Moving Nation, Golden Emperor

The Grand Line, night falls.

"One, two, three, a magnificent performance!"

"Five, six, seven, waiting for your arrival~~"

Life is like a game of strategy, waiting for your arrival~~

Amidst the beautiful female vocals, there are rhythmic tunes from jazz saxophones, trumpets, and drum kits—a sultry melody that makes you want to sway along.

"There's nothing you can't buy!"

"Hypocrites will eventually be deceived."

"You only cry in despair after being stabbed in the back."

Then the voice switched to that of a mature man, a hoarse voice carrying an unusual danger, clearly stating that there was a 'trap' here.

"Gold and cowboy dance, forget everything! Let's be carefree!" x2

Amidst the resounding voices of a male and female duet echoing across the sea, the Sunny Merry slowly sailed towards the giant cruise ship... or rather, the island, before it. And on the figurehead of the Sunny Merry:

"Wow, that's spectacular!!" X3

The Straw Hat Trio huddled on the figurehead of the cartoon lion, gazing at the enormous Texas Hold'em casino in front of them... cough cough, while the Tesoro yacht was drooling with envy, its eyes practically glowing gold!

"What an amazing ship! By the way, is this really a ship?"

What the Straw Hat crew was facing was less like a ship and more like a floating city.

This brightly lit, enormous ship was comparable in size to Noah's Ark on Fish-Man Island, only slightly smaller than Moria's Thriller Bark. While it couldn't match the Navy's "United Transport Ship," unlike Momo ability, this was a genuine giant cruise ship.

"Mr. Roman, Luffy too far!"

"Yeah, they actually said other ships were great in front of us!!"

Faced with the angry Merry and Sonny, Roman calmly pointed ahead to the magnificent, golden cruise ship.

"That ship over there looks nice, but it's completely incapable of traveling and fighting. If you wanted, a few shots would send it to feed the fish. — Appropriate concessions to the 'weak' show true class."

"Is... is that so?"

"I see. Then let's magnanimously display the demeanor of the strong..."

Looking at the two Ship Spirit who had been fooled... or rather, educated by Roman, Nami rubbed her forehead.

"This is not just a simple ship; its name is 'Gran Tesoro.' It is a country, the world's largest entertainment city, and a government-recognized independent nation and demilitarized zone—a 'safe haven' where even the navy and the CP cannot act rashly."

Money can move mountains, especially when this guy who controls 20 percent of the world's Beli also possesses considerable strength.

Gild Tesoro, the captain of this ship and also the king of this country. Known as the 'Gild Tesoro,' he is a Devil Fruit user the Gold-Gold Fruit, capable of controlling gold to stretch, expand, and deform at will. He is a master of Awakening Devil Fruit ability.

Although Gild Tesoro's raw strength is roughly on par with Doflamingo's, he is still an Awakening Devil Fruit user, capable of unleashing 200% of his power on his Golden Ship. Even the Four Emperors Admiral Yonko wouldn't want to fight him to the death. Furthermore, through his vast wealth, Gild Tesoro can even influence the Celestial Dragons to command the Marines, making him a powerful figure who has taken money to its extreme.

But:

That's all.

The decadent extravagance before him was Gild Tesoro's limit. If he dared to continue expanding his power and infringe upon the World Government's interests, the Navy wouldn't hesitate to deliver divine justice and eliminate him. No matter how exaggerated the power of money, it's just so-so for top-tier powerhouses. But regardless, this was an excellent meeting place.

The Navy and the 'pirates'!

"Friends, the goal—"

"Amusement park!!"

For Luffy, any place that's 'fun' enough is a good place. And this enormous yacht in front of him is a luxurious city that combines all the pleasures of life, guaranteeing that Luffy will linger there forever.

A massive archway adorned the ship's facade, its glittering neon lights gleaming with the light of money. As the Sunny Merry entered the brightly lit waterway ahead, shimmering gold dust drifted down from above.

Wow~~

"These falling things? They're actually sprinkling gold dust..."

If it were the old Nami, she would have said, "Quickly sweep them all up and put them away." But now:

"Isn't that too nouveau riche? It makes you think they have no substance whatsoever."

Times have changed, Nami's aesthetic sense has been spoiled by Roman.

"Gilde Tesoro is only 41 years old this year, and it only took him nine short years to go from a slave to the world's richest man. What kind of background could he possibly have? But what he did wasn't just some nouveau riche..."

"Look, little Brulee, the water has turned golden."

"A golden river? It's quite unique compared to my chocolate cream river, Mr. Sanji ~~"

Sanji and Brulee were enjoying the scenery and showing affection on the ship's railing. However, Roman noticed that Brulee was mentioning "her own home" more and more frequently. This showed that although she had left the BIG MOM Pirates, she still had feelings for Whole Cake Island and was worried about her brothers and sisters.

I just didn't know how to bring it up.

"Super cool!"

