If it were just Lucci…
Rosede IV would never be this generous.
The royal treasury was where he kept all his most precious treasures.
Every item inside had cost him ridiculous amounts of money and favors—either bought at outrageous prices, or exchanged through backchannel dealings and shady auctions.
Being one of the richer member kingdoms under the World Government wasn't just an empty title. Rosede Kingdom's economy really was that prosperous.
And as king of such a wealthy nation…
Rosede IV's personal fortune was beyond imagination.
In fact—
Compared to most kings across the Grand Line, his wealth wasn't just a little higher.
It was dozens, maybe hundreds of times more.
Especially because…
He had poured almost all of that wealth into collecting things.
Rare things. Dangerous things. Priceless things.
Those treasures were all locked away in his most cherished vault—the royal treasury.
And now.
Just to build a good relationship with a four-year-old genius named Kai…
Rosede IV was willing to throw open the doors to that treasury, and let the boy pick out a treasure of his choice.
It said everything that needed to be said.
He was paying a heavy price for this.
Normally—
Even Rosede IV's own children would have trouble getting permission to set foot in that treasury, let alone take anything out.
But today…
The treasury of Rosede Kingdom had been opened.
For Kai alone.
It made perfectly clear just how seriously Rosede IV took him.
He knew very well.
A four-year-old who could wipe out the Sword-Lion Pirates…
A four-year-old who could blow apart a pirate captain worth 48,000,000 Berries…
A monster like that had terrifying potential for growth.
Getting in his good graces early came with no downside.
Only benefits.
Giving up a single treasure for that?
Completely worth it.
No—
Two treasures.
Lucci was just… dragged along with it.
If not for Kai, there was no way Lucci would be getting this chance.
"Gentlemen, my treasury holds the things I've spent years collecting,"Rosede IV said warmly. "Among them are…"
"Devil Fruits. Grade blades. Dragon bones. Treasure maps. And more."
"In short, anything you can imagine—chances are, my vault has at least one."
"Please, don't refuse and don't be modest."
"I truly am grateful for what you did for Rosede Kingdom today. If it weren't for you, we'd be at the mercy of those pirates right now, and the damage would've been devastating."
"You two resolved a crisis that could have destroyed this kingdom. Letting you pick a treasure is just… a small token of thanks."
He kept talking, clearly afraid Kai might decide to turn him down at the last second.
To get on this kid's good side…
Rosede IV was pushing himself to the limit.
"You also don't need to worry about the World Government or the Marines," he added, patting his chest. "I'll personally report the full details to them later."
"I can guarantee—"
"You won't face any punishment over this."
The whole time he spoke, his gaze never left Kai.
It was obvious whose answer he cared about.
Lucci?
He was just part of the package.
Lucci knew it too.
So I'm the freebie in a buy-one-get-one deal…?
Do I really look that worthless?
He had to wonder.
Sure, compared to a monster like Kai, he did look pretty pathetic.
But that was only because Kai was too ridiculous.
That was all!
"I'm not that bad, you know…" he muttered silently in his heart.
Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Kai, waiting to see how he would respond.
He knew very well.
He didn't have any say here.
If Rosede IV wasn't trying to curry favor with Kai…
Lucci wouldn't even be standing here.
The more he thought about it, the more depressed he felt.
So this is what it means when they say geniuses can do anything they want, huh…?
Lucci lowered his head.
And the answer was obvious.
Yes.
Geniuses could do whatever they wanted.
A single genius could make even a king bend over backwards to please him.
Just that fact alone was enough to show how much weight Kai carried in Rosede IV's eyes.
"Since His Majesty is being so sincere,"Kai said at last, "it would be rude to refuse."
He was genuinely curious about this treasury.
A vault owned by such a wealthy kingdom…
Had to be full of outrageous, priceless things.
And honestly—
If someone was offering something for free, it'd be strange not to take it.
Kai felt no psychological burden at all.
Why would he?
He wasn't some stiff, uptight saint.
Besides…
He wasn't even an official Marine yet.
No one had the right to control what he did.
Until he actually enlisted, nobody in the Marines—or the World Government—had any authority to dictate his every move.
Because of that, he didn't hesitate in the slightest.
He accepted Rosede IV's "thank-you gift" without the tiniest hint of pressure or guilt.
"Please, this way,"Rosede IV said quickly, face lighting up when Kai agreed.
Then—
He personally led the way.
Half a quarter of an hour later, Kai and Lucci arrived at the gates of the royal treasury.
It was a massive bronze door.
Just looking at it, Kai could tell it was made of very tough material, forged to withstand serious damage—meant to keep anyone from breaking in and looting the treasures inside.
A treasury like this…
Naturally needed layers upon layers of security.
And as its first line of defense—
The door had to be as tough as possible.
Otherwise, wouldn't any random thief be able to smash it open and walk out hugging treasures?
This was Rosede Kingdom's royal vault.
There was no way it would be that easy to steal from.
"Please wait a moment."
Rosede IV pulled out the key he always carried close to his person.
It was as thick as a man's forearm, cast entirely in gold, and looked like it had been made from pure, solid metal.
He stepped up to the door—
Set the key into the mechanism—
And turned.
Click.
A crisp sound rang out.
The next second—
Rumble…
The colossal bronze gates began to move, slowly grinding open from the middle.
The sound was thunderous, echoing through the stone passageway and making the floor shudder.
Before long—
The opening was wide enough for them to see inside.
The royal treasury's interior unfolded before Kai's eyes.
Golden light.
Silver gleam.
Treasure upon treasure, stacked high and stretching deep into the vault.
Everywhere he looked, there was something valuable.
Jade.
Gold bars.
Carved gemstones.
Night pearls.
Diamonds.
And all of that—
Was just the cheap stuff.
The things most kingdoms would treat as their national pride were treated here like junk, tossed casually into corners and piled into glittering hills.
Just from that alone—
You could tell how filthy rich Rosede IV really was.
The wealth hoarded in this one treasury…
Probably exceeded the total riches of many kingdoms across the Grand Line.
Even Lucci—
Usually cold and unreadable—
Couldn't help feeling shaken when he saw the mountains of treasure inside.
Rosede IV's stockpile was insane.
"Please, don't be shy,"Rosede IV said proudly.
"Everything inside is yours to look over."
"Each of you may pick one thing—anything you like."
He gazed at the treasury with open pride.
This was the result of a lifetime of scheming and accumulation.
His greatest obsession.
Normally—
He wouldn't even let outsiders see this place.
But today, for the sake of making a good impression on Kai…
He had steeled his heart.
"Then I'll thank His Majesty in advance,"Kai said.
His eyes were already shining a little as he looked at the vault.
The glittering piles of riches were like a challenge.
Then—
He stepped forward without hesitation.
In one stride, he crossed the threshold into the treasury.
Kai began carefully looking over the treasures around him, scanning the shelves, platforms, and rows of chests one by one.
A chance like this came once in a lifetime.
You couldn't force it to happen again.
So—
He naturally had to choose properly.
This wasn't the time to be careless.
He had to be at full focus.
And pick the thing that would push his strength even higher.
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