Bounty Hunter

Since the incident twenty years ago, Gild Tesoro has felt utterly hopeless about the world, but this despair has also given him an unimaginable drive, making him indifferent to everything except money, including his own life.

If living is merely like an ant struggling for survival beneath the feet of enormous beings, then one might as well die peacefully. But to continue living, one must acquire the power to change the status quo!

From that moment on, this idea took root in his mind, and he continued to seek opportunities. At an auction held by Donquixote Doflamingo, he set a fire with a do-or-die mentality and stole the Gold-Gold Fruit as a gimmick. After that, he began to build his own power step by step.

Now, Gild Tesoro has long since abandoned his principles. Even those Celestial Dragons, whom he had lost hope in and loathed the most, can now be greeted with a feigned smile. He no longer cares about such things; as long as he has money and status... that's enough!

Over the years, he had tasted the power of authority. With a single command, everyone could only grovel at his feet. On the Gran Tesoro, he was a unique god!

He ultimately believed in one principle: there is nothing that money cannot buy, and nothing that a person without money can do!

After the Whitebeard Pirates stormed Marineford, the Marine Headquarters's deterrent power was greatly reduced, and the importance of the World Government in his mind also plummeted. His morbid and almost twisted mentality made him feel that he could control everything and even had the right to stand at the top of the world and look down on those lowly ants below.

If we can control Fujitora, this Marine Admiral with little background, and use him as a flag to infiltrate the navy, this grand ambition can be realized much faster!

However, he discovered that the other party was not an easy person to get along with at all, but instead brought him a suffocating feeling of drowning, just like the unforgettable despair he experienced twenty years ago.

Rather than starting with a Tease, Gild Tesoro's unprecedented rage surged after his plan was exposed. He now possessed wealth, status, and power, capable of surpassing everyone else; why couldn't he control everything and instead endure such humiliation?!

What is the Navy anyway? What is the World Government anyway?!

Gild Tesoro stared coldly at Fujitora's retreating figure. This matter would definitely not end so easily!

On the other side of the casino, Buggy couldn't help but smile. "As expected of the World Government's top combat force, this kind of insight far surpasses that of some heartless people!"

"Is this purple gourd very powerful?" Mikuru followed Buggy's gaze to Fujitora.

Buggy said, "He's incredibly skilled; even in the whole world, very few people can rival him."

Mikuru asked, "How do you compare to Uncle Red Nose?"

"Hmm..." Buggy thought about it seriously for a moment and said, "If I were to duel him, my chances of winning would probably be no more than forty percent, maybe even lower... But if it really comes down to a life-or-death battle, it's hard to say, there are too many variables in a fight."

"Is that so!"

Upon hearing Buggy's analysis of combat strength, Mikuru nodded hurriedly, then couldn't help but glance at Fujitora again.

"Carina, lead the way, we need to rest," Buggy said.

Carina, recovering from the shock of Gild Tesoro's defeat, heard Buggy's words and quickly stepped forward to lead the way, "Please follow me, Lord Buggy!"

Led by Carina, Buggy and Mikuru arrived at the opulent suite, which included a living room, toilet, bathroom, and separate single rooms, with an overall layout resembling an apartment.

After putting away the Beli he had exchanged for his chips, Buggy washed up and went to his single room. He lay down on a large, spacious bed, turned on the TV, and slowly closed his eyes as a song and dance program projected by Den Den Mushi) played.

The Gran Tesoro was, after all, a large ship comparable to a city, and its stability was far superior to that of the Pale White. Lying in bed, he felt no turbulence at all. Buggy planned to take advantage of this stability to get a good night's rest, replenish his energy, and set off for Zou the next day.

Night fell, and I lost track of how much time had passed.

Buggy had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly woke up. A strong sense of unease immediately enveloped his heart. His back was instantly covered in cold sweat. He placed his hands on the bed and almost subconsciously used his ability to Chop-Chop. In an instant, the large bed Chop-Chop, unable to support his body, and collapsed downwards.

