Chapter 497: Are You a Songstress?
Chapter 497: Are You a Songstress?
Through the window, a golden glimmer gradually revealed the outline of a massive ship.
"The total length is ten thousand meters, comparable to a city," Lily said.
"Gran Tazoro, the world's largest entertainment city, and a famous amusement park. Everything is related to gambling, and it's rumored that one can become rich overnight here," Lily explained.
"Huh? Only a casino?" Renetia, who was flipping through a booklet on the sofa, looked up and glanced out the window, her eyes filled with disappointment. "No amusement rides?"
"There are some," Mariya replied with a chuckle. "But everything is related to gambling, even the rides can be gambled on."
"I'm an expert at this!" Renetia raised her fist. "If you lose, you win it back, then it's just pure fun!"
Sage turned and glared at her, "How could you come up with such a mean idea? Who taught you that? You've gone bad!"
Then, he noticed Renetia pointing at him, "Sage, you did the same thing in the rainy lands of Alabasta back then."
"Oh, it was me. Never mind then."
Sage clicked his tongue and glanced at the booklet in her hand, asking, "What are you reading?"
"A romance comic," Renetia replied, waving the booklet in her hand. "Sugar gave it to me. It's about a brown-haired private school girl and a fierce-looking private school boy, who was mistaken for a pirate, falling in love on an island in the great sea."
"What nonsense."
"There are three more. The heroines in the other books are a red-haired girl, a pink-haired girl, and a blonde-haired girl, all of whom are proud but awkward types. I plan to read them all and then tell Sugar which one is the best."
"Four Moe?"
Sage was taken aback, awakening a very ancient memory.
"What?" Renetia asked, puzzled.
"No, nothing. It's just that the voice sounds like the same person who voiced the pink-haired strong girl and the silver-haired lecherous uncle in the comics. Next time I see them, remind me to take a look."
Sage waved his hand dismissively.
Although Sugar was older than Renetia in terms of the years she had lived, the two were indeed of the same age. The Devil Fruit definitely had side effects.
Aside from gradually influencing one's personality, it also altered one's body. Rather than becoming various 'ability users,' it was more accurate to say that they corresponded to the name of the 'Devil Fruit.' It was as if a 'devil' truly resided within their bodies.
For example, the Childhood Fruit not only prevented the eater's body from growing but also kept their psychology the same. Their thoughts might become slightly more intelligent over time, but they would never reach the level of an adult; at most, they could be considered precocious children.
Currently, Sugar was ten years old, and Renetia was twelve, so they could play together.
"The biggest casino," Mariya said, standing by the window and gazing at the approaching giant ship. "This industry is much larger than our gambling business, and it looks very prosperous too."
"I don't consider this a business. Others can open a couple of casinos to show off, but there's no value in making this an industry," Sage said with a smile. "Let me tell you a joke. One person said to another, 'I bet you eat this pile of shit, and I'll give you one hundred million Beli.' The person ate it, and the other person really gave them one hundred million Beli. However, the one who ate the shit didn't feel good about it, so they made the same bet with the other person, who also ate it and took back their one hundred million Beli."
"Two piles of shit created an economic value of two hundred million Beli, but as for the production value...nothing!"
Sage rolled his eyes, "Old man Du Feld is like that, and so is Old man Doflamingo. Now this guy is the biggest of them all. We, the outlaws, can only run casinos and sell weapons as businesses?"
"Go and teach him what a real business is! What the hell is a real business!"
The most important business for a pirate was, of course, to rob!
The black vessel approached Gran Tazoro, and at the bow, a massive entrance resembling a casino's facade sailed into view.
Even the Doom Star's size seemed minuscule beneath the ten-thousand-meter giant ship, and the wide entrance allowed the vessel to glide in smoothly.
As soon as they approached, it was as if golden rain began to fall from above.
"It's gold!"
All the crew members on the deck reached out their hands, allowing the golden powder to fall on their bodies as they cheered loudly.
