The waters surrounding Totto Land shimmered under the rising sun.
Beyond the candy-colored horizon, a massive golden island ship drifted slowly across the sea, its gilded hull catching every glint of light. It wasn't wandering aimlessly—it was waiting. Waiting for someone important.
Aboard the Gran Tesoro, the Golden Empire's floating palace, three figures sat trembling inside transparent glass domes—Celestial Dragons, the so-called "gods" of the world. Their faces twisted with rage and fear as they glared at the man standing before them.
Gild Tesoro, the Golden Emperor himself, smiled with venomous amusement.
"Tesoro! I order you to leave these waters at once and take us back to Mary Geoise!" one of the Celestial Dragons shouted, trying to sound commanding but failing miserably. His voice quivered.
They'd fled here, to Tesoro's golden entertainment city, believing they'd found safety. But their cowardly flight had carried them straight into the territory of a Yonko—the dominion of Big Mom herself.
Had it not been for a few CP agents warning them, they wouldn't even have realized they'd crossed into Totto Land.
Tesoro laughed—a harsh, manic sound that echoed through the golden hall. "You should be grateful I let you live this long. Consider it a gift from me."
He raised his gold-covered right hand. At that gesture, the CP agents guarding the Celestial Dragons froze in terror as their bodies began to gleam, hardening into gold before they could react.
The CP3 squad leader screamed, straining against the golden shell forming around his limbs. "The dust… it's the gold dust! We inhaled it—" His words ended in a choked gasp as his body solidified.
"On my ship," Tesoro growled, lowering his sunglasses to reveal the fury in his eyes, "everyone kneels."
The Golden Emperor strode toward the three trembling Celestial Dragons. "You don't know how long I've waited for this day." His grin widened, madness flickering in his gaze.
With a swing of his ring-covered fist, Tesoro smashed through one of the glass domes. His punch connected with the Celestial Dragon's face, launching the man across the deck and into a marble wall with a sickening crunch.
The other two "noble gods" shrieked and tried to crawl away, robes tangling around their legs as they stumbled across the gilded floor.
Tesoro wiped the blood from his knuckles, staring at the missing ring on his left hand's fourth finger. "You bastards love putting collars on your slaves, don't you?"
He snapped his fingers. Two golden chains erupted from the deck, coiling like serpents around the remaining Celestial Dragons' necks.
"Crawl back here!" Tesoro bellowed, yanking both chains. The glass domes around their heads shattered as they were dragged screaming across the floor.
"Don't kill us!" one of them sobbed, mucus and tears smearing his face. "The World Government will hunt you down! The Five Elders will—"
Tesoro laughed darkly. "The Five Elders? There are only four now."
The two Celestial Dragons froze, horror dawning in their eyes. Tesoro looked down at them, satisfaction glowing across his face. "Feels good, doesn't it? Hurting gods. I should've joined Souta Kiryuu's crew sooner."
His laughter echoed through the golden hall as he kicked the two "nobles" into the wall beside their companion.
"Lock them up. Don't let them die," he ordered casually, waving to his subordinates. He then snatched a bottle of red wine from a purple-haired girl nearby and took a long, satisfied drink.
Mr. Tanaka and Baccarat exchanged uncertain glances, still stunned that their usually calculating boss had just beaten three Celestial Dragons half to death. But they knew better than to question him. Quickly, they dragged the unconscious nobles away for "treatment."
Beside them, Carina, the small fox-like woman with a quick smile, couldn't contain her excitement. "Boss Tesoro, does this mean Lord Souta Kiryuu is about to arrive?"
Her golden eyes sparkled. The man she'd once sung for, the man who had promised to return, was finally coming back.
She had achieved her dream since then—now known across the seas as the Enigmatic Songstress, her fame rivaled even that of Uta, the World Diva. Morgans himself had called them the "Twin Stars of the New Era."
Tesoro grinned, lowering his wine. "He should be close. Last I heard, that guy paid a visit to Kaido's old territory."
He turned his gaze skyward, toward the distant clouds. He'd spoken with Souta Kiryuu countless times through Den Den Mushi. He'd seen him destroy gods in live broadcasts. But he had never met the man face-to-face. Not yet.
As the Gran Tesoro continued its slow glide across the sea, shadows appeared overhead.
A fleet of flying ships emerged through the clouds, glinting silver in the sun. Gasps and shouts erupted across the decks of the Golden Entertainment City below as pirates and gamblers alike craned their necks.
"The Golden Emperor's waiting for that guy?" someone whispered. "The Dragon God himself?"
Even the most hardened pirates trembled. The name Souta Kiryuu carried weight far beyond that of any Yonko. The "God Slayer." The man who'd overturned the world's balance and crushed the Celestial Order.
"The One God of the Seas," they whispered.
Tesoro threw his arms wide, laughter booming across the golden deck. "Ladies and gentlemen! From this day forward, the Golden Entertainment City shall ascend—literally! The skies will now be our playground!"
The crowd roared. Tesoro's plans had already been set in motion. Empowered by the Float-Float Fruit, the Gran Tesoro could now cruise at low altitude, offering luxury like never before—a flying casino city for the rich, the powerful, and the depraved.
"Did you hear that? The Golden City's going airborne!" someone shouted.
"So it'll fly between islands now?"
"Maybe they'll start picking up guests directly from major ports!"
"About time! Finding this place in the middle of the sea was a nightmare."
Across the decks, nobles, pirates, and thrill-seekers cheered. The world's most extravagant floating paradise was about to become the world's first sky casino.
And now, with Souta Kiryuu's protection, Tesoro no longer had to fear the World Government's wrath.
The revelry was interrupted as the Dragon God Fleet descended.
From the prow of the Ark Proverb, Souta Kiryuu's flagship, several figures leaned over the railing.
Jewelry Bonney's eyes gleamed with gold as she stared at the colossal ship below. "That's all made of gold," she breathed, practically drooling.
Beside her, the ever-youthful Yamato grinned wide-eyed. "It's huge! Is that thing really sailing? It's like an island—no, an entire nation made of gold!"
Nico Robin leaned calmly against the rail, her dark eyes tracing the ship's impossible scale. "Ten kilometers long," she murmured. "Bigger than even the ancient weapon Pluton, if the records are accurate."
She tilted her head thoughtfully. "No shipwright in Water Seven could have built this. Even Pluton was the combined work of all their master craftsmen. This... this was built by someone greater."
Souta Kiryuu chuckled, eyes flashing with admiration. "Beautiful, isn't it? If Tesoro hadn't volunteered to join us, I might've just taken it by force."
The others laughed, though there was truth behind the joke.
In the golden reflection of the sea, the world's most opulent ship prepared to meet the world's most feared man.
The Golden Empire had found its new god.