Go! Become the Richest Man in the World! / Thriller Bark

Tesoro was deeply moved by Atlas's entrustment. He wiped his face hard with his hand, flicking his tears and snot onto the deck, and then opened his mouth wide, swallowing the entire Gold-Gold Fruit whole!

"Gulp!"

As the fruit decomposed in his stomach acid, an indescribable, strange smell rose up, and Tesoro's face involuntarily turned slightly purple.

This Devil Fruit... it tastes absolutely awful!!!

"How was it? Did you gain the Devil Fruit Ability?"

Generally speaking, after consuming Devil Fruit, the user immediately gains some of its basic abilities, as if they were second nature to them.

Tesoro lowered his eyes slightly, tightened his grip, and slightly tore off a corner of his clothes. A magical scene appeared before everyone's eyes: the tattered cloth that had been lying quietly in his palm had turned into a thin, shimmering piece of gold!

"Wow, amazing! They can actually turn a piece of cloth into gold!"

Baby-5, who had just joined the Navy, couldn't help but open her rosy cherry lips wide. Wouldn't this ability to turn lead into gold mean having endless wealth?

"This ability... it can't be that overpowered, right? It's even more amazing than legendary magic!"

Rosinante and Law, who had already awakened, were also filled with astonishment. The fame, wealth, and status that Pirates had always pursued were now right in front of them. If those Pirates knew about the existence of this fruit, even the threat of death would probably not be able to stop them from flocking to it.

"Don't misunderstand, I don't have the magic to turn stones into gold..." Seeing the astonished expressions on everyone's faces, Tesoro quickly withdrew his power, and the golden shard in his hand returned to the shape of shredded cloth.

"My Devil Fruit Ability is to manipulate gold and its arbitrary forms, and to assimilate objects into gold for a short period of time using gold dust, but I cannot create gold out of thin air."

As he spoke, Tesoro showed everyone the specks of gold dust on the cloth. Normally, gold isn't very hard, but things created by Devil Fruit Ability can't be judged by ordinary standards. The hardness of the gold controlled by Tesoro was so great that even ordinary Armament Haki would have difficulty breaking through it.

"Alright, now I have a task for you all to complete, including you—Luo!"

Atlas had no intention of having Law join the Navy. The Op-Op Fruit was a very troublesome matter, and the Navy simply couldn't help Law hide it from the World Government. Once an Op- Devil Fruit User appeared in the Navy, the Five Elders wouldn't stand idly by.

The World Government will definitely imprison Law, after all, the Awakening power of the Op-Op Fruit is an immortality power that they all fear, and it concerns the so-called National Treasure of the Celestial Dragons.

Sengoku and his Sengoku certainly wouldn't fall out with the Five Elders for Law's sake; the Navy is still needed in this era!

"Ah--! Me!?"

Luo pointed to himself in surprise. Although he was very grateful to Atlas for saving Mr. Corazon, he did not expect that the bastard Navy would start assigning him tasks so quickly.

Law's feelings towards the Navy are complex. As someone who witnessed the deaths of his parents and sister, he deeply hates the World Government, the instigator of all this, and this aversion extends to the Navy, the World Government's lackey.

However, Rosinante, who could be said to have given him a second life, was also a naval officer, which made him realize that the navy and the World Government were different, but this did not make him consider joining the navy.

"That's right..." Atlas suddenly looked at Baby-5 beside him, who was looking very serious and clearly regarded himself as a qualified naval officer.

Snap!

A crisp snap of fingers rang out!

The surrounding air, like a snake, easily slipped into Baby-5's ears.

Atlas temporarily blocked Baby-5's hearing with air. He didn't want Baby-5 to know what was going to happen next, not because he didn't trust her, but because her personality flaws were too obvious and she could easily reveal Atlas's plan.

"Rosinante, you should also understand that from the moment Rosinante ate the Op-Op Fruit, the World Government could not stand idly by, and the Navy had no ability to provide him with protection."

