In the misty waters of the New World, an impenetrable fog perpetually shrouds the area.
Even with an Eternal Pose, navigating this mysterious sea without caution is impossible.
Only a select few wealthy individuals know that hidden within these waters lies the most luxurious ship in the world.
This ship stretches over ten kilometers long, resembling a heavenly paradise.
If you have money, whatever you desire—beautiful women, fine wine, gourmet food, entertainment—can be found here.
Moreover, many of the ship's structures are crafted from gold!
This is the Gran Tesoro.
Pulled by a mysterious giant turtle, the Gran Tesoro can navigate through the fog unimpeded.
It changes its location periodically to prevent being targeted by those with ill intentions.
The master of this golden ship is Gild Tesoro, reputed to be the wealthiest man in the world, controlling twenty percent of the world's Berries.
Yet, a few days ago, an uninvited man overpowered him with unmatched strength.
Since then, the golden ship has welcomed a new master who stands as Tesoro's equal.
In a resplendent hall, two golden thrones stand side by side.
On one throne, Tesoro sits with a dark expression, resembling a volcano on the verge of eruption.
On the other sits an immensely burly man with a square-jawed, rugged face, wearing a pair of headphones.
Douglas Bullet, the Demon Heir, a monster once on par with the Dark King Rayleigh.
Both men hold the latest issue of the newspaper.
The front page features an exceptionally clear group photo.
In the photo, a red-carpeted platform is visible.
On the platform stand ten individuals of varying heights and builds.
Above the photo, bold black letters spell out four words:
Pirate Council!
"Rayleigh, Gaban, Shanks... Hahaha, what a nostalgic bunch of faces."
Bullet gazes at the familiar figures in the photo, grinning broadly as he laughs heartily.
Tesoro, however, is livid, clenching his fists so tightly that the golden rings on his fingers deform under the pressure.
"Bullet!"
Suddenly, Tesoro slammed the golden armrest beside him with such force that the heavy dragon head snapped off and crashed to the ground with a loud clang.
Tesoro glared furiously at Bullet and shouted angrily.
"It's all your fault! If you hadn't acted recklessly and provoked that old man, how could we have ended up in conflict with the Beast God Pirates?"
"Hahaha, hahahaha!"
Instead of being angered by the reprimand, Bullet threw his head back and laughed heartily.
His booming laughter even caused the massive golden palace to tremble, as if it might collapse at any moment.
"Tesoro, what are you so afraid of? It's just one of the Four Emperors' crews. If this Caesar doesn't come looking for trouble, fine. But if he does, I'll show him what true strength is!"
"You make it sound so simple!"
Tesoro threw the newspaper in his hand to the ground and crossed his arms in frustration.
"The Beast God Pirates—a colossal force formed by merging the former Beast Pirates and Big Mom Pirates—have countless top-tier fighters alone! Not to mention monsters like Kaido and Charlotte Linlin among them! And that Caesar actually killed the Marine hero Garp. Now he's even forming this so-called Pirate Council, trying to become the leader of all pirates!"
The more Tesoro spoke, the angrier he became.
If he weren't outmatched by Bullet, he would have loved to tear this uninvited bastard apart.
Now, Tesoro deeply regretted tearing up Caesar's invitation back then.
He regretted not giving Doflamingo face and at least visiting the so-called Beast God Pirates.
Had he gone, he could have understood just how terrifying this force truly was.
He would have realized who he, Tesoro, should never provoke lightly.
Though Tesoro had great confidence in his own strength, today's newspaper had completely shocked him.
Who was Kaido?
The so-called "Strongest Creature in the World," an emperor who had ruled the New World for over a decade!
And Charlotte Linlin?
A natural-born monster who ruled Totto Land, her territory second only to Whitebeard's in his prime—one of the former Four Emperors!
Yet these two monsters were now willingly serving under someone else, becoming high-ranking fighters within the Beast God Pirates!
The captain of the Beast God Pirates, known as the "Beast God," was described in the papers as a madman from the Rocks era, Kaido's elder brother, Charlotte Linlin's husband—a terrifying being whose sheer physical prowess surpassed even Kaido's!
As for Bullet, this bastard was indeed far stronger than Tesoro.
If not for Baccarat's Lucky-Lucky Fruit ability, Tesoro might have been slaughtered on the spot by the bloodthirsty Bullet.
Forced by the man's overwhelming power, Tesoro had no choice but to agree to share authority over the Golden Ship with him.
But what Tesoro never expected was that two days ago, an unfamiliar powerhouse had suddenly appeared on the Golden Ship.
After losing everything in the casino and having no money to pay, he was attacked by Tesoro's subordinate Dice, who tried to capture him.
Who could have guessed that this seemingly frail, elderly man with graying temples was actually a monstrously powerful swordsman?
With just one strike, he split the masochistic Dice in half and sliced through several golden buildings.
For such a top-tier fighter of unknown origin and identity, Tesoro had always adhered to the principle of not provoking them lightly.
Immediately, he sought to smooth things over.
As a result, the battle-hungry maniac Bullet arrived and immediately jumped into the fight.
After a series of earth-shattering clashes that nearly sank the Golden Ship, Bullet ultimately proved slightly superior, defeating the unknown master swordsman and locking him up in the ship's prison.
Had this man merely been a lone wanderer of the seas, it wouldn't have been a big deal.
But as it turned out, he was none other than the new Sword God of the Beast God Pirates—Ganzui, the Seven Stars Sword!
Moreover, he was also the vice-chairman of the newly formed Pirate Council.
His status was lofty, his influence terrifying!
When Tesoro saw the morning newspaper, he nearly lost his mind, wishing he could immediately steer the Golden Ship into the deepest part of the Misty Sea to avoid being hunted down by the Beast God Pirates.
Bullet's eyes reflected the ten figures in the photograph, gradually focusing on the tallest one—Caesar.
His gaze grew increasingly fervent, a bloodthirsty battle lust rising in his heart.
"Chairman of the Pirate Council, captain of the Beast God Pirates, elder brother of Kaido, husband of Charlotte Linlin, the super madman who crushed Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the Marine hero Garp? Hahaha, hahahaha, interesting, very interesting!"
"A man like this far surpasses even the other Emperors. Captain Roger, your death from illness always left me questioning your true strength. Now, it seems I've found someone who might rival—or even surpass—you!"
"This excites me beyond words!"