Tesoro watched as the golden dust seeped into the bodies of those before him, a strange, unsettling smile curling at his lips.
Not far away, Ulti caught that expression.
Her brows tightened instantly. Something was wrong.
"Don't breathe it in! Stay away from that gold dust!"
But she was too late.
A pirate who had just inhaled it suddenly drew his blade and slashed at the man beside him.
"What are you doing?!"
Before the words even finished, blood sprayed into the air. The victim collapsed on the spot.
"Lady Ulti! Help! I can't control my body!"
Panic erupted.
"HAHAHAHA! Dance for me!"
Tesoro laughed wildly and snapped his fingers.
In an instant, dozens of pirates raised their weapons and turned on their own allies.
"No! Stop!"
"I don't want to die!"
"NO!"
Screams filled the air as blades cut through flesh. One after another, bodies dropped to the ground.
Thud. Thud.
Within moments, the battlefield fell silent.
Only Ulti remained standing.
"You bastard!"
Rage burned in her eyes.
"You've got a death wish!"
Tesoro sneered.
"Three Disasters? On my turf, I am the king!"
He slammed his hand onto the ground.
At once, the golden floor trembled violently.
From every direction, gold surged upward, morphing into countless weapons that shot toward Ulti.
She was ready.
With a roar, she spun her spiked club in front of her, deflecting the incoming barrage. Sparks and metal clashed endlessly.
But the strain was immense.
Her breathing grew heavy, chest rising and falling sharply. Fortunately, her mask remained intact, shielding her from the gold dust.
Tesoro chuckled.
"Ulti, how about I give you a chance?"
She paused for a split second.
"Join me."
Her anger exploded.
"Don't joke with me, Tesoro!"
"Today, you die!"
Her body began to change.
Her skin turned a deep green. Muscles bulged. Her limbs thickened as sharp, dinosaur-like claws extended from her hands.
With a fierce cry, she transformed fully.
Ancient Zoan. Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Pachycephalosaurus form.
Tesoro raised an eyebrow.
"You think turning into a dinosaur will save you? How naive."
He slammed both hands into the ground.
The earth roared.
Liquid gold burst upward, engulfing his body completely.
"Take a good look, Ulti! This is my true power!"
The gold surged and expanded, forming a towering giant dozens of meters tall.
Ulti's eyes widened slightly.
"What is this…"
"This is the awakened power of the Gold-Gold Fruit!"
The golden giant raised its massive fist.
"Die!"
Ulti gritted her teeth and forced down her fear.
With explosive force, she launched herself upward, landing directly on the giant's arm. Sprinting along it, she charged toward its head.
She had seen it.
Tesoro's real body was inside.
"Headbutt Cannon!"
Her head hardened with Armament Haki as she slammed forward with all her strength.
Clang!
The impact rang like metal striking metal.
Pain shot through her skull, her vision spinning.
Tesoro's eyes gleamed coldly.
"Now!"
The giant's fist ignited with blinding energy.
"Golden Inferno!"
The punch crashed down onto Ulti.
Boom!
The explosion engulfed her.
Blood burst from her mouth as her body was hurled through the air, crashing violently into the ground.
She lay there, barely conscious, eyes filled with hatred.
"Tesoro… the Beast Pirates… will hunt you down…"
Her voice faded.
The light in her eyes disappeared.
Ulti was dead.
Tesoro snorted.
"You brought this on yourselves. And me? I won't fall so easily."
His gaze shifted toward the fleet docked at the harbor.
"Sink them all."
Golden God Cannon!
Energy surged through the giant, focusing into its eyes before firing a blazing beam.
Boom!
The entire fleet was annihilated in an instant.
Tesoro exhaled and dismissed the golden giant.
The surviving subordinates rushed forward.
"All hail Lord Tesoro!"
"You're invincible!"
"So powerful!"
He waved them into silence.
"Enough. Clean up the battlefield. Our location is exposed. We're leaving immediately."
"Yes, Lord Tesoro!"
Bodies were quickly dragged away and dumped into the sea.
Tesoro turned and walked off, already planning his next move.
Far out at sea, several kilometers away, another force was approaching.
Issho, leading his fleet, was closing in fast.