With a loud "bang," a shard of glass flew out of the window, a slight gust of wind brushed past the tip of the nose, and a golden spark suddenly flashed from the wall facing the window!

"..."

Buggy, still reeling from the shock, gasped for breath. He had never felt death so close. His instincts told him that if that bullet hit him, it would definitely kill him!

He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, and spread his Observation Haki outwards. He carefully stood up from the ground, glanced at the black bullet embedded in the golden wall, and there was no doubt that the bullet that could bring him such a terrifying pressure was probably Seastone Bullets!

He walked to the window in a few steps, quickly scanned the surroundings, and found no one in sight. The nearby buildings were not even close to the height of the Golden King Hotel, so even from the top, it was impossible for someone to aim a gun at him from this angle.

Buggy immediately shifted his gaze to the distance, unleashing his full Observation Haki as he explored outwards...

About two kilometers away, there was a slightly taller tower, and inside that tower, he vaguely sensed a blurry figure.

Whoosh!

Another bullet came hurtling over!

The two were two kilometers apart. With his Observation Haki fully activated and on guard, Buggy simply tilted his head to dodge the Seastone Bullets aimed at his head.

In the blink of an eye, he leaped out of the window, landing on the roof of a nearby building. Then, he rose and fell in the air, stepping on various building rooftops, and jumped towards the sniper.

Roland slung his long-barreled Fire Pistol over his shoulder and fled in panic. As a sniper lurking in the shadows, he should have immediately fled after missing his first shot to avoid detection and create an opportunity for another assassination. However, as a bounty hunter, Buggy's head was far too tempting. This wasn't some minor character; it was a Shichibukai! It wasn't just about the bounty; it was about the unparalleled glory!

At this moment, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret, blaming himself for not remaining calm, which had led to his discovery and put the situation at a disadvantage. Glancing back out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Buggy hadn't caught up, and felt a slight sense of relief, muttering to himself, "I really underestimated that guy..."

Before he could finish speaking, his expression changed drastically, and he instantly raised his long-barreled Fire Pistol, using it like a club to block in front of him.

Boom!!

A tremendous force emanated from the long-barreled Fire Pistol, sending Roland flying along with the weapon, crashing into a closed tavern, scattering shattered glass and brick fragments everywhere.

"You didn't underestimate me... you overestimated yourself."

Buggy withdrew his foot and strolled toward the collapsed tavern. Passersby screamed and scattered, while others stood nearby, eager to avoid any disturbance. For this group of people who had come to the Gran Tesoro specifically to have fun, how could they possibly miss out on such an interesting entertainment?

"Where do you think you're going to run to, sniper?"

Buggy shifted his body slightly, dodging another bullet fired by Roland in a panic. He then locked onto his opponent with his Observation Haki, rendering the sniper, who had been brought close, no longer a threat.

Just as they approached Roland, a huge shadow was cast down from the sky. The man with the buzz cut folded his arms in front of his chest, curled up into a ball, and fell on Buggy's head like a small mountain!

Boom!!

The ground where the buzz-cut man landed cracked open like a spiderweb, the fissures spreading outwards. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the collapsed tavern. "Roland, are you alright?"

"Good..."

Roland emerged from the ruins of the tavern, his face scratched in several places, revealing the red beneath. He wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth. "If you hadn't arrived in time, you would probably be seeing my corpse..."

Buggy's body disintegrated into countless particles, drifting with the wind until they gathered together ten meters away from the crew-cut man, forming a human shape. He narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the two before him. "Who sent you to kill me, Gild Tesoro?"

"Looks like you've figured it out, it really is Gild Tesoro..."

Doug added, "Sir."

"Oh..."

The fact that the other party said that this matter should have nothing to do with Gild Tesoro actually suggests that it has nothing to do with him.

Buggy narrowed his eyes and vanished from the spot.

"Tekkai. Empty City!"

Doug was startled, his clenched hands hanging limply at his sides. In an instant, Buggy's two arms, which had appeared in front of Doug, turned into countless fragments, trembling like candles in the wind, his fingers reaching forward.

