800 years ago, among the 20 kings who formed the World Government, the descendants of 19 of them, considering themselves the “Creators’ descendants,” became what are now known as the Celestial Dragons.
The Celestial Dragons are not individuals but rather these 19 families, with the Donquixote family being one prominent example.
Someone once said, “Use magic to defeat magic,” so he must use the Celestial Dragons to deal with the Celestial Dragons.
The Celestial Dragons epitomize privilege in this world. For the sake of development, Tesoro had no choice but to endure and ingratiate himself with these Celestial Dragons, feeding these vicious dogs until they were full to facilitate his plans.
However, Celestial Dragons are not easily approachable. They look down on everything outside their circle, and Tesoro had only managed to establish a connection with one family over many years.
He had to partially leverage their influence for the development of Beasts Fruits. Given that they were the only option, this family has always maintained an arrogant attitude towards Tesoro.
But not all Celestial Dragons are useless. Among them are elites who steer their families’ futures. The emergence of the Flanders family made them feel uneasy, as it meant Tesoro now had more options.
Tesoro brought them immense benefits. To prevent the other family from poaching Tesoro, they adjusted their approach, though they didn’t understand why the Flanders family suddenly got involved.
With the tacit approval of two Celestial Dragon families, Gran Tesoro became not only an independent country recognized by the government but also a demilitarized zone, an “absolute sanctuary” where the World Government couldn’t easily intervene.
With this, Gran Tesoro is destined to become the economic hub of the gray area.
Here, without Tesoro’s consent, even Marines entering with weapons would be illegal. This is the absolute privilege Tesoro has acquired.
Some non-affiliated nations exhaust all efforts to establish ties with the World Government but can’t succeed. Yet Tesoro achieved in just a few days what they could not.
“Flanders… Tesoro, could they be plotting something?”
“Who cares? Even if it’s bait, it’s worth taking. If someone is really fishing, they’ll soon realize that the fish can bite back. By the way, Uta, how’s your song preparation going?”
“It’s okay, why?”
“Your debut is coming, a worldwide debut. Shanks will also see your performance, so prepare well.”
“Really?! Can I invite Shanks to watch?”
“If he wants to come, I wouldn’t oppose it, but it’s up to you. The debut is still some time away. I need to return to Wano Country to discuss some matters with Lord Arceus.”
The approval procedures were complete, but recruiting personnel and adjusting the equipment were still in progress, with many things still in the experimental phase. It will take quite some time to get this massive ship to its intended location, especially since there are still some details that need to be finalized on Onigashima.
While Tesoro was arranging the ship, Uta eagerly made a phone call but returned disappointed shortly after.
Tesoro had already left by then, leaving only Stella behind.
“Uta-chan, what’s wrong?”
“Shanks said he can’t come. He said it’s not the right time.”
“Don’t worry, believe in yourself. You two have a promise. Becoming the world’s top singer takes time.”
…
On the Red Force, Beckman lit his cigarette and looked at Shanks.
“Really not going? It’s okay to see her occasionally.”
“No, seeing me like this would only make her sad.”
Pointing to his severed left arm, Shanks explained. Since the Elegia incident, Shanks hadn’t made any significant moves.
Although he was once called the person closest to becoming an Emperor of the Sea, after that, he somewhat disappeared from public view. His news no longer appeared in the newspapers, and at least the news of his lost arm had not yet spread, known only to a few acquaintances.
Every one of them was shocked that he lost an arm in East Blue, whether they were enemies or friends.
“By the way, what were you up to a few days ago? You were being all mysterious.”
“Nothing much, just a little errand.”
After he looted the Gum-Gum Fruit, Shanks started catching the attention of the higher-ups, and following the Elegia incident, even more people took notice of him, including the World Government. So, he had just done a small thing.
……
Meanwhile, in the Underworld of the New World, the news of the Gran Tesoro’s completion caused a huge upheaval. A government-recognized “demilitarized zone” was practically a trading paradise, signaling that the future underground economic center would inevitably shift here.
Beasts Fruits were already the rulers of the Underworld. With this ship, their position at the top of the underground emperors became unshakable.
There was still some time before the ship’s official launch, but reporters sent by Morgans had already boarded the Gran Tesoro and released news about this entertainment city.
The announcement that everything except the casino would be free on the first day of business caught a lot of attention. Returning to Onigashima, Tesoro not only worked on related details but also inquired if anyone from Onigashima wanted to participate in the opening ceremony.
“Is it okay for pirates to go to a place like this?”
“Of course, it is. On this ship, there are no distinctions between pirates and Marines, only guests, Miss Yamato. My efforts over the years have not been in vain.”
As long as the World Government hasn’t broken ties with them, the stability of this ship won’t be disrupted. Based on the intelligence he received, the ship’s opening ceremony would be a mixed bag of all Underworld forces, many of whom had connections with the World Government.
Unless the World Government wanted to reshape the entire Underworld, they wouldn’t do anything at this time. According to the guest list, even members directly under the World Government were included.
“Father, can I go and play?”
“Go if you want. You need to get familiar with the industries under our command. But Tesoro, are there any fighting events on the ship?”
“Um… not yet, but Governor-General Kaido, you wouldn’t be interested in those kinds of fights, and your identity…”
It would be one thing for ordinary pirates to go, but if an Emperor of the Sea like Kaido appeared, it would cause chaos.
“Worororo, don’t worry. I’m not interested. If there are any deathmatches, make sure Yamato participates.”
“…”
The little bit of excitement Yamato felt disappeared instantly. She knew her father Kaido could never say anything nice.
“Alright, if anyone wants to go, take them along. The rest, you can discuss with Arceus. I’m off to drink.”
This entertainment ship didn’t interest Kaido. He was only here because he was training Yamato and happened to overhear the plan. Meanwhile, Tesoro, along with a few tortoise, went to find Arceus, as they were a new species he discovered on an island.
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