Chapter 357: The Future Golden Emperor Joins
After several days of sailing, safely navigating through extreme and unpredictable weather, the ship was pushed off course by strong winds.
Inside the cabin, Tesoro reclined on a soft sofa, swirling the red wine in his glass before taking a sip.
"Bakara, the 'luck' you've given me is still far from enough."
With her red hair flowing, Bakara, wearing a backless high-slit dress, explained, "We left in a rush, and I only absorbed the luck of a few hundred people before we left. And due to the extreme weather over the past two days, I was forced to use up most of that luck."
Bakara, a Devil Fruit user with the Luck-Luck Fruit, could absorb the luck of others through physical contact. Anyone from whom she absorbed luck would become extremely unlucky, while the luck she took would boost her own fortune. Even if she casually tossed a coin, a series of events would unfold, turning into an attack on her enemies.
Tesoro's initial plan was to use the luck she collected from hundreds of people to accidentally encounter "those two" as they sailed toward the Dawn Pirate Crew.
Tesoro didn't say anything, idly swirling his wine glass, the red liquid sloshing in the transparent cup.
"Tesoro-sama, please don't be anxious," Bakara comforted him. "We have plenty of time. Once we collect enough luck, we'll surely fulfill your wish of encountering them."
"Alright."
Just as Tesoro thought this search would end in failure, he was startled by a sudden report from his subordinate:
"Tesoro-sama! We've, we've found the Eternal Fearless!"
"!?" The wine glass in his hand shattered, red wine spilling onto the expensive carpet, but Tesoro didn't pay it any mind. He quickly rushed out of the cabin, with Bakara closely following behind him.
Grabbing a pair of binoculars, Tesoro's eyes fell on the steel hull of the ship, with the Thunder Dragon flag fluttering in the wind.
"Finally... Found you!"
...
"Huh?" Eric asked confusedly, "A pirate crew from the New World? Do they want to make a name for themselves by stepping on us?"
"They're not a pirate crew; they're not flying the pirate flag," Chiron's voice carried a hint of amusement. "But the person on their ship has an expression of pure excitement..."
"Like a fanatic fan seeing their idol in person."
"Huh?" Eric turned to Miku , "Have you held any concerts in this world?"
Miku tapped her lip with her finger, recalling, "Nope?"
"Then why would there be a crazy fan of yours here?"
Miku shook her head. "I only need one fan, and that's my darling!"
With that, Miku spread her arms and lunged at Eric .
"This is strange." Kurumi tilted her head. "Would an ordinary person like a pirate who wreaks havoc on the world?"
"That's not certain," Esdeath clenched her fist, feeling the power increase from her enhanced attributes, casually saying, "I had quite a few fans in the Imperial Capital back in the day."
"Huh?" Kurumi was shocked. "You had fans?"
"I can vouch for that," Akame nodded. "Esdeath has outstanding looks and incredible strength, and the army she leads is highly motivated, undefeated in battle, so she had many admirers in the Imperial Capital."
"Exactly," Kurome added with a candy in her mouth, her words unclear, "I can also vouch for it."
Esdeath put her hands on her hips, proudly showing off her assets, smiling as she looked at Kurumi.
Kurumi giggled lightly and suggested, "How about we hold a vote to see who gets more votes?"
"Vote?" Esdeath frowned. "What for?"
"The winner gets a chance to go on a date with Eric ," Kurumi extended a finger, "How's that for a prize?"
"But the number of voters is too small," Esdeath silently calculated the number of people on the ship in her mind.
"Ah, are you afraid of losing? Sadistic Queen?" Kurumi started teasing.
"Heh..." Esdeath was about to agree, but suddenly thought of something and asked with suspicion, "Are you planning to have your clones vote?"
"..." Seeing her scheme exposed, Kurumi turned her head without changing her expression.
"Why is this topic going off-track?" Eric asked, a little speechless.
"Captain? What should we do about that ship?" Chiron asked again.
