On Ambri Island, in the former Gollier Villa, Takero stretched lazily as he climbed out of the luxurious bed late the next morning. A series of satisfying cracks echoed from his bones as he stretched. After a night of deep sleep, the fatigue from his intense battle with Borsalino had vanished completely, replaced by a refreshed and energetic feeling.
"Hmm... I have to say, this decadent lifestyle is damn comfortable," Takero sighed with emotion as he walked barefoot on the cool marble floor, casually stretching his muscles.
The former slave owner named Gollier was an out-and-out scumbag, but he certainly had good taste when it came to enjoying life. Every detail of this villa exuded an atmosphere of pure luxury. But now, it was all his.
"Grrruuuh—"
Just then, a loud rumble from his stomach broke the morning's tranquility. A wave of hunger instantly swept through every cell in his body. From last night until now, he had only eaten a few bland snacks. At this moment, he felt so hungry he could tear apart a Sea King with his bare hands and eat it, bones and all.
"I'm starving! Time to eat!"
Takero rubbed his empty stomach and strode towards the huge kitchen on the first floor, which was as big as a restaurant's. He had briefly toured his new home the day before and had been deeply impressed by the kitchen. Several giant refrigerators stood in neat rows like silver sentinels, packed with a dazzling array of high-class ingredients. From giant deep-sea lobsters to rare mountain mushrooms, it had everything imaginable. He didn't know if Gollier had been hoarding food for a party or the apocalypse, but either way, it was all about to end up in his stomach.
"Simple ingredients often only require the most basic cooking methods," Takero said confidently, rolling up his sleeves as he recalled Lucky Roux's effortless cooking style.
And then... things went exactly as you might expect.
Boom!
Black smoke billowed from a corner of the kitchen, followed by leaping flames.
"Uh..." Takero looked at the blazing "battlefield" before him, touched his chin, and tried to save face. "No big deal! I'm a professional at grilling, too!" He had grilled plenty of wild beasts and fish back on the deserted island.
Ten minutes later, he stared at the charred, charcoal-like "steaks" on the grill, which were emitting a strange odor, and fell into a deep state of confusion.
"This doesn't make any sense... I saw Lucky Roux do it this way..." He couldn't figure it out. The steps were exactly the same, so why was the result so different? Did grilling require some special kind of energy?
Realizing he couldn't rely on himself, Takero gave up. He dug out a few packs of snacks to hold him over, chewing them as he thought glumly, 'When Tesoro gets here, I'm definitely having him find a reliable chef!'
After devouring the snacks and chugging a large gulp of iced beer, Takero sighed contentedly. "Ah~ I'm alive again~" Although food was never a problem on the Red Hair Pirates' ship, it was definitely more comfortable to sleep in a real bed and eat and drink freely on land.
Just then, his peripheral vision caught an inconspicuous secret door in the corner of the kitchen, which he hadn't noticed in his haste yesterday. "Hmm? A storage room?" His curiosity was instantly piqued.
He walked over, easily pulled the secret door open, and revealed a deep, dark stairwell leading down. A cold wind seeped out, carrying a hint of mystery. For others, it might have been scary, but Takero didn't care at all. Without a second thought, he plunged in. Whatever was down there, he wasn't the one who should be afraid.
The passage was longer than he expected. After walking for nearly two minutes, he still hadn't reached the end. "Why dig so deep?" Takero grumbled. "Are they burying their ancestors' ashes down here?"
After walking a little further, the space suddenly opened up into a sizable underground area. Stacks of boxes were neatly arranged inside. Takero's eyes lit up. He quickly stepped forward and lifted the lid of one box—and was nearly blinded by a dazzling golden light. It was full of gold coins and jewels.
However, Takero's expectant expression instantly fell, replaced by undisguised disappointment. "Tch... I thought there was something good hidden here. Is this all?" He had absolutely no interest in shiny stones and metals. Money? If he needed it, he could just "borrow" some from a few rich scumbags. Hoarding so much was just a waste of space.
He boredly kicked the box and his gaze fell on a smaller, more exquisite-looking wooden box nearby. "What's this now?" He casually opened it.
The wooden box was lined with soft silk, and a single fruit lay quietly in the center. It was an extremely peculiar fruit, entirely a cold, silvery-white color, with a skin covered in intricate crystalline patterns. It looked less like something that grew naturally and more like a work of art carved by a master craftsman.
With just one glance, Takero remembered something Shanks had bragged about a long time ago.
"A Devil Fruit?" Although it was a question, he was almost certain. What other kind of fruit would look so ridiculously flashy?
"I heard eating this gives you strange abilities and makes you stronger," Takero said, picking up the fruit and weighing it in his hand with little interest. "Sounds a little interesting, but that's about it." He had seen Devil Fruit users before. Kizaru's speed from the Glint-Glint Fruit and Doflamingo's bizarre strings were novel, but nothing more.
Besides, he was a noble Saiyan with a system backing him up. His potential was unlimited. Most importantly, eating a Devil Fruit would give him a weakness to seawater. It was an immediate pass; he didn't even have to think about it. He had also heard that Devil Fruits tasted like crap. He didn't know how Shanks knew that, but it was just another reason for him not to eat it.
However, just because he wouldn't eat it didn't mean it was useless.
"I'll keep it for now," Takero said, stuffing the fruit into his small bag. "I'll ask that kid Tesoro later if he wants it. Consider it a perk for being my subordinate." He felt that his new underling had been working hard and deserved a little reward.
After putting away the Devil Fruit, Takero continued to explore. Not far ahead, his path was blocked by a heavy iron door with a giant, sturdy-looking lock.