"Unless..."

Atlas slowly scanned the expressions of the people present. Apart from Baby-5, everyone else looked thoughtful.

Baby-5 was somewhat terrified, because in her field of vision, Atlas was only moving his lips, and no sound was reaching her ears! Could it be... that she was deaf?

"Drag the Celestial Dragons down from Holy Land Mary Geoise!!!"

The voice wasn't loud, but it was firm and resounding, like a bolt from the blue for Rosinante and his two companions!

Celestial Dragons!

A group of self-proclaimed descendants of the creator god, idiots who have lorded it over the people of the world for eight hundred years! They are also the root of this world's tragedy, the source of all evil!!

Even Rosinante, a former Celestial Dragons, harbored immense hatred for the Celestial Dragons, let alone Tesoro and Law, who had suffered direct harm from them.

Glug~

Tesoro's apple bobbed nervously as a somewhat unbelievable guess surfaced in his mind, and he asked in a slightly hoarse voice.

"Lieutenant Vice Admiral... do you intend to overthrow the World Government?"

Chapter 178 Go! Become the world's richest man!

"That's right, the Celestial Dragons are a stain on the Navy's Justice, and of course the Navy should erase them themselves!"

Atlas's answer clearly did not disappoint them; it was firm, resolute, and left no room for doubt.

"However, the Navy has no source of funding of its own. Without the World Government's financial support, the Navy's system would be difficult to maintain. In that case, the entire Navy would fall apart, and Pirates would become even more rampant!"

"Therefore, if we want to use the power of the navy to overthrow the World Government, the first step is to separate the navy from the World Government's organization, and massive financial support is essential!"

"And you..." Atlas raised an eyebrow and pointed at Tesoro.

"Gild Tesoro, Paramecia Devil Fruit User the Gold-Gold Fruit, is the future hope of the Navy!!!"

It's no exaggeration to say that Tesoro, who will become the world's richest man and directly control 20% of the world's Beli, will still be able to support the Navy. Moreover, this time, both his starting point and the support he receives are tens of millions of times stronger than when he was a slave in his previous life, so his final achievements will undoubtedly be even greater!

Although the Gold-Gold Fruit cannot directly produce gold, it does not prevent Tesoro from starting from scratch.

"I am... the hope of the Navy!?"

I never expected the lieutenant Vice Admiral to value him so much...

Tesoro felt a warm power welling up inside him. He subconsciously covered his chest with his right hand, feeling the strong heartbeat. He had never been recognized by anyone like this before. The last person to recognize and appreciate him was Stella. An unprecedented belief lingered in his mind.

I swear to serve the Lieutenant Vice Admiral to the death!!!

"That's right, so... quit the navy. You can take a portion of all the wealth on this ship as start-up capital. Your goal is to become the world's richest person!"

Atlas couldn't possibly give everything to Tesoro, otherwise he wouldn't be able to explain it to the Navy. However, Donquixote, who dominated the North Blue Underworld, possessed a considerable amount of wealth.

Then, Atlas pulled a Den Den Mushi from his left pocket and threw it to Tesoro, saying, "If you ever encounter any trouble, you can use this Den Den Mushi to contact me for help."

"So, Luo, have you made up your mind?"

For Atlas, Law's role wasn't indispensable. It was mainly the unique nature of the Op-Op Fruit that made him feel that it was better to include Law in his plan to become the richest man in the world than to let Law wander the world as Pirates.

It's always true that children from poor families mature early. Although Luo wasn't very old, the hardships he had experienced had made him far more mature than the average person.

After a moment's thought, a resolute look flashed across Law's face. He was never a good person to begin with, and Doflamingo had chosen him because they shared similar evils. If it weren't for Rosinante's rescue, Law might have been the next Doflamingo.

"I agree to join!"

Law knew very well that this was probably his only chance to retaliate against the World Government; if he missed it, he might never have another.

