The Pitiful and the Despicable

"Hehehe, this place is really interesting."

As the Sunny Merry entered the VIP dock adorned with golden statues, a beautiful woman with burgundy curly hair swayed gracefully towards us.

"Nice to meet you all."

The woman wore a black, low-cut, backless dress with a slit that reached her upper thigh. She also had a snake tattoo around her left thigh. Combined with her healthy, tanned skin and stunning figure, she was absolutely...

Well, it's a shame that none of the Straw Hat crew members are attracted to 'beauty' anymore.

"I am VIP receptionist: Baccarat."

The mature, beautiful woman bowed slightly to the Straw Hat crew, revealing an unfathomable...

"Roman!"

"Are cows really that attractive to you?"

Facing Nami, whose face had darkened, Roman calmly stroked his chin.

"It's really good,"

"Although you don't look like the Empress or Perona, but... Nami, why is your face yellow?"

Well, I never expected Roman to be like this!

"Anyway, it's a troublesome ability if you're not careful. Paramecia 'Lucky-Lucky Fruit'... Nami, why is your face red again?"

"... It's nothing, I look radiant."

?!

Amid Nami's gritted teeth, Roman thought for a second and then gave up. Compared to these trivial matters, there were more important things waiting for Roman to deal with.

"Government officials, naval officers, Great Pirates... I remember them all. As a newly appointed Four Emperors, there are very few people on the entire sea who don't know you, right?"

When Luffy asked, "Do you know us?" the tall, slender woman with burgundy curly hair looked surprised, as if to say, "Who in the world doesn't know you?" and gave Luffy a small compliment.

"Please come this way, everyone. I have prepared transportation for you."

A luxurious extended Cadillac... cough cough, in short, the kind of classic car that Roman could only see at the Melbourne Motor Show in his previous life, full of old-money understated luxury and restrained style!

Of course, in this world, it becomes something innovative and 'high-tech'. However:

"These are Muscle Turtle, capable of providing 400 horsepower. They are also the 'aristocrats' of the Muscle Turtle family, guaranteeing a smooth and comfortable riding environment..."

Therefore—

Looking at the eight turtles flanking the hood of the luxury car, Roman was speechless. In the end, it was still the most primitive form of 'biotechnology.' What was the difference between this and the Celestial Dragons ' 'automatic walkways'?

Wow, so gorgeous~~

As the Straw Hat crew Luffy along in this extended luxury car, they were surrounded by a dazzling array of clothing stores, jewelry shops, and pastry shops, leaving Luffy and his friends in awe, like Luffy visiting a grand garden.

The brightly lit skyscrapers reflected the abundant gold decorations, making it far more luxurious than any entertainment venue Roman had ever known in his previous life. After all, even Middle Eastern oil tycoons wouldn't stoop to such extravagant displays of gold streetlights. However:

"Boring,"

"Just take a look; it's nothing more than a toy."

In Zoro and Roman's eyes, only strength always comes first. No matter how magnificent the city before them is, it's nothing more than ruins that can be turned into with a few strikes.

"You two are so clueless! This is a shopper's paradise! We're going to shop to our hearts' content: Robin, Brulee, let's all come together."

"OK."

"Okay... yes, sure."

Ah, women.

Roman thought about the huge pile of clothes Nami bought on every island she visited, stored in his storage space. Many of them had only been worn once... While Roman wasn't concerned about money given his current status, such wasteful behavior was still unacceptable...

"Everyone, this is just the 'normal area'."

Baccarat, who was driving, dutifully introduced the Straw Hat crew.

As the saying goes, "A person's reputation precedes them," and with the Straw Hat crew having just overturned Kaido's car, no one on this sea dares to underestimate their power anymore.

"The entire 'Gran Tesoro' is a massive entertainment city, with a VIP area at the back including three golf courses, a huge artificial surfing beach, and a 10-kilometer-long local 'turtle car track'..."

"In addition to these entertainment facilities, the ship also boasts a library with over 100,000 books, a special market selling all kinds of rare ingredients and rare design blueprints..."

"Wow! It's like a country overflowing with goods."

"Yes,"

Seeing that Franky, Sanji, Usopp, and the others were instantly interested, Baccarat continued her introduction.

"This sea kingdom, established by Lord Tesoro, has the motto 'You can buy anything with money'—even Devil Fruit are not unheard of here. Every six months, there is a treasure of Devil Fruit level as the grand finale at the auction."

Of course, the price couldn't possibly be just a mere 100 million, after all, Tesoro's Ark Maxim is worth over 500 billion Beli! It's definitely the place with the most concentrated wealth in the world. If each Devil Fruit cost 100 million, he could arm thousands of Devil Fruit users.

However, in reality, there are no more than a thousand Devil Fruit in the entire ocean.

Upon closer inspection, it's astonishing that 6 out of the 12 Straw Hat crew Devil Fruit user!

"Wow, this really suits you all perfectly."

At a high-end clothing store, the Straw Hat crew changed into suits and formal wear that matched the amusement park, creating a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere.

