The sea breeze, carrying fine ore dust, swept across the barren surface. Exposed veins of dark red hematite gleamed coldly under the sunlight.
After their hearty meal, Newgate leaned against his anchor—the massive weight wound with iron chains—and studied Oro. Their earlier exchange had filled him with curiosity about this youth several years his junior. Now he wanted to see how this kid would transform this desolate rock into the treasure trove he'd spoken of.
Oro crouched, his fingertips brushing the ground.
Tiny specks of gold drifted from his sleeves,transforming into countless nano-filaments the moment they touched the earth, swiftly piercing deep into the soil.
These filaments could not only sense the distribution of gold but, through minute vibrations, transmit the contours of subterranean veins back to Oro, generating a real-time, three-dimensional map of the deposits in his mind.
"Southwest, eighty meters down. A high-density gold vein. Also copper-iron ore, lapis lazuli, scattered fragments of Seastone... and a red mineral fragment I don't recognize."
Oro stood and clapped his hands clean,his tone as casual as if commenting on the weather.
Newgate raised an eyebrow. Eighty meters down? Even if there's ore, how do you plan to mine it?
He was quickly glad he hadn't spoken aloud.
The moment Oro raised his hand and snapped his fingers, a low hum emerged from the ground. Countless tiny golden threads of light began to seep from the soil around him.
This was gold,extracted and guided by Oro's filaments, now flowing toward a central point.
"This is..." Newgate took two steps forward, his eyes wide. Didn't the Devil Fruit encyclopedia state the Gold-Gold Fruit only allows manipulation of pre-existing gold the user has touched?
Linlin excitedly ran to Oro's side, squatting to stare at the emerging golden light. She reached out to grab it, but Gerd gently pulled her back. "Don't touch. It's hot."
No sooner had she spoken than the ground bulged violently.With a whoosh, a torrent of glittering gold erupted from the soil like a fountain!
Sunlight struck the metal, reflecting a dazzling glare that even tinged the distant sea waves with gold.
"Wooooow!!" Linlin could no longer contain herself. She jumped up and cheered, tossing her giant axe aside to gesture excitedly at the growing pile. "So much! More than the whole village treasury!"
Gerd's eyes were equally wide. Though she knew Oro was powerful, she'd never seen him command so much gold at once. Her pale blonde braids swayed in the sea breeze, her face a picture of awe.
"Oro-nii...how much is there?"
Oro didn't answer immediately. Only when he sensed the concentration of gold deep within the vein begin to drop did he raise a hand, recalling all the filaments.
By now, the golden fountain had risen two to three meters high, each jet shining with a brilliant, flawless luster—purified by his Devil Fruit power to a purity far beyond market standards.
"Only two or three tons."
Oro's offhand tone struck Newgate like a thunderclap.
He strode forward and reached out to touch the golden stream. The sleek, cool texture beneath his fingers confirmed this was no illusion.
Newgate's Adam's apple bobbed.In all his years at sea, he'd never seen even the wealthiest pirate crews produce so much raw gold at once. And this youth, after standing here for mere minutes, had simply extracted it?
Newgate opened his mouth, a thousand thoughts condensing into a single, hoarse exclamation. "Your Devil Fruit ability... it's monstrously developed."
Oro simply smiled,offering no denial.
This gold... Newgate's gaze remained locked on the fountain. He thought of his struggles over the years, of his homeland. His expression grew complex.
Oro observed him quietly. Empty promises are far less persuasive than tangible proof. Two to three tons of gold. A fountain of wealth, four to five meters high, right within reach.
"About those supplies," Oro changed the subject, glancing at Newgate's dilapidated single-masted ship where his two crewmen still lay unconscious on the deck, felled by the clash of Conqueror's Haki earlier. "You're running low?"
Newgate closed his eyes briefly, then turned back to Oro and nodded, a trace of helplessness in his voice. "We've been chasing that pirate pack for over half a month. Down to our last barrel of fresh water. Nothing left but hardtack you could use as a shield."
"Gerd,if you would," Oro said, looking at the giant girl beside him.
Gerd understood. A flick of her right hand, and fresh white bread and dried meat appeared. She lightly tapped a nearby rock, which instantly transformed into a large barrel brimming with clear, sweet water.
Linlin also approached,reluctantly handing over a large jar of honey. "Here! Gerd says honey keeps forever! You can spread it on bread when you're hungry! But on one condition! I get to fight you next time!"
A wave of warmth washed over Newgate as he accepted the honey jar. In all his years sailing, witnessing countless betrayals and ruthlessness among pirates, this was the first time someone had proactively offered supplies to an opponent right after a fight.
"You..." Newgate took a deep breath, turned, and walked toward his wreck of a ship. He rummaged in the cabin before returning with a sheet of yellowed parchment, which he handed to Oro. "For you."
Oro took it and unfolded the chart. It was old, the edges worn from long use, clearly marking shipping routes along the fringes of the New World. Near the Red Line, a flight path was circled in red ink, labeled "Warm Current." Neat, small characters beside it read: Passage. Avoids Sea Kings.
"This is a map I've drawn over the past few years, sailing the edges of the New World." Newgate's tone grew serious as he pointed to the spot marked Fish-Man Island. "Fish-Man Island, beneath the Red Line, has been... unstable lately."
"Fish-Man Island?"Gerd leaned in to look. Oro had mentioned they would enter the first half of the Grand Line from there.
"Yeah." Newgate nodded, his brow furrowing. "The merfolk and fish-men are locked in a fierce conflict. The fish-men claim the merfolk have taken the best coral reefs in the shallows. The merfolk say the fish-men are too violent, scaring away merchant ships. On top of that, the slave-catching operations there have grown bolder in recent years. Anyway, it's best to avoid Fish-Man Island for now. If you must go, take this warm current route. Fewer patrols, fewer Sea Kings."
Oro ran his fingers along the warm current route on the chart. With this, he'd saved himself considerable future trouble.
He looked up at Newgate,his tone sincere. "Thank you."
"Don't mention it!" Newgate waved a hand, then grinned, his signature white mustache lifting. "You gave me supplies. I don't take something for nothing." His voice grew more robust. "If you run into ordinary pirate trouble in these fringe waters of the New World, just mention the name Edward Newgate. Most will give me that much face. But if you hit a real hardcase, you'll still need your fists. I'm not that famous yet, gurarararara!"
Oro smiled. Newgate's magnanimous, loyal nature was already fully formed, no different from the man he would become.
He carefully stored the nautical chart and nodded to Newgate."Understood."
"Then I'll take my leave!" Newgate hefted the pile of food and water and strode toward his battered ship. After a few steps, he turned back, giving Oro a firm nod. "Next time we meet, I'll definitely beat you! And don't forget that ton of gold!"
"Of course. We'll see."
---