Two days later.
At the invitation of the Golden Emperor, major figures of the underworld gathered one after another on Gran Tesoro.
Each luxurious ship was personally received by a VIP escort team. The guests were guided with utmost ceremony into glittering golden vehicles and transported straight to the only eight star hotel in the world, the Golden King Hotel.
The vast golden reception hall soon filled with laughter, mockery, and concealed hostility.
"Yo, King of the Black Hand, you were invited too? You still breathing after all those ambushes?"
"Heh, King of Loan Sharks, you bloated bastard actually crawled out of your money vault? I thought you had fused with your gold by now!"
The underworld giants clinked their glasses together with forced smiles, trading insults coated in fake politeness.
At this point, nearly twenty major kings of the underworld had already arrived.
"So many trash collectors of chaos in one place," a deep voice muttered quietly.
A large bird wearing a blue shirt, a yellow sand colored bow tie, and a black top hat blended into the crowd with practiced ease. His sharp eyes darted from group to group as he listened intently, memorizing every word before rapidly scribbling notes with a pen gripped in his wing.
"How fascinating, really fascinating," the birdman muttered excitedly. "So many monsters gathered into one hall, yet no one seems to know why they were invited. This stinks of a massive scoop!"
This was Morgans, president of the World Economic News, known across the world as Big News Morgans.
He was the man who had eaten the Bird Bird Fruit, Albatross Form.
Every legal newspaper in the world flowed from his hands, and the illegal underworld papers were also controlled by him.
"Morgans, you are here as well?"
A sweet voice rang out behind him.
Morgans turned and saw a noblewoman dressed in flawless white, a broad brimmed hat shadowing her face. She stood with elegance and poise, like royalty strolling through a garden.
"Oh, so it is you, Stussy," Morgans said with a grin.
Stussy, one of the underworld emperors.
The woman known among the kings as the Queen of the Pleasure District, ruler of the world's most powerful entertainment intelligence network.
"It has been a long time," Morgans added with a chuckle. "You still look impossibly young and beautiful, as always."
"Heh heh," Stussy laughed softly, clearly enjoying the compliment. "You certainly know how to flatter, Morgans."
Morgans leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Do you know why the Golden Emperor suddenly invited everyone? This gathering is far too deliberate to be meaningless."
Stussy lightly tapped his beak with her finger and laughed. "You really expect me to believe you know nothing? From what I hear, there is nothing your wings cannot reach."
Morgans hesitated, his eyes shifting. "Conjectures exist, but news must be accurate. I dare not publish guesses."
Stussy covered her mouth and laughed. "That is rich, coming from the King of Rumors himself."
She tilted her head slightly. "A few days ago, there was quite a stir about the Fifth Emperor, Shirogai Yamikuro. A scandal filled report flooded the underworld. I wonder how much of it was truth, and how much was pure fabrication."
"The author was anonymous," Morgans coughed. His eyes darted away.
He knew better than anyone that most of that article had been exaggerated or outright invented. Profit mattered more than truth in his world.
"You are getting more and more daring," Stussy teased gently. "Do you not fear that Shirogai Yamikuro might seek you out? He is a man even the World Government struggles to suppress. If he comes for you, where could you possibly hide?"
"It cannot be that bad," Morgans muttered awkwardly. "At the time, I believed he would quickly be captured and thrown into Impel Down."
"You had better pray," Stussy said softly before turning her gaze toward the center of the hall. "Strange, Tesoro invited us all, yet he himself has not appeared."
Morgans nodded. "Indeed strange. With his fondness for spectacle, he should have already made a grand entrance drowned in gold."
At that moment, the massive golden doors burst open.
A loud announcement echoed through the hall.
"Joker has arrived!"
The noisy hall fell nearly silent in an instant.
All eyes turned toward the entrance.
Joker was not a man who moved without purpose.
"Fufufufufu."
Laughter arrived before the man himself.
Donquixote Doflamingo swaggered inside, draped in a pink feathered coat, wearing cropped trousers and sharp pointed shoes. His red tinted sunglasses reflected the golden light like burning embers.
Behind him followed two executives of the Donquixote Family.
Buffalo and Baby 5.
"So everyone really is here," Doflamingo said slowly, scanning the kings who deliberately avoided his gaze. A sinister grin stretched across his face. "What, you are not happy to see me?"
Umit, the King of Sea Transport, quickly laughed and stepped forward. "Of course not, Joker. Your presence makes this gathering all the more lively."
"Is that so?" Doflamingo chuckled as he casually dropped onto a sofa. "Then I would very much like to know why Tesoro invited everyone, yet left me out."
Only then did the kings understand the reason behind his displeasure.
Suddenly.
Boom.
The dazzling lights extinguished in an instant, plunging the hall into darkness.
A single yellow spotlight descended onto the stage.
"Oh, it is starting," Morgans muttered excitedly, rubbing his wings together.
Buzz.
Two figures slowly rose into the light.
One of them was the master of this golden city, the Golden Emperor Tesoro.
What shocked everyone was his appearance.
He wore black.
Not his usual flamboyant pink and gold attire.
His expression was solemn.
"Welcome," Tesoro said calmly, his voice steady as it echoed through the vast hall. "To all kings of the underworld who have gathered here today."
The kings watched him in silence, unease spreading through the room.
Tesoro's smile slowly faded.
"I will not waste your time."
His next words struck like thunder.
"Two paths now stand before you."
"Choose death, or choose submission."
_____
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