However... that's just Luo overthinking things. If he doesn't agree, Atlas will have no choice but to persuade him with reason, whether it's reason or physics, that depends on his performance.

"I won't treat your Amber Lead Syndrome; consider it a chance to familiarize yourself with the abilities of the Op-Op Fruit."

Law's body is still covered in white patches, clearly indicating that Amber Lead Syndrome has entered its acute phase. This terminal illness essentially guarantees death, but Devil Fruit are capable of creating miracles.

All it takes is to use the Op-Op Fruit to cut off the body part suffering from Amber Lead Syndrome, and then remove the Amber Lead Syndrome inside. Even a child like Op-Op Fruit- Op Fruit, can do it. However, it will take a lot of time, because the biggest drawback of the Op-Op Fruit is that it consumes a lot of physical strength.

This explains why Law always appeared with a weak constitution more than a decade later, getting exhausted after using his Devil Fruit Ability just a few times.

Atlas and Rosinante arrived at the shore where Vice Admiral Tsuru had stopped, bringing with them the little girl Baby-5. Law and Tesoro had already quietly left the island, and Atlas had exchanged Vivre Card with Tesoro.

Rosinante did not choose to follow Rodriguez. In his words, as a man chosen by fate, he had to learn to grow on his own.

"Yo ho~ Vice Admiral Tsuru, I've kept you waiting!"

Atlas smiled and greeted Vice Admiral Tsuru. Then, with a slight flick of his fingers, Doflamingo and the Donquixote Family's Pirates ships, which had been hovering in the air, landed steadily without splashing any water.

Golden Lion's abilities...

Upon seeing this, Vice Admiral Tsuru's eyes flashed with a strange light. The Navy had long noticed Atlas's strange abilities, but they had not investigated them in depth. Everyone has their own secrets, and the Navy would be tolerant and accepting of anyone who Justice, just like the vastness of the sea.

"Atlas, little guy, we really have to thank you this time, otherwise Doflamingo would have gotten away again."

Vice Admiral Tsuru knows Doflamingo very well. He is a born criminal who has escaped from her clutches many times thanks to his keen sense of danger and basically avoids direct combat with her.

"Yes, Vice Admiral Tsuru, this is intelligence on Doflamingo's follow-up plans. This guy has been plotting to secure a position as one of the Shichibukai, as well as Dressrosa in the New World. I'm handing him over to you now. Have Rosinante take you to the Donquixote Family's base in the North Blue and wipe out the remaining Donquixote."

"I need to get to the G-5 base in the New World as soon as possible, otherwise that old man Sengoku will start nagging me again."

Atlas casually handed the intelligence documents he had snatched from Vergo to Vice Admiral Tsuru. He had no intention of getting involved in what happened next, and the trip to the North Blue had largely achieved its purpose.

"Oh, by the way, there should be another officer in the Donquixote Family with rather strange abilities. Vice Admiral Tsuru, you'd better be careful."

Atlas suddenly thought of Sugar's Hobby-Hobby Fruit and casually reminded him, but he believed that Vice Admiral Tsuru's wisdom would not allow him to fall for it so easily.

"Hehe~ Alright then, you go back to the New World first, Rosinante will assist me in handling things here in North Blue."

Vice Admiral Tsuru said with a smile.

"Alright~ Baby-5! Let's go!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Atlas took Baby-5 and soared into the sky, flying straight towards Marineford following the Eternal Pose!

P. S. Happy New Year everyone! Time for bed, goodnight.

Chapter 179 The Thriller Bark

West Blue, Reverse Mountain.

The Red Line and the Grand Line intersect at two points: Reverse Mountain and Holy Land Mary Geoise.

Reverse Mountain is an entrance from the Four Seas to the Grand Line. There are five waterways in total, with four flowing in and one flowing out. One of them leads to the Grand Line, while the other four connect the Four Seas to the Grand Line. Therefore, most Pirates use Reverse Mountain to advance to the Grand Line.