Given the Straw Hat crew' current status, physical characteristics have long been a 'required course' for most forces on the seas. Otherwise, accidentally colliding with the 'ambitious' and 'ruthless' Straw Hat crew could lead to the destruction of a nation!

Well, to be honest, the Straw Hat crew has really 'destroyed' quite a few countries: Drum Kingdom, Dressrosa, and most recently Wano Country... So, it's still necessary to have some disguises, otherwise it won't be fun if others make a fuss about it.

"Hehehe, that 'tortoise and hare race' looks like it's really interesting~~"

Dressed in a white suit, top hat, and sunglasses Luffy looked on with great interest at the 'Unrestricted Turtle Car Race' on the large screen next to him. It was truly unrestricted: modified vehicles, various 'props,' and even fists and feet... basically, as long as you were sitting in the car, any action on the track was within the rules.

"I'm actually quite interested in the ingredients here."

Sanji a cigarette; cooking was his greatest pleasure.

Faced with the world's most luxurious entertainment city, everyone else was eager to try it out, even Jinbe showed an interested expression. Here, as long as you have money, regardless of whether you're Fish-Man Race, Mink Tribe, or even not human, you can receive god-like treatment, thus achieving a different kind of 'racial equality'.

"Okay,"

After distributing the 'activity funds' as usual, Roman said, "You guys go have fun. I need to talk to the boss here."

"Charge! The Tortoise and the Hare race!"

"Wait, Luffy! Isn't this a turtle car race?!"

Luffy, Usopp, Chopper charged headed straight for the tortoise-cart race! Nami had already dragged Robin Brulee off to buy clothes, while Zoro, Brook, Jinbe, and Franky said they were going to watch Luffy's race. Roman:

"Take me to see your boss."

"This way, Your Excellency Neo."

Gild Tesoro, the master of this city, is known as the "Gild Tesoro".

It's actually a tragedy.

As Roman, led by Baccarat, arrived at the building located in the center of the giant cruise ship, looking up at the towering Golden Tower, Roman shook his head slightly.

No amount of money or cheers could fill the emptiness in Tesoro's heart.

Tesoro can be seen as the epitome of this world's tragedy.

He had a terrible childhood, a gambling father, and a mother who could only vent the torment she received from his father on him. Although he loved singing from a young age and showed remarkable artistic talent, dreaming of becoming a big star, all he got in return was his father's beatings and his mother's scolding.

Because of poverty, his father fell ill and died, and his mother abandoned him. Tesoro naturally became a thief, resorting to deception, gambling, and using money to gain so-called 'friends,' until:

One day, Tesoro lost money at a casino and was captured and sold by human traffickers. The 'friends' he had made with money immediately disappeared without a trace. Tesoro, who was beaten half to death before escaping, met a woman named 'Stella' at the human trafficking market.

A disheartened Tesoro began singing his old songs. Through the iron cage, the woman inside praised his voice, and they found solace in each other. Tesoro then decided to set Stella free and vowed never to do anything bad again. He worked tirelessly from dawn till dusk, because he needed money to save the only person who truly cared about him—money!

Three years!

Without a moment's rest, without a moment's slackening, the former gambler, thief, and swindler transformed into a positive, cheerful, and optimistic young man. He diligently absorbed all knowledge and studied every method of making money. Just when he was about to raise the full amount—

'I want this woman.'

An ugly, fat pig with bubbly hair easily shattered Tesoro's dream. Although Tesoro fought back, what is an ordinary person compared to Celestial Dragons? Nothing changed except that the Celestial Dragon 'got' a slave for free.

Afterwards, Tesoro lived as a slave of the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land Mary Geoise. Through the shrewdness and flattery he honed by surviving alone, Tesoro barely managed to survive. But his beloved...

After being tortured for three years, all that remained was a corpse.

Later, taking advantage of Fisher Tiger's slave emancipation efforts in the Holy Land, Tesoro escaped, but had become:

A monster whose personality is twisted to the extreme.

He led a group to steal the 'Gold-Gold Fruit' from Doflamingo's auction, and then used his ability to create fake gold to quickly amass wealth. He used every means to accumulate riches, and only gold and cheers made him forget his past despair.

On one hand, he hates the rich and nobles, using his wisdom to make a fortune off them and bankrupt them; on the other hand, he has to rely on his former enemies, the Celestial Dragons, to protect his vast wealth, power, and status.

Even now, standing on the world's biggest stage, it's nothing more than:

"We've arrived, Your Excellency Neo."

The golden elevator stopped at the top floor, interrupting Roman's reverie.

"Please wait a moment,"

This elevator has no exit; to get outside, you need to—

"Unnecessary,"

Roman stopped Baccarat from banging on the golden wall and summoned another executive: Mr. Tanaka, who possessed the 'Trans-Trans Fruit' ability, a guard captain with a huge head and a cunning expression, who could carry others through all inanimate objects.

"I can do it myself."

With a gentle push, Roman pushed open a 'door' through the half-meter-thick golden wall, stepped out, and caused the wine-red beauty behind him to glance at him.

