How Could I Keep the Captain Waiting?

Immortality was a noun filled with temptation.

Few humans could resist such temptation.

Compared with the harshness and remoteness of achieving immortality through the Op-Op Fruit's abilities...

The appearance of Pure Gold instantly made immortality seem within arm's reach.

Across the plain, the grass stirred in the wind.

Along with it surged greed and killing intent.

The pirates present who had come for Pure Gold did not care whether it could truly grant immortality.

What they could confirm was that Pure Gold could indeed extend one's lifespan!

That was a fact they had witnessed with their own eyes.

So, for this seemingly attainable immortality, what did the generous reward offered by Gild Tesoro amount to?

As their emotions surged, the pirates all stared at Tesoro with cold killing intent in their eyes.

They had strength in numbers. Crushing Gold Emperor Tesoro would be easy.

Besides...

The hundreds of comrades lying on the ground had, to a certain extent, helped them gauge Gold Emperor Tesoro's approximate strength.

With a deeper understanding of his abilities, they were confident they could kill Gold Emperor Tesoro.

In short, they were determined to obtain Pure Gold.

"Bulu bulu..."

Yet the abrupt ringing of the Den Den Mushi brought the murderous atmosphere to a standstill.

Almost every pirate looked toward the pocket from which Tesoro's Den Den Mushi was ringing.

Tesoro completely disregarded the thousands of pirates around him and reached directly into his pocket to take out the Den Den Mushi.

Then, in full view of all the surrounding pirates, he lifted the receiver attached to it.

Click--

The call connected.

Immediately afterward, the Den Den Mushi transformed to reflect the caller's facial features, and its entire appearance became strikingly heroic.

Very few people could make a Den Den Mushi look this handsome.

Or rather--