A Deal About to Shake the World

New World, a certain sea area

On the azure sea, a simple little boat floats leisurely, with a wooden sign hanging diagonally at its bow.

A gentle sea breeze caressed the deck.

Ace stood at the bow of the ship, arms clasped behind his head, his eyes brimming with barely suppressed curiosity and excitement. "Roy, where are we going? That fruit you mentioned... is it really that powerful?"

He turned to look at the man behind him, only to see Roy leaning against the ship's railing, looking as relaxed as ever, with a faint smile on his lips.

"What's the rush?" Roy said calmly, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon. "You'll understand when we get there."

"Hey, hey, hey..." Ace pouted, "You don't even care about Mythical Zoan, but this time you actually said it's a 'fruit you've been searching for for a long time,' it makes me so envious."

Roy didn't answer directly, but simply smiled, his gaze drifting to the distant horizon, his thoughts drifting back to two days prior—

Pirate King- style flashback: Two days ago, Tesoro's contact.

The Visual Den Den Mushi "Bruburu" rang, and the moment it connected, an exaggerated and flamboyant laugh exploded out:

"Uho ho ho ho!! Roy, there's news about the fruit you asked me to find!!"

In the scene, Gild Tesoro Tesoro, dressed in gold and with nine rings on his fingers, sits on a golden chair, laughing wildly with undisguised pride and excitement.

Since acquiring the "Gold-Gold Fruit" and receiving Roy's covert support, Tesoro has been frantically expanding his power on the world stage in recent years.

It conquered the financial systems of dozens of countries with the aura of a commercial empire, and controlled more than 20% of the global circulation of Beli earlier than in the original story;

Recognized as an independent nation with the tacit approval of the World Government, the Celestial Dragons use their capital to launder vast amounts of assets.

Under Roy's instructions, he took over the Underworld arms and intelligence networks left behind by the Donquixote Family's disintegration, becoming a top force in the Underworld.

With his talent and resource integration abilities, he directly confronts the five underground emperors:

"Master of Concealment" Giberson

Du Feld, the "Loan Shark King"

"Shipping King" Umit

"News King" Big News Morgans

Stussy, the "Queen of the Pleasure District" (though... she seems to have a complicated relationship with Vegapunk, so is she one of his own?).

In the video shown by the Visual Den Den Mushi, Tesoro laughs and pushes a document toward the camera. "The intelligence is accurate. The Devil Fruit in their hand is exactly as you described!"

"However, they asked for 3 billion Beli, which I've already paid in full. I'm just about to send someone over..."

"... No need." Roy's lazy yet decisive reply came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi.

I'll go myself.

Thoughts return to reality - Warship deck

"Go in person?"

Ace looked surprised. "What exactly is that fruit that's worth someone as busy as you personally going to get involved?"

Roy gazed at the horizon and said softly, "This fruit might change everything..."

Meanwhile, in the New World, on the Unnamed Deserted Island...

The scorching sun beat down on the barren island, the cracked rocks barren of vegetation, and the air thick with a salty, pungent smell.

A Pirate ship lay moored on the reef shore, a blood-red skull and crossbones flag flying high on its black sails. The howling sea wind made the entire ship creak and groan.

On deck--

A group of Pirates were arguing fiercely in a circle, their voices as loud as a honeycomb exploding.

"That's Devil Fruit!!"

A one-eyed Pirate waved his arms excitedly, his face flushed red, "He offered 3 billion Beli, Gild Tesoro agreed without even blinking an eye!!"

"Three billion!! Even if all of us on board lived for three lifetimes, we couldn't spend it all!!"

"But... what if this Devil Fruit really powerful??? We might as well..."

"You're dreaming!!"

Another burly man with a scar retorted angrily, "What if this fruit is just a rotten fruit that will turn you into a sticky, snotty person?! Besides, do you think eating this fruit will make you invincible immediately?!"

"Bullshit!" a tall, thin Pirate shrieked, speaking rapidly. "The Devil Fruit that the Gild Tesoro is willing to pay 3 billion for, would it be trash?"

"Yeah, right!" Another young Pirate licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with greed. "What if it's Mythical Zoan, Logia, one of those super Devil Fruits that can destroy a country with a single bite...? Why would we sell it? We could just eat it and rise to the top in one step!!"

"Idiot! You think you can afford to eat that kind of fruit?!"

