When Takero descended back into the arena with Uta in his arms, Tesoro, who had been waiting anxiously, rushed over as if he had just seen his savior.
"Boss! You're finally back!"
He had just gotten off a Den Den Mushi call with Robin, who told him that Takero had suddenly vanished. While Tesoro wasn't worried about his boss's safety—given his world-destroying strength—the competition was about to enter its final, most important stage. The North Sea Emperor himself was supposed to meet the ultimate victor. If the main attraction was missing, the entire event would become incredibly awkward.
Seeing Takero return, Tesoro could finally breathe a sigh of relief. It was only then that he noticed the small girl standing beside his boss, curiously looking around at the grand arena. Her large, amethyst-colored eyes were fixed on him, prompting him to ask with some confusion, "Boss, who is this?"
"Oh, her," Takero said casually, lifting Uta off his arm as she was still getting her bearings after the high-speed flight. "This is my daughter, Uta."
"Hello!!!"
The moment she heard her name, Uta's eyes lit up with excitement. She darted forward until she was right in front of Tesoro. Tilting her head back to look up at him, her expression was one of pure, fanatical adoration, like she was meeting her greatest idol.
"Hello, Mr. Tesoro! My name is Uta! I'm… I'm your biggest fan! Can… can I please have your autograph?!"
As she spoke, Uta produced a brand-new notebook and a pen from out of nowhere, holding them out with both hands and offering them to Tesoro with reverence. It was clear she had come prepared.
Tesoro, however, was still trying to process the first thing he'd heard.
'Dau… Daughter?' he thought, his mind reeling. 'The Boss… suddenly has a daughter this old?'
His thoughts began to spiral. 'Where did he… abduct her from this time? Don't tell me... the Boss killed someone's father again?'
It wasn't Tesoro's fault for jumping to such a conclusion. After all, the princes and princesses of Germa, along with their mother Queen Sora, were living examples of what happened when Takero took an interest in a family.
Meanwhile, Takero watched his "daughter's" star-struck behavior and felt an unexpected pang of jealousy.
"Hey!" he said, clearly displeased. "Uta, you're the daughter of the wise and mighty Takero. Why are you worshiping my number one subordinate instead of your invincible father?"
"Hehehe~"
Hearing this, Uta reacted instantly. She spun around, hugged Takero's leg, and tilted her small face up to flash a dazzling, sickeningly sweet smile. "Of course, you are my number one, most, most, most adored person in the whole world! You're unbeatable!"
"But…" Her tone shifted, and a sly glint appeared in her eyes. "…I'm going to be learning how to sing from Mr. Tesoro from now on, right? So I have to be polite to my future 'teacher'!"
Even though they had only officially known each other for less than half a day, Uta felt an unexplainable, almost natural sense of trust and closeness with Takero. She didn't hold back at all when she acted cute with him.
Although he saw right through her little act, Takero was quite pleased. He turned his head to look at Tesoro, who was still in a daze, cleared his throat, and began to "explain" the situation earnestly.
"Ahem, so here's what happened," he began. "This girl is my long-lost daughter. Unfortunately, she was taken by a group of evil pirates years ago. I only just managed to find her again today." He paused for dramatic effect. "And, it turns out she loves music and dreams of becoming the world's greatest singer. So, I want her to learn from you. Teach her everything you know."
Tesoro listened, and while he didn't quite follow the convoluted "family drama," one thing was clear: Takero was entrusting his precious, "long-lost" daughter to him for personal instruction. This was a sign of immense trust!
Overcome with emotion, Tesoro immediately dropped to one knee. In an incredibly solemn tone, he made a vow. "Please rest assured, Boss! I, Gild Tesoro, will give it my all! I will train Miss Uta to become the greatest singer in this world! I will not fail your trust!"
"Mm," Takero nodded in satisfaction. He then turned his gaze back to the still-bustling arena below. "By the way, what's the result of the competition?"
Tesoro snapped back to reality, immediately standing up to report. "Boss, you've returned just in time. The match to decide the final spot in the top three is happening right now."
"Oh?" Takero asked casually. "Who's already made it through?"
"Currently, two fighters have advanced to the semi-finals," Tesoro replied. "One is 'Aokiji' Kuzan from the Marines. The other is that woman from the Charlotte Family, Charlotte Smoothie." He continued, "The two fighting for the last spot are an old man from the Donquixote Family, Lao G, and… a very strong Fishman named Fisher Tiger."
Takero listened to the names, and a look of surprise crossed his face. "What about those Germa brats? None of them made it?"
"Uh…" Tesoro's expression became a bit awkward. "…No."
"Useless bunch!" Takero blurted out. "They're a disgrace to the Turtle Hermit Style! Shameful!"
Tesoro felt compelled to defend the "cheap young masters." "Well… Boss, you can't blame them entirely," he said carefully. "They're still very young, after all. And this year's competition has an unusual number of top-tier powerhouses. It's already impressive that they made it to the top eight. Losing… is also normal."
"Normal?" Takero scoffed. "When I was their age, I was already surviving in the wilderness on a deserted island and had made a name for myself across the seas!"
Tesoro could only stand there with a forced smile on his face while screaming internally, 'Do you think everyone in this world is an abnormal monster like you are?'
Of course, he would never dare say that out loud. Instead, he said, "That's pretty much the situation. Boss, would you like to… go down and watch?"
Takero nodded. "Let's go."
After all, the truly interesting part of his "Martial Arts Tournament" was about to begin.
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