Medium-Frequency Twin Finger Pistol!!

The instant Buggy's hands pierced Doug, the immense energy generated by the resonance instantly rippled outwards, sending the latter flying!

Roland, who was behind, quickly stepped in to help Doug deflect the force. Fortunately, the Tekkai was able to distribute the damage concentrated on one point evenly across his body, so his injury was not serious. Even so, he still spat out a mouthful of blood. The resonance force made his limbs tremble slightly involuntarily, and his head was buzzing as if he were trapped in a large bell and being hit hard with a club from the outside.

"Navy or CP..."

Buggy was immediately puzzled. He recognized it as the Tekkai from the Six Powers. Logically, anyone capable of using this technique should be either from the World Government or the Navy...

However, it shouldn't be like that. Whether considering their stance or interests, the World Government has no reason to target them. Moreover, even if they were to send someone to deal with them, they wouldn't send someone with such mediocre strength.

It seems he's the same kind of person as the Ghost General we encountered in Weilan before; he used to serve in the Navy, but for some reason, he left.

"I'll try to keep him occupied, you provide ranged cover, and together we'll kill him here."

Doug and Roland quickly negotiated, knowing that escape would be difficult, so instead of retreating, they advanced towards Buggy.

On the street north of the Gran Tesoro.

Fujitora and the navy officers behind him led two young children. Amidst the children's tears of joy, they decided to tell their families that if possible, they would send the children to the navy so that they could become excellent marines in the future.

"You must be the newly appointed Marine Admiral Fujitora?"

Around the corner, the Celestial Dragons Clift, riding his human pet and accompanied by several bodyguards in black, emerged and blocked Fujitora's path.

"May I ask who you are...?" Fujitora was blind and did not recognize who was in front of him.

"Admiral Fujitora, he's Celestial Dragons!" The marine beside him quickly whispered in his ear.

"Hmph! You don't even recognize me? You blind man, do you even count as a Marine?!"

Clifton, accustomed to a life of luxury, didn't hold back in his loud rebukes, even from Marine Admiral.

Fujitora said in a deep voice, "It was my fault. May I ask what brings you here?"

"Alright." Saint Krilaf, smugly pointing at the two children surrounded by the navy, said, "I don't have anything important to say. Just hand over those two brats!"

He held his head high. Although he didn't know why Gild Tesoro had asked him to take those two brats back from Fujitora, the matter was far too simple. He was the most noble Celestial Dragons in the world; even Marine Admiral was merely a slightly higher-ranking bodyguard in his presence. Did they dare disobey his orders?

In this way, it's incredibly easy to get the 300 million Beli reward promised by Gild Tesoro —it's fantastic!

"I'd like to know what you want them for?"

Fujitora was well aware of the position of the Marine Admiral he was on, and tried his best to make his tone as polite as possible.

"These two brats are my personal slaves. I'm just asking for my personal belongings back. Is there a problem with that?" Saint Krilaf's voice became slightly shrill.

"You're lying! I'm not your slave!" The little boy hid behind Fujitora and retorted angrily.

"Um..."

Fujitora pondered for a moment, then said neither humbly nor arrogantly, "As far as I know, these two children are already free. Why would they be your slaves?"

Saint Krilaf, already prepared, pulled out two forged contracts, a smug smile spreading across his face. "Gild Tesoro handed over ownership of these two brats to me the day before yesterday, that's proof! Hurry up and hand them over to me, you rude bunch, get out of my way!"

Fujitora remained silent, and Smoker, Tashigi, and the surrounding Marines were also at a loss for words. The boy, seeing this, was on the verge of tears, terrified of losing his hard-won freedom again. "No! We don't want to be slaves!"

"Uncle, don't hand us over to him, I'm so scared..." Tears streamed down the girl's face, and she was almost sobbing uncontrollably.

Saint Krilaf was furious at Fujitora and the Navy's hesitation and indifference. "Hey, did you hear me?!"

Fujitora lowered his head slightly, revealing a sliver of the white in his eye, and finally spoke, "This old man... refuses."