The scarred, burly man sneered, "With your build, you'd either burst from eating it, or you'd be hacked to death before you even activated your ability."

"Who the hell are you talking about?!"

"Smack!!"

Just as the noise was getting louder and louder, a muffled thud rang out!

"Bang!!"

A giant, calloused fist slammed heavily onto the wooden crate, shaking the entire deck and startling several timid seagulls into flight from the mast.

The crowd fell silent instantly, all eyes turning towards the Head Seat at the bow.

A burly man with a black cloak billowing in the wind slowly rose to his feet. His skin was as hard as cast iron, a hideous scar ran from his left eyebrow to his chin, and a piece of his right ear was missing. His eyes were as cold and menacing as a venomous snake.

He slowly exhaled a puff of smoke, his voice low and hoarse yet striking like a hammer blow to the heartstrings. "Have you had enough?"

The surroundings were deathly silent; the Pirates below didn't dare to breathe.

This man is none other than "Blood Rage" Red —a ruthless rising star Pirate with a bounty of 628 million Beli.

He slowly swept his gaze across the crowd, a cold smile playing on his lips, "The fruit is merely bait."

"People are the bargaining chips in a transaction."

"Let's wait until they come ashore... and see who's behind it..."

The crew members' expressions changed instantly; they immediately realized: Was this a double-cross?!

The one-eyed Pirate's voice trembled. "Captain... but... but the other party is a member of the Gild Tesoro! I heard he has Celestial Dragons backing him up, and even the Navy doesn't dare to easily touch him..."

Red chuckled, as if he were listening to a joke.

He drew a black flintlock pistol from his waist, slowly wiping it clean; its cold gleam was menacing.

So what if he's the Gild Tesoro?

He pointed the gun at the distant horizon, his eyes as heavy and oppressive as a dormant volcano. "In the New World, status doesn't matter."

"If it's a weakling, I'll take the Devil Fruit and the money! I'm Pirate, you know!! Who'll survive to the end... we never know!!"

Meanwhile, on the sea several kilometers away from the Deserted Island

Golden sunlight spilled across the sea, creating shimmering waves, as a simple little boat slowly approached the sun-baked, isolated island ahead.

Ace was excitedly holding a large black box (which he had taken from the Gild Tesoro's men on the way), squatting on the deck fiddling with it, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter:

"Hehehe, 3 billion Beli... Tesoro didn't even blink, he just pulled it out."

He couldn't help but fantasize. "Could it really be one of those legendary divine fruits—the kind that can open up an island with a single snap and destroy a country in an instant?"

Roy leaned against the railing, smiled slightly, his hand resting on the helm, his gaze gently falling on the distant, scorched Deserted Island: "No matter how miraculous the fruit, it depends on who eats it."

"And..." he paused, his eyes deepening slightly, "I feel there might be an unexpected surprise..."

Ace was taken aback. "Huh?!"

Roy smiled without saying a word, and with a gentle wave of his Right Hand, the small boat accelerated as if shrinking the earth, heading towards the shore.

Meanwhile, on the sea ten kilometers away from the Deserted Island

"Hard to left! There's an island at the nine o'clock position ahead!"

The Moby Dick's spacious deck suddenly buzzed with excitement at the lookout's shouts.

The Pirates dropped their playing cards and bottles and rushed to the bow of the ship.

Marco rubbed his sore eyes and turned to look at the large man beside him—Marshall D. Teach, whom the crew called "Blackbeard."

This usually jovial fellow was unusually quiet, his thick fingers constantly rubbing the flintlock pistol tucked into his waistband.

"Hey, Teach, are you sure you want to go to that island?" Marco squinted. "There's no island marked in this area on the chart."

Blackbeard snapped back to reality, his face instantly plastered with his signature toothless grin. "Hehehe! That's why we're going! It's rare to find a deserted island, isn't it perfect for a party?"

His laughter echoed across the deck, but it failed to reach the Throne deep within—where sat the world's strongest man: the Four Emperors Edward Newgate, known as "Whitebeard."

His massive body leaned against a specially designed chair, several IV tubes inserted into his body, while his Right Hand still tightly gripped a huge wine jug.

"Gulp--"

The sound of strong liquor going down his throat was drowned out by the sound of the waves. Whitebeard's gaze passed over the joking crew and landed directly on Blackbeard's broad back.

Those sharp eyes narrowed slightly, and deep thoughts, unnoticed by anyone, were hidden in the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes.