CHAPTER 81: "CHAPTER 81: THE SECOND DARK-DARK FRUIT, COVETOUS EYES FROM THE NEW WORLD, WAR LOOMS

"Baccarat, I need to borrow your fruit ability next."

After Baccarat joined, Karl dropped the honorifics in how he addressed her.

"No problem. If you need anything, just give the word, Captain."

Baccarat, however, hadn’t yet adapted to or integrated into Karl’s crew; her impression was still stuck on how she had schemed with Tesoro, only for Karl to finish Tesoro off directly and seize Gran Tesoro with brutal decisiveness.

Karl didn’t mind.

When Perona and Robin had just joined, they were only a little better off than Baccarat.

But now, Perona was utterly devoted, and Robin had become the big sister of the crew.

As long as Baccarat spent some time with them, she would surely blend into the crew soon.

Shouldering Tesoro’s body, which had only a final breath left, Karl brought Carina and the others back to the large three-masted ship in the Golden Harbor.

"A Float-Float Fruit user?!"

"Hee-hee... You guessed it."

While Karl went to fetch the black sarcophagus and a barrel of fruit, Nami used the Float-Float Fruit to guide the Golden Bell—suspended thousands of meters up—back down.

The well-informed Baccarat immediately recognized Nami’s ability, and also realized that because Karl’s raid hadn’t hit the World Economic Journal yet, Nami was still an unknown name at the moment.

After Nami admitted it, a terror even deeper than seeing Tesoro one-shotted flooded Baccarat’s eyes.

"If I remember right, that big name had the Float-Float Fruit... could it be..."

"That’s right, the Golden Lion Shiki was killed by Karl."

This time it was Carina who answered, smiling playfully as she looked at her: "And thanks to a certain method, the fruit was taken by me."

"S-seize... seize a Devil Fruit?!"

Baccarat’s face turned slightly pale.

Carina’s single sentence overawed her completely.

Shocked that Devil Fruits could even be seized, the little schemes in her heart about leveraging the Lucky-Lucky Fruit vanished instantly.

She had been recruited by Tesoro and Karl because of her Paramecia Lucky-Lucky Fruit ability.

But now, Karl’s crew actually had a method for seizing Devil Fruits.

For Baccarat, that was an absolutely fatal threat.

An image rose automatically in her mind.

If she disobeyed, Karl’s crew would grin ferociously, kill her, and take her Paramecia Lucky-Lucky Fruit.

Baccarat shivered subconsciously, and her gaze at Carina and the others turned as if she were looking at she-devils.

Karl clearly had no idea.

During the short time he’d gone to the cabin to fetch things, Baccarat—because of Nami’s Float-Float Fruit and Carina’s words—had frantically filled in countless ominous scenes in her head.

If he knew, he would surely understand.

His first impression on Baccarat had indeed been very brutal.

Now that she had seen they possessed a Devil Fruit-seizing method, it was no wonder a delicate woman would let her thoughts run wild.

With a black sarcophagus on one shoulder and a barrel full of fruit in the other hand, Karl walked out of the cabin.

Seeing Baccarat being more obedient than before—and even her fawning shifting from only Karl to a "benefits for everyone" attitude—Karl was a bit puzzled.

"Uhee-hee... I told her the secret of the sarcophagus; after all, her ability benefits me a lot."

Seemingly seeing through Karl’s confusion, Carina spoke with a smile.

Once they learned Baccarat’s ability was the Paramecia Lucky-Lucky Fruit, not only Carina but even Robin and Nami understood why Karl wanted to recruit her.

Because the crew needed a goddess of luck.

"So that’s how it is. Then I won’t explain more."

Karl smiled and nodded, then set down the sarcophagus and the barrel.

After kicking the coffin lid open, Karl poured all the fruit inside, then pointed to Tesoro’s "corpse" on the deck and said to Baccarat, "Baccarat, put the ’corpse’ in, then take my luck, and keep praying in your heart—wish for the fruit to be reborn inside the sarcophagus."

"...Understood!"

Realizing the moment to prove her worth had arrived, Baccarat nodded nervously, then with difficulty placed Tesoro’s body into the sarcophagus.

After closing the lid, Baccarat ran her hands over everyone in Karl’s crew, not even sparing the little dragon.

