In front of the slave shop, Tesoro's pupils shrank violently. A deafening buzz filled his ears, as if the entire world were warping and collapsing in on itself.
"K–killed… a Celestial Dragon… and then join the Marines?"His throat was bone-dry; the words barely made it out.
What kind of choice was that?
Shouldn't it be kill a Celestial Dragon, then flee for your life—become a criminal hunted across the seas, chased down by admirals of the World Government?
But the Marines?Weren't the Marines the Celestial Dragons' lapdogs?!
How could that possibly make sense?!
His thoughts came to a dead halt.
Tesoro jerked his head up—and finally saw the man standing before him clearly.
A black uniform.A cold, severe face.A black blade at his waist, its scabbard wrapped in white cloth…
"Heavenquake… Gern?!"
Tesoro's heart nearly stopped.
The monster of the Marines—the man who had single-handedly defeated the "Samurai" Kozuki Oden and bathed the New World in blood and chaos.
Heavenquake Gern Reginald Sigmar.
He… he had actually attacked a Celestial Dragon?!
As Tesoro stood frozen, Gern frowned slightly. His voice remained calm—yet carried an oppressive certainty that allowed no refusal.
"Of course," Gern said evenly, "you have another option."
"W–what other option?!" Tesoro blurted out.
"That would be…"Gern leaned forward just a little. A smile curved his lips—almost gentle—yet his eyes were cold as glacial ice.
"I kill all of you."
Tesoro's breath caught.The blood in his veins seemed to freeze solid.
This man…With the most casual tone imaginable, had just spoken the most merciless words possible.
After hearing that sentence, Tesoro slowly lowered his gaze to the Devil Fruit resting in his palm.
At his feet, Saint Charlmark lay sprawled on the ground in utter disgrace. His glass helmet had shattered. Snot and tears smeared his face as he screamed hysterically:
"F-filthy commoner! You dare touch me?!The World Government will tear you to pieces!Your family! Your friends! Everyone connected to you will die!!"
Tesoro's hands trembled uncontrollably.
Killing a Celestial Dragon—
This wasn't an ordinary crime.This was a direct challenge to the highest authority in the world.
A taboo so absolute that it could set entire seas ablaze with rage.
Even if he someday became the so-called Golden Emperor, he would never dare raise a blade against a Celestial Dragon.
But now…
On the other side, Stella, watching as a helpless observer, looked at the man she loved. His entire body was shaking, unable to make a decision from beginning to end.
Then her gaze shifted—to Gern's back.
Every word that man had spoken at the cage that morning.Every glance, every pause—
All of it had been a meticulously woven trap.
That hadn't been a warning.
It was a knife—placed directly into Tesoro's hand.
"Tesoro must choose…"Stella understood with painful clarity."He doesn't have a choice anymore."
Her eyes hardened with resolve as she looked at him.
"Gild…"Stella called softly, her voice trembling.
Tesoro snapped his head toward her.
He saw the collar biting into her neck, reddened and raw.He saw the fear she was desperately suppressing—
And that faint, fragile thread of hope in her eyes.
[Thank you… During this time, from the bottom of my heart… I was happy.]
That single call dragged him back to the scene from moments ago—
The woman he loved being dragged away like a dog on a chain, while he could do nothing but scream in helpless fury.
In that instant, Tesoro's heart was crushed in a vise.
And as if to mock him, Saint Charlmark continued shrieking:
"I'll turn you both into slaves…!"
"AAAAAAH!!"
Tesoro let out a hoarse, animal scream—and bit down hard on the Devil Fruit.
The nauseating, revolting taste exploded in his mouth, but he didn't care.
"St–Stella…"All he could hear now was the thunderous roar of blood rushing through his ears—
And the lullaby Stella had sung to him on that rain-soaked night.
[No matter how long the night… dawn will come…]
"You filthy commoner! I'll make that woman mate with my other slaves—I'll make you watch her—!"
"SHUT UP!!Who are you to defile her with your filth?!Right now, I—Tesoro—decide whether you live or die!!"
In an instant—
The golden ring on Saint Charlmark's finger liquefied, flowing like a living thing and coiling around Tesoro's wrist.
The Celestial Dragon's curses cut off abruptly, replaced by shrill, unbelieving screams.
"Y-you—what are you doing?!You trash! Do you even know what th—"
The liquid gold solidified in a flash—forming triangular, razor-sharp spikes that gleamed with merciless light.
"Why?!!"
Tesoro's roar tore through the quiet of dawn.
The golden spikes shot forward like venomous serpents—
The first thrust pierced straight through the bloated lips.The third tore an eyeball free.
"You garbage that sit above everyone else…Why—Why do you get to take everything from others?!"
The fourth strike.The fifth.The sixth.
Each dull impact was accompanied by spurting blood and shattering bone.
Tesoro moved faster.Harder.
In his hands, gold twisted into countless weapons—
Spikes.Serrated blades.Hooked barbs.
They shredded the obese body in a frenzy of violence.
"For stealing her from me!For dragging her with chains!For—!"
His movements grew more and more unhinged, as if he were pouring every year of humiliation, rage, and despair into this one moment.
Saint Charlmark's voice had long since vanished.
Only the wet, heavy sounds of flesh being torn apart remained.
Still, Tesoro couldn't stop.
He straddled the twitching corpse, gold forming into a massive hammer as he smashed it down again and again onto the already-misshapen head.
Brain matter mixed with golden dust splattered across his face—warm and sticky.
"Gild! That's enough!"
Soft arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind.
Stella pressed her face against his sweat-soaked back, her tears soaking through his tattered shirt.
Tesoro's raised fist froze in midair.Gold dripped slowly to the ground.
Only then did he realize—
He was crying.
Scalding tears washed away the blood on his face, flowing down his chin in thin, crimson streams.
Gern's leather shoes stepped into the pool of blood.
He crouched down, meeting Tesoro's gaze.
"How does it feel?"The black blade Bahuang lifted Tesoro's chin."Do you understand now? The so-called Celestial Dragons…"
The blade suddenly plunged into the ruined skull and twisted.
"They're nothing more than lumps of flesh that bleed."
With that, Gern used molecular-level control of vibration particles—
And shattered everything that was Saint Charlmark into a dispersing blood mist, erasing him in the most literal, physical sense.
The sea breeze swept across the dock, carrying the stench of blood as it slowly faded into the air.
Tesoro stared at his own hands—
Then began to laugh.
A thin, broken chuckle…Growing louder…Until it erupted into hysterical howling.
At the same time, gold flowed across his entire body like a living organism, gleaming brilliantly under the rising sun.
Once a Celestial Dragon was killed, Tesoro had no path of retreat left.
That had always been Gern Reginald Sigmar's plan.
"So…"Gern smiled.
"Welcome to the real world."