"Let it come closer," Eric said, curious to see who would be bold enough.
...
"Who are you?" Eric asked the man not far from him.
"F-Forgive me!" The man quickly turned around, adjusting his clothes as he turned his back to the Dawn Pirate Crew.
"What is this guy doing..." Perona muttered quietly, "It's not like we're on a blind date."
"Nice to meet you, I-I'm Gild Tesoro, an artist!" The man stammered.
"Tesoro?" Eric furrowed his brows, thinking, "I feel like I've heard that name somewhere."
"Captain Eric ." Baby-5, dressed in a maid outfit, came to Eric 's side and whispered, "He's the business partner who worked with Doflamingo, and many of the Donquixote family's assets are stored with him."
"Oh, oh!" Eric finally focused and carefully examined the man.
His appearance only slightly resembled his portrayal in the "One Piece Film: Gold" movie. He looked younger, and there was no air of deceit or scheming in his expression. His business wasn't at its peak yet, and he certainly didn't control 20% of the world's wealth.
His current demeanor didn't resemble a powerful figure, but more like an ordinary person who had just met their idol.
'But why is this guy looking at me so intensely?' Eric felt a chill down his spine, 'Could it be that he's into men?'
"Are you 'Kuī Lóng' Darren Eric ?" Tesoro asked excitedly, before turning his gaze 20 degrees toward Esdeath. "And this is the 'Ice Queen' Esdeath, right?"
Eric had originally planned to rob Tesoro once he had 20% of the wealth. But now, Tesoro had become his little fan?
Eric was a bit confused. 'You and Luffy's little rooster-head follower seem to have some similarities.'
"That's right." Esdeath raised an eyebrow. "Would you like to visit my interrogation room?"
Tesoro immediately replied, "Please, let me visit..."
Eric raised his hand, interrupting Tesoro. "Did you come here specifically to find me? What's going on?"
"Uh..." Tesoro hesitated.
At that moment, Eric suddenly remembered Tesoro's past:
The saying "A dragon-slayer becoming the evil dragon" was perfect for Gild Tesoro.
When he was young, Tesoro met his one true love and decided to stop doing bad things. He worked tirelessly to save money to rescue Stella. However, just as he was about to gather enough, Stella was easily bought by the Celestial Dragons. Furious, Tesoro confronted the Celestial Dragons, and as a result, he was captured and branded with the "Heavenly Dragon's Hoof" mark, becoming their slave.
Two years later, the Celestial Dragons purposely told him that Stella had died, just to see him cry.
The despair and pain brought by the Celestial Dragons were deeply etched into his heart, taking away his love and hope for a better tomorrow.
He hated the Celestial Dragons, and he hated his own powerless self. Using the stolen Gomu Gomu no Mi from the Donquixote family and his own business acumen, Tesoro became an incredibly wealthy man in just a few years.
"A man without money will accomplish nothing. You're just destined to be controlled!" He took this saying as his motto, and gradually grew arrogant.
Tesoro, once a slave, later became a person who enslaved and oppressed others after gaining power, money, and status.
Eric suddenly realized that Tesoro still hadn't completed his giant ship. This meant, maybe, just maybe, there was still hope for him?
"Tesoro, huh?" Eric invited, "Let's talk on my ship."
"Y-Yes!" Tesoro responded loudly.
"Tesoro-sama?" Bakara looked worried about her leader's safety.
"It's fine. Eric -sama won't harm innocent ordinary people," Tesoro reassured his subordinate.
Esdeath lightly said, "That's not so certain, and you're not exactly an ordinary person."
...
In the ship's meeting room, only Eric , Esdeath, Kurumi, Akame, and Tesoro remained.
Eric opened the conversation: "You came to us because of the massacre of the Celestial Dragons, didn't you?"
"You... you know?" Tesoro was surprised.
"Mm." Eric nodded. "I also know your little-known past."
The women quietly listened to Eric and Tesoro's cryptic conversation, not interrupting.