After draining their luck, Baccarat stood before the black sarcophagus, pressed her palms together in a prayer gesture, like a devout believer.

For a moment there, she truly and earnestly prayed to the goddess of fortune who watched over her.

From her perspective:

If she didn’t show value, her standing in this "brutal" crew could become very low.

Therefore...

Baccarat kept chanting in her heart that the Gold-Gold Fruit must be reborn inside the sarcophagus.

She also apologized to and beseeched Lord Tesoro: anyway you’re about to die—considering how many years I worked for you—please help me one last time!

Karl had no idea what she was thinking.

Watching Baccarat praying, Karl’s eyes were full of expectation.

As both he and Carina realized, recruiting Baccarat wasn’t only to borrow her luck to search for the legendary lantern fish, but also for the sake of the black sarcophagus.

The black sarcophagus’s ability could increase the chance of a fruit reincarnating nearby.

But that probability—so far as the Karl who had seized the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and the Float-Float Fruit could judge—he temporarily defined as 50%.

That 50% required good fortune.

The idea that luck could raise that chance made Karl crave the Paramecia Lucky-Lucky Fruit.

If fortune really could influence probability, then black sarcophagus + luck fruit would be tantamount to a second Dark-Dark Fruit, wouldn’t it?

With that hypothesis in mind—

Karl’s first target in the New World was Gild Tesoro.

He wanted the Golden City, he wanted Baccarat, and he even wanted the Gold-Gold Fruit.

As long as he could verify this hypothesis—

When facing threats from the overlords of the sea, Karl would have the confidence to establish a great power at any time and wrestle on the grand chessboard.

Of course...

Compared to building a great power—managing hordes of people and guarding against moles—such thankless tasks were a pain.

Karl’s true dream was simple: a mobile island, living a happy life on it with Carina and the other girls.

The premise being, those big idiots didn’t come to interrupt.

If it really came down to an irreconcilable do-or-die situation, Karl would not hesitate—he would flip the chessboard with the advantage of a transmigrator.

If he wasn’t playing, then nobody was playing!

Back to the matter at hand.

Without Karl’s "electrotherapy" to keep him going, Tesoro—his viscera shattered—completely lost his life signs soon after the coffin lid was closed.

When Baccarat had prayed for a few minutes, Karl kicked the lid open again.

Under Baccarat’s nervous gaze and the expectant looks of Carina and the other girls—

Karl tossed Tesoro’s corpse out, then searched through the heap of fruit for a special one.

As ordinary fruits were thrown out one by one, plopping into the golden sea—

Karl’s hands suddenly paused, and a smile tugged at his lips.

He pulled from the black sarcophagus a Devil Fruit as big as Carina’s head, pure gold all over, covered with swirling spiral patterns.

It was precisely one of the rare and powerful Paramecia fruits on par with the Shiny-Shiny Fruit—the Paramecia Gold-Gold Fruit.

"It actually worked..."

"Fantastic, I’m going to be rich!"

Looking at the Paramecia Gold-Gold Fruit in Karl’s hand, Baccarat and the girls reacted differently.

The former murmured in shock.

Carina and the others burst into cheers.

Even if a fruit’s ability reincarnated, the fact they could still influence it with a Devil Fruit meant they had stumbled upon a massive treasure.

In the future, when encountering ability users, they could not only plunder treasure but also seize Devil Fruits.

It should be known that in the black market or at auction, a Devil Fruit—this secret treasure of the seas—fetches at least 100 million Berries.

Some precious Devil Fruits could be kept to cultivate future crewmates without abilities.

The less precious ones could be sold for cash.

Even after taking the Golden City for themselves, Carina and Nami couldn’t change their money-grubber ways.

"Please take care of us going forward, Sister Baccarat."

Handing the Gold-Gold Fruit to Carina, the good-humored Karl slipped an arm around Baccarat’s fragrant shoulders and spoke with warmer familiarity.

"Ah... please take care of me."

Having successfully proven her value, Baccarat finally breathed a sigh of relief and returned to how she’d been when she first met Karl’s crew, smiling radiantly.

And so—

Karl’s crew changed from five people and a dragon to six people and a dragon.

