Thick, one-way glass separated the top-floor skybox of the "Furnace" from the chaos outside. When Aaron Kyle pushed the door open, the roar from the arena—a tsunami of sound—was instantly muffled by an invisible wall, reduced to a dull, distant hum. Robin followed him inside, closing the door gently behind her.
The skybox was decorated lavishly. Soft carpets covered the floor, comfortable leather sofas lined the walls, and a long table was laden with fine wines and delicious food. Kyle, however, didn't sit down. He walked directly to the glass wall and stared down at the wide arena below.
In the center of the fighting pit, a mangled mess of flesh and bone was spread across the sand. Dark red blood mixed with pale, splintered fragments, making it impossible to recognize as a human being. The sand around the gruesome pile gleamed with an eerie metallic luster, as if it had been stained by liquid gold. This was what was left of "Bone Crusher" Barrow, the ten-time champion of the Furnace—a monster who had enjoyed crushing his opponents' bones inch by inch, taking pleasure in their screams. He probably never imagined his own end would be far more tragic than any of his victims'.
Standing opposite the pile of gore was a man in a flamboyant pink suit. His yellowish-green hair was slicked back perfectly, and his suit jacket was open, revealing a simple white shirt. Several large gold rings adorned his fingers, reflecting the bright lights of the arena. There was no joy or triumph on his face, only a calm that bordered on numbness, as if he had just swatted a fly.
Several staff members, tasked with cleaning the arena, pushed carts into the ring with pale faces. They used shovels to stiffly scoop the bloody remains into buckets. A few of them couldn't handle the sight and ran to the side of the arena to vomit. But the noise from the stands, far from quieting down, only grew more frenzied. Blood was the best entertainment here.
As the staff cleared the body, the man in the pink suit seemed to sense something. He slowly lifted his head, and his gaze locked precisely onto the top-floor skybox where Kyle was standing. Despite the one-way glass, Kyle could clearly feel the complex emotions in that single look: desire, madness, and a desperate, unwavering resolve.
Gild Tesoro. After surviving the great fire at Mary Geoise, the entire course of his life had changed. With extraordinary business skills and ruthless methods, he had built an astonishing fortune in just a few years. But he quickly learned a hard lesson on the Grand Line: wealth without absolute power to protect it was just a dead body attracting countless jackals. Every success he had was followed by more greed from others and more dangerous betrayals.
That was until he met Doflamingo, the man with the sunglasses and the wild laugh. At an underground auction in the North Blue, Tesoro had risked everything he had to bid for the Gold-Gold Fruit. He had expected a bloody fight for it, but instead, Doflamingo extended an offer of peace and gave him some meaningful advice.
"Fufufufu, you have a good eye. But ambition alone isn't enough. Go to Shambles. If you can catch his eye, then this sea will finally have a place for you."
So, he came. And he chose the most direct and bloody way to get noticed—a deathmatch. That look he just gave… he knew who was watching. The legendary pirate who stood at the peak of the world, the "Wave Guiding King" Aaron Kyle! This was his one and only chance. Gild Tesoro's heart pounded in his chest, and his blood ran hot with excitement.
Boom—
The steel gate on the other side of the arena slowly rose, and an even more imposing figure stepped out. It was a burly man over four meters tall, with bulging muscles and a body covered in grotesque scars. He carried a giant axe that was taller than himself, and with every step he took, the ground seemed to tremble.
"It's 'Landslide' Gray! His bounty is 150,000,000!"
"That guy is a Devil Fruit user killer! They say his Armament Haki can tear through any defense!"
"The newcomer is done for! That last win must have been a fluke!"
A new wave of chatter erupted from the stands. Almost no one believed the young man in the pink suit could win.
Gild Tesoro looked at his new opponent, and a flame of madness burned in his eyes. Come on, he thought. Let the gamble begin! I'm betting my life. I'm betting everything! It's all or nothing!
"Roar!" "Landslide" Gray didn't waste time with words. He let out a beastly roar and pushed off with his powerful legs. His massive body shot forward like a cannonball, charging toward Tesoro with overwhelming force. The giant axe in his hand was coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, and the wind from his swing was strong enough to ruffle Tesoro's hair.
Facing a blow that could split a mountain, Tesoro didn't even flinch. He simply raised his right hand, his fingers splayed. Just as the axe was about to smash into his face, something impossible happened.
The sand beneath Tesoro's feet suddenly surged upward in a golden torrent. It moved like a living creature, instantly forming a massive golden wall that blocked the attack.
"Clang—!"
The giant axe slammed into the golden wall, creating a deafening, high-pitched ringing of metal on metal. Gray felt an unstoppable force travel up his arm, and the skin between his thumb and index finger tore open. His charge came to an abrupt halt. He stared in disbelief at the golden wall, which was as smooth as a mirror and didn't have a single crack.
"What the hell is this?!" he roared, trying to pull his weapon back, but the tip of his axe was "bitten" by the golden wall and wouldn't budge.
The next second, the surface of the golden wall rippled like water. Countless golden tentacles shot out from it, wrapping around Gray's body with lightning speed.
"Get off me!" Gray struggled wildly, activating his Armament Haki to try and break free. But the golden tentacles were incredibly tough; no matter how hard he fought, he couldn't move them an inch. What terrified him even more was a cold, heavy feeling that was rapidly spreading through his body from where the tentacles held him. His skin, his muscles, his bones… everything was being assimilated by some unknown power.
"No… no!" Gray's eyes widened in horror as he watched his own arm turn into pure, solid gold. He wanted to beg for mercy, to scream for help, but when he opened his mouth, only scalding hot golden liquid poured out.
A wave of gold surged from the ground, climbing up his body and instantly engulfing his entire massive frame. It all happened in just a few seconds. When the golden light faded, "Landslide" Gray was gone. In his place stood a lifelike statue of pure gold. The statue was frozen in Gray's final struggling pose, his face a perfect mask of terror and despair.
The entire arena fell silent. Everyone was stunned by this bizarre and magnificent method of killing.
Gild Tesoro slowly walked over to the golden statue. He extended a finger and tapped it lightly. A dull thud echoed in the silence. The next moment, a web of cracks appeared on the statue's surface.
"Crash—!"
The entire statue shattered into a cloud of golden powder, which glittered beautifully under the lights as it drifted down to the ground. It was beautiful, yet deadly.
Having finished, Tesoro looked up once again, his gaze piercing through the hundreds of meters to meet the top-floor skybox. This time, his eyes weren't just filled with resolve. They now held a proud display of his worth and an anxious wait for the final judgment.
Inside the skybox, Kyle sat down on the leather sofa. He gently placed his red wine glass on the table, the liquid swirling subtly inside.
"Interesting," he murmured, a slight smile finally appearing on his face.
"A strong fighter," Robin added softly, standing beside him.
Kyle's smile widened. "Yes. And a good gambler." He paused for a moment before giving his final order. "Someone go and invite our future… God of Wealth."
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