Three thousand meters beneath Mount Pyramid, in the depths of the earth...
A colossal corridor stretched out, twenty meters high and ten meters wide. The sheer scale of it made every step echo. Whalebone oil lanterns lined both sides, casting a flickering glow that pushed back the oppressive shadows.
At the corridor's end loomed a towering gate, entirely forged from gold. It stood nearly twelve meters tall and five meters across, its surface carved with reliefs of mythical beasts, flowers, clouds, and thunder motifs that gleamed with an almost divine brilliance.
Flanking the gate were two massive golem statues, each over five meters tall and sculpted entirely from pure silver. Even through layers of dust, they still shimmered brilliantly, like guardians cast from moonlight. The only one among them who could rival their size was Vito, in his transformed state.
"A pure gold gate… silver statues… this place is filthy rich," someone muttered, unable to hold back a gasp.
Everyone stood frozen in awe, eyes wide and shimmering with greed, as if golden Berries had replaced their pupils. None had ever witnessed such a spectacle. If it weren't for restraint, or the fear of a trap, they would've torn down that golden gate and dragged those silver guardians out on the spot.
"It's not quite as grand as the Golden City in Skypiea," said one of the old hands from the Chris Pirates, "but damn if it doesn't come close."
They had seen the legendary city of gold atop the sky island, but even they were shaken.
That golden gate alone might be worth more than the Golden Bell hidden aboard the Chris. As for the silver statues, they were treasures in their own right. Though likely meant to come alive as guardians, they were works of art: priceless, and almost sacred in their beauty.
"No wonder they insisted on opening this place with a key," Dalt remarked, scanning the surroundings with a serious expression. "A gate this massive, with no supporting pillars around it, if we tried to force it open, or damage the walls, it could trigger a collapse. I'd bet good money there are anti-tamper mechanisms here too. One wrong move, and this whole underground vault could be buried."
"No need to take that risk," someone replied. "We had a map to get us here safely, so let's use the key and do it clean. No funny business."
At that, Vito stepped forward with a grin, unfastening the golden triangular pendant hanging from his neck. In the center-bottom of the golden gate, a small triangular indentation waited.
He placed the pendant into the recess. It fit perfectly, so precise there wasn't even the thinnest sliver of space around it. The socket trembled, began to rotate, and then...
Click. Click. Click.
A clear mechanical sound echoed through the corridor.
Whoom…
The gate shuddered, a crack splitting it straight down the middle. The two halves slid sideways into the walls, revealing what lay beyond.
"Sweet mother of—" Aeridar's eyes sparkled. "This thing's two meters thick! If we could haul it out, I'd use it as the front door to my vault!"
He looked ready to leap forward and dismantle it on the spot, if not for Millie and Mina pulling him back.
With the gate fully open, the crew stepped inside.
A spiraling staircase descended into the dark. Aeridar counted each step as they went. When he reached the ninety-ninth…
They arrived.
A vast chamber opened before them, far larger than the square above. Perfectly square in shape, at least four hundred meters long on each side. The ceiling soared overhead, nearly five kilometers above the ground.
"…Is that… a mountain of gold?"
Vito's voice cracked. He stood frozen, staring straight ahead, his expression blank, as if struck dumb by what he saw.
Everyone followed his gaze, and an audible gasp swept through the group. Even Aeridar's crew, veterans of countless raids and heists, were speechless.
At the center of the underground plaza rose a mountain. Not of stone or earth, but of treasure. Gold, silver, diamonds, pearls, every kind of precious metal and opulent jewel imaginable, piled high into a single, glittering mound. It stretched nearly two hundred meters across and stood between thirty and forty meters tall.
At each of the square's corners stood a mounted knight statue, also made entirely of silver. The knights, fully armored and bearing lances, sat astride equally detailed silver warhorses. Each statue towered close to three meters, with meticulously crafted saddles, horse armor, body plates, and weaponry.
"Holy hell…" Aeridar muttered. "A mountain of treasure… a golden gate, two silver golems, and four silver knight statues. How the hell are we supposed to move all of this?"
He and Vito were both stunned. Back on the Chris, they had already loaded it to the brink with gold seized from Skypiea. What couldn't fit had been distributed to their other ships. Every vessel was packed not just with personnel, but with cargo: food, weapons, cannons, ammo, and of course, stolen treasure.
But this…
This was beyond cargo.
This was legacy.
A hoard vast enough to drown a nation.
And now…
They stood at its base, wondering how much they could carry, and how much they would have to leave behind.
In the treacherous waters of the New World, overloading a ship is asking for disaster. With storms and tsunamis lurking at every turn, trying to haul away too much loot is a surefire way to end up at the bottom of the sea.
"I'll give you four layers of the gold mountain. Everything else belongs to me."
Aeridar turned his head and said bluntly, without a shred of courtesy.
"No problem!"
Vito's eyes lit up.
After all, with Aeridar's Chris Pirates teaming up with the White Mane Pirates, they could wipe out the battered Triangle Pirates with ease.
The fact that he'd survived eight years in the New World already proved his sharp instincts, he knew when to back down.
Not being annihilated was blessing enough, but to actually walk away with four full layers of gold? That far exceeded his expectations.
Still, Vito's expression soured a bit.
"But there's just too much. I can't haul it all."
"My ship's overloaded too. I can't carry anything more either."
Though Aeridar said this, a plan was already forming in his mind.
"In that case, since we're all allies now, let's just take this island. All three crews pitch in, we turn this place into our base."
"That's a damn good idea!"
Vito's mismatched eyes went wide with excitement.
"Even though this island sits near the edge of the New World and is a little too close to Marine territory, it's off the main routes and hidden well enough. It's actually perfect for a base."
"The White Mane Pirates will always follow Captain Aeridar's lead," Enrod declared without hesitation.
"This island's got tough locals," Arlan chimed in from the third deck.
"If we can break their spirits and bring them to heel, they could even make excellent warriors."
The local hunters had strength that made even him envious.
"We could also press the townsfolk into building us docks, fortresses, even weapon factories," Rock added, already scheming.
"The beasts in the backlands are savage and abundant. We hunt them, skin them, and sell the furs. The poisons here are potent too, perfect for refining toxins. We use the Triangle Pirates' network in the New World to move the goods. We could make a killing."
After all, they'd been operating in the New World long enough to have eyes and ears in all the right places. With their underground connections and the Chris Pirates' firepower, it was a win-win all around.
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