Chapter 480-481- Is it worth it for a woman?
The golden giant's fist collided with the incoming pillar of fire, creating a shockwave that shattered the air. The sheer force split the sea around the island, sending massive waves crashing outward.
The flames and gold clashed violently, turning the night sky into a chaotic swirl of red and gold.
From within the giant, Gild Tesoro stood, his arms spread wide, controlling the massive entity like an extension of himself. His teeth clenched as he pushed against Kaido's overwhelming power.
"Damn dragon," he growled, "This city is mine!"
Kaido snarled, his enormous body circling above. With another guttural roar, he lunged, his massive claws slashing down at the golden titan.
Tesoro barely had time to react, commanding the golden behemoth to raise an arm in defense. The impact sent tremors through the entire island, cracking streets and toppling buildings.
"You think a lump of gold can stop me?!" Kaido bellowed.
His tail swung like a wrecking ball, smashing into the giant's midsection. Tesoro staggered, coughing as the sheer force rocked his body inside the control chamber. The golden giant stumbled back, its feet digging trenches into the streets below.
Tesoro smirked, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip. "You're strong, I'll give you that," he admitted.
Then, with a flick of his wrist, the streets below came to life—streams of molten gold surged upward like serpents, wrapping around Kaido's limbs and dragging him toward the ground.
Kaido struggled, but Tesoro's grip tightened.
"It's over, beast," he sneered. "This is my kingdom! I won't let some drunk dragon destroy it!" The golden giant lifted its foot and slammed it down on Kaido, shaking the entire island.
For a moment, silence fell. Then, a deep chuckle rumbled from beneath the golden titan's foot. The next instant, Kaido's aura exploded outward, shattering the restraints in an instant. He shot upward, twisting through the air, and with a roar, he unleashed another devastating blast of fire.
Tesoro had no choice.
He gathered every ounce of his remaining strength, molding his golden giant into a massive shield. The impact was blinding. A deafening boom rippled across the Golden City, reducing large parts of it to rubble. When the flames died down, Tesoro lay on the ground, breathing heavily, his golden defenses crumbling around him.
Kaido loomed over him, exhaling smoke.
"Hmph. Not bad for a weakling," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "But if you want to survive in this world, you'll need more than just gold."
Tesoro groaned, looking around at his ruined city, at the destruction left behind. He clenched his fists. The weight of reality sank in. His power, his empire—it was all fragile before the monsters of the sea.
Tesoro smirked, though exhaustion weighed on his face. "I only do legitimate business."
The smoke of war rose, and the cold wind was pressing.
On the ground, Kaido was stunned, as if he had heard some absurd joke, his face full of disbelief.
This couldn't be a joke, right?
The dark emperor of the underground world in the New World—the former Golden Emperor Tesoro—was now claiming he no longer wanted to engage in illegal activities. Instead, he said he wanted to run a legitimate business. How could that be possible?
Tesoro had once been infamous for his ruthless methods in rising to power. He had used every trick in the book, from cheating and deceiving to outright cruelty, all in the name of wealth and status. He would kill for 10,000 Baileys and betray his boss for 100,000. His ambition had no limits.
Bribery, kidnapping, theft, robbery, honey traps, organ smuggling, arms trafficking, and even orchestrating wars—Tesoro had dabbled in all of them. These were his means to an end, and he never hesitated to stain his hands with the blood of the innocent. For him, nothing was off-limits when it came to profit and power.
Originally, Kaido had assumed that Liu Feng and the new navy were simply too powerful, forcing Tesoro to shut down his illegal enterprises. But now, it seemed that Tesoro himself didn't want to continue those illicit activities. A prodigal son turning over a new leaf? Kaido couldn't help but find the situation oddly amusing.
"You're not joking, Tesoro?" Kaido sneered. "If there were no wars and chaos in this sea, people like you wouldn't even have a reason to exist."
He leaned in, his eyes glowing with a scarlet bloodshot intensity that radiated a suffocating sense of danger. "If the navy truly unifies the New World, do you think Liu Feng will allow a place like the Golden City, a haven for filth, to continue standing?"
Kaido's voice was fierce, carrying the weight of a dark threat. If Tesoro didn't cooperate, even if Wano reached an agreement with the World Government, it would all be meaningless.
The large quantities of arms produced in Wano Country cannot be transported out, and the funds are squeezed and cannot be turned over.
Once a war breaks out, he was afraid that even the most basic supplies will not be available. It will become a big problem.
The navy has unified the underground world of the New Territories for a long time. Since then, the major trade routes of the New World, including the smuggling routes, have been completely blocked by the fleets of the new navy.
Only the merchant fleets recognized by the new army can move freely in and out of the major trade routes.
In other words, the military weapons produced by Wano Country have not been exported for a long time. This can be said to be an extremely serious economic crisis for a country like Wano Country, which has a developed and prosperous industry but has obvious shortcomings in other industries.
Although Wano Country is a closed country, it was limited to military and political aspects. In terms of the economy, the materials produced by this country are extremely dependent on foreign trade.
Hearing Kaido's words, the massive golden giant froze for a moment before Tesoro let out a mocking laugh.
"So what?" he scoffed. "It doesn't matter at all, Kaido. She can be brought back, and I won't need to work hard to make money anymore. No matter how many Baileys there are, she can't come back. But Liu Feng... he can resurrect her!"
"So what?" Tesoro's tone grew more defiant. "Don't even talk to me about closing down all the illegal businesses. Even if you ask me to hand over this Golden City, what does it matter?"
Kaido's eyes narrowed. He felt a strange softness in Tesoro's voice—something that shouldn't exist in the cold, bloody, and twisted heart of the dark emperor. "Woman?"
Kaido's disbelief exploded into fury. "You've actually given up the vast power and empire you built over decades for a damn woman!"
The moment Kaido finished speaking, an overwhelming killing intent surged from the depths of the golden giant's body, dark and oppressive, mixed with pure, raw anger.
The giant trembled violently, and gold began to surge around him like a rising tide.
"Damn you, Kaido!!" Tesoro shouted, his fury undeniable.
"Shut up!!!" he roared. "She's not just a damn woman!!"
Tesoro was so angry that his whole body was shaking, and the cold and fierce light in his eyes kept flashing.
He would not allow anyone to insult her!
Boom!!
A terrifying roar exploded, and golden waves on the ground surged up, quickly gathering into a huge missile head, and under the influence of Haki, it blasted towards Kaido!
Golden Divine Punishment!!
This was his strongest move!!
Kaido grinned, and his figure Rising with a roar, the mace in his hand blasted out fearfully!!
"Thunderous Bagua!!"
Boom!!
The world seemed to tremble, and the island beneath Tesoro's feet appeared to shake with the chaos. The smoke filled the air, blocking everyone's vision, and for what felt like an eternity, the thick haze lingered. Eventually, the wind began to carry it away, revealing a land consumed by endless flames of war.
Kaido looked down at Tesoro, who lay on the ground, bloodied and broken. With a sneer, he asked, "For a woman, is it worth it?"
Tesoro managed to raise the corner of his mouth in a painful, almost bitter smile.
"She's not just a woman," he thought, though his voice was weak. "She's my star. My belief."