Early the next morning.
The first rays of sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a fractured golden glow over the ruins of Grand Tesoro.
Tesoro had stood atop the highest point of the wreckage all night.
The sea breeze rustled his tattered suit and dispelled the last traces of confusion in his eyes.
For some reason, after Orion's words to him, he found his heart calmer than it had ever been before.
The hatred in his heart had unknowingly faded, as if influenced by some intangible, unseen ideology.
Before this, his world had been shrouded in darkness.
But now, he saw the dazzling sun and felt a long-lost warmth, making him realize for the first time since obtaining the power of the Gold-Gold Fruit that the world might not be entirely bleak!
"What do we do next?" Baccarat's voice came from behind.
She had changed into clean clothes, but the exhaustion on her face was unmistakable.
"Shall we continue operating Grand Tesoro, or..."
"Grand Tesoro?" Tesoro lowered his hand without turning around, his voice eerily calm. "If it reappears on these seas, Fleet Admiral Orion's blade will surely fall upon all our heads."
Baccarat's heart stirred, a glimmer of light flashing in her beautiful eyes as she tentatively asked.
"Have you made your choice? Are you planning to... bow to that Fleet Admiral?"
"No." Tesoro shook his head and turned around, his gaze sweeping over Tanaka and the other subordinates who had also stayed awake all night, their faces filled with apprehension.
"These years, I've been blinded by hatred. Before making any decisions, I want to see this world anew as an ordinary person."
He looked at his remaining trusted aides and continued, "As for you... the Fleet Admiral hasn't demanded anything from you. If you have better places to go, you're free to disperse."
With these words, he pulled out a heavy money pouch from his chest and tossed it casually onto the ground.
Tanaka and the other executives exchanged complicated glances.
They had followed Tesoro for many years, witnessing his rise from nothing to building this golden empire, growing accustomed to wielding power under his protection.
But now, the empire had crumbled.
The once-invincible Golden Emperor seemed to have changed as well.
After a brief silence, Tanaka - who could phase through any object - was the first to move.
Gliding on his roller skates, he cautiously approached the pouch of gold coins, hesitated for a moment, then finally bent down to pick it up.
He didn't dare look Tesoro in the eye, keeping his head lowered as he mumbled.
"Take care, Lord Tesoro."
Without looking back, he skated toward the port, his figure soon disappearing around a corner of the ruins.
Where there was a first, a second soon followed.
The remaining executives exchanged glances, mustered their courage, quickly stepped forward to grab handfuls of gold coins from the pouch, then scattered in all directions as if fleeing for their lives.
Soon, only Tesoro and Baccarat remained amidst the vast ruins.
Tesoro looked at Baccarat with some surprise. "Why aren't you leaving?"
Baccarat brushed aside her wind-tousled red hair, revealing a charming smile.
"My luck tells me that following you might lead to a more interesting future."
She paused, then added, "Moreover, I want to see with my own eyes whether the world, under the rule of Fleet Admiral Orion, has truly entered a new era."
"Let's go!" Tesoro said no more, turning to descend from the ruins.
Baccarat smiled and quickly followed him.
...
Evening arrived.
The two boarded an ordinary merchant ship and arrived at an island they had never set foot on before.
The nation on the island was called the Fred Kingdom, formerly a non-World Government affiliate under the protection of Emperor Shanks.
Six months ago, the Fred Kingdom announced its separation from the Red Hair Pirates and formally joined the World Government.
With the comprehensive implementation of the World Government's "Kingdom-to-City Transformation" policy, Fred became one of the first nations to respond.
Now, it was no longer called a kingdom, but Fred City.
Tesoro bought a newspaper from a roadside kiosk, its front page featuring a photo and profile of the newly appointed mayor.
The first mayor, Dengka, formerly a Marine Headquarters Captain, had been exceptionally promoted to rear admiral by Fleet Admiral Orion due to his outstanding performance and brilliant charisma over the years.
After the conclusion of the World Conference, he immediately assumed office as the inaugural mayor of Fred City.
"A Marine Headquarters officer appointed as mayor?" Tesoro glanced at the newspaper, a mocking smile curling at the corner of his lips.
"They spend their years hunting pirates at sea—do they even know how to govern a nation?"
"Based on the information we've gathered so far, they're doing remarkably well," Baccarat chimed in.
"Especially in Wano City, where the first mayor is former Seven Warlord of the Sea, Crocodile. The policies he implemented in Wano are now being emulated by many allied nations. Even those once-influential underworld emperors from the New World have become his right-hand men, making 'significant contributions' to changing the world."
"Hah," Tesoro sneered coldly. "Crocodile doesn't possess that kind of charisma. What truly compels those guys to serve willingly is Fleet Admiral Orion."
"Still, we must acknowledge one thing," Tesoro crumpled the newspaper into a ball and tossed it into a nearby trash bin. "Crocodile made the wisest decision of his life by pledging unwavering loyalty to that fleet admiral from the very beginning."
Just then.
"Help! Let me go! Help!"
A desperate cry for help suddenly echoed from the alley behind them.
Turning toward the sound, they saw two men with menacing expressions dragging a struggling young woman through the dimly lit alley.
The girl fought back so fiercely that one of the men grew impatient.
He pulled out a coarse rope and looped it around her neck, tightening it forcefully!
The moment Tesoro saw that rope, his pupils contracted sharply.
The scene before him shifted imperceptibly—no longer was it a girl being dragged by two men, but the despairing afternoon years ago when Stella was forcibly dragged away, a cold slave collar clamped around her neck by the Celestial Dragons.
A bone-chilling killing intent silently unfurled from the depths of his heart.
Tesoro's facial muscles began to twitch uncontrollably, twisting into a ferocious grimace.
His fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles emitted faint, brittle cracks.
Then, slowly, he grinned—a bloodthirsty, manic smile.
"It seems even with Marine Headquarters officers as mayors, such things can't be eradicated!"
Before the words faded, a glint of golden light flickered at his feet.
Back then, he had been powerless to protect Stella.
Now, he would never allow a similar tragedy to unfold before his eyes again!
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