The falling gold powder turned the seawater through which the ship sailed into a golden hue.
"Gold powder?"
Lily frowned slightly as she looked out the window, "As a casino, shouldn't they be more conservative with their gold?"
It seemed like this was an all-day affair, with the gold powder being sprinkled regardless of day or night. And below wasn't a pond but the vast ocean, where it would flow away.
As a casino, sprinkling gold dust like this is quite an unnecessary expense.
Is there another purpose for this?
"Sage."
Just as she turned to speak, a gust of wind suddenly stirred around her, and the captain's cabin door opened. Sage appeared on the deck as well.
"Real gold? How extravagant!"
Sage greedily extended his hand, letting the gold dust fall into his palm, but his joy didn't last a moment. His expression immediately turned gloomy.
"It's fake!"
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind rose around him, blowing away the gold dust that covered the deck and the pirates.
"Huh?"
Sifer, who had been excited on the deck, had just entered the banquet hall when he rushed out, intending to look around, only to be showered with gold dust.
That's real gold!
The ship might as well stop here and collect enough gold dust; they could fill their pockets with it.
"Is it real, Captain? That's real gold!"
"My ability to discern treasure is unquestionable!"
Sage's eyes flashed with red dots, and he smirked, "Using fake things to fool people? I'll have Tazoro compensate for this loss!"
Sage might not dare to say anything else, but his ability to discern treasure was second to none.
When it came to discovering ancient treasures with historical value or modern treasures related to wealth, his ability could sense them all.
The Landlord, being a money-pinching old miser, felt the pain of losing even a single penny.
"What loss?" Sifer asked foolishly.
"Not making a profit is a loss," replied Lily, who had come out of the captain's cabin, not Sage.
For Sage, it wasn't just about losing money; if something didn't meet his expectations or made him feel displeased, it was definitely a loss!
And when there was a loss, someone had to pay.
The sailing route wasn't long; almost halfway through, Sage stood at the bow of the ship and saw a massive circular sea area ahead. In the sea area, there were several golden pillars, and behind them was a huge stage.
On those golden pillars, a group of women dressed as dancers kicked their legs high, their rhythm changing with the singing of a purple-haired woman at the center. In the stage behind, there was an orchestra of grand proportions.
The scale
was larger than Sage's!
On the single golden pillar in the center of the stage, a man in a tuxedo, wearing a top hat and star-shaped sunglasses, held a microphone, drowning out the woman's singing. He seemed to treat the place as his stage, performing with abandon and stirring up the atmosphere.
The atmosphere here
was even better than what Sage had experienced in Storm City!
Sage furrowed his brows and called out, "Renetia!"
"Yeah?"
"Fire a shot and clear the way ahead!"
"OK!"
Renetia bounced towards the main cannon position, electricity crackling between her fingers. She slammed her hand down and excitedly shouted, "Fire!"
...
Gran Tazoro was Guild Tazoro's city and his 'kingdom'.
From time to time, he would perform here, reveling in the cheers and adoration of the crowd, observing their happy and expectant expressions, and imagining their faces when they would lose everything later.
It was that kind of expression, a transformation from hope to despair.
Every time he saw such expressions, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
This place was where he could freely exercise his authority; money could buy anything here! Even the World Government could be bought, turning this place into an untouchable territory!
"Are you happy? Are you having fun? Cheer!"
Guild Tazoro's voice echoed through the area as he held the microphone. He raised one hand and revealed a drunken smile, "Cheer for me, cheer for Gran Tazoro! Welcome to the world's largest entertainment city!"
Boom!!
As soon as he finished speaking, a cannonball blasted out of the exit, shattering all the ships sailing in the same direction. They fell into the waters near the stage, creating a huge splash.
A solid cannonball?!
The sudden cannon attack also silenced the surrounding music and the cheers of the onlookers.
"Lord Tazoro!"
The purple-haired singer paused, staring at the exit, "Someone's causing trouble."