"..." Tesoro lowered his head, and after a long silence, he spoke again, his voice low. "Do you look down on me?"
"Of course not," Eric shook his head. "I hate the Celestial Dragons even more. I'd love to kill all those pigs."
"!" Tesoro's eyes widened, tears flowing from his eyes, blurring his vision.
"Sorry, I got a little emotional." Tesoro quickly wiped away the tears, his sleeve soaked with the expensive fabric.
The women, with their sharp minds, immediately understood. Another person who had been abused by the Celestial Dragons.
"I was once a slave of the Celestial Dragons," Tesoro began telling his story, from meeting Stella to becoming a slave, her death to his escape from the Holy Land, and the underground business he ran now.
"Is it really appropriate to reveal your whole bottom line like this?" Esdeath said, a bit speechless.
"If it's you guys, then there's no problem!" Tesoro's eyes lit up. "When I saw you guys capture the Celestial Dragons and nobles from various countries, saving the slaves, I knew you were the ones I would follow to the death!"
Tesoro kneeled on one knee, his face pleading, "Eric -sama, please kill all the Celestial Dragons..."
Eric looked at Tesoro, who was kneeling, feeling a mix of emotions. This was completely different from the Tesoro that appeared in the movie.
Had he been so high up for so long that he had become the very thing he hated?
"If you kneel like that, then I'll become the Celestial Dragon you hate the most," Eric smiled. "Get up."
Tesoro slowly stood, his gaze fierce as he stared at Eric , solemnly saying, "Yes."
Eric shook his head. "We can't do that right now."
"I'll wait!" Tesoro quickly said. "Only you and Esdeath-sama can accomplish such a great feat."
"Ah," Kurumi sounded slightly displeased. "I can do it too. It's just that Esdeath is better at torturing."
"Though I understand your hatred," Esdeath said expressionlessly, "I have no obligation to help you fulfill that wish. Besides, I hate weaklings, especially those who can't do it themselves and beg others for help."
"…Uh," Tesoro was speechless.
"You want a business genius to fight? That would be a waste of talent," Eric shrugged. "Besides, Tesoro, do you know what it means to kill all the Celestial Dragons?"
"…"
"It means overthrowing the World Government."
Tesoro's eyes widened. Even though he had endless amounts of money, facing the World Government, which had stood at the top for 800 years, was still out of his reach.
"So, are you ready to overthrow the World Government?" Eric spoke as though it were a trivial matter.
Without hesitation, Tesoro shouted, "Please let me join!"
"Good." Esdeath nodded. "Finally, some courage."
"Then, Eric -sama..." Tesoro asked softly, "What should I do?"
"..." Eric sighed, rubbing his forehead. "What was your plan? How did you intend to get revenge on the Celestial Dragons?"
"I was planning to build a giant ship to host the world's largest entertainment city."
"Oh!" Akame's eyes sparkled. "Does it have food?"
"Of course!" Tesoro replied. "Food, entertainment, everything you can think of will be there."
"I want to go now!"
"Uh..." Tesoro suddenly felt awkward. "The giant ship is still under construction..."
Akame's face showed disappointment.
"The topic shifted again," Eric urged. "Tesoro, get to the point."
"Yes!" Tesoro straightened up slightly. "I plan to set up a casino, create an illegal bank that serves the world's criminals, and use the power of money to manipulate the World Government, making them work for me!"
'Though the idea is the same, his methods have changed a bit~'
"But," Eric shook
his head. "Even if you have all the money in the world, no one will shoot themselves just because you offer them more money, right?"
Tesoro: "…"
"Join me!" Eric extended his right hand. "You earn enough money for me, and I'll do everything I can to overthrow the World Government. At that time, the Celestial Dragons we capture are yours to dispose of."
Tesoro stared blankly at Eric 's right hand. Suddenly, he extended both hands and gripped them tightly.
"I am willing to be your subordinate!"
[Achievement "Golden Emperor" unlocked, 5 achievement points]
(END CHAPTER)
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