Smoker nodded upon hearing the name. "Tesoro, is it?"
After speaking, he glanced at the document he was holding. It contained several detailed business plans, clearly the product of careful effort.
"Did you write this?" Smoker asked.
"Yes, Boss Smoker!" Tesoro quickly replied.
"Interesting," Smoker murmured.
Gild Tesoro, the future 'Gold Emperor.' After the Mariejois arson incident, this man didn't join the Revolutionary Army, nor did he follow Fisher Tiger.
He traveled to the New World alone, wandering until he gathered a small crew of subordinates, intending to start his own enterprise.
But he was truly outmatched. His subordinates were barely useful for cheering him on; relying on them to actually accomplish anything significant was utter nonsense.
According to the original story, Tesoro should have stolen Doflamingo's Gold-Gold Fruit in two or three years, thereby embarking on his road to wealth and becoming the richest man in the pirate world.
Diarmuid had noticed this man and specifically instructed others to look for him. Diarmuid recalled that Tesoro was supposed to be working at Sabaody Archipelago, but they couldn't find him, and the matter was eventually dropped.
Who would have thought this man would show up now, asking to join Smoker?
After operating in the New World for a while, Tesoro realized there was no path forward for him. He didn't want to be a pirate; he only wanted to be a man above others, to be rich.
He was quick-witted. Even without having received any formal education, he had many valuable ideas and concepts. Sometimes, one had to admit that talent was critical.
Upon realizing that he couldn't achieve anything significant on his own, Tesoro began looking for a backer in the New World.
The two biggest 'mountains' in the New World were the Whitebeard Pirates and the alliance between Charlotte Linlin and Kaido.
But neither faction suited Tesoro's intentions. Smoker, as one of the Warlords of the Sea, caught Tesoro's eye instead.
In Tesoro's opinion, although Smoker flew a pirate flag, he was affiliated with the World Government—a legitimate pirate. That fact alone put him far above Whitebeard and Kaido.
After all, if he wanted to make big money, he would inevitably have to deal with people from all walks of life and conduct large-scale business. It would be impossible to bypass the World Government.
Smoker had the credentials to conduct open business with the World Government. Did Whitebeard? Did Kaido? Did Charlotte Linlin?
Of course, besides Smoker, he also observed the other Warlords of the Sea, such as the World's Strongest Swordsman, who had briefly appeared in the New World not long ago but quickly vanished without a trace.
It was obvious, however, that Dracule Mihawk wasn't interested in business.
As for Bartholomew Kuma, he was virtually impossible to find, appearing like a dragon that only showed its tail. And Crocodile had gone to Alabasta, cleaned up his image to become a nobleman, and was rumored to have recently acquired a 'Sir' title.
Therefore, after much thought, Tesoro could only focus on Smoker.
Smoker was a Warlord of the Sea and wasn't overly vicious. He was now beginning to sanitize his reputation. His main business was no longer piracy; he was now a tycoon of the New World, a big shot in the underworld. He controlled the Amway Group, earning massive amounts of money daily, with countless ships sailing for him.
He was even rumored to have a partnership with the Pleasure District. In Tesoro's mind, Smoker was a business magnate wearing the skin of a pirate!
A man like this had power, influence, and a platform. If he could gain Smoker's favor, his ideas and talents might be realized, becoming a new path to paradise!
So, Tesoro spent time thoroughly researching the situation in the New World, examining the public profile of the Amway Group, and formulating a series of business proposals. Then, with tremendous nerve, he came alone to Smoor Tobacco City to find Smoker.
He didn't know if a high-ranking figure like Smoker would grant him an audience, but he came anyway—he had to gamble!
He was incredibly lucky: Smoker received him, and he personally presented his business plan to the Warlord.
Frankly, if Smoker accepted the plan now and then kicked Tesoro out, Tesoro would suffer a huge loss. Smoker could indeed use those good ideas to elevate his business.
Therefore, Tesoro's actions were truly a gamble.
He was betting that Smoker had the foresight to recognize his talent from the plan.
He assumed Smoker, like himself, possessed a great business mind, for how else could the Amway Group be run?
However, Tesoro was genuinely mistaken on this point. Smoker had no business acumen. While he was nominally the boss of the Amway Group, the actual business operations were handled by Marine Headquarters and the Pleasure District. Smoker merely flew the flag of a Warlord of the Sea and was responsible for some operational tasks.
Hence, Smoker couldn't understand the business proposals Tesoro offered!
Naturally, he couldn't appreciate Tesoro's talent, either.
Fortunately for Tesoro, he wasn't completely out of luck. After the Mariejois arson incident, Smoker had received an instruction from Diarmuid to keep an eye out for a person named 'Gild Tesoro' who might appear in the New World. If found, Diarmuid said the man would be of great use.
Not just Smoker; Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District, had also received the same instruction from Diarmuid.
However, the time had been too short, and Tesoro was genuinely a nobody with perhaps only a dozen subordinates. New World 'big shots' like him could be found by the thousands with a casual search.
So, neither Smoker nor Stussy had managed to find Tesoro yet.
But now, Tesoro hadn't been searched out by Smoker; he had popped up himself, offering to join him.
