Once Sabo snapped out of his momentary shock, he immediately shifted into high gear. He threw himself at the CP0 agent on his left, fully committing to taking him down as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, he left the CP0 agent on the right to Daniel. Earlier, when Sabo had faced all three opponents simultaneously, he hadn't flinched. Now that it was one-on-one, he was even more confident. With the Dragon Claw Fist technique passed down by Monkey D. Dragon, Sabo unleashed a ferocious barrage of attacks, aiming to finish his opponent in the shortest time possible.
On the other side, the CP0 agent facing Daniel found himself in dire straits almost immediately. In terms of raw strength, this agent's power was undeniably superior to that of a Marine Vice Admiral. His combat capabilities placed him firmly among the elites of the World Government. However, against Daniel, the disparity in strength was simply too vast. After barely managing to block three of Daniel's punches, his right arm was broken with a single strike. Moments later, darkness overtook him as he lost consciousness.
Daniel chose not to kill the CP0 agent. It was a rare opportunity to capture one alive, and Daniel intended to extract information from him later.
"Hurry up and finish him! The owner of this place has made his move," Daniel urged Sabo as he subdued his own opponent. With a swift motion of his right leg, Daniel unleashed a crescent-shaped wave of energy, slicing through four golden tentacle-like appendages extending toward them. These golden appendages were the result of Tesoro's Gold-Gold Fruit abilities, crafted from the golden railings around the dock area.
Tesoro had actually intervened earlier, but his initial attempts had proven ineffective. This had forced him to directly manipulate gold in an effort to attack. Every guest who entered the Gran Tesoro was showered with a fine mist of gold particles, a process disguised as part of the city's luxurious atmosphere. In reality, this was a preparation for Tesoro's powers, allowing him to manipulate any individual whose body had absorbed a significant amount of gold dust.
In the original storyline, Luffy and his crew had fallen victim to this trap early on, but for someone like Daniel or Sabo, such schemes were laughable. Powerful and vigilant individuals would naturally avoid being caught off guard by such tactics—though exceptions like Luffy's crew always seemed to prove the rule.
"Got it," Sabo replied tersely, increasing the ferocity of his assault. At this point, Tesoro himself was rushing toward the scene from the air, using his gold constructs to move swiftly.
However, Tesoro wasn't the first to arrive. That distinction went to Dice, the masochistic gladiator and one of Tesoro's key subordinates. With a powerful leap, Dice launched himself toward Sabo, leaving a crater in the ground where he had jumped.
"Cloud Grasp Palm!"
Seeing Dice hurtling through the air, Daniel extended his left hand and conjured a sphere of water in his palm. The water shot forward like lightning, striking Dice squarely in the chest. At the last second, Dice crossed his arms in front of him to block the attack. While he managed to avoid a fatal blow, the sheer force of the impact sent his massive body flying nearly a hundred meters. As he tumbled backward, blood sprayed from his mouth.
Daniel had significantly refined his Cloud Grasp Palm, incorporating techniques from Fish-Man Karate to enhance its effectiveness.
Crunch.
Meanwhile, Sabo finished off his opponent with brutal efficiency. After breaking the CP0 agent's right arm, he swiftly twisted and snapped the man's neck. Without missing a beat, Sabo turned and rushed toward Koala, who was already aboard the departing ship. Daniel joined them, leaping onto the vessel just as it began to pull away from the dock.
"You're not going anywhere!"
By this time, Tesoro had arrived. From a distance, he manipulated the surrounding gold to form a massive golden staff, over 30 meters long. With a powerful swing, he brought the staff crashing down toward the ship carrying Daniel, Sabo, and Koala.
"Are you some kind of monkey?" Daniel muttered as he watched Tesoro's flamboyant attack. The scene brought to mind certain monkey-like characters he'd encountered in other stories. Still, Daniel didn't move to counter the strike, as Sabo had already leaped into the air using Geppo (Moonwalk) and Dragon Claw Fist to meet Tesoro's attack head-on.
The collision of the two attacks sent shockwaves rippling across the sea, creating waves several meters high. Sabo's strike deflected the golden staff, leaving a claw-shaped dent in its surface. Seeing this, Tesoro hesitated for a moment before deciding not to pursue further.
The Gran Tesoro was Tesoro's domain, a city made entirely of gold, which effectively served as an extension of his Gold-Gold Fruit powers. However, if he ventured onto the open sea, he would lose this advantage. Tesoro's abilities were significantly weakened outside his golden city, whereas Sabo's powers faced no such limitations.
While Tesoro was undeniably strong—capable of holding his own against powerful foes like Doflamingo—he still fell short of the Four Emperors and their top subordinates. If Doflamingo's String-String Fruit was fearsome, the Gold-Gold Fruit was arguably even more so, especially given Tesoro's mastery of its awakened state.
Even so, Tesoro was far from invincible. Compared to true top-tier fighters like the Four Emperors or their right-hand men, Tesoro was decidedly lacking. Of course, Tesoro himself would never admit to such limitations. Like many others, he overestimated his own strength—much like the overzealous Supernovas who dreamed of taking down the Four Emperors.
"Where's Tanaka?"
Watching Sabo's ship retreat into the distance, Tesoro turned to Baccarat, who had just approached. Dice, still recovering from Daniel's earlier attack, was too injured to be of any use for the time being.
