Chapter 624: Ian's Schemes Run Deep, I Want to Go Home!
Tesoro's vault was located in the tallest building in Gran Tesoro.
It was a building that gleamed entirely with gold, shaped like an arm with an index finger pointing toward the sky. It was Tesoro's landmark structure in the golden city and also served as the central surveillance hub for the entire city.
Such a building was naturally easy to find, but as Carina had said, it was heavily guarded. Within a five-hundred-meter radius of the building, a large number of armed guards could already be seen stationed there, with all unauthorized personnel strictly prohibited from approaching.
When Ian and his large group appeared, they immediately caught the attention of the guards.
However, recognizing the Dragon Hunter Pirates, the guards knew these people were guests of Lord Tesoro. A group of black-suited guards stepped forward and politely said to Ian, "Honored guests, please forgive us. This is a restricted area, so it is not open for tours..."
Ian smiled and turned to look at Perospero beside him.
Perospero felt somewhat annoyed. Ian's gaze clearly meant he wanted him to make the first move. Aside from Big Mom, he had never been ordered around by an outsider like this, which naturally irritated him. But since he had already reached an agreement with Ian, he suppressed his displeasure and acted directly.
Under everyone's watch, Perospero's legs dissolved like liquid, forming a pool of sweet-smelling syrup on the ground. This syrup spread rapidly, flowing toward Tesoro's guards.
"W-What is this!?" The guards sensed danger and tried to pull their legs away from the syrup, but it was too late. Under Perospero's control, the liquid shot up their legs, spiraling like a living thing, and quickly encased them in the syrup!
The fifteen guards who had come to greet them were instantly wrapped in a layer of syrup. Once fully covered, the syrup rapidly cooled and hardened.
The guards were frozen in place. The hardened syrup was as tough as steel armor, and no matter how hard they struggled, they couldn't budge an inch.
Moreover, Perospero was ruthless. Under his manipulation, the syrup not only covered their bodies but also completely sealed their faces. As the syrup hardened, an airtight mask formed. Trapped beneath it, the guards couldn't breathe. They tried to scream in terror but couldn't make a sound, and they suffocated to death...
This scene was witnessed by the remaining guards behind them. They realized these people were no longer guests and immediately called for reinforcements while opening fire with their guns and mortars at Ian and his group.
Aokiji shook his head, crouched down, and pressed his hand to the ground. The next second, a solid wall of ice rose up, expanding over a wide area to shield everyone.
Bullets and shells slammed into the ice wall, sending up blazing fire and smoke, but they couldn't even chip off a single piece of ice.
"Impressive durability!" Ian gave Aokiji a thumbs-up in praise.
"I don't need your compliments!" Aokiji replied irritably.
He wasn't stupid either. Though he hadn't figured out the reason, he felt like Ian had tricked him. Just a while ago, they had been fighting on the battlefield at New Edd War, and now, inexplicably, he was helping Ian rob a place. Anyone would find that suspicious...
But Ian just chuckled. Since Aokiji had already made his move, there was no turning back.
More guards poured out of the tower, but Perospero's syrup surged forward like a tide, encasing anyone who couldn't dodge in a sugary coating, turning them into sweet statues.
This eerie sight frightened the remaining guards. As more and more were dealt with by Perospero, the gunfire and cannon fire weakened. The group continued advancing toward the tower.
"Hurry! Close the door! Don't let them in!" a leading guard shouted, leading the others to retreat into the tower and slam shut the heavy golden door.
Yes, most of the building's structure was made of gold—the floors, walls, ceilings, all of it! That's why the tower seemed so magnificent; it was literally all gold.
Gold's weight went without saying. This golden door, the entrance to the tower, was the guards' first line of defense.
However, as soon as the guards closed the door and braced themselves behind it, a massive impact slammed into it!
Boom! With a thunderous sound, the entire golden door bulged inward as if struck by a battering ram. The guards behind it were sent flying, coughing up blood from the force.