As expected of the newly promoted royal advisor, the Golden Wall was no obstacle to him.

Haha, welcome!

As soon as he passed through the wall, Roman saw a figure on the ground with its head covered in gold and pressed against the floor, resembling a 'mask of pain.' Its limbs were twitching violently, and it looked like it was about to—

Brush,

?!

"Who gave you permission to release him on my turf!"

"Cough cough cough..."

After walking past the unfortunate fellow whose face had been torn apart by the sword energy he had casually slashed, and who was finally able to breathe again, Roman frowned as he looked at Gilder Tesoro, who was sitting on the sofa with an air of authority, wearing a burgundy suit and slicked-back hair.

Although this guy was once a pitiful person, as he escaped the Holy Land Mary Geoise and gradually became the world's richest man, Tesoro's twisted heart gradually turned him into the kind of person he hated most.

Domineering, ruthless, and full of a desire for control!

He enslaves a large number of people to work for him with money, and at the slightest disagreement, he suffocates people to death with gold.

Hehe,

"Answer me, who told you to laugh!"

Tesoro, who had just stood up, glared at Roman, who was sneering at him. If he could still feel his gold dust in Roman's body, he would have turned the guy into a statue right now!

"No one is allowed to laugh without my permission!!"

"Alright,"

Amidst the horrified expressions of the others, Roman calmly waved his hand.

"Send your men away. I have something to say to you, Gilder Tesoro, or—"

Roman calmly met the gaze of the 'Gild Tesoro' before him and tilted his head slightly.

"I'll kill you right now."

?!

"Mr. Tesoro!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure with a gigantic head suddenly emerged from the ground, bringing with him a tall, burly man: Dice. The champion of the New World Death Fighting Tournament, so durable that no one wanted to be his opponent, a master of Armament Haki, capable of taking Zoro's powerful twin swords head-on with his forehead, and working as a dealer in Tesoro's VIP casino.

Meanwhile, the wine-red-haired beauty Baccarat, who had also brought along, instantly took off her gloves. After hesitating for a second, she chose to approach her own armed personnel. Her 'Luck-Luck Fruit' allowed her to absorb the luck of others and use it for her own benefit, making herself extremely lucky, while her opponents seemed to have encountered 'Final Destination' and suffered a series of unexpected mishaps.

However, she lacked confidence in touching Roman, so she decided to absorb the luck of her subordinates for the battle!

In an instant, the entire hall was filled with a chilling atmosphere.

"Should we fight?"

Roman waved to the several cadres who were on high alert and to Tesoro.

"You can all come at me together."

Strictly speaking, neither Tesoro nor his subordinates are weak. But... they're only on par with the Donquixote Family, which is a bit insufficient for Roman, who has fought two Four Emperors.

"Tsk, there's a limit to underestimating people! Just one thought from me—"

"It can turn people into golden statues?"

Faced with Tesoro's threats, Roman directly revealed his trump card. "As long as you kill the ability user, all abilities will become ineffective."

"Don't worry, I'm confident I can end the battle quickly."

?!

··········

"You... you all get off,"

Ultimately, Tesoro didn't choose to fight, but instead waved for his subordinates and guests in the hall to leave. This was partly due to the opposing pirate crew's impressive victory over one of the veteran Four Emperors, and partly because:

Putting yourself in a strong position before you start is just a negotiation tactic! Although no one has dared to use this tactic in front of the 'Gild Tesoro' for several years, Tesoro is no stranger to this style.

It's just that I'm not used to it yet.

"Speak, what do you want to say?"

After his subordinates had all been escorted away by the bodyguard with the 'time-travel ability,' Tesoro stared at the young man before him with a gloomy expression. Confident, strong, composed...

It's something that makes you both envious and resentful!

"Tesoro, although I don't want to waste words, I have to say that you have become the kind of person you hate the most."

?

Roman's gaze fell on Tesoro's hands; as a true nouveau riche, his hands were adorned with nine gold rings! Besides:

The ring finger of the left hand,

That was the spot he reserved for his beloved Stella.

Although it's impossible to wear it anymore.

Snap,

As Roman snapped his fingers, sheets of white paper flew out, covering the magnificent room with another layer of snow-white, almost causing Tesoro to erupt in anger!

"So, just how strong is your desire for revenge?"

?!

"What are you talking about? I'm the richest person in the world, what hatred could I possibly have—"

Facing the struggling Tesoro, Roman uttered three words.

"Celestial Dragons".

"Or rather, how much does 'Stella' really mean to you?"

·······

"Who told you—"

In an instant, the entire hall, constructed of gold, seemed to come alive, resembling the stomach of a monster or the gaping maw of Sea King! The floor, walls, and ceiling undulated like waves, and countless sharp golden spears pierced through Roman's paper, ready to pierce his heart with a thousand spears in the next second!

"You said that name!!!!"

PS: After waiting so long for Hearthstone's Mercenaries mode, it feels... sigh, has Blizzard run out of ideas?