Thump, thump, thump.
A rhythmic knocking sound came from outside the door, drawing Tezzolo's attention as he pondered his next move.
The knocking sound came from a very low position, clearly not a position that a normal person would be able to reach.
Stella, do you have a guest appointment?
"No, why don't you go and take a look?"
The residents' reactions to knocking on the door at night can reflect the local security situation. In some places, the homeowner might even grab a gun just in case, let alone open the door.
Piltover has a relatively good security situation, and after living there for a while, Tezzolo and his group have let their guard down.
But when Tesoro saw Nayafili, his heart started racing instantly.
Nayafili's appearance is not exactly amiable, but in Piltover, it represents "the emperor's presence."
Anyone who hasn't just arrived on Firefly Island knows that Nayafili is the mouthpiece of the royal authority, capable of directly relaying Oran's orders.
[Arrive at the palace before noon tomorrow.]
After opening the door, several large characters appeared on Nayafili's optical mask.
After confirming that Tesoro had seen those words, Nayafili left, leaving Tesoro standing there dumbfounded at the door.
After calming himself down, he returned to the house.
Tezzolo didn't know what had happened after Kate left, but being summoned by the king was an opportunity for him.
Piltover has a conventional path to promotion, but that path is slow and, for Tezzolo, long and difficult.
Without sufficient achievements, one usually has to proceed step by step, but Tezzolo's start was a bit low.
He came from a poor family and lacked education. He spent his 12th to 16th years stealing and gambling. After meeting Stella, he genuinely repented, but he also worked like crazy.
My current level of education is limited to being able to read and speak but not write. To put it simply, I forget how to write characters. I have no problem with normal communication and daily life, but I would most likely fail the written exam.
Tesoro's ambitions are actually quite large, otherwise he wouldn't have thought of taking shortcuts. According to his plan, none of these shortcuts are possible, so he would choose the slowest method.
"What's wrong? Who is it?"
"My chance has come. If we can seize this opportunity, our lives will definitely undergo a qualitative change. Stella, believe me."
"I believe in you, but don't push yourself too hard. Safety is the most important thing."
"Don't worry, I'm not going to join the army, there's not that much danger there."
Stella wasn't as excited as Tesoro; instead, she was somewhat worried. She only fell asleep after Tesoro repeatedly assured her, but Tesoro himself suffered from insomnia.
His excitement kept him awake all night, and he remained so until the next day when he set off.
As dawn broke, he left his home and headed to the central royal city.
Nayafili's message was that Tezzolo arrived around 11 a.m., just before noon.
There were no guards at the city gate, yet the gate opened the moment he arrived.
"You're in luck, come with meow."
"Thank you, Lady Kate."
"You're welcome, Meow. Meow said you're lucky."
Taking the elevator, Tesoro arrived in the city, which was suspended in the sky, for the first time, and saw Oran on the throne.
"Greetings, Your Majesty the King."
"No need for formalities. I heard you're looking for an opportunity?"
At this point, there was no need for pleasantries, and Oran cut straight to the point.
"Yes, the Great Pirate Era that Roger started continues and is showing an increasingly intense trend, thanks to our country's geographical location."
Tezzolo described his vision. Thanks to the convenience provided by Piltover, Tezzolo gained a certain understanding of the world situation. In addition, considering the local policies and national strength, Tezzolo shared some of his ideas.
"Not bad, some unique insights, but Tezzolo, theoretical knowledge alone is not enough to prove your ability."
I'm giving you two choices. I have some businesses in the New World and the East China Sea. I'll give you some time; I want you to show me with solid data how capable you truly are.
Practice can easily reveal a person's abilities, and both the businesses in the East Sea and the New World are new projects.
Using old projects to test Tezoro is pointless. With Oran's current foundation, as long as the person in charge doesn't mess things up and the project develops normally according to schedule, there won't be any losses.
Throughout Tesoro's life in the original timeline, Devil Fruits have brought him many advantages. The Gold-Gold Fruit allows him to control gold, enhancing his combat power while making better use of "money weapons."
The lucky fruits made his casino win every time he gambled, and he quickly accumulated capital through this channel, but these fruits were not obtained by him in the early stages.
If he hadn't encountered the Iron Mask Pirates and Shaq, he would have been enslaved by the Celestial Dragons and, after hearing about Stella's death two years later, would have completely succumbed to money worship.
Five years later, he was liberated thanks to Tiger. Three years later, Tesoro, with the help of his recruited subordinates, stole the Gold-Gold Fruit from Doflamingo's auction house. Three years after that, he began to rise to power. It took another three years for him to have a substantial number of subordinates and to develop steadily.
