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Chapter 181 The Golden Emperor
Chapter 181 The Golden Emperor
Bai Yu and his group stepped into the most extravagant and crazy golden city that never sleeps in this new world. At this moment, in the palace at the highest point of the Tesoro, a figure dressed in golden robes and with a fairly handsome face was quietly watching the unhurried black figure on the street through the huge golden floor-to-ceiling windows, his fingertips lightly tapping the golden handrail, his eyes filled with envy.
The sea breeze, carrying a salty, damp scent, brushed against the gleaming hull of the Dawnbreaker. Uchiha Hakuba leaned against the railing at the bow, his fingertips lightly tapping the cool wooden handrail, his dark eyes reflecting the ever-shining golden light on the distant horizon.
Seven days have passed since the battle on Whole Cake Island.
No matter how fierce the storms of the New World, they couldn't stir up the slightest ripple on the Dawn. Uchiha Hakuba and the others had long been accustomed to the overwhelming discussions from the outside world. Every day, they continued to drink, make merry, and chat. Matsumoto Rangiku's sake jug was never empty, Unohana Retsu would plant exotic flowers and plants on the deck in her spare time, and Artoria would practice a set of sword techniques in the early morning. The whole ship was as leisurely as a vacation cruise ship on the sea, completely unlike a terrifying fleet that had just destroyed the power of the Four Emperors and stirred up the entire New World.
On this day, a dazzling golden light suddenly appeared on the distant horizon.
At first, it was just a faint glimmer, like the afterglow of the setting sun on the sea. But as the Dawn continued to move forward, that golden light became more and more dazzling, until finally it transformed into an overwhelming golden wave that completely dominated everyone's vision.
Matsumoto Rangiku was the first to put down her sake jug. Her hazy, drunken eyes widened suddenly, her cherry-like lips parted slightly, filled with disbelief: "Th-what is that?! It's glittering gold—is the entire island covered in gold?"
She rushed to the railing, rubbed her eyes, and when she finally saw the outline of the enormous thing, she gasped, her voice rising several decibels: "A ship?! It's actually a ship?!"
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone on the deck looked up. The relaxed atmosphere was instantly shattered, replaced by extreme shock and astonishment.
What appeared before them was not an island at all, but a colossal warship made entirely of gold!
The size of this ship far exceeds that of any pirate ship seen before; even Whitebeard's Moby Dick and Big Mom's ships appear small in comparison.
Every inch of the ship's hull is covered in extremely pure gold, reflecting a dazzling light under the sun. The waves crashing against the golden gunwales create sprays that seem to be tinged with gold, creating a scene of extravagant beauty and extreme madness.
The ship is adorned with countless magnificent buildings, including palaces, pavilions, casinos, taverns, and dance floors, as if a bustling metropolis has been brought directly to the sea. The masts soar into the clouds, with huge gold gems inlaid at the top. The sails are woven from gold thread, and when they flutter in the wind, they resemble golden clouds drifting on the sea.
On both sides of the ship, countless lifelike golden beasts are carved, with dragons, tigers and elephants coiled on them, their fangs bared and their momentum fierce, as if they are about to leap off the ship at any moment and tear apart any enemy who dares to approach.
The entire ship is a golden empire floating on the sea, a city that never sleeps, a place of endless extravagance and debauchery.
"My God—this is way too much!"
Matsumoto Rangiku was completely stunned. Her usual languid smile vanished without a trace. She patted her cheeks to make sure she wasn't dreaming, then exclaimed, "We've been to Shandora, the Golden City, a legendary metropolis overflowing with gold! But compared to this ship, it's nothing! This isn't a ship; it's a monster made entirely of gold!"
Retsu Unohana walked slowly to the railing, a hint of surprise appearing in her gentle eyes. She gently raised her hand, brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and sighed softly, "I have never seen such a luxurious ship, using gold to this extent. Just what kind of crazy person is the owner of this ship? No, this must be the power of a Devil Fruit."
She had seen the extravagance of Soul Society and the rare treasures in the homes of nobles, but this floating golden city that never sleeps before her eyes still exceeded her comprehension. Every inch of gold spoke of extreme desire and wealth, and the air seemed to be filled with the smell of money.
