Chapter 72: The Players' Grand Finale
Is it over yet?
Feeling excruciating pain throughout his body, Sanji looked at the pirates in despair.
He tried to fight back, but the man, the one with the two braided mustaches, sent him flying with a single kick.
As his back slammed into the cabin, and his body slid helplessly onto the deck, unable to move, Sanji's consciousness was acutely aware of one fact—the difference in strength between him and that pirate was so vast that it was despairing.
The pirates responsible for moving cargo from the Orbit's hold found a notebook lying on the ground and picked it up curiously: "Hey, what's this? A diary, or a book?"
The person walking next to him leaned closer: "What does it say up there, ALL BLUE? Hey, isn't that the place the captain's looking for?"
"Hahaha, whose diary is this? How dare you talk so arrogantly! Only a man like our captain can conquer ALL BLUE. How dare these cowards on this ship even think about such a place?"
"Damn it..." Sanji, whose whole body was aching terribly, stood up angrily. "ALL BLUE is not a place that can be conquered. ALL BLUE is clearly the dream place of every chef!"
It generously accepts all fish from all over the world, and it will also generously accept every chef who cherishes ingredients and loves cooking.
Sanji charged toward Zeff in the center of the crowd like a yellow arrow.
Captain Zeff, watch out!
Zeff grabbed Sanji's wrist, snatched the knife from his hand, and tossed it aside. The tall man looked down at Sanji, causing Sanji's newly mustered courage to gradually vanish.
With a snap, a bright spotlight suddenly shone on the deck of the Orbit.
"Hello, hello, hello...can you hear me?"
A male voice, amplified several times by the machine, pierced through the storm and echoed across the sea.
"Haha, ladies and gentlemen, hello there! I am Gilder Tezzolo!"
In the sky, Tesoro sat atop a state-of-the-art airship, purchased at great expense, looking down at the ships bobbing on the waves.
Hmm, the flag on that pirate ship next to us looks familiar. What's it called, Red-Leg Zeff?
Ah, shouldn't he be on the Grand Line? How did he suddenly end up in the East Blue?
Tesoro switched his crossed legs and stared with interest at Zeff's magnified face on the screen.
Haha, this is a big shot. I never expected to meet him here.
Tezzolo casually fiddled with the gold ring on his finger, showing no concern whatsoever for Zeff's reputation as "Redfoot".
But who would have thought that just a year ago, he was just a pathetic slave?
Fate is truly unpredictable... The rampage caused by the fishman Tiger in the Holy Land allowed Tesoro to escape. After leaving Mary Geoise, he made a gamble that staked his entire future and destiny.
He stole the golden fruit that the Don Quixote family used to lure guests and ate it.
What was that saying again? He even took away the lobby manager's place, haha!
Tesoro knew that the Don Quixote family would not let him go. He didn't have much time and had to improve his strength as soon as possible so that he could transform from a despicable thief into a collaborator that the Don Quixote family had to take seriously and willingly swallow the bitter pill of!
Tesoro stood up, opened the airship's hatch, and looked down at the sea illuminated by searchlights.
He lowered his head and gently kissed the only empty finger on his left hand, the ring finger, which was also free of a ring.
"With enough money, you can even shake the world." He closed his eyes and made this promise to his unseen lover.
"Stella, one day I will buy that Celestial Dragon and make him kneel before your grave to atone for his sins with his life."
Tesoro opened his eyes and jumped off the airship!
The gold ornaments in the cabin turned into liquid and fell with Tesoro as he leaped out of the ship.
"They're here!"
Zeff's Observation Haki allowed him to spot the figure rapidly descending from the sky. As the figure approached, the boxes containing the pirates' spoils, which had been neatly arranged, suddenly began to shake violently.
The tremors grew more and more intense, and then with a bang, the gold in the box shot straight into the sky like a golden wave that had broken free from gravity, merging with the gold that had followed Tesoro and catching his falling body.
Tap, tap...
White crocodile leather shoes slid across the wet deck, and Tesoro, surrounded by liquid gold, gleamed brilliantly under the searchlights, stirring the emotions of all the pirates.
The captain of the Orbit was numb. Who was this? Who was this?!
This is just an ordinary passenger ship, why is everyone making trouble for the Orbit?!
Also, that man can actually control gold, what kind of monster is he?
Zeff, who had ventured into the monster-infested Grand Line in his search for ALL BLUE, was far more knowledgeable than him and naturally knew that it was the power brought by the Devil Fruit.
Zeff, recalling Tesoro's introduction, cautiously asked, "Tesoro... what brings you here?"
"What brings you here?" Tesoro squinted and stroked his chin. "I have come here following the guidance of fate."
Tesoro didn't really know what he was doing there. He just happened to come here on a whim and happened to see a scene of pirates attacking a passenger ship. He couldn't resist testing his skills.
He didn't know where he was, nor did he know who was on the ship. All Tezzolo knew was that he was going to make a fortune!
His grand business empire of dreams needed a start-up fund.
However, Tesoro considered himself a businessman and gambler, not a pirate or bandit. He made money with his brains and keen sense of smell, not with his brute force.
