Not long after Kaido and Red Hair had their mysterious meeting, aside from the Marine's heightened vigilance, Tesoro naturally became a subject of discussion once again.
It was only at this moment that they realized Beasts Fruits had already grown into a special business too big to fail. If they were to forcibly sanction this business, leaving aside what would happen to Beasts Fruits itself, the complaints from the Celestial Dragons alone would be enough to give the World Government a headache.
A decrease in tax revenue, mass unemployment, and even the public backlash caused by Tesoro's celebrity status would all be major problems.
This was no longer just the influence of an ordinary pirate crew. To the World Government, a pirate had never been considered a true threat—not even one of the so-called Emperors of the Sea.
In their view, only those who could shake the very foundation of the World Government were considered a crisis, and now, the Beasts Pirates had already begun to show signs of crossing that line.
Tesoro's words left them unsure of how to respond.
[I'm just a moneybag. Have you ever seen a moneybag that could control a gun? Let alone one that doesn't even belong to me.]
The prevailing policy of the World Government has always been to allow these pirates to exist as a means of diverting public discontent, all in pursuit of that so-called "balance." If the Beasts Pirates were willing to behave and cause less trouble, the government would actually prefer not to interfere in their affairs at all.
Unfortunately, the Beasts Pirates were frequently stirring up major incidents. Ever since Kaido's surprise attack on the G-1 Base, the disturbances they caused had only grown larger and more frequent.
As long as the benefits were sufficient, the World Government's tolerance was quite high. Morgans constantly defied orders and exposed the government's scandals, yet he was still living just fine.
On one hand, it was because he was indeed good at hiding; on the other hand, it was because the World Government had never truly decided to eliminate him—after all, the benefits brought by the World Economy News Paper outweighed the drawbacks.
The World Government had no intention of starting a war at the moment, but they still wanted to weaken the Beasts Pirates. Thus, a new plan was proposed—turning Tesoro against them.
Tesoro's behavior was different from that of the Beasts Pirates' other members. Since his debut, he had either performed as a celebrity on stage or engaged in various business ventures. He didn't even have a bounty on his head.
If they could turn him, they wouldn't just gain enormous profits, but also a wealth of classified intelligence on the Beasts Pirates, among other advantages.
A covert operation targeting Tesoro was gradually set into motion. However, before their preparations were even complete, two Dragonite sent from Onigashima had already arrived at Beasts Fruits' new headquarters.
Arceus knew exactly what Tesoro cared about. Money, fame—these were just external possessions to him. The only thing he truly cared about was Stella. As long as Stella was safe, Tesoro would remain unwaveringly loyal.
He had personally witnessed Arceus's power and was well aware that the Beasts Pirates were hiding a true god. Having Dragonite act as both a courier and a bodyguard was simply making the most of its capabilities.
Of course, Dragonite wasn't the only Pokémon that could serve as a courier. The reason for choosing Dragonite was simple—it possessed immense strength, making it capable of handling a wider range of situations.
Originally, the Persian that Stella kept served as a special bodyguard. However, as time passed, this Persian's combat prowess became somewhat inadequate. It could still handle common petty thieves just fine, but against professional Cipher Pol agents, it was clearly outmatched.
...
At Tesoro's home, two new guests had appeared at the dining table—Dragonite.
It wasn't strange for Pokémon to join in at the table for a meal. For those with strong enough bonds, Pokémon were already considered part of the family. They could understand human speech, possessed human-like emotions, and to people like them, Pokémon are just humans in a different form.
In a way, Pokémon like Gardevoir are even more special.
"These are… the new bodyguards Lord Arceus mentioned? They are… a little too cute, aren't they?"
Looking at Dragonite's appearance, Tesoro couldn't help but be a little stunned. He was, of course, happy that Arceus had sent him two more Pokémon, but Dragonite's appearance didn't seem intimidating at all.
"Aren't they nice? Round and chubby, so cute.."
"As long as you're happy. Lord Arceus surely wouldn't deceive us. Also, you should cut back on going out for now. The World Government seems to be up to something again—they have been acting strange."
"You too, be careful. Some things should just be let go."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. They won't dare act openly, and in the shadows, I don't fear them either."
If Tesoro was on his home turf, as long as the enemy wasn't of Admiral level, he had nothing to be afraid about. Even if it were an Admiral, he could still put up a fight.
Losing his home-field advantage would weaken him somewhat, but that didn't mean just anyone could take him down.
For those paying close attention, it was easy to notice that Tesoro had recently changed his fashion style—the amount of gold jewelry he wore had increased significantly.
...
The World Government acted swiftly. When Tesoro returned to his workplace once again, he immediately sensed that there was someone in the room.
"Sneaking in like this—is that how you people operate?"
Tesoro shut the door behind him and looked at the masked man in white standing before him.
"CP0. I don't see what I have that would warrant a visit from you."
"Gild Tesoro, you're a smart man, so I'll skip the unnecessary talk. This is an opportunity from higher-ups."
Pirates will always be pirates—there's no future in working for them."
"That's not much of a recruitment pitch. Where's the appeal?"
"Huh?"
"You've got to offer me something tangible. Empty promises won't cut it. What exactly do you think you can give me? But before you answer, you'd better consider carefully whether you can afford the price."
"..."
Tesoro's words left the CP0 agent silent. Naturally, they understood that recruiting someone required offering sufficient benefits. The problem was, as Tesoro had pointed out, his value was a little too high—they might not be able to meet his price.
But it doesn't matter. CP0 is known for being unscrupulous in their operations. If the carrot didn't work, there was always the stick.
"Tesoro, you'd best not forget your past identity in Sabaody Archipelago. There are things we can take from you at any time. Making money is great, but you need to be alive to spend it. And don't forget—you have people you care about."
Using family as leverage was one of CP0's standard tactics. To ensure certain individuals remained obedient servants to the Celestial Dragons, they often used their loved ones as bargaining chips.
"If you cooperate, you'll gain far greater benefits, and your loved ones will be able to keep their glamorous status—"
Before he could finish, an overwhelming killing intent suddenly filled the room.
Tesoro was glaring at him with a piercing, deadly stare. This aura was not something a mere celebrity or businessman should possess.
"I absolutely despise people who try to….threaten me with my family."
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