Bang! Bang!
The muffled sounds resonated from the mining camp, as Cavendish angrily swung the hammer in his hand, venting his fury on the ore before him.
Ever since he was reported, he felt that the people in this camp looked at him strangely, as if they wanted to fleece him.
In fact, that was exactly the case. Only those newly sent here had the courage to resist; most of those who had been mining here for a while had lost the will to fight back.
So, in their eyes, Cavendish was just a tool for sentence reduction, with some even trying entrapment enforcement.
As a result, Cavendish didn't trust them at all; instead, he felt these people were all scheming.
Everyone here was a pirate, using extremely rough methods. He didn't want to be pushed around in the restroom, so he could only vent his sense of inequity by mining.
Yet, he still refused to yield, constantly complaining about the terrible environment, thinking it didn't fit his grand presence at all.
Under such circumstances, he finally obtained a splendid crowbar.
"Is... is this thing a pink diamond??"
Looking at the pink holy sword of physics in his hand, Cavendish was bewildered.
"Yes, children are always very naive. They think you still have a 'chance for redemption,' and after hearing you nag about it, they prepared this for you."
The economy of Wano Kuni is quite unique. Hundred Beasts have a world-class financial institution, and the Underworld is thriving, continually supporting Wano Kuni's internal development.
Yet, Wano Kuni's economy isn't directly tied to the outside world but cycles through Hundred Beasts as an intermediary, somewhat like North Korea.
The prices and values of domestic items are entirely decided by Hundred Beasts. External prices are irrelevant here. Some items extremely valuable outside, like Wagyu or diamonds, are commonplace internally.
Diancie's manufacturing ability gives Hundred Beasts an endless supply of diamonds. Sometimes, a diamond-made cube is even cheaper than one made of plastic. There's no jewelry merchant inflating diamond prices here, and the currency in circulation remains the original gold and silver, along with the Arceus Sect's vouchers.
Those vouchers have replaced Belly and are now being implemented within Wano Kuni.
"I... my definition of grandeur isn't about this kind of splendor!"
"Heh, what you can get isn't about what you want but what we want to give you. I'd advise you to think more about the future. If Brother Jack loses interest in you one day, it'll be too late to surrender."
Babanuki couldn't understand why Jack was interested in Cavendish. He couldn't fathom that Cavendish, once blinded by fame, had done something even bolder than Jack.
Babanuki knew Jack well. Jack seemed mature, but he was the same age as Yamato. Babanuki could say he watched Jack grow up.
Their current status differed greatly, but it didn't mask this fact. This wasn't an isolated case. Among the current single-digit Numberers, many are Hundred Beasts' new generation; many of the former single-digit Numberers have witnessed these new generations' growth.
Jack had two main obsessions: yearning for a male companion and getting stronger.
When Jack needed a male partner the most, Page One appeared, gradually becoming stronger through constant fights. Recruiting Cavendish was just a spur of the moment for him; he didn't constantly focus on Cavendish.
After resting for about a week, Jack set sail again, stirring trouble. He would randomly select a few lucky spectators to showcase his bravery in docking the ship.
After Jack left, Cavendish was forgotten, like everyone else, constantly cycling through mining work.
Until some time later, when Tesoro periodically returned to Ghost Island, he was remembered again.
...
Unlike ordinary pirates, Cavendish had a group of fanatic fans. After he was expelled, a group of women in his country also formed a fleet, leaving their homeland, embarking on a path of chasing idols.
Due to his looks, his wanted poster would always be taken away for collection after being posted.
After he vanished, there was briefly a craze on The Sea to search for Cavendish. Even the Navy Base had people inquiring about his whereabouts.
News reporters weren't ubiquitous; these fans didn't know that Cavendish had met an unfortunate fate while challenging Jack.
But the frenzy lasted only a short time. Most of it was because of passerby fans. After Cavendish disappeared for a while, their attention was drawn to others.
Tesoro's return to Ghost Island was simply regular reporting. He inadvertently heard someone mention the name, which piqued his interest.
During Cavendish's absence, new artists debuted under Hundred Beasts Fruit, but the effect wasn't great.
They now had top songstress and female stars, but apart from Tesoro himself, they lacked a leading male figure.
Besides, Tesoro himself wasn't a heartthrob. He just happened to need a highly handsome figure, and if Cavendish made a comeback, it would be a great opportunity for him.
After discussing with Jack and confirming Jack wasn't very interested in him anymore, Tesoro took action.
Snatching people wasn't a good idea, even though they were all Hundred Beasts; it was still better to give a heads-up in such matters.
...
"Isn't this Tesoro? What brings you to this hellhole of mine?"
"I'm here to recruit someone. I've heard that Cavendish guy ended up in our hands."
"Cavendish... oh, that pretentious freak, right, there was something like that."
Tesoro's identity was quite special, and he deliberately maintained good relations within Hundred Beasts. Most peers he knew called him by name, and he did the same for those below High-Level Officials.
"That guy has a pretty tough mouth. He's been digging here for nearly a month without any sign of yielding."
"No problem, no problem, you're using the wrong method. For this type of person, you need a special approach. Watch me."
Then, led by Babanuki, Tesoro found Cavendish at work.
"Cavendish! Your chance has come again. You'd better grasp it this time."
"Tch, here we go again. I told you, I wouldn't join your bunch of brutes... Wait, you're... Tesoro? You guys really are in cahoots with Hundred Beasts."
As a world-famous male star, Tesoro was highly recognizable, let alone he was one of those who capitalized on Cavendish's popularity, so Cavendish remembered him well.
"That's right; you're looking pretty spirited. However, this time, it's not an ordinary recruitment. Jack has already lost interest in you, and now the question is, are you planning to debut?"
"Debut?"
"Exactly. We can whitewash and promote you, making you a household name worldwide."