While Karl’s crew was taking the Golden City for themselves—

News that the Dragon Knight had appeared at the world’s largest entertainment city, Gran Tesoro, driven everyone out, and struck down the Golden Emperor Gild Tesoro—

Spread swiftly across the New World and even the first half of the Grand Line from the mouths of those whose ships had sailed out of Gran Tesoro once the Den-Den Mushi signals were restored.

As the world’s largest entertainment city, Gran Tesoro was, in the eyes of the masses, second only to Fish-Man Island and Amazon Lily in dreamlike allure.

The legendary Golden City—the world’s largest casino and the favorite resort of the rich and noble.

On top of that, its owner held 20% of the world’s Berries and was the world’s richest man; beyond those wealthy elites, every great power had eyes in the place.

There were eyes of the underworld kings, the Four Emperors, and likewise CP and the Revolutionary Army.

Therefore, the downfall of the Golden Emperor—one of the world’s richest and an underworld king—triggered an enormous uproar across the New World and the first half of the Grand Line.

In the first half of the Grand Line, blocked off by the Red Line on the other side, Mary Geoise was shocked and enraged; but only the New World truly began to churn.

Once it was confirmed that Gild Tesoro was dead and his vivre card had burned to ash, the World Economic Journal spread the news across the globe.

The entire New World began to boil.

"Hahaha... I’m rich, I’m going to be rich!"

"As expected of the dragon-slaying slayer of Celestial Dragons—Dragon Knight, thanks for drawing Mary Geoise’s ire away from me!"

"Tesoro is dead, and his businesses across the world have lost Mary Geoise’s protection—now they’re all mine!"

"Hoist the sails, quickly! Before others react, I have to take a bite of the meat."

"What a pity Gran Tesoro was seized by the Dragon Knight—that’s the biggest cake."

"They say there’s 300 billion Berries of Tesoro’s treasure inside—who knows if it’s true?!"

"Don’t daydream—getting a mouthful of meat is already good. The Golden City isn’t something small fry like us can covet."

"That’s true, and the Dragon Knight is in big trouble now."

"The Golden City and 300 billion Berries of Tesoro’s treasure—no one can resist that temptation."

"So, he’ll face Mary Geoise’s wrath—and... the covetous gaze of the Emperors?"

"... ... ... ... ..."

Just as some had said.

When they learned that Gild Tesoro had been killed by Karl and Gran Tesoro occupied, Mary Geoise was furious.

Know this: Tesoro was a money-printing machine; the Berries he used each year to curry favor with the Celestial Dragons and Mary Geoise amounted to an astronomical figure surpassing the heavenly tribute of over a dozen kingdoms.

It was also one of the Celestial Dragons’ favorite amusement parks.

Now the money printer was gone, and the amusement park too; when the Celestial Dragons received this news, they immediately demanded that Mary Geoise order the Navy to dispatch an admiral to punish that god-slayer.

The overlords of the New World—the four Emperors who stand above all.

Aside from Red-Haired Shanks, who sighed that the younger generation was formidable, and Whitebeard, who refused to let his family wade into this muddy water or allow his son to take a share, the other two Emperors cast covetous eyes toward the Golden City.

"MaMa~~ MaMa... how many years has it been since a junior this interesting appeared on the seas?"

On Whole Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin’s pupils were blood-red as she stared at the World Economic Journal; her mouth, dripping sulfuric saliva, gaped with excitement: "Not only did he kill a Celestial Dragon, but he also just took down one of Mary Geoise’s lapdogs in the New World—this kind of arrogance, I like it."

"But... Mama also wants Tesoro’s Golden City."

"I want not only the small cakes—I want the biggest cake too."

Breathing hot and heavy, Charlotte Linlin shouted, "Perospero, send people to keep watch on Gran Tesoro; if Mary Geoise makes no move, send out my Tea Party invitations."

"Yes, Mama!"

Like Charlotte Linlin, the Beasts Pirates and other great powers such as the Revolutionary Army also sent people to watch Gran Tesoro.

Everyone was waiting for Mary Geoise’s reaction.

If the true overlords of the seas made no move to retaliate against the Dragon Knight for killing their lapdog, then these people would turn into ravenous wolves and pounce to seize the biggest slice of cake.

A "welcome ceremony" from the New World for Karl was about to begin."

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