"Boss, calm down. The World Government and the Marines have gone too far, but this might not be a bad thing."
Tesoro had been awake for an hour now. Only after being knocked unconscious by the aftereffects of Lin Yuan's Conqueror's Haki had he realized just how powerful his boss was.
For Stella, Erza, and Emile, this was already the second time they had seen Lin Yuan use the ability.
Last time, they had been far away, and Lin Yuan had unleashed his Conqueror's Haki with his back to them. But both times, that sense of world-shattering power had filled them with boundless admiration even as it terrified them.
Tesoro was still just an ordinary man with no strength to speak of. He couldn't withstand that pressure at all.
After coming to and seeing Lin Yuan's wanted poster, he had finally understood what had happened and couldn't help inwardly lamenting his predicament.
Still, he was a man destined to become Gild Tesoro, and his mind was still working. After giving it some thought, he offered Lin Yuan his view.
"Boss, the way I see it, this wanted poster isn't a bad thing. At least your identity hasn't been exposed."
"Hmph, I know!"
"Uh, boss, I know you're strong, incredibly strong, but compared to the World Government or the Marines, we're still far too weak right now."
"Hmph, I know!"
Lin Yuan was still furious. Though it had no real effect on him now, he would become one of the strongest people in this world someday.
And this so-called "Masked Man" nickname would definitely be an embarrassing stain on his past.
But when he thought about the level of knowledge in the One Piece world, he decided to let it go.
"Fine, I'll let it go this time. Just you wait."
Lin Yuan finally sighed. Given the World Government's sheer size, there was no way he could shake it as he was now.
Knowing what those people were like, even the death of a Celestial Dragon probably wouldn't stir much of a reaction from the Five Elders.
Only when they saw Lin Yuan return to normal did Tesoro and the others breathe a sigh of relief. Lin Yuan had been truly frightening just now.
It was also the first time Tesoro had felt that terrifying aura head-on, and then its aftereffects had knocked him out cold.
I'm such a weakling.
Tesoro couldn't help sighing inwardly, then quietly steeled his resolve.
Over the next few days, Tesoro and the others trained with great enthusiasm. After seeing Lin Yuan's strength, they had all quietly begun working hard.
"All right, take a break. There's something I need to tell you first."
Hearing Lin Yuan's words, Tesoro put down the log in his hands. Stella, Erza, and Emile gathered around as well.
"What is it, boss?"
"Cocoyasi Village is just ahead. I'm living there for now, and you can stay there for the time being too."
"You're still too weak right now, so you'll need to train for a few years. But be careful about your identities. Don't let anything slip."
Tesoro and the others nodded. Their strength really didn't amount to much right now, especially Tesoro, who was the weakest.
"Don't worry, boss, we'll be careful. By the way, do you have a way to get stronger quickly?"
Tesoro was now desperate to gain great strength. He didn't want to feel the helplessness of being weak again.
"You've got your eye on a Devil Fruit, haven't you?"
Lin Yuan looked at Tesoro with a faint smile, having long since seen through his thoughts.
"Hehe, come on, boss. I just want to get stronger quickly so I can help you, don't I?"
He had already learned that Stella, Erza, and Emile had eaten Devil Fruits and was very envious, but he had no other thoughts about it.
Lin Yuan also knew what Tesoro meant. He took the two remaining Paramecia Devil Fruits out of his backpack.
Seeing this, Tesoro's face lit up, and he couldn't help rubbing his hands together.
"Tesoro, these two are Zoan Devil Fruits, but I don't want you to eat either of them."
Tesoro's expression froze at those words, but what Lin Yuan said next left him overjoyed.
"There's a Gold-Gold Fruit in this world. I think that one would suit you better, and these two fruits have too low a ceiling."
The two Zoan Devil Fruits Lin Yuan had now were only the most ordinary kind: a Zoan: Leopard Fruit and a Zoan: Tiger Fruit. Stella had already eaten the best one, the Swift Fruit.
Although Zoan Devil Fruits could increase their users' physical strength, giving one to Tesoro would be a waste of his talent.
"Then, boss, where's the Gold-Gold Fruit?"
Tesoro spoke eagerly, his eyes full of longing. Somehow, he had a feeling that it was the fated fruit he needed.
Lin Yuan fell silent for a moment. The Gold-Gold Fruit had yet to appear; in the end, Doflamingo had brought it to auction, and Tesoro had risked his life to snatch it.
Speaking of Doflamingo, he was interesting too. He hadn't kept either the Gold-Gold Fruit or the Flame-Flame Fruit, instead bringing them out to further his schemes.
This puzzled Lin Yuan greatly. Both fruits were extremely valuable. People might say even a dog wouldn't eat the Flame-Flame Fruit, but that was because they hadn't gotten their hands on it.
The Gold-Gold Fruit's ability was just as overpowered. Not only could it melt gold, but it had also allowed Tesoro to reach the level of an emperor's deputy, and that was without anyone teaching him.
In Lin Yuan's view, if someone had taught them, anyone who ate either the Flame-Flame Fruit or the Gold-Gold Fruit would at least reach the level of an emperor's deputy, and might even have the potential to become an Admiral.
"The Gold-Gold Fruit hasn't appeared yet, but I've already got some information about it. It'll take more time."
Lin Yuan didn't say that it would take another seven or eight years, or Tesoro probably wouldn't be able to wait.
Hearing Lin Yuan say that, Tesoro finally relaxed and smiled. He didn't want Stella to keep outclassing him forever.
Lin Yuan glanced at Tesoro. He had no intention of having him establish a business empire immediately. Tesoro was still too weak, and with tensions running high, it was better to lie low for a while first.
Gradually, the island where Cocoyasi Village was located came into view. Lin Yuan stood and looked at the familiar island, a smile appearing on his face as well.
When the small boat reached Cocoyasi Village's harbor, Lin Yuan saw that trade had already resumed. A group of villagers were loading cargo.
In the crowd, Lin Yuan spotted Genzo, who was busy as could be. Not far away was a small figure holding a book and staring blankly at the distant sea, lost in thought.
"Little Robin, what are you thinking about?"
Robin turned around and looked at the man she had been longing to see.
"Brother Lin Yuan..."
An excited smile instantly spread across Robin's face. She rushed over to Lin Yuan and threw her arms around him.
"Brother Lin Yuan, where on earth did you go this time? Why didn't we hear anything from you?"
There was a hint of tears in Robin's voice. Having no news of Lin Yuan these past few days had left her terribly worried.
Although Lin Yuan had often gone out before, he had never disappeared for so long. There had been no news of him for more than twenty days.
"I'm back now, aren't I? Don't worry!"
Looking at the girl before him, who now reached his chest, Lin Yuan's face softened into a smile.
Seeing the tearful girl in his arms made Lin Yuan's heart ache. If there was anyone in the One Piece world he cared about, Robin was definitely first.
After much coaxing, Lin Yuan finally managed to comfort Robin, then turned to Tesoro and the others as they approached.
"This is my little sister, Nico Robin. Robin, these are Tesoro, Stella, Erza, and Emile. They'll be settling here from now on."
Hearing that the girl before them was Lin Yuan's sister, Tesoro and the others immediately greeted her with smiles, and Robin smiled and responded to each of them in turn.
"Kid Lin, you're finally back! Where have you been all this time?"
Just then, Genzo finally noticed Lin Yuan and hurried over.
"Genzo, you're here at just the right time. Come back with me. There are some things I need to discuss with you."