger's great slave rebellion, Tesoro escaped. But he was no longer the same man—he had become something twisted.
He stormed Doflamingo's auction house, stole the Gold-Gold Fruit, and used his newfound power to create fake gold, rising to the top at an alarming speed. He did whatever it took to gather more and more wealth. Only gold and the deafening cheers of a crowd could drown out the despair of his past.
He hated the rich and the nobles, using his smarts to drain them of their wealth and leave them bankrupt.
But at the same time, he relied on the very people he despised—the Celestial Dragons—to protect his vast fortune, influence, and power.
Even standing at the top of the world's biggest stage, he was still just—
"We've arrived, Lord Neo."
The golden elevator stopped at the top floor, snapping Roman out of his thoughts.
"Please wait a moment."
This elevator had no exit. To leave, they needed—
"No need."
Roman stopped Baccarat from knocking on the golden walls to summon another officer—Mr. Tanaka, the head of security, who possessed the "Phase-Phase Fruit" and could take people through non-living objects. A shifty-looking man with a huge head and a sly grin.
"I'll do it myself."
With a gentle push, Roman opened a "door" in the thick golden wall and stepped through.
The wine-red-haired woman behind him narrowed her eyes slightly.
As expected of the strategist of the newly crowned Yonko crew—the golden walls were no obstacle to him.
"Hahaha, welcome~~"
The moment Roman stepped inside, the first thing he saw was a man's head, half-submerged in gold, twisted in an expression of pure agony. His limbs twitched violently against the floor.
He was moments away from—
*Swish.*
"Who gave you permission to let him go on my turf?!"
"*Cough, cough...*"
Roman, who had just sliced through the gold covering the unlucky guy's face with a casual swipe, looked at the man sitting on the sofa like a boss. Gild Tesoro, dressed in a wine-red suit with slicked-back hair, exuded an air of authority.
Even though this guy had once been a pitiful soul, after escaping from Mary Geoise and rising to become the world's richest man, his twisted heart had turned him into exactly the kind of person he used to despise.
Arrogant, ruthless, and obsessed with control!
He enslaved countless people with his wealth, forcing them to work for him. If they disobeyed, he would suffocate them with gold without hesitation.
"Heh..."
"Answer me! Who allowed you to laugh?!"
Tesoro suddenly stood up, glaring at Roman, who was smirking at him. If he could sense even a trace of his gold dust on Roman, he would have turned him into a statue on the spot.
"No one laughs without my permission!"
"Enough."
While the others looked on in fear, Roman casually waved his hand.
"Tell your people to leave. I have something to discuss with you, Gild Tesoro. Or—"
Locking eyes with the so-called 'Golden Emperor,' Roman tilted his head slightly.
"I'll just kill you right now."
"?! Tesoro, sir!"
The moment he finished speaking, a massive head emerged from the ground, bringing with it a towering man—Dice.
A champion of death matches in the New World, Dice was so tough that no one even wanted to fight him anymore. He was a skilled Armament Haki user, able to block Zoro's dual-sword attack with his forehead alone. Here, he worked as a dealer in Tesoro's VIP casino.
Meanwhile, Baccarat, the red-haired beauty beside him, quickly removed her gloves. After a brief hesitation, she moved toward their armed forces. Her Luck-Luck Fruit allowed her to steal others' luck and use it for herself, making her incredibly fortunate while her opponents suffered endless misfortune.
But she wasn't confident she could touch Roman, so she planned to absorb her allies' luck to boost her own power instead.
The tension in the hall instantly skyrocketed.
"You want to fight?"
Roman beckoned at Tesoro and his tense subordinates.
"Come at me together."
Strictly speaking, neither Tesoro nor his top fighters were weak. But compared to Doflamingo's crew, they were just about the same level. Against Roman, who had already fought two of the Four Emperors, they weren't much of a threat.
"Tch, don't underestimate us! With just one thought—"
"I can turn people into gold statues?"
Before Tesoro could finish his threat, Roman casually completed his sentence.
"Take out the ability user, and any power becomes useless."
"Relax. I can end this fight quickly."
"...Tsk... Everyone, leave."
In the end, Tesoro chose not to attack. Instead, he waved his hand, signaling his subordinates and the guests in the hall to leave.
Part of his hesitation came from the fact that Roman's crew had just defeated one of the Four Emperors. But more importantly—
Putting himself in a position of power before negotiations was simply a strategy.
It had been years since anyone dared to pull this kind of move on the 'Golden Emperor,' but back in the day, Tesoro was all too familiar with these tactics.
He just wasn't used to being on the receiving end anymore.
"Alright, what do you want to say?"
Once his men were sent away by his security chief's transport ability, Tesoro looked at the young man in front of him with a dark expression.
Confident, strong, and composed...
It was the kind of presence that made people both envious and resentful.
"Tesoro, I don't want to waste words, but honestly—"
"You've become exactly the person you once hated."
"?"
Roman's eyes fell on Tesoro's hands. As a true nouveau riche, he wore nine golden rings—except on the ring finger of his left hand.
That spot was reserved for his beloved woman, Stella.
Even though he would never get to wear it again.
*Snap!* With a flick of Roman's fingers, sheets of white paper flew out, covering the already lavish room in a fresh layer of white. Tesoro nearly exploded in anger!
"So, just how strong is your desire for revenge?"
"What are you talking about?! I'm the richest man in the world. What grudges could I possibly have—"
Tesoro forced himself to act calm, but Roman only said three words.
"Celestial Dragons."
"Or rather… how much does 'Stella' still mean to you?"
"…Who gave you the right to—"
In an instant, the entire gold-covered hall seemed to come alive, twisting like the insides of a beast or the gaping maw of a Sea King! The ground, walls, and ceiling surged like waves, and countless sharp golden spears pierced through Roman's paper, ready to skewer him in the next second!
"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT NAME!!!"
(End of Chapter)
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