This was a place of absolute neutrality sanctioned by the World Government, yet someone dared to fire a cannon? This wasn't a minor disturbance; for her, it was the first time she had witnessed such a scene here.
Carina.
For a thief, remaining unknown is the ultimate professionalism. Stealth and successful thefts define a true master of the craft.
She had been eyeing Gran Tazoro's giant vessel for some time, and recently, she finally found an opportunity to infiltrate it. With her exceptional appearance and singing voice, she quickly became a subordinate of Guild Tazoro, even holding a significant position.
During her time there, she witnessed ships docked in the area attacking each other, mostly pirates, gambling away their money and resorting to robbing other vessels to recoup their losses.
Tazoro often treated these incidents as a joke, especially with an audience around. Some people found the spectacle of cannon battles thrilling, akin to watching a free naval battle.
However, these battles only affected the space between two ships, and before long, Tazoro's ability would solidify the combatants into golden statues, creating a grand and luxurious finale to the performance.
But this time was different. The power of the cannonball not only destroyed a row of ships at the front but also reached Tazoro. She looked at the man in the center of the stage, and the impact of the solid shot created a splash of water that rained down on him, soaking half his body.
Tazoro held the microphone, his head lowered, veins popping out on his forehead as he grinned menacingly. "Hmph! It's been a while since someone dared to cause trouble here. I've decided to turn them into statues and display them at the exit!"
He extended his hand towards the exit, and the golden sea beneath suddenly rippled, forming waves. Within these waves, golden liquid spiraled and twisted, creating columns like sea dragons made of gold.
The tips of these columns continuously intertwined, forming sharp spirals that aimed directly at the black ship slowly emerging from the exit, revealing half of its body.
"Let's see which pirate crew doesn't understand the meaning of death."
The star-shaped sunglasses on his nose slipped slightly, allowing Tazoro to see the mast and sail of the black ship, as well as the emblem on the sail. In an instant, his pupils constricted, and his face contorted in disbelief. The golden spiral column that was about to descend abruptly halted.
He seemed unsure, hesitating for several seconds until the entire mast of the ship was visible, and he spotted the pirate flag hanging above it.
"Tanaka!" Tazoro shouted.
In that moment, his figure vanished from above the stage.
The cheering audience also fell silent, frozen in place like statues, their eyes fixed on the black ship sailing out of the exit.
Carina, too, widened her eyes in shock. Her well-maintained disguise, which had allowed her to move freely, was shattered like a sharp knife, tearing through her smile.
The Starlight Skull Flag!
"The Calamity Pirates?!"
The onlookers let out a chilling scream of terror, as if a fuse had been lit, causing them to scatter in panic.
The dancing girls, the musicians, the spectators, and the advancing black ship created a chaotic atmosphere. Amid the frenzy, the musicians' hurried footsteps on the instruments created a discordant sound, forming an unusual yet fitting performance for the occasion.
Boom!
The normally clear sky, chosen specifically for its lack of rain clouds, suddenly darkened with ominous clouds. Thunder rumbled, and strong winds swept through.
The sound of heavy rain filled the air as large raindrops fell on Carina, who stared intently at the white-haired man at the front of the black ship's deck.
It wasn't just the Calamity Pirates; their leader, Calamity himself, had arrived!
"It's over," Carina thought to herself.
She took two steps back, preparing to jump and escape at the right moment. But as she moved, her body suddenly froze, and her pretty face turned deathly pale.
She didn't know what it was, but the overwhelming sense of urgency almost made her faint. Her instincts screamed at her not to move, fearing that the slightest action could mean her death.
"Lily," Sage said, glancing at Lily with a sidelong look. He waved his hand, signaling her to withdraw her Tyrant Aura, and then addressed Carina, who stood out like a target on the high platform.
"Hey, you sing well. You're a songstress, right? I've taken a liking to you. Come work for me."
(End of Chapter)
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