Chapter 321 (Continued)

And with an unyielding show of force, he had driven Doflamingo back.

Otherwise, Tesoro and the others would have died on Cocoyasi Island that day.

Once Doflamingo had left, Tesoro immediately led Mr. Tanaka and the others over to Chris.

They bowed deeply to Chris, thanking him with utmost respect.

Unable to contain his excitement, Tesoro said, "Captain Chris, please allow me to introduce myself."

"My name is Tesoro. I have the Gold-Gold Fruit."

"I... used to be a slave of the Celestial Dragons!"

"I was fortunate enough to escape their clutches, and today, I have you to thank for saving me."

"Otherwise, I might have become Doflamingo's slave all over again!"

Tesoro gestured to the people beside him. "This is Mr. Tanaka, and this is Dice. They're both good friends of mine."

"Thank you for taking us in, Captain Chris. It's an honor to join the Chris Pirates!"

"We'll serve you faithfully, Captain Chris!"

Every word Tesoro spoke was heartfelt.

The Division Commanders, Nami, and the others were shocked to learn he had once been a slave of the Celestial Dragons.

Chris, however, remained calm.

He looked over Tesoro and the others, then said without expression, "I don't need your loyalty."

"On my ship, I want crewmates who share my goals, not slaves. Do you understand?"

"You may have been a slave once, but you're standing on your own feet now!"

Tesoro stared at him, stunned, then nodded firmly.

Chris had said only a few simple words, but they struck Tesoro to the heart.

After all this time, Chris was the first person who hadn't cared about his past.

The first person to treat him as a crewmate.

Beside him, Lafitte gently patted Tesoro's shoulder and said politely, "From now on, we're in the same boat."

"We're all your