On Hive Island, at the top of the Skull Tower, in Ian's office.
"Ian-sama," Tesoro questioned, unsure if he had heard correctly. He couldn't believe it as he confirmed, "You're saying that you want me to handle the Beast Pirates' weapon trade?"
Behind the large desk, the handsome young man lazily reclined in his office chair, nonchalantly trimming his nails. He casually replied,
"Yes, it's part of the weapons business. I want you to handle this part of the New World."
"I'm always so busy. The moment I open my eyes, there are countless matters to deal with."
The boy, who wasn't even sixteen yet but was already standing at the peak of the world, quietly complained.
"I've been wanting someone to take some of the load off my shoulders for a while."
He looked up at Tesoro. "Tesoro, you need to work hard. Once you're familiar with things, I'll leave all the Beast Pirates' business to you."
"The future is yours."
After the initial shock, Tesoro suddenly felt his body tremble.
It was from excitement.
Does this lord really think so highly of him??
Anyone with a little knowledge of the underworld would know that the Beast Pirates' weapon trade was already widespread across the world.
They were the largest weapon manufacturer in the world, second only to the World Government.
While the World Government's weapons were only provided to the navy and within their own ranks, they were the world's number one arms dealer!
Such an impressive business is being entrusted to him?
Although it's just a part of it!
"But why, Ian-sama?"
Tesoro was both excited and incredulous. "I've only just joined your ranks."
However, the young man before him didn't answer the question directly. Instead, he smiled and asked, "You just need to answer me, Tesoro, can you handle it?"
A surge of blood rushed to Tesoro's head in an instant. He didn't hesitate for a moment and nodded firmly. "Of course!"
When it came to business, he was indeed very confident.
After escaping from Mariejois in the past few years, he hadn't been idle.
He had already built up a small business in the New World; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to bring ten billion Berries to participate in the auction.
"Good."
The Emperor seemed very pleased with his response and immediately handed him a stack of documents. "Take a good look at this when you get back. From now on, it's in your hands."
"Yes!"
Tesoro respectfully took the documents and exited the office.
As he walked downstairs, his steps became lighter. He felt as if his body was floating, as though he could fly to the sky.
Lord Ian trusted him this much!
He couldn't let him down!
He would give it his all. Tesoro would show Lord Ian his full strength!
After descending a few floors, Tesoro ran into his former subordinates.
Baccarat, Tanaka, and Dice all surrounded him.
Although they had all joined the Beasts Pirates and become subordinates of Lord Ian, their small group still remained a small group and hadn't drifted apart because of that.
"Tesoro-sama," Baccarat asked anxiously, "What did Lord Ian want with you?"
"Don't call me Tesoro-sama anymore!"
Tesoro said seriously, "There is only one 'sama' in the entire Hive Island, no, in the entire Beasts Pirates, and that is Lord Ian!"
"Lord Ian is our only sun, the only one we follow!"
"Then—"
Tanaka paused for a moment and cautiously asked, "T-Tesoro-san, what did Lord Ian want with you?"
The title pleased Tesoro, and he nodded lightly, then raised the documents in his hand with a sense of pride.
"Lord Ian has decided to leave the weapon trade of the Beast Pirates in the New World under my responsibility."
"You guys will help as well."
Dice, with his simple mind, didn't say much, but Baccarat and Tanaka were his capable assistants.
The two froze for a moment, and in the next instant, they both cheered in unison.
This meant that their small group, which had just joined the Beast Pirates, had already gained a solid foothold right from the start!
Tesoro immediately led them back to the office Ian had specially prepared for him to study the pile of documents.
The research lasted an entire day, and it wasn't until the evening, when the sun was setting, that Tesoro, feeling dizzy and exhausted, decided to step out for a walk to relax.
Then, he saw a battle taking place on the plaza outside the Skull Tower, between a boy and a girl.
The boy was a green-haired kid who fought humorously with three swords.
He held one sword in his hand and had another in his mouth.
What surprised Tesoro was that the two swords in the boy's hands seemed to be of high quality, but the one in his mouth was quite ordinary.
In Tesoro's eyes, the boy's swordsmanship was mediocre at best, not impressive at all.
So, it was no surprise that the girl, his opponent, was steadily pushing him back.
The girl, also a swordsman, only had one sword.
However, she was a Devil Fruit user, having transformed into a large cat standing on two legs, her brown fur dotted with black spots.
Two long fangs extended from her mouth, almost reaching the length of her chin.
"Zoro! You're falling further behind now!"
The girl's voice was filled with laughter. Her swordsmanship was far more refined than the boy's, and with her agility and strength, which far exceeded the boy's, she easily knocked all three of his swords out of his hands.
The sharp blade was now poised at the boy's throat.
"Damn it! Lost again?"
The green-haired boy shouted angrily, "Wait for it, Kuina! Next time, I'll get stronger and defeat you for sure!"
The girl returned to her normal form, smiling brightly. "Well, you'll need to master the true power of your swords first."
"After all, thanks to Ian, I've become stronger now! And I'll keep getting even stronger!"
The girl's face radiated with strong confidence, as if she had become stronger, and this was simply a matter of course for her.
There was no trace of confusion or fear on her face.
"I told you, you're still far from it, algae head!"
A blonde boy walked over with a grin, holding a tray with a cup of iced drink on it.
"Miss Kuina, I've prepared a drink for you, please enjoy!"
"Curly brows!!"
The green-haired boy's forehead immediately bulged with veins. "Do you want to get chopped?"
The blonde boy provocatively said, "Talk to me when you can hurt even one hair on my head."
"Asshole!"
Then Tesoro was shocked to see that the green-haired boy actually drew his sword and slashed at him.
But his attack was utterly useless against the blonde boy.
The blonde boy was like steel, with the blade striking him, making a clanging sound and bouncing off.
On the other hand, the green-haired boy was sent flying by a single kick from the blonde boy.
A love triangle?
Still, such a fiery love triangle.
The young people these days are truly impressive.
Tesoro thought, sighing to himself, as he walked forward.
**********
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