Takero was speechless. "...Is there no end to this? It's like a nesting doll, just one layer after another." He didn't have the patience to look for a key. He simply reached out, gripped the large lock, and squeezed.
Snap!
The lock, made of refined steel, was instantly crushed in his hand like a stale biscuit. Then, he grabbed the edge of the iron door and pulled.
Creak—Clang!
The entire heavy iron door was ripped from its hinges and casually tossed to the ground with a loud crash.
"This flimsy?" Takero pouted, dusting off his hands. Only then did he clearly see what was behind the door—it was a dark prison cell. And to his surprise, there were two people locked inside.
Two small figures huddled in the corner. Their hair was disheveled, their clothes were tattered, and their faces were so dirty he couldn't make out their features. From their size, they seemed to be two girls, one older and one younger.
Takero tilted his head and asked, "Hey, who are you two? Why are you sleeping in my basement?"
The two people in the cell were startled awake by the loud crash and looked up in terror. When they saw only a young boy standing at the entrance, they were visibly stunned. The older girl immediately struggled to her feet, tightly shielding the younger one behind her. Though she was trembling, she tried to act brave. "Gollier... did he finally decide to sell us?!" she asked, her voice hoarse and wary.
Takero blinked. He remembered that Gollier was the slave trader he had strangled. "I'm not with that dead guy," he stated plainly. "My name is Takero, and this place is mine now."
The older sister didn't believe him at all. "Don't try to trick us! You slave traders never speak a single word of truth!"
Takero shrugged. "Believe it or not. Fine, you two can just stay here. I'm leaving." With that, he turned and walked away.
The older sister sneered internally. 'Hmph! Playing hard to get! I've seen this trick a hundred times! Pretend to leave, then come back to negotiate when we're scared and begging? Dream on!' She was certain he would turn back before he reached the door.
However... Takero's footsteps didn't falter. He was really leaving. The older sister's confidence crumbled, replaced by immense panic. If he left, she and her sister would surely starve to death in this dark dungeon.
"Wait... please wait!" she cried out, her voice trembling.
"What now?" Takero turned back impatiently. His stomach was still rumbling. "I'm very busy, you know."
The older sister's heart pounded. "You... you really aren't with Gollier?"
"Huh? What would I gain by lying to you?" Takero said, thinking the girl's brain must have been damaged from being locked up. "I killed that guy myself."
"Wh-what?!" The older sister's eyes widened. Immense joy washed away her fear. "R-really?! That demon... is dead?! That's great! We're saved!" She excitedly hugged her trembling younger sister. After the initial euphoria, she quickly seized the opportunity. "Benefactor! Thank you for avenging us! Please, open the cell door! The key should be in..."
"No," Takero said, picking his ear and cutting her off, his tone completely flat.
"Huh?" The joy on the older sister's face froze. "B-but Gollier is already dead..."
"So what?" Takero looked at her as if she were crazy. "He's dead. What does that have to do with me letting you out?" This girl really thought he was some kind of hero? He wasn't a philanthropist.
The older sister was completely stunned. She had never expected such a reaction. She looked at her poor, young sister, then finally steeled herself and shouted, "As long as you save us, I'll be your slave! I'll serve you as my master! I only ask that you spare my sister!" It was the last thing she had to offer.
"Not interested," Takero replied without hesitation.
"I... I know many things!" the older sister cried, desperately trying to sell herself. "I can infiltrate, fight, steal, gather intelligence... With me, your affairs will be much easier!"
"I can handle all of that myself. I don't need you," Takero remained unmoved.
The atmosphere turned ice-cold. The older sister's heart sank, and despair washed over her. She lowered her head, looked at her young sister, and finally gritted her teeth. "I... I can also be your sex..."
"Grrruuuh—"
Just then, an unusually loud, prolonged rumbling sound echoed through the silent underground cell. Takero's gaze instantly locked onto the source of the sound—the older sister's stomach.
He narrowed his eyes slightly and asked a crucial question. "Can you cook?"
"Huh?" The older sister was bewildered by the sudden question, but her survival instinct made her nod vigorously. "Yes! I can! I can cook!"
Upon hearing this, Takero nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, then I'll let you out."
The older sister was speechless. '??? She had pleaded, offered her life and freedom, and it wasn't enough, but because she could cook... he agreed?! How was this person's brain wired?!'
Though she was complaining wildly in her head, she reacted quickly and pointed to the lock. "Benefactor! The key might be in..."
"Too much trouble," Takero interrupted her again, walking to the cell door. "You two stand back."
Under the shocked gazes of the two sisters, Takero reached out, grabbed a few iron bars as thick as a baby's arm, and casually bent them.
Snap! Creak—!
The sturdy bars were torn open as if they were dead branches, creating a large enough opening for a person to pass through.
"Alright, come out," Takero said, clapping his hands as if he'd done nothing special.
The older sister stared, dumbfounded, at the twisted iron bars, then at Takero's relaxed expression. Her mind went blank. What kind of terrifying strength was this?!
But this was no time to be shocked. She quickly pulled her sister through the opening. The feeling of freedom almost brought tears to her eyes.
"Th-thank you so much, Benefactor!" she said, bowing deeply.
Takero waved his hand indifferently. "Let's go. I'm hungry. Go up and cook." His needs were simple and direct.
"Yes! Yes!" the older sister quickly responded, pulling her sister along to follow him. As she walked, she eagerly introduced herself, afraid that this strange benefactor might change his mind.
"Oh, Master, my name is Monet, and this is my younger sister. Her name is Sugar."
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