This greatly surprised Smoker and made him very curious: How did Admiral Diarmuid know about this man?
Although he couldn't understand the business proposals or Tesoro's talent, since he was a person the Admiral wanted, Smoker naturally had no reason to refuse him.
After a period of silence, Smoker spoke. "In this world, everyone has something they seek. Some pursue justice, some pursue power, some pursue wealth, and some pursue strength. So, Tesoro, you came to me, presenting this valuable plan. It can't be out of complete selflessness, can it? Or do you truly intend to just be a minor pirate subordinate under me? Heheh... Tell me, what do you want from me?"
It must be said that while Smoker looked like a henpecked man constantly enduring "three years and three years" in front of Diarmuid, in front of others, he carried the perfect demeanor of a big boss.
His speech made Tesoro's heart pound.
After thinking for a moment, Tesoro ultimately dared not deceive Smoker and said in a deep voice, "Boss Smoker, I hope to gain the protection of your flag, to receive your financial support, and to be allowed to manage the implementation of these business plans. I will prove my abilities to you, and I hope to be granted a certain status by you... Finally, I want the Gold-Gold Fruit."
Smoker didn't take the initial requests seriously. Since this young man had already caught the Admiral's eye, rising in the ranks should not be a problem.
Since he himself didn't understand any of this, perhaps the Admiral, upon learning of it, might genuinely assign the task to Tesoro.
But what was this Gold-Gold Fruit situation?
"The Gold-Gold Fruit?" Smoker murmured.
Tesoro was somewhat surprised that Boss Smoker was only surprised by that. Did that mean he didn't care about the preceding conditions? Did that mean there was hope?
Tesoro was very good at reading expressions. He quickly concealed his surprise and explained rapidly, "That's right, the Gold-Gold Fruit, a Paramecia-type ability. Eating this fruit grants the power to control gold. For a businessman, it is the best possible ability!"
"Is that so?" Smoker nodded, then asked, "You want to use the power of the Amway Group to help you find this Devil Fruit?"
Tesoro first nodded, then shook his head. "Actually, there's no need to look. I already know where it is..."
"Where?" Smoker asked.
"In the hands of the Heavenly Yaksha, Donquixote Doflamingo," Tesoro stated without hesitation.
Smoker: ???
In reality, Tesoro had a strange destiny with the Gold-Gold Fruit. After escaping Mariejois, he gathered a small group of thugs on a New World island port and became a minor dock boss.
During one occasion while helping the Donquixote Family load cargo, he happened to overhear news of the 'Gold-Gold Fruit.' After that, he became curious about the fruit and investigated a lot of related information. The more he learned, the more his desire grew.
He simply lacked the power to steal cargo from the Donquixote Family. Based on the timeline, the Gold-Gold Fruit should already be in Doflamingo's hands.
If not for Smoker and Diarmuid, Tesoro would have followed the clue meticulously. Ultimately, years later, when Doflamingo brought out the Gold-Gold Fruit as a 'showpiece' for an auction, Tesoro would have delivered a fatal strike, stolen the fruit, and fled.
That's right, there were a few years between Doflamingo acquiring the Gold-Gold Fruit and him using it as an auction spectacle.
Doflamingo hadn't originally intended to sell the fruit; he wanted to wait for a suitable person to eat the ability. He just never expected the fruit to be stolen mid-way by Tesoro before he could find that person.
It was precisely because Tesoro had planned for years that he was able to use a small gamble to steal the cargo of the Heavenly Yaksha, Doflamingo.
If he had acted too hastily, how could he have had the power to snatch the fruit the moment Doflamingo brought it out?
Did he really think Doflamingo was an easy target?
However, the situation had now changed. Tesoro still received the news of the Gold-Gold Fruit, but he no longer planned to scheme to steal the Devil Fruit himself.
He intended to join Smoker and see if he could use Smoker's power to quickly obtain the Gold-Gold Fruit.
"You have enormous guts. You dare to covet the Heavenly Yaksha's cargo?" Smoker said with a smile.
"Compared to you, the Heavenly Yaksha is nothing," Tesoro said without hesitation.
"Then you greatly underestimate that guy," Smoker said calmly. It was clear that Tesoro might have some understanding of Doflamingo, but it was definitely not deep.
Otherwise, if he truly understood Doflamingo, he would never have the audacity to make a move against him.
Before Tesoro could speak again, Smoker smiled and asked, "What would you do if I didn't agree?"
"I will find a way to resolve it myself," Tesoro said firmly.
"Find a way, you? You'd die..." Smoker said contemptuously.
This time, however, Tesoro looked up at Smoker, his eyes filled with solemnity and determination. "I have nothing but this life. So, to become a man above others, to become a magnate, and never be humiliated again, I can only bet my life, Boss Smoker!"
This rotten life of mine, after Stella died, has long been worthless. What is there to cherish?
If there truly was a chance for a 'big gamble, big reward,' Tesoro would absolutely not hesitate to risk his life!
"Hahahahaha..." Smoker suddenly burst out laughing, then said, "Of all the things you've said, only that last sentence has earned my respect..."