He works for Sage because back when they were scapegoated by Spandam and faced a reckoning, it was Sage who took them in. Besides, he doesn't mind them continuing their work for the World Government. With a great spirit, he made them continue serving him.
But it's not like they are sold to Sage, because not only does Sage not care, mainly the World Government doesn't care either. Only then does this deformed and conflicted state exist.
But if given the chance, Lucci still wants to defeat Sage.
Especially after he learned about the existence of the Five Elders.
"I've drunk the wine and passed on the message."
Lucci shook his hand, which was soaked with wine after crushing the bottle. He stepped over the three Heavenly Celestial Dragons lying on the ground and walked ahead. After walking a while, he turned his head and said:
"Anyway, I also want to see how far you'll go."
After he said that, his figure disappeared into the distant alley.
Sage looked at the wine spilled on the ground and clicked his tongue, "This bastard, doesn't have much money but knows how to waste. This was my wine!"
"Huh? Sage, didn't you just rob it?" Renedia asked after finishing her juice from behind.
"Nonsense! Since I came here, everything here has been mine!" Sage shouted.
"What does he mean?"
Lily furrowed her brows, looking toward the direction where Lucci left, "Is he done working? Or is he afraid of something? Does the World Government have something that makes him afraid?"
"Exists..."
Sage's eyes opened wide, grinning: "Seems like there is indeed one, but it shouldn't be that one. Looks like the Five Elders have something unknown to me."
In his memory, there's an empty throne, but it's impossible for Lucci to have contact with such a thing, and no one knows about it on the sea.
What he can know at his level is only the Five Elders.
Lucci indeed has fear but must have seen something as well, hence the desire.
"The Five Elders... interesting."
Sage shook his head with a smile, waved his hand, and a whirlwind swept up the three Heavenly Celestial Dragons, "No one can stop me from getting rich! Whoever it is, I'll wait for them right here! Go directly to Gild Tesoro since these three have been abandoned, switch targets for trading."
"Huh? Will he be willing to pay? But if you're going to rob anyway, it's all yours, why still trade?" Renedia questioned.
"Of course not for money..."
Sage glanced at the unconscious Heavenly Celestial Dragons, grinned viciously: "Revenge is also a kind of trade. Compared to wealth, his talents I prefer. Gild Tesoro... used to be a slave!"
...
Boom!
At the center of Gulan Tesoro, Tesoro kicked aside the table made of gold in anger:
"Why isn't anyone stopping him! Where are the people on this ship! I pay them a lot every year, why! Why!"
Before him sat Tanaka solemnly, Baccarat with a worried look, and Dice who seemed clueless.
The Disaster Pirates are ravaging the ship, but no one is stopping them, it's completely different from what he imagined.
In his mind, it should be both the lure of money and the threat of disaster that united everyone to face disaster, staging a grand battle theater on this ship. Tesoro is the one who initiated this play, reaching a shockingly dramatic level that would force the Navy to dispatch troops, and then the Four Emperors would retreat.
But now, no one is resisting.
The guests who came to play, along with their armed bodyguards and subordinates, handed money to the Disaster Pirates at the port, were allowed to pass, and escaped from the only exit without wind pressure and whirlpools.
The Navy and Government officials have seemingly disappeared, hiding in remote residential areas that even his abilities cannot detect, not confronting the disaster.
Letting these people roam the city freely.
"Ten battleships have already arrived."
Baccarat saw Tesoro's expression starting to twist and advised: "Boss, wait a little longer..."
"Wait any longer and I'll be finished!"
Tesoro shouted: "That's the Four Emperors!"
Having been at sea for so long, it's impossible for him to be unaware of the strength of the Four Emperors.
He might look down on the new generation of pirates and even rely on his intelligence and strength to rival the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Years ago, he forced Doflamingo into cooperation due to no options.
Strictly speaking, before Doflamingo's defeat, Sage's business involved Tesoro as well, but with Doflamingo's imprisonment in Impel Down, all of that disappeared.
As a huge tycoon, Tesoro certainly wasn't interested in going to Sage for cooperation, unlike Doflamingo, Tesoro's wealth enables him to maintain a more exalted position.
But all this... is currently overshadowed by more violent power!
The feeling of helplessness makes Tesoro even angrier.
"In this place, in this world, I will not allow anyone who doesn't obey my commands or follow my words! I can move the Navy, I can control Celestial Dragons, there's nothing I can't achieve!"
Tesoro emanates a golden Thunderbolt from his whole body, which gathers in his hand, turns into sparks falling on the ground, immediately turning the entire ground into a golden wave, surging and rapidly spreading all over, seemingly engulfing the entire city.
If they can't do it, then use the Golden power of this ship to continue betting against Sage!
Boom!!
But just as he was about to act, the door suddenly flew open, the Golden Gate directly smashed into his subordinate Dice, carrying his body flying backward, hitting the wall hard.
Then, a line-like swirl of black and red ominous wind blew through the hall, the aura contained within made people's hearts tremble, making Tesoro halt his movement, the surging golden wave forced to disappear.
Baccarat and Tanaka both shivered, cold sweat streaming down, their faces filled with fear.
Under this aura, even if Tanaka wanted to pull Baccarat and drill through the ground, he couldn't, his ability was too scared to be used.
Supreme King!
"What are you shouting about!"
At the doorway, Sage strode in swaggering, beckoning with his finger, a few strands of wind threw the three Heavenly Celestial Dragons onto the ground. With Tesoro's expression rapidly changing, he smiled and said:
"You were the one singing at the mooring area, right? Sang very well; I really like you. Come make a deal, Tesoro, be my subordinate, and in exchange, I'll spare your life. These Heavenly Celestial Dragons are also my gift to you; how about it?"
Sage straightforwardly proposed.
To Tesoro, he wants the money and also the people.
Even his Fruit Abilities are secondary. After all, he can only control gold, not create it out of nothing, and controlled gold can only turn other objects into gold through gold powder, but that's fake.
Fake gold won't sell for money; to have reached such a business scale, he must have a commercial mindset.
Just like the Fruit chose someone, the symbolizing Fruit of enjoyment chose Tesoro, who creates wealth... representing his inherent capabilities.
Sage currently needs someone else to share the trivial matters within his territory, especially commercial affairs. If someone manages them, he'll save a lot of effort.
Lily, though doing well, her talents are mainly in internal affairs. She's weaker in other areas, and besides, leaving everything to her, Sage sometimes feels bad.
Add more talents to help Lily share the burden.
"Gift? Subordinate?"
Initially shocked, Tesoro's temple bulged with veins after hearing Sage's words, "I won't be anyone's subordinate! Not even the Four Emperors, don't..."
Once desperate for recognition, he paid money to make friends, but when he couldn't pay, he got beaten severely.
Pinning hopes on other's approval... is the dumbest thing.
In this world, only oneself...
"Don't underestimate me!!"
Fizz!
The golden wave surged again, sweeping up all the gold on the ship, gathering under Tesoro, forming a massive Golden Pillar.
"Not even the Four Emperors, I won't lose. Let's gamble face to face! Whoever wins gets everything!!" Tesoro roared.
Boom!!
But as the Golden Pillar rose, a massive Haki Shock blasted out, instantly shattering the Golden Pillar, causing Tesoro to spew a stream of blood, his body erupting with injuries, collapsing onto the ground trembling.
Sage clenched his fist, grinning viciously: "You and I are not on the same level."