"It looks interesting."

If Franky and Robin were somewhat reserved, then:

"Wow! The bones have turned golden—Golden Bones!"

Brook, pacing back and forth, quickly became friends with the Straw Hat Trio, making Roman rub his temples. What's this? Does getting older mean acting like a child?

As for Zoro?

Don't wake me up unless it's absolutely necessary; I'm going to sleep soundly with my knife in my arms.

"Hmm, this gold dust gives me a very uncomfortable feeling."

The Jinbe composed Jinbe shuddered, the gold dust that had settled on him being washed away by the water on his skin. Roman glanced at him—

?

Is there something on my face?

Roman shook his head at Jinbe's Jinbe.

"Nothing."

This gold dust isn't just for show or flaunting wealth; it's actually a sinister application of Tesoro's power! He sprays the gold dust at the entrance, ostensibly to display his wealth, but in reality, the dust silently enters the body! And with just a thought:

It can turn anyone who comes into contact with gold dust into a golden statue!

Of course, these tricks are useless against cautious masters who maintain a constant presence of Haki. Or, against veteran powerhouses whose bodies are constantly resistant to Devil Fruit ability due to the pervasive influence of Haki, they are nothing more than a gentle breeze.

Just like Jinbe, even if he didn't wash off the gold dust with water, these tiny particles still couldn't control him. And the rest of the Straw Hat crew...

Aside from Luffy's Armament Haki, which has reached a level where it automatically resists all abilities, everyone else has already been silently affected.

This is the foundation of veteran powerhouses! They may not be as explosive as rising stars, but their bodies are basically without any weaknesses.

Well, whatever. Since we're at an entertainment venue like this, we might as well relax. Anyway:

With me here, I'm not afraid of Tesoro turning the world upside down.

Passing through the waterway spewing golden dust, a vast golden pool—no, a lake—suddenly appeared before them. In the center of this golden lake stood Gild Tesoro, dressed in a gold and white tailcoat, atop a giant golden pillar, tap dancing to jazz music.

It must be said that before being a 'king,' 'the world's richest man,' and 'a powerful figure on the sea,' Gild Tesoro was also an excellent singer and dancer. The thunderous cheers and applause all around him were not fake; in fact, without the Celestial Dragons, he would have indeed spent his life as an artist.

Ha, Celestial Dragons.

Roman casually swiped his hand, covering half of his face with a mask. Although many people knew his true identity, they were all top-tier powerhouses or rulers in the world. Let alone ordinary people, even the Gild Tesoro in front of him would never connect the Straw Hat crew' strategist with candidate Admiral.

Meanwhile, on the surrounding golden pillars, numerous beautiful women in swimsuits served as backup dancers. Their revealing outfits and high kicks abruptly changed the atmosphere on the previously warm and Sunny Merry:

"Mr. Sanji!"

"Ahem, Roman, let's go back to the cabin, there's nothing to see here."

·····

"Don't be careless. Haven't you noticed the surrounding environment?"

Roman circled his finger, his attention not on the women at all.

"Golden pools, golden pillars, golden stage, golden buildings... Gild Tesoro, who is singing and dancing, is Devil Fruit user the Gold-Gold Fruit. With just a thought from him, we would be immediately submerged in a sea of gold. He is very strong."

"Oh, isn't this the same ability as that guy with the shrill voice?"

Upon hearing the word "strong person," Zoro, who had been fast asleep, instantly became wide awake. However, he couldn't recall the name of the person he was referring to—

"You're talking about Pica from Doflamingo's family, right? There is a resemblance, though. But Tesoro is far stronger than Pica, and he's also Devil Fruit Awakening. This giant cruise ship filled with gold is his absolute home turf. If a conflict breaks out, we'll be facing attacks from gold coming from all directions. Of course—"

"Ladies and gentlemen,"

As Tesoro snapped his fingers on the opposite stage, searchlights immediately fell on the Sunny Merry.

"I'm so sorry, we haven't been able to properly welcome our distinguished guests—"

"Scream! Cheer! Welcome to one of the four 'Emperors' of the sea!"

As searchlights fell, Straw Hat crew Sunny Merry, with its cartoonish style and unparalleled grandeur, immediately drew everyone's attention. And so did the people standing on the deck:

"The powerful members of the Straw Hat Pirates, and their captain— Straw Hat Luffy with a bounty of 3.1 billion!"

"The Straw Hat Pirates,"

"Luffy who defeated Kaido,"

"Such a young person, yet with a bounty of 3.1 billion— this Worst Generation!"

After a moment of silence, a deafening roar, ten times louder than before, erupted from the crowd, and the screams of tens of thousands of spectators pierced the night sky!

"Hehehe, we seem to be quite popular..."

Looking around at the audience, some of whom were so frightened that they collapsed to the ground, and the crowds huddled together in a panic, Roman stroked his chin and decided to redefine the meaning of the word 'popular'.