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"Tesoro, eat this!"
Aboard the Donquixote Family's ship, Kanos Atlas solemnly handed the Gold-Gold Fruit he had just acquired to Tesoro.
The Gold-Gold Fruit was a crucial part of Atlas's plan to overthrow the World Government.
In the original timeline, Tesoro had not yet obtained the fruit at this point.
Yet, in the short time after acquiring it, he had performed the miracle of rising from a mere slave to the richest man in the world, controlling 20% of the world's Berries.
One could say the Gold-Gold Fruit made Tesoro, but it also proved how perfectly suited Tesoro was for this fruit.
"For… me?"
Tesoro took the Gold-Gold Fruit from Atlas's hand, his voice trembling with emotion. Out of his trust for Atlas, he didn't ask about the fruit's abilities.
He believed that any Devil Fruit valued by a man like Mr. Atlas could not be anything less than extraordinary!
"That's right. This is the Paramecia-type Gold-Gold Fruit, one of the absolute top-tier Devil Fruit abilities. It is perfect for the mission you are about to undertake."
"Mission?"
Tesoro was taken aback. Before coming to the North Blue, Atlas had indeed mentioned a mission for him.
He never expected it would require the aid of such a powerful Devil Fruit ability.
"Yes, sir! I will risk my life to complete the orders you have given me, Vice Admiral!"
Deeply moved by Atlas's trust in him, Tesoro wiped the tears and snot from his face with a heavy hand, flinging them onto the deck.
Then, he opened his mouth wide and swallowed the entire Gold-Gold Fruit in one go!
Gulp!
As the fruit dissolved in his stomach acid, an indescribably foul taste rose in his throat. Tesoro's face turned a shade of purple.
This Devil Fruit… tastes so damn bad!
"Well? Have you gained its power?"
Generally, a person gains the basic abilities of a Devil Fruit immediately after eating it, as if they become an instinct.
Tesoro lowered his gaze, focused his will, and tore off a small corner of his clothes. A magical scene unfolded before them.
The piece of cloth lying quietly in his palm had turned into a shimmering, thin sheet of gold!
"Amazing! He can turn a piece of cloth into gold!" Baby 5, who had just joined the Marines, couldn't help but gasp, her cherry-red lips agape.
With the ability to turn things to gold, wouldn't one have endless money?
"This ability… it can't be that broken, can it? It's more magical than the legends of alchemy!" Rosinante and the now-awakened Law were also stunned.
Fame, wealth, and power—the very things pirates sought—and one of them was laid bare before them.
If other pirates knew of this fruit's existence, not even the threat of death could stop them from swarming after it.
"Don't misunderstand, I don't have the magic to turn things to gold…" Seeing everyone's shocked expressions, Tesoro quickly deactivated his ability.
The gold sheet in his hand reverted to a scrap of cloth.
"My Devil Fruit ability allows me to manipulate gold and its forms, and to assimilate objects into gold using gold dust temporarily. But I can't 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 objects created by Devil Fruit abilities often defy common sense.
The hardness of the gold controlled by Tesoro was something that even standard Armament Haki would struggle to break.
"Alright. Now, I have a mission for all of you to complete. That includes you, Law."
Atlas had no intention of making Law join the Marines. The Op-Op Fruit was too much trouble. The Marines couldn't hide him from the World Government.
Once a user of the Op-Op Fruit appeared within the Marines, the Five Elders would never let it go.
The World Government would surely imprison Law; after all, the fruit's Awakened ability, the Perennial Youth Operation, was something even they coveted, and it was related to the so-called national treasure of the Celestial Dragons.
Sengoku and the others would certainly not fall out with the Five Elders over Law. This era still needed the Marines.
"Huh? Me!?"
Law pointed at himself in disbelief. While he was grateful to Atlas for saving Mr. Corazon, he never expected this bastard Marine to start giving him orders so quickly.
Law's feelings about the Marines were complicated. As someone who had witnessed the deaths of his parents and sister, he harbored a deep hatred for the culprit—the World Government.
This loathing extended to the Marines, the government's lapdogs. But Rosinante, the man who had given him a second chance at life, was also a Marine.
This made him realize that the Marines and the World Government were not the same, but it still didn't make him want to join.
"That's right…" Atlas suddenly looked at Baby 5, who was standing beside them with a serious expression, already looking like a proper Marine.
Snap!
With a crisp snap of his fingers, the air around them, like a slithering snake, easily slipped into Baby 5's ears. Atlas had temporarily blocked her hearing with air.
He didn't want her to know what came next. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but her personality flaws were too obvious; she could easily leak his plans.
"Rosinante, you should also understand. From the moment Law ate the Op-Op Fruit, the World Government will never leave him alone. The Marines do not have the power to offer him protection."
"Unless…"
Atlas slowly scanned the faces of those present. Aside from Baby 5, the others all had thoughtful expressions. Baby 5, however, was terrified.
In her vision, Atlas's lips were moving, but no sound reached her ears! Had she… gone deaf?
"We drag the Celestial Dragons down from the Holy Land of Mary Geoise!!!"
His voice wasn't loud, but it was resolute, striking Rosinante, Tesoro, and Law like a bolt from the blue!
The Celestial Dragons!
A group of idiots who called themselves the descendants of the Creator Gods and had lorded over the people of the world for eight hundred years!
They were the source of this world's tragedy, the origin of all evil!
Even Rosinante, a former Celestial Dragon himself, loathed them. To say nothing of Tesoro and Law, who had suffered directly at their hands.
Gulp.
Tesoro's thick Adam's apple bobbed nervously.
An unbelievable guess formed in his mind. His voice was strained as he asked, "Vice Admiral… are you planning to overthrow the World Government?"
