The Gran Tesoro, a massive golden ship, floated on the seas of the New World.
This colossal vessel, stretching over ten kilometers in length, offered every form of entertainment one could imagine: casinos, spas, hotels, restaurants, theaters, beauty salons—the works.
Though a ship, it was recognized as an independent nation, a haven where dignitaries and nobles from World Government member states mingled with pirates, Marines, and even Celestial Dragons, all in pursuit of pleasure and distraction.
Designated a "Neutral Zone" by the World Government, the ship enjoyed extraterritorial status. Marines couldn't arrest pirates here, nor could anyone else. It was, in essence, a lawless paradise.
The fact that Tesoro and Stella had managed to create such a place… their business acumen was truly astounding.
"Welcome, Lady Sue."
Stepping through the Gran Tesoro's main entrance, glittering with gold, I found myself in an equally dazzling golden port.
My ship had docked in the VIP-only section, deeper within the harbor.
Before I could even disembark, a stunning woman with fiery red hair, sun-kissed skin, and a daringly elegant dress appeared before me, clearly having anticipated my arrival. She bowed, every movement graceful and refined.
This was Baccarat, the senior concierge in charge of VIP guests aboard the Gran Tesoro. Whenever I visit, she always volunteers to handle my arrangements.
"Long time no see, Baccarat. Let's make today another good one. Where's Tesoro?"
"Lord Tesoro is at The Leoro Hotel. He instructed me to escort you there immediately, should you wish. Shall we depart now, or would you prefer to rest and explore a bit first?"
"If he's waiting, let's go straight there. I don't want to keep him, and I'd rather handle business right away. Can you lead the way?"
"Understood. A car is waiting for you. Please follow me. Oh, and…"
Baccarat gestured toward the large doors behind me, glancing past me at my companions.
"We'll take care of guiding your companions as well. Honey, you must be exhausted. Head back to the staff area and rest."
"I think I will… Take care of the rest, Baccarat."
With that, Honey—the blonde beauty who had sailed with me—glided past Baccarat and slipped through a different door from the one Baccarat had indicated.
"Ruby, Sapphire, Emerald, what about you three?"
"I'm going to have some fun! I haven't swum in the golden pool here in ages!" Sapphire declared.
"Sapphire's so energetic… I'm going to rest. Can I use the staff salon?"
"You could, but the owner has arranged for you to use the VIP hotel area. Why not take advantage of that instead?"
"Oh, are you sure? If you insist, I'll take you up on it. What about Emerald?"
"I'd love to rest too… but I should finish the report while everything's still fresh in my mind."
The three of them—Ruby, Sapphire, and Emerald—were girls I'd met during my travels… or rather, girls I'd rescued when they were being transported by slave traders.
Ruby had reddish hair, clothes, and fins, and was assertive and dependable—probably the leader of the trio. She was a fish-man of the Suji Bera species.
Sapphire was petite and bubbly, like an endlessly energetic child—either the mood-maker or the class clown, depending on how you looked at it. Her hair, clothes, and fins were all blue. I think she was a cobalt damselfish fish-man.
And then there was Emerald, whose formal way of speaking was her trademark. She was quieter than the others, kind-hearted, and always watching out for those around her. Her hair, clothes, and fins were mostly green—an angelfish fish-man, if I remember correctly.
The three of them now worked as staff on the Gran Tesoro. They used their fish-man abilities for underwater tasks, and since all three were adorable, they also served as hall staff.
As for the blonde beauty who went on ahead… Honey… she was also a staff member here.
In fact, she was a concierge like Baccarat, specializing in VIP clients.
As for her story… that's a long tale of its own.
Anyway, the reason these staff members were accompanying me on my journey was simple. As I said before, they were more like attendants than crewmates.
To put it briefly… someone told me, "You're a bit scatterbrained, so take one or two subordinates with you to keep an eye on things."
So, for a while now, I'd been borrowing some of Tesoro's people to accompany me on my voyages. Not every trip, of course.
To be honest, it's been a huge help.
When I'm alone on the ship, I have to handle every chore myself. There's no one to take the helm when I'm exhausted and need to rest.
That's just one of the realities of sailing solo—and it's something I understood going in.
But in situations like this… especially since I often pull all-nighters writing and end up severely sleep-deprived… having someone reliable at the wheel while I rest is a literal lifesaver.
Even so, there's still something about traveling alone that feels more relaxed, more appealing, you know?
"Lady Sue, this way, please. Oh, before we proceed… as per regulations, I'll need to see your pass."
"Ah, right, right. Here."