Of course, the Calm Belt is also another route to the Grand Line. The two Calm Belt, on the left and right, almost run through the entire Grand Line. However, compared to the Reverse Mountain, the Calm Belt, as the lair of the Sea Kings, poses a much greater risk for humans to pass through.

Meanwhile, a huge island—or rather, a Pirates ship—was slowly sailing near Reverse Mountain.

The ship was enormous, stretching almost to the horizon, and could practically be considered a small island. If it weren't for the huge Pirates flag fluttering in the air, no one would likely mistake it for a Pirates ship.

The Pirates flag has a very unique design, reflecting the exotic aesthetic preferences of most people in the Pirates world.

The skull design is generic, with lifelike fiery Onion Head on the skull and a pair of flame-shaped bat wings on the background, making the overall look quite ferocious and Haki.

If any Pirates from the West Blue saw this mark, they would probably immediately recognize the owner of this Pirates ship.

Hero of the West Blue! Gecko Moria!

A renowned Pirates in the West Blue long before the Great Pirate Era began, he recently fought Kaido of the Beasts, one of the three Emperor of the Sea of the New World, and escaped unscathed. Now his fame has soared, and even the World Government's bounty has risen to 320 million Beli! (Actually, he was imprisoned by Kaido for several years and only recently escaped.)

However, this ship's destination is not Reverse Mountain. Judging from its terrifying size, it is simply impossible to pass through the entrance of Reverse Mountain. It can only enter the Grand Line through the Calm Belt near Reverse Mountain.

The island ship exudes a sinister and terrifying atmosphere, both in terms of its ambiance and decor.

The island was surrounded by a high wall, which perfectly concealed the situation inside the ship. A gate shaped like a huge red lip stood in the very center.

At the very center of the island ship stands an ancient castle in the architectural style of medieval European nobility, where the occasional mournful cries of crows add to the eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

Inside the castle's meeting room.

The spacious conference hall was empty, with only a few huge white candles burning silently.

A huge man, nearly 5 meters tall, lay leaning against a load-bearing pillar in the room (the current Moria is not yet nearly 7 meters tall as he will be more than ten years later; this height is just something I made up). His appearance was very peculiar, unlike that of a normal human.

He looks like a demon. His hairstyle is like a flaming onion, with two delicate horns on either side of his forehead. He has sharp teeth and a sharp mouth, and wears a shirt with a bat-shaped collar and Gothic-style clothing.

The man was none other than Gecko Moria, who had recently escaped from Wano Country.

"Hehehe, we're almost at the Calm Belt! We're finally about to enter the Grand Line again!"

Moria was excited. Ever since he was defeated by Kaido and imprisoned to mine, he had lost all his companions. He had only one thought for the rest of his life—to kill Kaido. To this end, he specially ran back to his hometown in the West Blue to get his hands on this Thriller Bark and was about to begin his next plan.

That's right, Thriller Bark, known as the world's largest ship, surpasses even the Ship of Promise 'Noah' and the Thriller Bark Ark Maxim in size!

"Lord Moria, where in the New World are we heading this time?"

A hoarse voice suddenly filled the hall, which had previously been empty except for Moria.

"The foggy sea area of Florian Triangle, a place that never receives sunlight, is perfect for realizing my dream, hehehehehe!"

Moria instinctively spoke towards the empty corner.

"And also, you'd better put away your Devil Fruit Ability in front of me, Absalom!"

"Uh... Lord Moria's senses are still as sharp as ever."

The voice rang out again, and at the same time, a thin figure slowly emerged from the corner, giving Moria a smooth compliment.

The bright candlelight illuminated Absalom's appearance, revealing him completely to Moria. He didn't look very old, but he was thin and bony, with deep wrinkles on his face and a lewd smile. His large robes hung loosely on his body.

"Idiot, that's called Observation Haki," Moria chuckled, casually glancing at Absalom in his current state, and continued, "Your body is too weak. Let Hogback do some modifications for you."