New World, A Certain Sea Area
The sea breeze swept across the deck, carrying the scent of smoke and blood. A wrecked enemy pirate ship was slowly sinking in the distance, its mast broken, its sail scorched black. Seagulls circled low over the floating bodies.
In the center of the deck, Law slowly sheathed his sword, the undried blood on the blade dripping onto the deck, creating a dark red splash. The pirate captain he had just killed with one slash had a bounty of 200 million Berries and had been rampant in these waters for years. Now, he had fallen to the impassive "Surgeon of Death."
Roy stood to the side, looking at Law's back, a slight smile on his lips. "Your strength has improved a lot in the past six months."
Law frowned slightly and answered in a low voice, "I don't want to fall too far behind them." His gaze was on the distant sky, as if he could see the figures of Ace, Luffy, and Zoro training—it was a direction in which every one of his comrades was desperately moving forward.
In the past six months, Roy had taken Law to sweep through the pirate forces along the New World shipping lanes as "practical training." Except for a very few enemies that Law could not handle alone, Roy had almost never interfered. "You can't live under someone else's protection forever," was the phrase Roy said most often. And Law had responded to this trust with one brilliant and decisive battle after another—his control over his "ROOM" space was almost instinctive. He could even instantly cut and reassemble the structure of an entire enemy ship, turning it from a warship to a pile of scrap metal in one second. Each cry of amazement and despair from the enemy was a footprint of his progress.
Roy looked at the boy who had once been somewhat gloomy but was now becoming more and more steady and determined. He gently patted his shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, everyone is moving forward well."
Law didn't answer immediately, but his deep eyes were burning with an unshakeable will. "...It's still not enough."
"To catch up to those monsters, I have to become stronger."
He looked up at Roy, his gaze cold and firm. "Are we going back to Headquarters next?"
Roy stood at the ship's rail, his back to the churning sea under the afterglow, a copy of the latest World News in his hand. He didn't answer immediately but stared at the headline of the newspaper, a meaningful smile slowly appearing on his lips.
"—No," he said softly, his tone firm. "Give the order. We're going to 'Paradise'."
Hearing this, Law was slightly taken aback. He raised an eyebrow and subconsciously looked at the newspaper. In the photo on the front page of the newspaper, Gildo Tesoro, in a gold-trimmed suit, stood in front of a dazzling, giant casino, his arms spread wide, his smile confident and flamboyant. The giant city behind him was brilliant and magnificent, its neon lights like the Milky Way reflected on earth. The headline blared:
[GOLD EMPEROR TESORO COMPLETES 'WORLD'S LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT CITY, GRAND TESORO'! OPEN TO THE WORLD!]
Law frowned and said in a low voice, "Tesoro? The 'Gold Emperor' who has been making a name for himself recently?"
He had heard of this name—a new magnate on the seas who had been thriving in both the black and white worlds in recent years, controlling countless gold mines and casino economies, known for his exaggerated luxury and extreme control. And now, he had actually announced the construction of the world's largest entertainment city.
Roy chuckled lightly, his fingertip tapping the headline of the newspaper, a long-lost sharpness in his eyes. "Yeah... an old friend."
The sea breeze blew again, flipping the page of the newspaper, sweeping over the shadow of a bygone era.
Paradise, Gran Tesoro
The sun fell on the golden dome of the city, reflecting a dazzling light. The entire city seemed to be cast in gold, with tall towers and wide streets. Every corner flaunted the power of money and the luxury of desire.
Roy and Law quietly entered this "paradise," dressed in casual clothes, indistinguishable from the surrounding tourists. With Roy's teleportation ability, they had gone from the battlefield of the New World to this floating empire made of gold in just one short day. The warship had been placed on a nearby deserted island, hidden without a trace.
The streets were crowded, with all kinds of tourists shuttling back and forth. Casinos, opera houses, luxury shopping districts, and slave auction houses shone together, the neon and lights outlining a dreamy picture of extreme luxury.
Law looked at the bustling scene before him with a hint of shock. As a doctor by training, he could keenly perceive the disharmony beneath the surface. His gaze swept over every pedestrian, and a certain "abnormality" in the air made him frown slightly. He narrowed his eyes and looked at the barely perceptible fine golden light in the sunlight—it was floating slowly like dust but could not get close to him and Roy at all.
"Big Brother Roy, this dust..." he reminded in a low voice, his expression tense.
Hearing this, a slight smile appeared on Roy's lips. "As expected of you. You noticed it so quickly." He gently raised his hand and drew an arc in the void. An invisible spatial barrier spread out, easily isolating the golden dust, preventing it from getting any closer.
"Just a little trick of Tesoro's," Roy's tone was flat, but his eyes were cold and sharp. "This dust may seem harmless, but it all contains trace amounts of gold elements."
"If a person with a weak will inhales it, they will gradually be affected by his ability and eventually become a puppet he can control."
Law's eyes suddenly turned cold. "So, everyone in this city could be controlled by him without even knowing it?"
Roy chuckled lightly, his hands in his pockets. "That's why I said he's a dangerous old friend~"
The two of them continued to stroll through the streets. Although they were in an extremely prosperous city, the path they walked was like walking on the edge of an abyss. Tesoro's golden desire had turned the entire city into a "golden judgment." Law observed the residents and tourists on the street without a change in his expression. Some were laughing heartily, others were gambling frantically, but the more lively it was, the more unsettling the "controlled peace" became.
Just then, Roy suddenly stopped, his gaze calmly on an empty tile in front of him. Law immediately became alert, standing half a step behind Roy, his right hand already on the hilt of "Kikoku," ready to draw at any moment.
The next instant—
"Swish~"
A figure appeared silently from the ground, dressed in a sharp suit, his face respectful. It was Tesoro's trusted butler—Mr. Tanaka. He bowed deeply to the two of them, his tone a formulaic politeness. "Mr. Roy, Lord Tesoro has been informed of your arrival. He invites you to the 'Golden Palace' for a chat."
Roy nodded, his tone lazy. "Lead the way."
Mr. Tanaka smiled slightly and gestured. "Please, this way."
Under his guidance, the two of them passed through a metal facade at the end of the street and entered a channel of intersecting lights. The path was lined with gold-plated walls and diamond-inlaid floor tiles, everywhere showing the "Gold Emperor's" extreme taste and desire to show off.
Soon, they arrived at an extremely magnificent palace. It was not as noisy as the city but was filled with an oppressive solemnity and luxury. A huge golden chandelier hung from the high, arched ceiling, its brilliant light falling on the deep red carpet with interwoven golden threads on the floor. Servants stood neatly on both sides, in uniform, their movements mechanical, their eyes empty. Without exception—they were all "golden puppets."
And at the end of the stairs, a man in a gold-trimmed white robe was sitting. He was leaning against a golden throne, a glass of red wine in his hand, his smile confident and flamboyant, as if he were a king of the stage who owned the entire world.
"ROY—! Well, well, what a rare guest."
The Gold Emperor, Gildo Tesoro.
Roy stood lazily on the red carpet, looking at his "old acquaintance" from the past, and raised an eyebrow. "This place of yours... is as 'dazzling' as ever."
Tesoro threw his head back and laughed, the amber liquid in his wine glass swaying slightly. "Hahaha! Money, you have to spend it in a memorable way, right?"
His gaze suddenly fell on Law, and it sharpened, a hint of evaluation and playfulness in his eyes. "So this is the 'Surgeon of Death,' Trafalgar Law?"
"The legendary 'Marine monster boy'? As young and promising as they say."
Law looked at him coldly, his gaze as sharp as a blade. He nodded slightly but did not speak.
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