Bang!
Golden fountains erupted around the ship, spraying light in every direction.
As the vessel entered the channel, fine, shimmering golden dust drifted down from above like sparkling rain.
"Hmm? What is this?"
The middle-aged merchant reached out in surprise, examining the glittering dust in his palm.
"Could this be…?"
His body trembled a second later.
"Oh my! Oh my!!!"
He rushed to the railing at the bow and leaned forward, staring in disbelief at the vast sky ahead where pure gold dust fell like snow.
"What a… what a grand display! It is actually pure gold dust!!!"
His eyes turned bloodshot with excitement.
He had traveled the seas his entire life.
Yet inside this magnificent golden ship, he felt like a complete novice seeing true luxury for the first time.
Pure gold dust covered the deck in a thin, shimmering layer within seconds.
"Hahahaha, gold! Pure gold!"
"There is so much gold in the sky!"
The sailors burst into joyful laughter.
Some reached out with both hands, crouching to gather the falling dust, while others even used fine-mesh fishing nets to scoop the gold from the air as if catching insects.
"I always heard that gold falls from the sky when entering this place, but I never believed it was real!"
The young man stared upward in astonishment.
"Heh, beyond rich indeed. The Golden Emperor lives up to his title."
Shirogai chuckled softly as he caught a few specks of gold dust in his palm, already calculating a move against such outrageous wealth.
Buzz…
At the same time, a faint, invisible vibration field formed around Shirogai's body.
Every piece of gold dust that drifted too close was quietly shaken away without a trace.
Any gold that landed aboard was considered a small welcoming gift to visitors and could be taken freely.
This was the extravagance of the City of Dreams.
The golden ship, the largest entertainment city in the world.
An independent nation recognized by the World Government.
A sanctuary where even the World Government seldom dared to act recklessly.
Gran Tesoro.
"Father, if we just stay in the channel and do not go inside, wouldn't we still earn a huge amount of gold?"
The young man clutched the falling dust with a foolish grin.
The crew immediately perked up and looked eagerly at their captain.
"The young master is right!"
"Captain, if we stay here, we can take away a fortune!"
"Why even go inside?"
"What a group of uncivilized bumpkins."
Before the captain could answer, a woman's cold and disdainful voice rang out from a luxurious private ship following behind them.
Everyone on the merchant ship turned around.
A beautiful young woman in a magnificent red robe stood on the deck, holding a crystal wine glass.
Several stern black-clad bodyguards stood at her side.
She looked down at the merchant ship with lazy contempt as she gently swirled her wine.
"People who come here are here for pleasure inside the grand entertainment city. Who would care about such cheap gold dust?"
Her lips curved in ridicule.
"Poor people like you obsessing over this is truly laughable."
She waved her hand dismissively.
"Make way. Let my Diamond Rose, worth hundreds of millions of Berries, pass first."
"If you wish to beg for gold dust here like paupers, go right ahead."
"You!"
The young man angrily pointed at her, his face flushing.
Before he could explode, his father tightly grabbed his arm.
"I apologize. We were too distracted by the grandeur of this place and forgot proper etiquette."
The middle-aged merchant bowed deeply, smiling humbly.
"Please go first."
He understood all too well that ordinary merchants like them could never afford to offend powerful figures at sea.
You never knew what terrifying force stood behind someone.
"Hmph."
The red-robed woman snorted and turned away with her chin held high.
The Diamond Rose advanced unimpeded.
The leader of the black-clad guards paused briefly and glanced deeply at Shirogai before following her into the cabin.
The Merchant Ship silently altered course, allowing the Diamond Rose to sail ahead toward the distant golden lights.
…
"Miss Ri, I just discovered a major pirate on that merchant ship."
Inside the luxurious cabin, the black-clad guard leader knelt on one knee.
"Shirogai Yamikuro. The Supernova pirate with a bounty of two hundred million Berries."
"Shirogai?"
Ri sat gracefully on a velvet chair, her eyes lighting up.
"You mean that so-called Fifth Emperor who supposedly defeated Big Mom and Kaido?"
She laughed faintly.
"How could someone like that appear on an ordinary merchant ship? Are you certain?"
"This subordinate saw him clearly. It was without doubt him."
The guard answered respectfully.
"This is becoming interesting…"
Ri rose to her feet, a calculating smile forming on her lips.
"If I help Godfather Feld recruit him, would we not gain a helper whose reputation rivals the Four Emperors?"
The guard hesitated.
"Miss Ri, this matter is serious. It may be best to inform Feld-sama first…"
"Hmph, unnecessary."
Ri lifted her chin arrogantly.
"The underground newspapers exaggerate everything. Defeating Big Mom and the Beast King, do you truly believe that nonsense?"
She snorted.
"I have personally seen those two. Their presence alone nearly caused me to lose my balance. How could a nobody pirate defeat monsters like that?"
She smiled with confidence.
"In my opinion, he only escaped from their subordinates and survived by luck. He probably bribed the underground press to fabricate that ridiculous story."
Her expression turned mocking.
"What Fifth Emperor? He is just a clever fraud selling his reputation for profit."
She waved her hand.
"He must be here to sell himself to Tesoro for a high price. After all, lies cannot hold forever."
"In a few days, the truth will surely be exposed."
The guard lifted his head uncertainly.
"Is that truly the case…?"
Though he sensed something was wrong with her conclusion, he could not argue against her with certainty.
"Hee hee, of course it is."
Ri covered her mouth and laughed softly.
"Do you actually believe a rookie pirate can defeat Big Mom and Kaido, who command countless powerful subordinates?"
"How foolish."
The guard lowered his head in silence.
Yes, he actually believed it.
"Since he plans to sell himself for a price, then I will buy him first on Godfather's behalf."
Ri turned proudly.
"It is only Berries. The King of Loan Sharks never lacks money."
"A mere pirate will kneel at my feet without question."
…
Somewhere far away, Feld, the so-called King of Loan Sharks, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
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