Chapter 206: The Arrival of Tesoro
The three words Axel had spoken were clearly a person's name.
Osborne did not understand what they meant, but the child, no, the Marine captain, had spoken his master's name as well. That meant the name he gave must have some connection to Tesoro.
And from Tesoro's reaction after Osborne reported it, that connection was far from ordinary.
Tesoro, a man who could smile through almost any situation, had fallen silent after hearing that name.
Osborne did not continue guessing.
He understood how the world worked, and prying into his master's private affairs was not a wise move.
Besides, everything would become clear once Tesoro arrived.
The next day, Osborne received word that Tesoro had reached Newport Island.
It was not slow.
It was too fast.
Tesoro had originally been on a safe island three or four days away by sea. Yet he had arrived after only one day, nearly three or four times faster than normal.
That meant he had traveled through the night and used an advanced warship. Only that could explain such speed.
And Tesoro, as a man in the entertainment business, cared deeply about outward appearance. Staying up late and ruining his complexion was something he would normally never do.
Yet this time, for one name, he had rushed through the night.
That alone showed how important this matter was to him.
A short while later, a man dressed in dazzling luxury walked in.
His hair was meticulously styled. His clothes were expensive, flashy, and tailored to draw the eye. Gold rings adorned his fingers, and every inch of him radiated wealth.
He looked every bit like a nouveau riche who had turned money into his own skin.
Tesoro glanced at Osborne and asked directly, "Where is he?"
Though it was phrased as a question, there was no trace of inquiry in his tone.
It was less a question and more a command.
To Tesoro, the subordinate before him was not someone whose name he needed to remember.
Osborne was merely a slave he had purchased.
With Tesoro's vast wealth, he owned countless slaves. Why would he bother remembering each one?
"In a shipyard by the coast."
"Take me there."
"Yes."
...
"When exactly do you think they'll arrive?"
Brad was growing anxious.
But the person he was asking, Theodore, was currently discussing with Tom how to best use Treasure Tree Adam.
This made Brad even more furious.
His peaceful life had been disrupted because of the people this troublesome friend had brought over.
And now, those same people were calmly discussing shipbuilding while using his Treasure Tree Adam.
Wasn't there something wrong with this picture?
"Answer me, you bastard!"
Only after Brad shouted did Theodore reluctantly turn his head.
"How should I know?"
After saying that, he immediately turned back and continued discussing with Tom.
Brad looked around the shipyard.
The once-busy place was now empty.
Since the shipwrights would not be of much use in a fight, Brad had sent them all home. They had been quite happy with the arrangement. If something really happened, they could not just stand there and watch. But since the boss had personally ordered them to leave, going home would not count as disloyalty.
Meanwhile, the main culprit behind all this trouble, the child named Axel, was sitting naturally on the deck, eating the delicacies Brad had gathered from the island.
The other two Marines, a little girl and an adult man, were also sitting nearby.
Although Binz was young, to Brad, who did not know his circumstances, he seemed like the most normal person present besides Tom.
So Brad turned to him instead.
"Do you know when they'll come?"
"I'm not sure either," Binz answered honestly. "You should ask Axel. He might know."
If I could ask that brat, why would I be asking you?
Brad rubbed his hands together, then simply picked up his tools and tried to continue working.
Only shipbuilding could calm him down.
But before he could find that peace, a voice sounded from outside.
A dense crowd surged into the shipyard.
The spacious place was filled in moments.
What was going on?
Tom, Theodore, Brad, Ain, and Binz all stopped what they were doing and looked toward the entrance.
Only Axel continued eating, paying no attention to the commotion.
With his Observation Haki, he had sensed their arrival earlier than anyone else.
But so what if people had come?
What was there to make a fuss about?
Within the dense crowd, a wide path slowly opened.
A man walked out from the center.
It was Tesoro.
"Just as I thought," Axel muttered.
Speaking Stella's name had been a test.
If the person behind this was truly Tesoro, then there was no way he could remain unmoved.
If it had not been him, the mastermind would not have shown himself so readily, and Axel would have needed to continue investigating.
After stepping inside, Tesoro's first words were direct.
"Who is the Marine captain who wants to talk to me?"
But no one answered.
The air fell into a brief, awkward silence.
Osborne quickly stepped in to save the situation.
"That child is the one."
Tesoro looked in the direction Osborne indicated.
There, a white-haired child sat calmly on the deck, eating as if nothing in the world had anything to do with him.
He showed not the slightest intention of acknowledging Tesoro.
That feeling of being ignored was something Tesoro had almost forgotten since obtaining his Devil Fruit.
But compared to that unpleasant feeling, what mattered more was the meaning behind this child saying Stella's name.
Given his age, he could not possibly have known Stella.
Nor should he have known Tesoro.
Stella had died nearly eleven years ago.
And this child could not be more than ten years old.
So how had he spoken her name?
"What do you want to talk about?" Tesoro asked.
He stepped forward from the crowd.
With each step he took, his subordinates moved with him. None of them dared step in front of him. They only followed behind, causing the entire group to advance until they stood before Axel.
Theodore and Brad, whose combat ability was weak, trembled slightly as they stared at the dense crowd.
At this moment, they were no longer certain that Axel could definitely win.
"You've really dragged me into it," Brad said through gritted teeth. "If not for the people you brought, I'd still be living my comfortable little life."
"I'm the one who got dragged into this," Theodore shot back. "If not for the news you brought, I'd still be lying leisurely in my bedroom."
Compared with the two of them, Tom was calm.
From what he knew, group battles were where this kid had the greatest advantage.
Axel's ability seemed to have no gaps.
Back at Enies Lobby, when several pirate crews joined forces to attack, their numbers had been no fewer than this group. Yet no matter how many of them attacked together, it was useless.
In the end, they had all been wiped out by Axel.
Meanwhile, Ain and Binz quietly gripped their sword hilts.
With their other hands, they held their Den Den Mushi, ready to notify the Marines on the warship to join the battle if fighting broke out.
And Axel, seated at the very center of the storm, slowly swallowed the food in his mouth.
Only then did he reply.
"Well then," he said, looking at Tesoro, "that depends on what you want to ask."
…..
Enjoyed the chapter? Join our newly created Discord community for updates, discussions, games, and more!
https://discord.gg/KvMN2CFsMR