Chapter 105: Grand Tesoro
New World - Unnamed Waters
The sea breeze swept across the deck, carrying the scent of gunpowder and iron.
In the distance, a broken pirate ship was slowly sinking. Its mast was snapped, its sails charred, and seagulls circled low over the floating debris.
In the center of the Marine warship's deck, Law slowly sheathed his sword, Kikoku. Fresh blood dripped from the blade, splattering onto the wood in dark red droplets.
The pirate captain he had just cut down with a single stroke had a bounty of 200 million Beri. He had terrorized these waters for years, but today, he fell silently to the "Surgeon of Death."
Roy stood nearby, watching Law's back, a small smile on his face. "You've improved a lot in the last six months."
Law frowned slightly, his voice low. "I don't want to fall too far behind them."
His gaze drifted to the distant horizon, as if seeing the figures of Ace, Luffy, and Zoro training somewhere far away.
That was the direction every one of his comrades was sprinting toward.
For the past six months, Roy had taken Law across the New World, sweeping through pirate territories as "field training." Aside from the rare enemy Law couldn't handle alone, Roy almost never intervened.
"You can't live under someone else's protection forever." That was Roy's favorite saying.
And Law had responded to that trust with one precise, decisive victory after another.
His control over his "ROOM" was now almost instinctive. He could instantly dismantle and reassemble an entire enemy battleship, turning a war machine into scrap metal in a single second.
Every gasp of shock and despair from his enemies was another step forward.
Roy looked at the young man who had once been so gloomy but was now growing steadily stronger and more determined. He patted Law's shoulder. "Don't worry. Everyone is moving forward, just like you."
Law didn't answer immediately, but an unshakable will burned in his deep eyes.
"...It's not enough."
"To catch up to those monsters, I have to get stronger."
He looked up at Roy, his gaze cold and firm. "Are we heading back to Headquarters now?"
Roy stood at the railing, his back to the sunset-lit waves, holding a fresh copy of the World Economic Journal.
He didn't answer right away. He stared at the headline, a meaningful smile slowly spreading across his face.
"—No," he said softly, but decisively.
"Tell the crew. We're heading to 'Paradise.'"
Law paused, raising an eyebrow, and instinctively looked at the newspaper.
On the front page, a photo showed Gild Tesoro in a gold-trimmed suit, standing in front of a massive, glittering casino, arms spread wide, smiling with supreme confidence.
Behind him was a colossal, golden city, its neon lights shining like a galaxy brought down to earth.
The headline read: [GOLD EMPEROR TESORO COMPLETES THE WORLD'S LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT CITY - 'GRAN TESORO'! OPEN TO THE WORLD!]
Law frowned. "Tesoro? The 'Gold Emperor' who's been making noise lately?"
He had heard the name. A rising star who navigated the worlds of light and shadow with ease, controlling countless gold mines and casinos, known for his extravagant luxury and extreme control.
And now, he had built the world's largest entertainment city?
Roy chuckled, tapping the headline. His eyes flashed with a familiar sharpness. "Yeah... an old friend."
The sea breeze blew again, flipping the page of the newspaper, turning the page on an era.
Paradise - Gran Tesoro
Sunlight poured onto the golden dome of the city, reflecting a blinding brilliance.
The entire city seemed cast in gold. Towers reached for the sky, streets were wide and paved with luxury, and every corner screamed of the power of money and the decadence of desire.
Roy and Law quietly entered "Paradise," dressed in civilian clothes, blending in with the tourists.
Thanks to Roy's warp ability, they had traveled from the New World battlefield to this floating empire of gold in a single day.
The warship was hidden near an uninhabited island, out of sight.
Crowds surged through the streets. Casinos, opera houses, luxury shopping districts, and slave auction houses glittered side-by-side. Neon lights painted a dreamlike picture of ultimate extravagance.
Law looked around, slightly shocked, but as a doctor, he keenly sensed a dissonance beneath the surface.
His gaze swept over the passersby. There was something "wrong" with the air. "This atmosphere..."
He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the tiny, almost invisible golden specks floating in the sunlight—like dust, but they never seemed to land on him or Roy.
"Big Bro Roy, this dust..." he whispered, tense.
Roy smirked. "As expected, you noticed quickly."
He raised a finger, tracing a small arc in the air. An invisible spatial barrier expanded around them, effortlessly keeping the golden dust inches away.
"Just a little trick of Tesoro's," Roy said flatly, his eyes cold. "This dust looks harmless, but every speck contains trace amounts of gold."
"Anyone who inhales it, unless they have a strong will, will slowly fall under his influence and become a puppet he can control."
Law's eyes went cold. "You mean... everyone in this city could be under his control without even knowing it?"
Roy chuckled, hands in his pockets. "That's why I said... he's a dangerous old friend~"
They continued to stroll through the streets. Despite being in a city of ultimate pleasure, their footsteps felt like they were walking on the edge of an abyss.
Tesoro's golden ambition had turned the entire city into a "Golden Judgment."
Law quietly observed the residents and tourists. Some laughed maniacally, some gambled frantically, but the more intense their joy, the more unsettling the underlying "controlled calm" felt.
Suddenly, Roy stopped. He looked calmly at an empty patch of pavement ahead.
Law instantly went on alert, stepping half-behind Roy, his hand resting on Kikoku, ready to draw.
The next instant—
FWOOSH~
A figure rose silently from the ground. Dressed in a sharp suit, with a respectful expression, it was Tesoro's right-hand man—Tanaka.
He bowed deeply to them, his tone polite and formulaic. "Mr. Roy. Lord Tesoro is aware of your arrival and invites you to the 'Golden Palace' for a chat."
Roy nodded lazily. "Lead the way."
Tanaka smiled. "Please, follow me."
Guided by him, they passed through a metal facade at the end of the street and entered a corridor of shifting lights.
The walls were gold-plated, the floor set with diamonds—every inch a display of the "Gold Emperor's" extreme taste and need to show off.
Soon, they arrived at a magnificent palace.
Unlike the noisy city, this place was filled with an oppressive grandeur and silence.
A massive golden chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling, casting light onto a deep red carpet woven with gold thread.
Attendants lined both sides, dressed in uniform, moving mechanically, their eyes empty. Without exception—they were "Golden Puppets."
And at the top of the stairs at the end of the hall sat a man in a white robe trimmed with gold.
He leaned back on a golden throne, swirling a glass of red wine, smiling with the confidence of a king who owned the world stage.
"Roy—! My, my, what a rare guest."
The Gold Emperor - Gild Tesoro.
Roy stood lazily on the red carpet, looking up at his old "acquaintance," raising an eyebrow. "Your place... is as 'blinding' as ever."
Tesoro threw his head back and laughed, the amber liquid in his glass swirling. "Hahaha! Money is meant to be spent in a way people remember, isn't it?"
His gaze suddenly fell on Law, sharpening with assessment and amusement. "And this must be the 'Surgeon of Death,' Trafalgar Law?"
"One of the legendary 'Marine Monster Rookies'? Young and promising, indeed!"
Law met his gaze coldly, his eyes sharp as knives. He nodded slightly but didn't speak.
♧♧♧
-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE
-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER
♧♧♧
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.patreon.com/c/Segais
(Just remove the hyphen to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you