https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-745-Instant-Execution-of-a-Thousand-Men-/13539114/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-747-Kuro-Use-Your-Unbeatable-Ability-to-Think-of-a-Solution/13539118/
Chapter 746: Money Talks
Chapter 746: Money Talks
"Diez too."
Bartolo, standing nearby, froze in shock upon hearing Kuro's words.
Tezoro raged, "You were the one who killed the World Noble! Golden Lion, you have no qualifications to judge me! You're just as despicable, no different from those people!"
"I don't deny it."
Kuro drew his blade and slashed sideways in an instant.
Hiss!
A giant head suddenly erupted from the ground, aiming to strike Kuro, but the Yokai Blade cleaved it in two.
"The world isn't just black and white. What matters isn't being 'despicable'—"
Whoosh!
Hiss!
Kuro reappeared beside Bartolo. Without using Haki, his white blade flashed, severing Bartolo's head in one stroke.
"It's about being stronger than you."
Exhaling a puff of smoke, he said blandly.
"Gold Bomb!"
Tezoro's fingers struck the golden floor. Cracks split it open as the gold melted into molten liquid, coating his fists. With a punch, the golden fists exploded toward Kuro like cannonballs, shockwaves and flying shrapnel tearing through the air.
"Oh? Interesting. Using Haki as energy to mimic cannonball force? Gold Cannon?"
Kuro didn't budge. As the blast neared, the shockwave vanished, and the golden shards suddenly lost weight, floating midair before clinking to the ground.
"Tch!"
Tezoro stomped his foot. The golden chandeliers above and floor below liquefied, rushing toward him like tidal waves.
If even one drop touched Kuro, he'd control him through the gold, turning him into a golden statue! These Marines lacked Golden Powder, making his usual manipulation tricky.
"Awakened Ability?" Lida exclaimed.
"Yeah, Tezoro's an Awakened. But if we really attack, he still can't escape." Zoro smirked at Lida.
"Too obvious."
As Tezoro stomped, Kuro lifted off the ground, hovering midair. "And you can't control me."
He dashed forward, Yokai Blade raised for a downward slash.
Tezoro gritted his teeth, meeting the strike by punching his right fist forward. A golden gauntlet erupted around it, infused with flowing Haki.
Hiss!
The Yokai Blade cleaved through the gauntlet and the arm beneath, slicing both in half.
"Arrgh!!!"
Tezoro screamed, clutching his mangled arm as he staggered backward.
This strength might rank highly in the Grand Line...
But against Kuro, it was pitiful.
Even Luffy's Gear Fourth could've handled him alone. Donquixote Doflamingo fell only after being gravely injured by Law, then defeated due to carelessness and pride.
But Tezoro? Just Gear Fourth, no mercy, no hesitation.
How could such a weakling compare?
"How?! Why are you so strong?!" Tezoro roared, disbelieving.
"It's not that I'm strong."
Kuro gazed at him. "You're just weak."
"How ironic. Same circumstances, yet the Gillian you recruited was far stronger than you. He was a strong man, you're just a weakling."
Weakness wasn't about power, but mindset and cultivation.
Strong men challenge stronger foes. Weaklings attack weaker ones.
Both were slaves, defeated by the same evil dragon. One vowed to slay dragons, achieving greatness before death. The other, consumed by the dragon's might, grew scales and claws himself, becoming a hideous monster.
Of course, this was personal choice. Kuro had no right to judge.
All he had... was killing.
"You have no right to say that! No right! You understand nothing!!"
Kuro's words ignited Tezoro's fury. "If you'd lived my life, you wouldn't be better than me! Lucius Kro! When your most important person became a slave, and you were powerless—what could you do?!"
Money would've saved him!
Money!
He had none, so he couldn't save Stella!
With money, he could've had everything!!
"Let me go! I have money!"
Tezoro screamed, "500 billion Beri! It's all yours! Just let me live!"
He possessed this ability. He could create more gold—though it was 'fake gold'—but as long as he survived, the ability remained. Fakes could become real. So long as he lived, he could rebuild everything.
"Money..."
Kuro bit his cigar, smoke curling. "You don't understand money's value. Money exchanges for value. But when money multiplies, it becomes worthless. I heard you own 20% of the world's circulating Beri? But you hoarded them, rendering them useless. If you released it all, prices would skyrocket. What costs me 10,000 Beri might take 20,000. And too much money becomes a hot potato—governments would notice. Not that I care, but I'd hate being hounded by bureaucrats."
"And besides... you'll die. Then the money's mine."
Kuro gripped his Yokai Blade, slowly descending toward Tezoro.
"You forced my hand!"
Tezoro bellowed. The room's golden structures liquefied, coalescing into molten gold. Walls melted, revealing the outside world. The Vip Area's golden buildings and streets of Golden Powder reassembled here, the skyscraper-hotel itself dissolving into the flood.
The golden torrent split into pillars like missile heads, charged with Haki.
"You forced me! You're all forcing me!!"
Tezoro raged, near-madness. "It's your fault! All of you! World Nobles! Marines! I'm already so rich—why do you keep doing this to me!!"
...
"Stop this meaningless song, Tezoro!"
In his mind, a woman with the same hair color as him wept, scolding his younger self: "Use that time to think how to earn money! Money talks! Only money talks!"
"Great! From today, we're partners!"
Laughter from black-gangsters as they took his younger self's coins. The scene shifted—those same men kicking him to the ground.
"No money? No money, and you dare call yourself a partner? Earn it!"
"Can't even pay the casino debts? Take this guy to the minefields!"
Finally, the casino dragged him to the slave quarters, lost to gambling.
"Beautiful song."
The golden-haired woman in the cage smiled at his singing. "You've got real talent."
Redemption. In that moment, Tezoro saw light.
"Someday, someone will buy me. But my heart is mine. Your voice is beautiful—become a singer someday."
"I'll buy you, Stella!"
Tezoro's younger self laughed, finally finding purpose.
He'd earn money. Buy this light-giver, Stella. Sing every day. He loved singing.
No need to earn so much... Just sing, fulfill his dream.
Until—
"Money buys everything!"
The World Noble named Karmael ruthlessly took Stella, and the fury of his younger self.
Why was he broke?
If only he had money, he could've had hope, happiness—
Why...
Money would've fixed it all!!!
...
"Gold Divine Punishment!!!"
Tezoro's scream cracked with fury. The golden pillars roared downward, crushing Kuro and the Marines behind him.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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