Artoria's hand, gripping the sword hilt, paused slightly. Her emerald eyes were fixed on the colossal golden ship, a hint of disdain in her expression. "The entire ship is forged from gold; its defensive capabilities should far surpass those of ordinary warships. Moreover, its sheer size suggests it couldn't have been built by an ordinary force. The owner of this place must be a powerful figure in the New World, possessing immense wealth. Or perhaps one of those Celestial Dragons?"
As the King of Knights, she had never seen such extravagance with gold. Rather than building ships, it was as if they had created a kingdom of gold on the sea, which was crazy, extravagant and ostentatious to the extreme.
Uchiha Hakuba looked at the golden Tesoro before him, his dark eyes showing no greed, only a faint hint of amusement.
He naturally recognized the ship, and even more so its owner—Gild Tesoro, the user of the Gold-Gold Fruit, who controlled 20% of the Berries in the New World. He was the undisputed emperor of the underworld, known as the "Golden Emperor," who single-handedly built this city that never sleeps on the sea. Using wealth as his weapon, he controlled countless forces, and even the Navy and the World Government had to give him some respect.
The Whole Cake Island incident shocked the world. Given Tesoro's intelligence capabilities, it was impossible that he was unaware of Uchiha Hakuha's existence. And the Tesoro just happened to appear on the route that the Dawn was traveling. Whether it was unintentional or deliberate, it goes without saying.
Uchiha Shiraha chuckled lightly: "Indeed, before seeing so much gold, everyone said Shandora was the Golden City, but this is the real place of madness. Power is built with gold, desire is woven with wealth, and the whole city is moved to the sea. It should be much more fun than the territories of the Three Emperors."
Matsumoto Rangiku blinked and looked at Uchiha Shiraha: "Shiraha, should we go up? It looks really lively inside, and it's all gold. I'm really curious."
Her eyes gleamed as she stared at the Tezzolo, her mouth practically watering. For her, who loved wine, endless wealth meant endless fine wine, a temptation that was hard to resist. Such a rich guy probably wouldn't mind if they mooched some wine.
Unohana Retsu shook her head slightly and said with a smile, "Rangiku is still the same as always. This place, though seemingly prosperous, is actually rife with undercurrents. Beneath the gold lies countless conspiracies and killings."
Artoria nodded slightly and looked at Uchiha Shiroha: "Shiroha, I'll do whatever you say. If we're going to board the ship, we'll go together."
Uchiha Shiraha raised his eyes and looked at the magnificent golden palace at the highest point of the Tesoro, which was the residence of the Golden Emperor Tesoro. He could clearly feel an aura of domineering wealth emanating from that palace.
Clearly, Tezzolo was already inviting them to board the ship.
"Since we're already here, and it's almost dark, we should definitely go up and see this city that never sleeps on the sea."
Uchiha Hakuba raised his hand and waved it gently. The Dawn Ship slowly approached the Tesoro Ship, its oars cutting through the golden sea as it sailed toward the Golden Empire.
"Let's see why this Golden Emperor invited us aboard."
Soon, the Dawn docked at the Tesoro's private pier.
Stepping onto the gold-cast dock, the cold touch sent shivers down her spine. Matsumoto Rangiku couldn't help but lower her head and step on it, exclaiming in amazement, "It really is a ship made entirely of gold, even the dock is made of gold. It's so extravagant."
I feel like all the gold I've ever seen in my entire life combined doesn't equal what I've seen in just one day.
The docks were bustling with people: wealthy merchants in luxurious clothes, pirates with weapons, nobles from all over the world, and guards in uniform under Tesoro's command. Everyone walked on gold, their faces showing greed, awe, or intoxication.
The air was filled with boisterous laughter and chatter, creating a dazzling and decadent atmosphere. Even though the sun hadn't completely set, the Tesoro was still brightly lit, with golden light and streetlights reflecting each other, truly embodying the phrase "city that never sleeps."
"This is way crazier than Shandora!"
Robin sighed softly, "The gold of Shandora is the sediment of history, but the gold here is burning desire."
Artoria looked around warily, observing her surroundings, and said in a deep voice, "Everyone here is bound by gold. Wealth is everything here. Power, status, and life can all be measured in gold. This is a world controlled by money."