Zeff sensed the extraordinary presence of the man before him: "I can give you all these treasures."
Those who can survive in the pirate melting pot of the Grand Line need not only strength, but also keen insight and the ability to assess situations.
Zeff: "Just let us and the people on these merchant ships leave."
"Huh?" Tesoro looked at Zeff's serious expression with surprise, then smiled after a few seconds. "I see..."
Zeff is the kind of guy who is very traditional and has a certain pirate code of honor—he only wants money and doesn't want to kill.
Tezzolo now wants more than just the treasure as seed money; he wants both ships, Zeff, and his crew.
Oh, and those passengers on the passenger ship, they must be very rich to be able to carry so much treasure with them.
Tesoro: "Don't worry, I'm not a devil, much less a serial killer."
“I will set a ‘price’ for each of you, and you have two choices. First, pay a ransom equal to the ‘price’ and I will let you go.”
Tesoro held up a second finger: "Option two, you can play a game with me, poker, dice... anything."
"If you win one round, you can choose to leave immediately. If you win two rounds, you can take away an additional treasure equal to your 'net worth,' and so on."
Tesoro beckoned with his finger, and the liquid gold solidified into neat gold nuggets stacked on the deck in front of him.
Under the bright searchlights, the stimulation from the entire wall of gold was naked and direct.
Tesoro listened with satisfaction to the greedy breathing.
Pirates who pursue treasure and wealth, even at the cost of their lives, cannot resist such temptation.
Tesoro looked at the man dressed as a captain.
Tezzolo: "There should be a casino on this ship, right?"
——
"Hmm..." Sabo tentatively began, "It seems like nothing has happened?"
The storm was still raging at sea, and the storm had not stopped, but the three, who were used to the rain near R'lyeh, were not worried even though they were in a small wooden boat that could barely fit three people.
Luo withdrew his gaze from the sea and, without speaking, looked at Vera with the same puzzled expression.
Violet: "That shouldn't be the case. Logically, the seasonal boss should spawn right near me, right?"
Luo and Sabo exchanged a glance. At first, they were completely baffled by the occasional incomprehensible words that Vera used, but now they could translate them for her in their minds.
Seasonal Boss = A dangerous creature that harbors hostility towards them. Spawns nearby = Chasing after and attacking Violet.
Violet blinked in confusion: "Could it be that the Season Boss has been attracted by something else?"
“Other things?” Luo picked up the monocular telescope that was placed aside and pointed it at the sea to the southeast. “There are two ships there.”
The distance was too great for Luo to see clearly what was happening between the two ships, but after ruling out visual illusions caused by the angle, the distance between the two ships was unusually close.
On the open sea, there is a possibility that two ships could come this close.
"They've boarded the ship."
"Has a battle broken out?" Sabo asked instinctively, but quickly realized that this was not the Grand Line, but the peaceful East Blue.
Law: "Even in the most peaceful East Blue, there is never a shortage of pirates. Don't forget where the Red-Haired Pirates started their journey to the Sabaody Archipelago."
Just as Luo was about to ask Vera if she wanted to go take a look, a bright beam of light fell from the sky and struck the two ships.
"Wow." Violet stood up with interest. Her hair, which matched her outfit, was completely soaked by the rain. Violet simply untied her braids, casually tossed her black hair, and recombed it into a ponytail. "Interesting."
She took out the tentacle spikes that she hadn't used in a long time.
"Let's go take a look."
As the wooden boat approached the two ships, Luo could easily tell from their sails that one was a passenger ship and the other a pirate ship.
He looked up and followed the beam of light to see the airship hovering above.
Strange, very strange.
The traces of gunfire on the passenger ship testify to the crisis it once experienced, yet it is all too quiet for a passenger ship attacked by pirates.
Luo's gaze fell on a brightly lit spot on the passenger ship.
The rope ladders and planks that the pirates used to climb the passenger ship hadn't been removed, which made it easier for Violet and her group to sneak in.
Although it was confirmed that pirates would be on the ship, Violet and her group were not too nervous. After all, with the strength of the three of them combined, they were more than capable of dealing with pirates from all over the world.
"I want to raise the stakes! I want to raise them even more!"
"No way, you've completely lost. Now, including your ransom, you owe me two 'values' of money."
"How could that be? The 'price' you're offering is too high. Two portions? I couldn't possibly pay that even if I went bankrupt..."
"But when I told you your 'value' back then, not one of you objected, right? You were thinking that as long as you could win one game, you'd make a fortune, right?"
"No, please, let me play one more round, I'm sure I'll win!"
Violet raised her tentacle spikes and severed the golden lock on the door. The heavy wooden door, covered in gold leaf, was pushed open, and the restless and crazy atmosphere of the casino hall rushed out.
Violet's gaze swept quickly across the room, finally settling on the man sitting leisurely in the golden chair in front of the gambling table.
The rainy season is coming to an end!
[You've encountered a new event!]
The 【Seasonal Monster】event has begun, and monsters have spawned!
Violet smiled at Tesoro: "Finally..."
"I've found you."
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Author's note: Hello Jie Jie...
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