The time when Baccarat, the user of the Lucky-Lucky Fruit, joined Tesoro was probably around this last part. If Tesoro had had this overpowered ability in the early stages, he wouldn't have been so unlucky as to encounter the Celestial Dragons just when he had managed to raise the money.
Tesoro is quite capable to have built this foundation on his own; it's just that he hasn't turned evil yet.
Based on the age-old logic that whitewashing one's past is a sign of weakness, he needs an exam.
"New World East China Sea"
"The new world offers more opportunities, but also greater risks. The East China Sea may be slower to develop, but it is a stable place, and after all, it is a symbol of peace."
"Call me to choose the East China Sea."
[be safe.]
If he were alone, Tesoro would choose to take a gamble in the new world; he has no shortage of courage.
But now that he has these constraints, he is afraid to take too big a step.
"So you've decided on the East China Sea? Then let me tell you about the situation there."
Piltover's previous business was concentrated on the Grand Line, with limited contact with the other seas. There was only a small amount of commercial activity in the South China Sea, and business in the East China Sea was just beginning.
The development of the Grand Line is undoubtedly ahead of the rest of the world, whether in terms of strength or economic situation, and even the Navy's cybernetic equipment is just beginning to be deployed to the rest of the world.
If it weren't for the fact that the Kingdom of Sorbe had a certain base of support back then, there probably wouldn't have been any contact in the South China Sea.
"How much time do you think you need, and what kind of results can you expect to achieve?"
"Your Majesty, give me three years. With your support, I am confident that within three years I can make the East China Sea profitable as well as the Grand Line."
In terms of area and size, every sea in the Four Seas far surpasses the Grand Line, but because the level of crisis is different, so is the purchasing power.
The pesos are the universal currency of the entire ocean, but prices vary greatly. In a small town in the East China Sea, a few hundred pesos can buy you a full meal.
Therefore, Tezzolo gave a figure that he considered relatively stable. The opportunities were right in front of him, and it would be a pity not to take a chance.
"Very good, I'll give you three years, and I'll give you everything you need. As long as you achieve your goal, I will give you everything in return."
But Gilder Tezzolo, you must understand, if you're just playing me, you can't afford the consequences.
His tone remained unchanged, but Tesoro felt the air around him thicken, and an invisible pressure made it hard for him to breathe.
Oran himself still sat on the throne, but Tesoro seemed to see a humanoid beast.
Demigods from ancient times, ascendants from the legendary era, celestial spirits from the heavens, fallen darkbloods, demons from the abyss.
Tyrant, wise king, ambitious man.
Whether friend or foe, Oran has met countless people.
Oran has experienced more than many people's entire lives, and with his vast spiritual power, a little bit of pressure is just something he can easily exert.
"I understand, Your Majesty Oran. If I fail to achieve the goals I have set for myself, I am willing to accept punishment."
"Here's a phone number. It belongs to a businessman in Rogge Town, practically a local. He offered to join him before, but I haven't had the time. You could consider contacting him when you're ready to take action."
I'll give you a week to prepare and settle things at home before you set off.
Tesoro had no intention of taking his family to the East Blue, even though the East Blue was known as the Sea of Peace. Tesoro still felt that Firefly Island was safer.
Besides, Tesoro felt that even if he wanted to bring Stella along when he went out to work with such a large sum of money, Oran probably wouldn't agree.
He had no idea what had happened after he left the palace.
"Ginny, what was he thinking about before?"
"That's pretty much what he said, he's quite honest. Besides that, there's his wife, he just wants to give her a better life and stuff, she's quite family-oriented."
Oh, and he also wants to perform on stage; he dreams of becoming an actor. That's all.
Ginny summarized the main points and relayed them to Oran.
Tesoro doesn't have much Observation Haki right now. He can't even detect Ginny's mind reading, let alone defend against it. Trying to scam someone in Oran would actually be quite difficult for him.
After leaving the royal city, Tesoro returned home and told Stella the news after she got off work.
"His Majesty Oran has given me an opportunity, but I'm afraid I'll have to leave for a while. Stella, believe me, I will bring you a brand new life in three years."
Tesoro declined Stella's offer to come along, and began packing his bags, while Ipponmatsu, the owner of the weapon shop in Loguetown, felt a surge of pride at that moment.
Roger recognized Oran at the execution site and applied to become a distributor there. Although Oran remembered him, he had never contacted him in all these years.
His wife often told Ipponmatsu to give up his illusions by saying that "such an important person would never remember you," but Ipponmatsu firmly believed that "this is a promise between men, and I will never be stood up."
Now he finally has new, irrefutable evidence.
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