One Piece: I'm not Roger

A flash of light cut through the air.

The golden armor covering Gild Tesoro's body split apart instantly, unable to withstand the power of Ace. The blade sliced cleanly through his waist, severing him in two.

Blood and organs spilled across the shattered ground.

The ruler of Gran Tesoro, the man once known as the richest figure in the world, finally reached the end of his road.

Only half of his body remained.

Tesoro collapsed onto the cold floor, his lifeless eyes staring blankly at the dark sky above. The light within them gradually faded as his lips trembled slightly.

"Stella... did you come for me?"

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"I can finally see you again..."

At the edge of death, people often saw the person they regretted most.

For Tesoro, the deepest scar in his life was still the moment Stella had been taken away from him. Even after gaining wealth, power, and influence, that pain had never disappeared.

If only he had managed to save her back then.

Suddenly, a cold voice shattered his dying fantasy.

Aether stepped forward and looked down at him indifferently.

"You didn't even have the courage to avenge her."

Tesoro's expression froze.

"The Celestial Dragons responsible for her death could still walk freely through your territory, and you tolerated it for years."

Aether's eyes remained emotionless.

"And you think Stella would come for someone like that? Stop dreaming, coward."

The faint smile on Tesoro's face disappeared instantly.

Aether's words struck harder than any blade.

Tesoro's breathing became erratic as despair filled his eyes.

Right.

He never avenged Stella.

Even after becoming powerful enough to shake the world, he still bowed his head to the Celestial Dragons.

Would Stella truly forgive someone like him?

Tesoro weakly raised a trembling hand toward Aether.

"You... you..."

Before he could finish speaking, his arm fell lifelessly to the ground.

Gild Tesoro died with his eyes wide open.

Aether merely glanced at the corpse before turning away.

He had no sympathy left for the man.

Walking forward, Aether picked up the unconscious Momousagi.

The Admiral candidate was far too valuable to release. She would become an important bargaining chip for future negotiations with the World Government.

As for Kizaru and Tokikake, both had already escaped long ago.

Aether clicked his tongue slightly.

The Glint-Glint Fruit truly made Kizaru troublesome to deal with.

If it had been Akainu or Aokiji instead, Aether was confident he could have kept all of them behind.

The sky gradually brightened as dawn arrived.

When Aether reunited with Vista and the others, pirates under the Aether Pirates banner spread throughout Gran Tesoro, fully taking control of the city.

The era of Gild Tesoro had officially ended.

After a complete investigation, the wealth stored inside Gran Tesoro was estimated to be close to one trillion Berries.

Although the number sounded terrifying, it still fell short of the rumors claiming Tesoro possessed twenty percent of the world's wealth.

Still, that made sense.

Nobody foolish enough to survive in the New World would keep every asset in a single location.

Most of Tesoro's fortune had already been invested across the world.

He maintained business relationships with numerous Underworld Emperors and participated in countless industries, including shipping, weapons trading, casinos, and slave trafficking.

He even regularly gifted enormous sums of money to influential figures to preserve those relationships.

Back when Aether first became a Yonko, Tesoro had apparently sent him a gift worth one billion Berries. Unfortunately, Aether had not been present at the time.

Now, at least, killing him carried no unnecessary guilt.

In reality, Tesoro's most valuable assets were his worldwide trade routes and underground connections.

Unfortunately, with Tesoro dead, those networks would collapse soon after.

It was essentially the same as slaughtering the goose that laid golden eggs.

Still, Aether had little interest in managing those complicated businesses himself.

One trillion Berries alone was already enough to support his crew's expenses for years.

After all, that amount rivaled several years of the Marines' operating budget.

Once control over Gran Tesoro stabilized, Aether ordered the release of ordinary tourists trapped within the city.

However, slave traders and notorious underworld criminals among them were executed without mercy.

As for the former slaves enslaved by Tesoro, Aether gave them travel expenses and allowed them to leave freely.

Most had already changed after years of suffering under Tesoro's rule.

If some still chose to ruin their lives through gambling and greed afterward, that was their own problem.

Inside the former casino's grand hall, countless pirates moved back and forth as they handled the city's affairs.

Vista eventually returned after finishing his assignments.

However, the strange look on his face immediately caught Aether's attention.

Aether narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Vista, why are you staring at me like that?"

Vista coughed awkwardly.

"Boss, there is something I need to report."

He paused briefly.

"That woman named Baccarat has been managing the city's affairs using your name."

Aether raised an eyebrow.

Vista continued with a helpless expression.

"She keeps introducing herself as your woman."

Aether's face twitched slightly.

Baccarat's efficiency was undeniably impressive. Her familiarity with Gran Tesoro allowed her to organize everything far better than most pirates ever could.

Because of her supervision, several pirates who planned to secretly pocket treasure lost their opportunities entirely.

Still, Vista found the situation amusing.

His captain's luck with women was absurd.

Aether sighed before rubbing his forehead.

Before he could respond, Vista suddenly remembered another matter.

"Boss, Izo and the others captured two Celestial Dragons near the outer harbor. Three CP0 agents were also killed during the battle."

That instantly caught Aether's attention.

Just as expected.

Capturing Celestial Dragons would make future negotiations with the World Government significantly easier.

Aether's smile deepened slightly.

"I have no interest in meeting those Celestial Dragon pigs."

His expression quickly turned serious.

"But increase security around them immediately. Also, keep strict watch over Momousagi."

He glanced toward the distance.

"The World Government will definitely attempt a rescue operation."

Vista nodded in agreement.

In truth, seizing Gran Tesoro itself had not been difficult.

Guarding the Celestial Dragons and Momousagi afterward would be the real challenge.

After discussing several more matters, Vista hesitated briefly before speaking again.

"Boss..."

"What now?"

Vista pointed behind Aether with an odd expression.

"The woman behind you has already hidden two treasure maps inside her clothes."

Aether slowly turned around.

Behind him, Carina froze mid-motion while secretly stuffing valuables into her outfit.

The atmosphere instantly became awkward.

Aether's face darkened.

Only his furious roar echoed through the hall.

"CARINA! YOU BRAT, HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY MONEY?!"

...

Night soon arrived once again.

Gran Tesoro sailed across the sea at full speed after leaving Big Mom's territory, steadily approaching the waters controlled by the Aether Pirates.

Inside the core section of the massive golden ship, a shadow quietly moved through the corridor.

Carina, dressed in tight black clothing, carefully avoided the guards while sneaking toward Aether's room.

Her movements were cautious and practiced.

Tonight's target was simple.

The invisibility cloak.

Aether had kept the treasure close to him the entire day, leaving her no opportunity to steal it openly.

This was her only chance.

Everything had already been prepared beforehand.

The buyer had increased the reward to five hundred million Berries.

A ship waited secretly at the harbor alongside a temporary crew she carefully selected herself.

As long as she obtained the cloak, she could immediately abandon Gran Tesoro and disappear.

Stopping in front of Aether's room, Carina carefully checked her surroundings before pulling out lockpicking tools.

Click.

The door quietly opened without making the slightest sound.

A smug smile appeared on Carina's face as she slipped inside.

And just as she hoped, the invisibility cloak had been casually tossed aside by Aether near the bed.

===

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