Vice Admiral Wright was standing right there, in the flesh.
Though his hair was black instead of blonde, and the blade in his hand was not the famed golden sword "Ashes" that had made him renowned, there was no mistaking the unique power of Holy Light emanating from him—it couldn't be faked.
He must be on a secret mission, disguised to eliminate the two pirates earlier. That much was understandable.
However, what Gild Tesoro couldn't fathom was how Wright had come to know about Stella. Fisher Tiger, sure—he could guess that much.
But that didn't matter now. The person he wanted to thank most had appeared before him, an encounter he never expected.
What he'd said earlier? He had no qualms admitting it—because it was what he truly believed!
Gild Tesoro, the so-called "Golden Emperor," was a man who clearly differentiated gratitude from grudges. If he hadn't, how could he have built such an empire with the Gold-Gold Fruit alone?
Still...
"Vice Admiral Wright! While I am grateful that you've helped me resolve part of my regrets, I can never forget what happened back then!"
"And so, even if it's you, I can't let someone who heard my earlier words leave this place alive—you are, after all, a Marine!"
Tesoro gave a complicated smile. "Who would have thought… If Blazer wasn't you, if we could've met in my VIP lounge under different circumstances, how wonderful that would have been…"
Around Tesoro, the gold he had assimilated began to surge. "But I can't afford to have the World Government or the Marines knocking on my door tomorrow. Gran Tesoro is just getting started!"
"To slay gods, I must first become one!"
The liquid gold erupted violently, enveloping Tesoro completely. The ground trembled as a massive golden giant emerged before Wright.
The golden titan's upper body was covered with vivid purple-red conduits, resembling a mechanical colossus. Hidden within the giant's core, Tesoro piloted the behemoth with precision.
"Very well... Try to defeat me, then," Wright said with a calm smile as he faced the golden giant. "If you can't even best me, then don't talk about becoming a god!"
"Forgive me, Vice Admiral Wright!" Tesoro roared as the golden giant raised its enormous fist and hurled a powerful punch at Wright. The fist, clad in golden armor, accelerated with blistering speed, igniting molten gold as it neared its target.
"Golden Hellfire!"
Wright gripped his sword with both hands, facing the oncoming colossal punch. Holy flames surged from the blade.
"Super Holy Judgment!"
Although he didn't wield "Ashes" at the moment, the equally legendary Nidai Kitetsu allowed him to unleash 80% of his full power.
Clang!
The sound of the blade rang out as Wright's powerful slash cleaved through the golden giant's massive fist, triggering a violent explosion.
Boom!
It was as if a miniature sun had descended. The explosion, charged with intense heat radiation, was even more destructive than anticipated.
Wright raised a barrier of Holy Light to shield himself from the explosive heatwave.
Within the explosion, Tesoro's pained grunt was followed by an angry bellow:
"Golden Divine Fire!"
A concentrated golden laser beam shot out from the blast, shattering Wright's Holy Light barrier. But Wright had already ascended, evading the strike.
"Such power… That would've hurt if it landed," Wright muttered to himself before suddenly feeling his arms tighten.
Turning his head, he saw the golden giant gripping him tightly. The swirling dust in the air turned into fine golden particles, forming chains that bound his arms.
"This environment works in my favor, Vice Admiral Wright!" Tesoro's voice rang out. "Let's see you escape this!"
The golden giant's restored fist launched another powerful punch.
"Futile," Wright said, shaking his head. Were his arms bound? To most swordsmen, that would indeed be a problem.
Brilliant golden light erupted from Wright's bound arms, a unique form of Holy Light expanding outward, shattering the golden chains that bound him.
"The advanced form of the Holy Light Wall is the Holy Shield… Though it's not quite at an invincible level yet."
Tesoro, stunned that his carefully planned sneak attack had failed, froze for a moment before angrily preparing another strike.
"It's over," Wright declared.
Soaring into the sky, Wright raised his blade high. The image of a massive, gold-red blade of holy fire shimmered above it.
"Holy Fire Transmutation!"
Though not as massive as the awakened form of "Ashes," the blazing sword of divine fire stretched over ten meters long as Wright prepared his ultimate move.
"Final Judgment!"
The colossal blade of holy fire cleaved downward with immense force. Sensing the overwhelming threat, Tesoro roared in defiance, channeling all his strength into the golden giant's armored fists, meeting the descending blade with everything he had.
Boom!
Unfortunately, Wright at full strength was far beyond what Tesoro, newly awakened to his Devil Fruit's powers, could handle.
The holy fire blade bisected the golden giant from its fists to its torso, utterly destroying it in a massive explosion. Tesoro, hidden within, was sent flying and crashed heavily onto the ground.
"Have I… failed?" Tesoro lay sprawled on the cold ground, staring at Wright's descending figure.
"Vice Admiral Wright…"
With a final groan, Tesoro passed out.
Wright approached him, glancing at the wreckage of the golden giant that had reverted to normal gold after Tesoro lost consciousness.
Using just a few gold rings as conduits, Tesoro had managed to assimilate so much rock and sand. His talent in both combat and commerce was undeniable.
"Give him a few more years, and only a scripted defeat could stop him…" Wright mused silently.
Looking at Tesoro, Wright pondered.
"What should I do with such an unstable element?"
...
Tesoro dreamed.
For years, he had grown used to nightmares.
Stella's serene smile before the Celestial Dragons took her. The news of her death that shattered him.
The towering figure of Fisher Tiger amid the flames when he escaped Mariejois. The news of Tiger's death that left him powerless.
Hatred. Rage. Endless hatred for the Celestial Dragons, the nobles, and the wealthy. Infinite fury at his own weakness and helplessness.
The Celestial Dragons—the root of all his pain—had taken away everyone he loved and respected.
Ever since he gambled everything to obtain the Gold-Gold Fruit, Tesoro had decided that the power he once despised would become the tool of his revenge.
One day, the golden power imbued with his deepest hatred would sweep the world, dragging those self-proclaimed gods down to the mortal realm!
In his dream, Tesoro sank deeper into the darkness. His once brilliant golden power dimmed and turned pale.
But… he had failed. He had been defeated by the very person he wanted to thank.
Had he been wrong to use hatred as his weapon of vengeance?
"Golden Emperor?"
He chuckled bitterly. The title bestowed by those corrupted by gold was as fragile as the people who bore it.
What could a defeated man like him use to continue his revenge?
As Wright had said, if he couldn't even defeat him, how could he claim to become a god?
Tesoro jolted awake from his dark reverie.
"I won't accept this…"
"How could I accept this! Stella's soul is crying out! She was so kind, yet you so-called 'false gods' stole her, tortured her to death!"
"Celestial Dragons…"
"Though I've failed, someone else will succeed!"
"The man who defeated me… Vice Admiral Wright, show me if you can achieve what I could not!"
"I… only wish to slay gods!"
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