At her prompt, I drew a card from my palm.
The card was about the size of a business card and shimmered with golden light. Despite its luxurious appearance, it was actually made of paper—not ordinary paper, of course, but a special, counterfeit-proof material.
And because it was still paper, I could store it inside my body.
This was the Gran Tesoro Eternal Free Pass, the only one of its kind in the world. Tesoro himself had given it to me when I first came here.
With this pass, I could use any facility on the Gran Tesoro—casinos, restaurants, entertainment venues—without paying a single Berry. It was the ultimate passport, personally authorized by the owner.
Wow… Even now, I still can't believe I received something this incredible.
When I first got it, I was completely overwhelmed. This was a pass even the Celestial Dragons couldn't obtain—the highest privilege imaginable.
"Yes, I've confirmed it. This way, please."
Baccarat checked my card, then led me to a luxurious foreign car parked nearby.
She settled me into the back seat and we drove off.
Before long, we arrived at The Leoro, the most prestigious hotel at the heart of Gran Tesoro and Lord Tesoro's personal residence.
In the VIP suite, I found two familiar faces: a man who had grown a bit more muscular since I last saw him, and a woman whose beauty remained completely unchanged.
"Hey, Sue, long time no see… I'm glad to see you're doing well."
"You too, Tesoro. Stella, it's been a while."
"It really has. How was your trip around the Four Blues?"
"Amazing! I brought back a mountain of souvenirs and stories. Oh, the souvenirs are still on the ship…"
"Ah, I'll have the staff handle your luggage later. We'll also take care of your ship's maintenance while we're at it. For now, let's make this a grand celebration for Sue's return. I hope you enjoy the show."
The Golden Emperor. Monster of the New World. That's what they called him these days, apparently.
Tesoro had started as a black market merchant, but eventually drew the attention of the Marines and the World Government. He and Stella became fugitives, hunted not only by them, but by gold-hungry pirates and other shady figures in the underworld.
By then, however, Tesoro had gathered a formidable group of allies around him, allowing him to fight off his pursuers. That was how he came to rule this Neutral Zone as a sovereign of the New World.
Tesoro's frame had grown sturdier, and faint lines had etched themselves into his face, giving him an air of authority. Yet the boyish, innocent smile he'd worn in those early days hadn't changed at all.
Watching him like this was strangely comforting… even though he was five years older than me.
…And Stella, who was supposed to be seven years older—two years older than Tesoro—well… I hate to say this about a woman, but aren't you turning thirty-eight this year?
You look like a college student, maybe even younger… Are you some kind of ageless beauty?
Or is it the power of that Devil Fruit? That seems plausible… I've heard there are Devil Fruits whose side effects halt aging. Maybe hers has a similar, or related, effect…
But Stella had always had beautiful skin and a youthful face. Maybe this was just how she was from the beginning.
Still, I was stunned when I found out she'd become an Ability User without my noticing… and not just with any ability, but one incredibly rare and, depending on the field, absolutely broken.
It was years ago when they told me, but I still remember shouting, "What?!"
The two of them, clearly expecting that reaction, just laughed with matching mischievous smiles.
Setting all that aside… they really did look good together. Like a perfect picture.
Yeah, yeah, it's great to see them so happy.
After chatting for a while, I was shown to my hotel room—or rather, to the room I'd been using as one of my homes—where I changed into formal attire.
A subdued yet elegant empire-style dress.
I'd completely left the selection to Baccarat… or rather, entrusted it to her judgment. I've never been particularly interested in fashion, and my sense of style is… well, questionable.
After that, I was escorted to the Royal Rank seats for tonight's show. These special seats were reserved exclusively for Tesoro's personal friends. The only ones assigned there were myself and the concierge.
But it wasn't Baccarat. Honey had returned in full professional mode, dressed in a sexy gown.
For a bit of background, she used to be a pirate—my enemy, in fact. At the time, she'd gone by the name Honey Queen, though it was more of a codename than her real one.
I had been traveling through the East Blue and decided to visit Clockwork Island to see the legendary Diamond Clock, said to be the most expensive mechanical clock in the world.
However, the island had been occupied and ruled by a pirate crew called the Trump Pirates.
When Honey—then still Honey Queen—caught me snooping around, she led her crew in an all-out assault, trying to kidnap me as a tribute to their captain, some guy named Bear King.
But I hadn't even seen what I'd come for yet, and being treated like someone's tribute seriously pissed me off. I wiped them out in one go. I annihilated the crew, though Honey managed to escape using her ability.