"That's right. The Celestial Dragons are a stain on the Marines' justice. Of course, they must be erased by the Marines themselves!"
Atlas's answer did not disappoint them. It was powerful and unquestionable.
"But the Marines have no financial independence. Without the World Government's funding, the entire Marine system would collapse, and the pirates would run even more rampant!"
"So, if we want to use the Marines' power to overthrow the World Government, the first step is to make the Marines independent of them. And for that, massive financial support is essential!"
"And you…" Atlas's brow rose as he pointed at Tesoro. "Gild Tesoro, user of the Paramecia-type Gold-Gold Fruit, you are the future hope of the Marines!!!"
It was no exaggeration. Tesoro, who would become the world's richest man and control twenty percent of the world's Berries, could arguably support the Marines.
This time, his starting point and support were a million times better than when he was a slave in his past life. His final achievements would undoubtedly be even greater!
Although the Gold-Gold Fruit couldn't create gold from nothing, it wouldn't stop Tesoro from building his empire from scratch.
"I am… the hope of the Marines!!?"
To think the Vice Admiral holds me in such high regard…
Tesoro felt a warm current spread through his chest. He instinctively placed his right hand over his heart, feeling its powerful beat.
He had never been so acknowledged by someone before. The last person to recognize and appreciate him was Stella.
An unprecedented sense of conviction filled his mind.
I swear my life… in loyalty to the Vice Admiral!
"That's right. So… you must leave the Marines. You can take a portion of the wealth on this ship as your start-up capital. Your goal is to become the richest man in the world!"
Atlas couldn't give everything to Tesoro; otherwise, he would have a hard time explaining it to the Marines.
But a portion of the wealth of the Donquixote Family, who had ruled the North Blue's underworld, was still a very considerable sum.
Then, Atlas took a Den Den Mushi from his left pocket and tossed it to Tesoro. "If you run into trouble in the future, you can use this to ask me for help."
"Well, Law, have you made your decision?"
In truth, Law's role wasn't indispensable to Atlas. It was mainly the unique nature of the Op-Op Fruit that led him to believe it was better for Law to join his "richest man" plan than to wander the seas as a pirate.
It was always true that children from poor families matured early.
Although Law wasn't very old, the hardships he had endured had made his mind far sharper than that of an ordinary person.
After a moment of thought, a look of determination flashed across Law's face.
He had never been a good person to begin with; Doflamingo had taken an interest in him because they shared a similar evil.
If not for Rosinante's intervention, Law might have become the next Doflamingo.
"I'm in!"
Law knew this was likely his only chance to get revenge on the World Government. If he missed it, he might never get another.
But… Law was overthinking it. If he had refused, Atlas would have had to persuade him with 'reason.'
Whether that was 'reasoning' or 'physical reasoning' would have depended on his attitude.
"I won't treat your Amber Lead Syndrome. Consider it practice in using the Op-Op Fruit's abilities."
Law was still covered in white patches; the disease was clearly in its advanced stages. This terminal illness was basically a death sentence, but Devil Fruits were things that could create miracles.
He just needed to use the Op-Op Fruit to excise the affected parts of his body and then remove the lead deposits within.
Even a child who had just obtained the fruit like Law could do it. It would just take time and effort, as the fruit's biggest drawback was its immense stamina consumption.
This was why, decades later, Law would often look exhausted, tired out after using his abilities just a few times.
Atlas and Rosinante, with the young Baby 5 in tow, arrived at the coast where Vice Admiral Tsuru was waiting.
Law and Tesoro had already quietly left the island, and Atlas had exchanged Vivre Cards with Tesoro. Rosinante had chosen not to go with Law.
In his words, a man chosen by fate must learn to grow on his own.
"Yo! Vice Admiral Tsuru, you've been waiting long!" Atlas greeted her with a smile.
With a flick of his finger, the levitating Doflamingo and the Donquixote Family's pirate ship descended steadily, landing without so much as a splash.
The Golden Lion's ability…
Seeing this, a strange light flashed in Tsuru's eyes. The Marines had long been aware of Atlas's bizarre abilities, but they hadn't delved into them.
Everyone had their secrets. As long as a person possessed a heart of justice, the Marines would accept them with the same tolerance as the sea itself.
"Little Atlas, we have you to thank this time. Otherwise, that fellow Doflamingo would have gotten away again." Tsuru knew Doflamingo very well.
He was a born criminal who had escaped from her grasp many times by relying on his keen sense of danger, rarely fighting her head-on.
"Here, Vice Admiral Tsuru. This is the intelligence on Doflamingo's plans. He's been plotting to get a Warlord position and to take Dressrosa in the New World.
I'm handing him over to you now. Let Rosinante guide you to the Donquixote Family's base in the North Blue. You can wipe out the rest of their remnants."
"I need to get back to the G-5 Base in the New World, or that old man Sengoku will start nagging me again."
Atlas casually handed the intelligence documents he had taken from Vergo to Tsuru.
He had no intention of participating in what came next; his trip to the North Blue had largely achieved its purpose.
"Oh, by the way, there should be another officer in the Donquixote Family with a very strange ability. Vice Admiral Tsuru, you should be careful."
Atlas suddenly remembered Sugar's Hobby-Hobby Fruit and gave her a casual warning. But he believed that with Tsuru's wisdom, she wouldn't be so easily tricked.
"Heh heh~ Alright then. You go back to the New World. Rosinante will assist me in handling things here in the North Blue," Tsuru said with a chuckle.
"Alrighty then! Baby 5! Let's go!"
As he spoke, Atlas took Baby 5 and shot straight into the sky, following the Eternal Pose directly toward Marineford!
(T/N: Please give me some power stone, I hope it can at least reach the top 100)
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