Outside the door, Katakuri held his punching pose, watching the door spring back, and said, "Pretty sturdy!"
Indeed, that punch was his. Like Luffy's rubber arms, Katakuri's arms could extend. Coated in Armament Haki as solid as steel, his fist carried immense destructive power.
However, because the door was entirely made of gold, it had good ductility. When Katakuri punched it, the door didn't shatter but bulged and rebounded.
Katakuri glanced back and saw Ian and the Dragon Hunter Pirates standing with their arms crossed, clearly not intending to fight. Reluctantly, Katakuri struck again.
This time, his fist swelled, becoming enormous. When it hit again, with a crash, it finally blasted the closed door away!
The terrifying power left the guards inside stunned. Realizing they were no match, they scattered in all directions as Ian and the others entered the hall.
An enemy invasion had occurred, and they had to report this to Tesoro...
Actually, they didn't need to report it. Tesoro's Devil Fruit ability, once awakened, had connected him to all the gold in the city. When Katakuri first punched the golden door, Tesoro had already sensed it.
He immediately stopped in his tracks, raised his head, and looked through the buildings toward his lair, the Golden Tower.
"Damn it! Who is it!?" Tesoro gritted his teeth. "Attacking my vault at a time like this!? Are they tired of living!?"
Because he was in the middle of hunting down the Revolutionary Dragon, Gran Tesoro was in chaos. Most of the people here were pirates and criminals. Usually, they might behave, but once chaos erupted, they were the first to take advantage. Tesoro knew this well, so when he sensed enemies at the Golden Tower, he initially thought some opportunistic pirates were trying to fish in troubled waters.
"Tanaka, Baccarat! Take some people back immediately!" Tesoro ordered.
Baccarat and Tanaka didn't waste words and left with a group. The World Government official, Solomon, asked Tesoro, "What's going on?"
"Just some gutter rats trying to cause trouble in my territory while they can!" Tesoro said coldly.
"Don't worry," Solomon said dismissively. "Now that we know Dragon is here, the nearby Marine base has already sent warships heading this way. When we catch those looters, you can do whatever you want to them. The World Government will back you up!"
"I hope so," Tesoro replied.
But for some reason, he still felt uneasy. Ever since Dragon appeared, he had a nagging sense of foreboding. Coupled with the sudden heart-pounding feeling earlier, Tesoro sensed things weren't that simple.
"Let's go. Capture Dragon as quickly as possible," Solomon said. "Have your men hold them off for now."
Tesoro nodded. That was the only option.
However, just as he started moving and ran a short distance with Solomon, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket rang frantically.
Pulling it out, Tesoro answered and heard the panicked cries of the Golden Tower guards.
"L-Lord Tesoro! It's bad! Perospero and Katakuri of the Big Mom Pirates are leading an attack on the Golden Tower!"
Tesoro's face turned green. He shouted into the Den Den Mushi, "What!? How could they..."
Before he could finish, the guard on the other end added, "That's not all! Marine Admiral Aokiji is also here, and he's joined in! Black Dragon Ian is here too with his Dragon Hunter Pirates, following behind. They haven't acted yet, but they clearly seem to be together..."
With a buzz, Tesoro's mind went blank. The news hit him hard!
So it was true! They had all gathered together!
No wonder Perospero and Katakuri had asked about Ian as soon as they arrived in Gran Tesoro. I thought it was a coincidence, but as soon as Ian showed up, these people followed one after another. They're in cahoots, plotting against my golden city!
Even Aokiji, since leaving the Marines, has no restraints left, huh?
Tesoro finally understood where his unease came from...
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!" Tesoro stomped his foot and cursed through gritted teeth. "I should have known! With Ian's Pay-to-Win Fruit, how could he be satisfied with a mere twenty billion!? In my golden city, he's like a rat falling into a rice jar—how could he really hold back!? ...Fake! It's all fake! I was completely fooled by his earlier good behavior!! This guy's schemes are way too deep!"