Binks’ Sake, a classic song on the open seas, had already spread far and wide during Roger’s early days as a rookie.
Whether sailors or pirates, people sailing the seas would hum a line or two of the song, and among the Beasts Pirates, there were quite a few who know this song.
The creator of the song remains unknown, but this song has passed down for a long time.
However, there were very few sailors or pirates in this place, and even if someone sang well, it was difficult for it to resonate with the audience, resulting in not much money being earned.
Yamato gave him a 5,000 Berry banknote, which was almost the most he received today. Although Yamato knew she should give some change, that was the smallest denomination she had on her.
Anything less would be a few 100 Berry coins, which she felt was not appropriate to give.
Yamato rarely needed to spend money in Wano Country, except for the time she cleared Kojiro’s inventory when collecting bottle caps. Her small fortune remained largely untouched.
The accumulated amount was more than many people could earn in their lifetime, so 5,000 Berry was merely spare change to her.
The singer didn’t stop and just bowed to Yamato, a gesture he was accustomed to doing daily.
As the sky darkened, even though the lighting in Bubble Park had been turned on, the number of people within the park dwindled. The audience in front of the singer gradually dispersed, leaving only Yamato and her group sitting in the front row.
“Little miss, did you enjoy listening to my singing?”
“It was beautiful! You sing so well, even better than Uncle Queen.”
“Thank you for the kind words. However, I’m sorry to say that today’s performance ends here. If you want to hear more, you’ll have to come back tomorrow.”
Normally, someone like Yamato, a generous sponsor, would be entertained for a little longer. But he has a day job, and absenteeism would result in a deduction from his salary. He needed to rest to prepare for his work the next day.
However, glancing at his old watch, he realized there was still time. He could earn around 10,000 Berry from a full day of work, so it didn’t seem appropriate to abruptly end the performance in front of a generous sponsor like Yamato.
“Let’s consider this a special performance for you. Is there any specific song you’d like to hear?”
He needed the money, and if Yamato was willing to give him a tip, it would be the best outcome. He had no ulterior motives, even though he desperately needed the money and there was a wealthy child in front of him, he chose to earn money through hard work.
This was his promise to someone. His name is Gild Tesoro, who will later become the Gold Emperor controlling vast wealth in the world. However, currently, he is a young man working hard for his dreams.
“You can sing whichever song you’re best at.”
“Well, that would be this one.”
Adjusting the guitar strings, Tesoro sang the song he was most familiar with. However, Yamato’s expression seemed off. Power of Viridian allowed her to communicate freely with Pokémon, but its power went beyond that.
Under the influence of the Power of Viridian, she has become more sensitive to the emotions of others. And as music was a conduit for emotions, she heard something different from the singer’s voice.
“Big brother, it seems like you have something on your mind. Are you thinking of someone?”
During his days of singing for a living, many people gave him money. However, people like Yamato, who listened to him until the end and complimented his singing, were few and far between.
However, only one person could detect his worries – Stella. She was the reason he was so determined to earn money.
“It’s a very long story. Would you like to hear it?”
Yamato’s ability to sense his worries seemed to touch something inside him. This was the second time he had shared his story with someone, and this time it was a group of children.
Nineteen years ago, he was born into a poor family. His father was a gambling addict, and his mother was an alcoholic. Such a combination of an alcoholic and a gambler naturally led to poverty, making him an outcast among his peers. One day, he passed by a traveling opera house, and the beautiful singing inside mesmerized him. Being able to enter and watch the performance became his first dream.
He wanted to watch the performance and be as captivating as the stars on stage.
When he was twelve, his father, who was gambling addict, unfortunately fell ill and passed away. Though his father’s gambling had been a problem, he was also the main source of income for the family. Losing him made their already poor situation even worse.
After that, his mother continued to drink excessively and began to detest Tesoro’s singing and strictly forbid him from singing. Under such circumstances, at the age of twelve, Tesoro fled from that home.
However, at the age of twelve, he couldn’t support himself, so he resorted to theft. Through stealing money, he met many people, and he believed that he had made friends.
Following a group of deceitful friends, he learned nothing good and, like his father, fell into the bad habit of gambling.
Nine out of ten times, he lost the bets. The one time he won was likely due to others setting him up. Tesoro, ensnared in the abyss of gambling, was almost following in his father’s footsteps.
At the age of sixteen, he lost everything in a casino. Human trafficking was prevalent in this place, so he was captured by the traffickers in the casino, intending to sell him off.
At that moment, all those so-called friends abandoned him, showing no concern for his fate. He knew the fate that awaited him in the hands of human traffickers, so he fought back desperately.
Despite being severely beaten, he managed to escape. In a state of panic, he fled without direction and ended up at a human trafficking shop. It was here that he encountered his salvation—Stella.
Stella was a woman captured as a slave. Despite being treated as a commodity in an iron cage, she had not given up on her desire for a better life.
Though separated by the iron bars, they chatted merrily. Tesoro sang a song for Stella, and it was the first time he received praise.
From that moment on, he aspired to grant Stella her freedom. Thus, he began to work tirelessly to earn money.
During the day, he worked at the shipyard in Sabaody because it paid the highest wages, and at night, he came to sing here, but he refrained from engaging in any illegal activities.
It was his agreement with Stella. He would use legitimate means to make money.
Stella was priced highly as a “commodity” in the human trafficking shop, which had both its advantages and disadvantages for Tesoro.
The high price meant that Stella wouldn’t be easily sold off, but on the other hand, saving enough money was extremely challenging.
For nearly three years, he worked day and night, saving every Berry he could. Now, he was very close to achieving his goal.
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