Uchiha Hakuba strolled along the gold-paved street, exuding a faint aura. Ignoring the gazes of everyone around him, he looked up at the tallest golden palace at the end of the street, a faint smile curving his lips.
"Gild Tezzolo————"
"You built this cage with gold, thinking that by controlling wealth, you control everything."
"It's a pity, those Celestial Dragons didn't rule the world with money."
"In the face of absolute power, no amount of gold is more than a pile of useless scrap metal."
Bai Yu and his group stepped into the most extravagant and crazy golden city that never sleeps in this new world. At this moment, in the palace at the highest point of the Tesoro, a figure dressed in golden robes and with a fairly handsome face was quietly watching the unhurried black figure on the street through the huge golden floor-to-ceiling windows, his fingertips lightly tapping the golden handrail, his eyes filled with envy.
Before long, at the end of the long street paved with gold, a group of upright and richly dressed waiters slowly walked in.
Dressed in white formal attire with dark gold patterns, they walked in unison, exuding a respectful air. Holding pristine white velvet handkerchiefs, they bowed and walked directly to Bai Yu and his group, their voices soft and respectful.
"Lord Uchiha Shiraha, and all of you gentlemen, we have come on the orders of the Golden Emperor, Lord Tesoro, to welcome you to the Golden Palace on the top floor for a discussion."
The head waiter didn't dare to raise his head, his tone filled with undisguised awe: "His Excellency has prepared a banquet, fine wine, and exclusive tailors and top-quality clothing in the palace to welcome you all."
Matsumoto Rangiku's eyes lit up. She shook the still-full sake bottle in her hand and said with a grin, "Oh? This Golden Emperor is quite polite, actually coming to invite me in person."
Unohana Retsu smiled gently, her eyes warm and gentle: "Since it is the master's kind invitation, then it would be impolite to refuse."
Uchiha Shiraha glanced down at the waiter, his dark eyes showing no emotion, and simply nodded.
"lead the way."
The waiters, as if granted a pardon, bowed and took a half-step back, respectfully leading the crowd towards the very center of the Tesoro.
We walked toward the tallest, golden palace.
Along the way, all pedestrians, vendors, gamblers, and guards retreated to both sides of the street, bowed deeply, and even breathed very softly.
The golden staircase ascends in layers, each step cast in pure gold. The handrails are inlaid with deep-sea sapphires and pearls, and luminous pearls the size of human heads hang overhead, illuminating the entire passageway as if it were daytime.
The higher you go, the more extravagant the atmosphere becomes, with the air filled with the aroma of fine incense, wine, and flowers, creating a breathtakingly luxurious ambiance.
Before long, the group was led into a private, custom-made hall on the side of the palace.
This is the place where the Golden Emperor Tesoro entertains his most distinguished guests. The entire house is paved with white jade, with golden beams, and the four walls are hung with the finest fabrics from the New World.
Silkworm silk, deep-sea sea monster velvet, brocade, silk satin, mercerized cotton—each one is priceless, and ordinary nobles may never see even a glimpse of it in their entire lives.
In the center of the hall, three elderly men with full heads of silver hair and solemn demeanor were already standing.
They are Tesoro's personal chief tailors, hired from all over the world at great expense. Their craftsmanship is unparalleled in the New World. Even the Celestial Dragons' clothing was once hand-sewn by them.
One of them was a tailor who had eaten the Sewing Fruit. At this moment, the three old men stood with their hands at their sides, their expressions extremely respectful, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.
The waiter bowed again: "Lord Baiyu, esteemed gentlemen, these three are Lord Tesoro's personal top tailors, who will be making bespoke outfits for you. You may choose any fabric, style, and decoration you wish to wear."
Uchiha Hakuba casually glanced at the shimmering fabrics filling the room and said indifferently, "No need for anything complicated, just something that fits."
But the three tailors dared not be negligent.
The person before them was a terrifying being who had destroyed countless nations and shaken the entire world. They wouldn't be qualified to choose just anything, not even if they brought the best materials in the world.
Immediately, the three old tailors divided the work and began to take measurements, select materials, match colors, and finalize designs for everyone, with gentle yet swift movements.
They dared not slacken their efforts in the slightest.