The moment Takero landed back on Ambri Island with his two unconscious captives, a green-haired figure rushed out to meet him.
"Boss! You're finally back!" Tesoro exclaimed, his face etched with anxiety. He looked as if he had just found his savior.
Takero looked at him, confused. "What's wrong? You look like the world is ending."
Before Tesoro could answer, his eyes fell on the two men slung over Takero's shoulders. He pointed at them, his expression puzzled. "Boss… who are these two?"
"Oh, it's nothing," Takero said with a casual wave of his hand. He unceremoniously dropped King and Katakuri onto the lawn with a heavy thud, as if they were two bags of trash. "I just went out for a drive and ran into a couple of guys who didn't know their place. They insisted on picking a fight."
He paused for a moment, trying to remember the details. "One of them said he was from some 'Beasts' Pirates, and the other was from the 'Big Mom' Pirates. I don't know where these nobodies came from, but they have some weird names. Anyway, I'd never heard of them, and they were bothering me, so I beat them up and brought them back."
Beasts? Big Mom?
Tesoro, the diligent manager of the island, heard those two names and took a closer look at the men on the ground. His mind went blank for a second, almost shutting down from the shock.
"B-Boss!" he stammered, his voice several octaves higher than usual. "I know who those crews are! They aren't 'nobodies' at all!" Knowing Takero rarely paid attention to news from the outside world, he quickly began his explanation.
"The Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates are two of the most powerful crews in the New World! Their captains, 'Beasts' Kaido and 'Big Mom' Charlotte Linlin, are two of the Four Emperors—the Yonko! They're so powerful that even the World Government and the Marines try to avoid provoking them!"
He pointed a trembling finger at the two unconscious figures. "And these two men… if I'm not mistaken, this one is the Beasts Pirates' top commander, 'King the Wildfire,' head of the Three Calamities! And this one is the Big Mom Pirates' strongest Sweet Commander, Charlotte Katakuri! These two are incredibly famous and powerful figures, even in the New World!"
Tesoro's goal was to make his boss understand the gravity of what he had just done. However, Takero just picked at his ear, looking completely unconcerned. "Oh, they sound important," he said dismissively. A moment later, his expression turned excited. "So that means they must be rich, right? Perfect! Let's hold them for ransom! Consider it a bonus for all your hard work lately."
With that, he gestured for Tesoro to take charge of King and Katakuri. Takero himself didn't care much for money, but he knew his growing organization needed it. Since he had taken over the Germa Kingdom and expanded Ambri Island, his territory was growing rapidly under Tesoro's management. But with that growth came enormous expenses. On top of that, he had recently put a stop to the highly profitable slave trade in the area. Just a few days ago, Robin had subtly mentioned in a report that their cash flow was getting a little tight. And now, two walking treasure chests had delivered themselves right to his doorstep.
"Uh…" Tesoro was speechless. He was fairly certain that the only person in the entire world who would dare to target both the Beasts Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates at the same time was his boss.
After witnessing Takero beat up a Celestial Dragon, clash with a Marine Admiral, and annihilate a Buster Call fleet, Tesoro felt his ability to be surprised had been stretched to its absolute limit. At this point, if Takero told him he was planning to fly to the Holy Land Mary Geoise tomorrow to wipe out the Celestial Dragons, he probably wouldn't even bat an eye.
'No, no… that couldn't possibly happen, right?' As the thought crossed his mind, Tesoro suddenly felt a wave of uncertainty. Given his boss's personality, it didn't seem impossible at all. 'If he really did that… the World Government would come after us with everything they have, wouldn't they?' A thin layer of cold sweat beaded on his forehead, and his face grew pale.
Just as he was getting lost in his own terrifying thoughts, Takero's impatient voice snapped him back to reality.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you spacing out? I asked you a question. You came running over here in a panic. Did you need something?"
"Ah! Yes! The important business!" Tesoro slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering why he had been looking for Takero in the first place. "Boss, it's those kids from the Vinsmoke family. They're causing trouble again!"
Takero frowned. "Where?"
"Over at the training ground."
"Alright," Takero said, turning to leave. "These two are your problem now. The research team has Sea Stone cuffs, right? Make sure they wear them so they don't escape. I'll go see what those brats are up to."
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