"I don't know," Baccarat replied, her expression puzzled. Normally, Tanaka would have been the first to arrive in such situations, given his spatial manipulation abilities.
"Find him. Immediately."
With that, Tesoro turned and walked away, leaving his subordinates to handle the aftermath. As for the dead CP0 agents, Tesoro wasn't particularly concerned. He had already done his part.
"Tesoro... what a pity."
As the Gran Tesoro faded into the distance, Daniel shook his head slightly. Tesoro's tragic backstory was undeniably heart-wrenching, but Daniel couldn't bring himself to feel sympathy. Many people in the One Piece world had suffered similar or worse fates, yet they hadn't resorted to aiding their oppressors. Boa Hancock and Koala were prime examples.
Had the timing been right, Daniel wouldn't have hesitated to eliminate the Gran Tesoro entirely. While he had no issue with the concept of a massive entertainment city, he couldn't tolerate its ties to human trafficking. The Gran Tesoro's glittering facade masked a dark underbelly, one that Daniel found utterly reprehensible.
"Not bad. At least there aren't dozens of Admiral-level figures hidden away," Daniel muttered as he sifted through the captured CP0 agent's memories.
From what he learned, the World Government's hidden forces were substantial but not beyond his expectations. CP0 itself harbored several Admiral-level combatants, including former Fleet Admirals and Admirals who had stepped down from active duty. However, there were no individuals who exceeded the strength of the Four Emperors, which was a relief.
That said, the number of Vice Admiral-level and Admiral-candidate-level fighters within the World Government was alarmingly high. This wasn't surprising, given the immense resources controlled by the Celestial Dragons. With the right Devil Fruits and sufficient talent, creating powerful combatants was a relatively straightforward process.
"Here, take this back with you. Be careful moving forward. The World Government won't take this loss lightly."
Daniel handed the unconscious CP0 agent to Sabo and Koala. Losing three high-ranking agents in a single incident—especially with one captured alive—was a major embarrassment for the World Government.
"Thanks for the warning," Sabo replied, though he and Koala remained curious about Daniel's true identity. They chose not to press the issue.
"Alright, I'll be on my way," Daniel said with a nod, vanishing into the night.
Back on Sky Island, Daniel presented the Warp-Warp Fruit to Black Hitomi. The small Sky Island had now been developed into a secondary base, or "safe house," as Chelsea put it. As former members of Night Raid, Chelsea and the others were well-versed in the art of creating fallback options.
Daniel soon called the others together using Chelsea's Door-Door Fruit powers. He distributed Phoenix Blood and taught them the Holy Heart Technique, which he had modified to suit their unique constitutions.
While Phoenix Blood was notoriously difficult to absorb due to its unique properties, Daniel had overcome this challenge through his research using the Op-Op Fruit. Problems that seemed insurmountable to figures like Deva Path Tian were often trivial in the face of advanced scientific understanding.
"You've made some interesting discoveries," Daniel remarked after spending several days on Sky Island, reviewing the findings of Robin and Ida.
Among their discoveries were remnants of an ancient civilization, including artifacts that hinted at a connection to the lunar city of Birka. Daniel couldn't help but recall Enel's encounter with the Space Pirates on the moon.
"If these theories hold, perhaps the
Devil Fruits themselves are remnants of lost technology."
The feasibility of artificially creating Zoan-type Devil Fruits suggested that Paramecia and Logia types might also be within reach. Germa 66's advancements in lineage factor technology had already created individuals with abilities akin to Paramecia users—though they still relied on specialized combat suits.
"Im... and the Celestial Dragons really might be aliens," Daniel mused, drawing comparisons to the Otsutsuki Clan from Naruto.
Whether through technology or cultivation, both paths offered ways to achieve extraordinary feats. Even in One Piece, artifacts like Pure Gold hinted at the potential for scientific breakthroughs to rival mythical powers.
Meanwhile, tensions escalated between the World Government and the Revolutionary Army. Thanks in part to Daniel's interventions, the Revolutionary Army now boasted a stronger roster of fighters than in the original timeline. Dragon's full power was on display as he single-handedly fought Admiral Aokiji and Admiral Kizaru to a standstill.
"Esdeath, it's your turn."
Having guided Esdeath through her initial mastery of the Holy Heart Technique, Daniel gave her the green light to lead an assault on Wano Country. The island's vast Sea Prism Stone reserves were a strategic asset that Daniel was determined to secure.
Wano was not an official member of the World Government, which meant they wouldn't intervene. In fact, the World Government might even welcome a pirate conflict in Wano. To them, even Daniel—despite his status as a Warlord—was still a pirate.
Taking Wano would allow Daniel to learn more about the World Government's dealings while also liberating its oppressed populace. By improving the lives of Wano's citizens, Daniel could ensure their loyalty regardless of whether the Kozuki Clan ever attempted to reclaim power.
"Kaido's fate? We'll see when the time comes," Daniel replied when Chelsea asked about handling the Beasts Pirates' leader.
For now, Esdeath had her mission, and Kaido would be an ideal opponent for her to test her growing strength. At her current level, only Admirals or Emperors could serve as worthy adversaries.
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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)
I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)
Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542)
Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924)
Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284)
Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289)
American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)
American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)
I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570)
Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660)
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