She must have reported in, because before long, the entire Trump Pirates crew—including Bear King himself—came after me, determined to either capture or kill me.
But how was I supposed to lose to some thug with a mere 11.6 million Berry bounty?
He bragged about his Clank-Clank Fruit powers, boasting that his body could harden to the strength of steel. But Armament Haki shattered that boast—I damaged him just fine and cut right through him. I knocked the entire crew unconscious (Honey included) and asked the islanders to notify the authorities. As a pirate myself, I couldn't exactly call the Marines.
Afterward, as thanks, they gave me a variety of unique clockwork gadgets made only on Clockwork Island, and even showed me the Diamond Clock.
On top of that, they offered to craft any clockwork item I desired, so long as I covered the materials and labor. In that sense, I suppose I owed the Trump Pirates a little bit of gratitude.
Several months later…
When I briefly returned to the Grand Line on some business, I ran into her again, hiding on a certain island.
Apparently, she'd taken advantage of a momentary lapse in security to escape from a Marine prison ship.
But the strength that had been enough to swagger around the East Blue was nowhere near sufficient for the Grand Line. Her bounty had been only 7.8 million Berries, if I recall correctly.
She'd been attacked by pirates, bounty hunters, and human traffickers, all while being relentlessly pursued by the Marines. She was so worn down she looked downright pitiful.
When we reunited, she threw away all pride and begged, "I'll do anything, just please help me!"
What made it even more desperate was the situation at the time—she ended up groveling completely naked. I couldn't help but feel sorry for her, so I offered her my hand.
Afterward, seeing how attractive she was, I told her she could get decent work if she tried. I consulted Tesoro, and he agreed to hire her as an employee here.
From then on, she worked as if she'd already died once and was living on borrowed time. Within a few years, through sheer hard work and natural talent, she earned the rank of senior concierge. That's her story.
Now, we can even laugh about those times. She's recovered so well and looks up to me as her benefactor—a true friend.
Personally, one of the reasons I helped her was… well, it would've been a waste otherwise.
She's a Logia-type Ability User, and a pretty powerful one at that. It would've been a shame to let that potential go to waste. So I entrusted her to Tesoro so she could hone her abilities even further.
Gran Tesoro attracts pirates, so all our employees undergo thorough self-defense and related training. All the more so for Ability Users.
We have a top-notch team for that, led by Security Chief Tanaka and Dice the Dealer. Quite a few of them can even use Haki. Ruby and Baccarat are surprisingly strong as well.
Honey is now strong enough to be entrusted with part of the security.
I sparred with her once, and I'm certain that if she faced the old Trump Pirates now, she could easily crush and wipe them out on her own. Yeah, yeah, that's good.
By the way, something's been bothering me…
"Honey, Stella and Tesoro are performing on stage tonight, right?"
"Yes, that's the plan. Afterward, they'll be joining us here for the banquet."
Honey's tone was formal and polite, probably because she was in work mode and we weren't alone.
"I see… But there are more seats than that… Is anyone else coming?"
The Royal Rank seating area currently had six places prepared.
I was already seated, and Stella and Tesoro were expected to arrive soon. That left three more seats.
"They're running a bit late, but Lady Boa Hancock, Lady Boa Sandersonia, and Lady Boa Marigold are expected to arrive. Originally, they were scheduled to come tomorrow, but it seems their plans were moved up."
"Oh, really? That's something to look forward to."
"Though it's unclear whether they'll make it in time for the stage performance… Ah."
All at once, the lights went out, and a single spotlight illuminated the stage. Oh, is it starting already?
A figure emerged, clad in golden robes… but it wasn't Tesoro.
Tesoro was the main act, after all. This had to be the opening performance.
I'd never seen her before. A rookie? She looked like a middle schooler, or at most a high school student.
"I just heard about her in the meeting earlier. She's a newly recruited songstress, personally scouted by Lord Tesoro himself. After three months of intensive training in vocal technique and stagecraft, she graduated from her apprenticeship. Even though this is just the opening act, tonight marks her official debut performance."
"Huh… that does sound promising."
On stage, the girl with red and white hair stood with a trace of nervousness. But as soon as the music began, her expression lit up, her face blooming into a radiant smile.
Ah, I see it now… Under the lights, she's practically bursting with life.
Is she just an incredible actress… or is this all genuine, a passion for singing pouring straight from her heart?
I have a feeling it's the latter.
I glanced at the program lying nearby.
Her name… Uta-chan? Yeah, I'd say she definitely has a bright future ahead of her.
To be continued...