Certainly! Here's the translation of the text:
Tesoro is not weak.
Sage could see that this guy's power had reached the level of 'Awakening,' allowing him to freely manipulate the substances brought about by Awakening, estimated to be similar to Doflamingo.
However, compared to Doflamingo, he lacks the profound mastery of Supreme King and Haki. To ordinary people, he is indeed a formidable opponent, even capable of briefly standing on par with the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
But for the Four Emperors...
He's really not on the same level.
"Gold..."
Sage glanced at the fallen Tesoro on the ground, smiled, and said:
"A long time ago, I encountered a guy similar to you. He was a bit tougher. Fighting him back then was easy, but you're not impressive at all now."
With a flick of his finger, a fierce wind rose, stacking the three unconscious Heavenly Celestial Dragons like a Jenga tower in front of Tesoro. Sage stepped forward, sitting on the back of the topmost person, with one hand pressing the back of the Heavenly Celestial Dragon's head and the other beckoning to the side.
Lily handed up a cigar and lit it for him.
"Hmph..."
Sage exhaled a puff of smoke and asked, "Well, what's your answer?"
Just one punch, he hadn't gone all out, and this guy still endured.
Covered in scars, Tesoro's eyes rolled back, gradually regaining his pupils as he lay in a spread-eagle position on the ground, staring at the stormy night sky above. After a while, he suddenly reached out towards Sage.
"I won't be anyone's slave!"
The five rings on his right hand melted at this moment, forming five golden spikes that shot straight towards Sage.
Serve?
Subjugate?
He no longer trusts anything, even with Heavenly Celestial Dragons right before him...
But the resentment towards the Heavenly Celestial Dragons had long faded over time, gradually transforming.
Is this the Heavenly Celestial Dragons' fault?
On this vast sea, lacking power is the flaw. Without the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, someone else would create similar circumstances.
That's the essence of it.
From being used by the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, to being used by natural disasters... it's simply one slave becoming another.
He refuses to be a slave anymore!
Nor does he seek anyone's approval!
Truly, the natural disaster's elimination of the Heavenly Celestial Dragons back then was indeed shocking, even making Tesoro feel thrilled because it was something he dared not do.
But his mindset had long changed.
Now, it's no longer a problem that can be solved by the Heavenly Celestial Dragons.
This soul...
Had already been thoroughly distorted by Stella.
"I am the god! No one can stand above me, not even you, Sage!!" Tesoro roared out.
Whoosh!
The wind continued to blow; there was no need to deliberately block, and the flying spikes were swiftly stopped by a gust of fierce wind.
"Ah... rejected, huh."
Sage nodded, "Alright, got it."
He extended a finger, lightning gathered between the fingertips, transforming into a thunderbolt that shot into Tesoro's forehead, making his body tremble as his eyes rolled back completely, losing consciousness.
"Bind him with Seastone and later send him to Teach... Hmm, let Link handle it."
Sage didn't spare a single glance at Tesoro.
He doesn't lack subordinates; if one refuses, just find another.
His invitation was about recognizing talent, but if declined, he's not one to cling stubbornly.
At this stage, it's not like when he first debuted, going out of his way for new subordinates.
Back then, with a few guns and people, when the team just started, everything was lacking, of course.
Now he's got everything, not needing similar types of subordinates.
He never thought any character in his memory was impressive.
"On the sea, who appears, and who can be nurtured, all depend on oneself. Some experiences can create a Tesoro, and some cultivation can develop another business figure, like you..."
Sage said to the three women, "So if rejected, then rejected. It doesn't matter, and it won't hinder my plans. As for money..."
In his eye flashed a red dot, looking straight down, the Golden Bracelet on his wrist suddenly transformed, appearing as a Pirate Saber.
Once grasped, lightning surged from the blade, flames spread over it, coating it with something akin to a laser.
"Lightning Sword."
Slash!!
The laser sliced smoothly downward like cutting through tofu, neatly slicing a massive opening into the deck, splitting the ship's city-like structure from the rear half and revealing a golden light.
Brilliantly glowing, not even the storm clouds could overshadow this light, instead blanketing them with a golden hue, turning the skies into a sea of gold.
Below, it was all gold!
"Wow!!"
Renedia's eyes turned golden, exclaiming in wonder.
Marika's smiling face paused for a moment, and even the calmest Lily's pupils contracted upon seeing the burst of golden light.
The power of wealth, for anyone living on the sea, cannot go unnoticed, especially as Pirates.
Everything in sight is gold!
A mountain of gold coins, golden columns reshaped by power, crafted golden artifacts, densely packed, filled the space below, dazzling to the eye, bringing a happy sense of overpowering glare.
So much gold!
Storable, naturally not like Belly's banknotes, although they are linked, yet gold as an absolute hard currency, is undeniably prevalent across the seas!
"Hahaha! These cannot escape my perception!" Sage laughed heartily, his teeth gleaming in the gold's dazzling gleam.