Chapter 306: The Next Target?
The ordinary citizens of Dressrosa learned from King Riku's soldiers, who had been turned into toys, that the tragedy from a year ago was orchestrated by Doflamingo. As they apologized with tears, they welcomed back the King, whom they had once misunderstood.
The soldiers of King Riku were now tasked with cleaning up the ruins from the battle and stabilizing the town's order.
Meanwhile, Eric led his crew, focusing on looting the criminal assets left behind by the Don Quixote family.
With the help of Kurumi's clones, they arrived at the underground factory in Dressrosa, which had once been the home of the family's important member, Sugar.
Not only had Doflamingo hidden Sugar there, but the family's treasure vault was also stored in the same place, guarded by his highest-ranking subordinate, Torrepol.
Before Doflamingo became a Seven Warlord, he had already been extorting protection money from several towns in the North Blue, while also committing robberies, murders, human trafficking, intelligence gathering, assassinations, and other illegal activities, making him a major enemy of any anti-crime organization.
After becoming a Seven Warlord, he used his status to quickly get into the arms trade. His business partners included the World Government, affiliated nations, and the Beast Pirates, making him the top arms dealer in this otherworldly realm.
Additionally, Doflamingo used the powers of the "Toy-Toy" Devil Fruit, an overpowered ability, to take his capitalist potential to the extreme, expanding his business model to resemble a 007 work system, creating operations so impressive that even the black-hearted capitalists would be in awe.
Almost every dirty trick that could be imagined, Doflamingo had carried out, and the wealth he accumulated was naturally staggering.
Although it wasn't as much as the treasure amassed over centuries by the Eight-Treasure Navy, the pile of gold and silver was still enormous, shimmering with dazzling golden light.
"Is this all the cash and treasure?" Eric asked Senior, who was standing beside him.
Senior, no longer in baby clothes but now dressed in normal attire thanks to his previous eccentric outfit, was no longer recognized by the citizens of Dressrosa.
Before Eric came to loot the treasure, Kurumi's clones had already examined the Don Quixote family's trade records. The sums and the scale of the assets documented in those records far surpassed the treasure in front of them.
"The cash is only this much," Senior explained. "We only need to leave some working capital here to purchase weapons from Wano, but most of the funds were used by the young master and Doflamingo to invest in other projects."
"Really good at managing money, but too bad all his dealings were illegal," Eric muttered, "Where did he invest that money? Can we withdraw it?"
Senior hesitated, but since Doflamingo was dead, and those funds would inevitably be seized by the dark forces, he said, "It's with the 'Golden Emperor,' Gild Tesoro."
"Golden Emperor?" Eric thought for a moment and finally recalled the details:
Gild Tesoro, a Devil Fruit user with the ability to control gold, was the owner of Gran Tesoro, the largest entertainment city in the world, controlling many industries globally.
In the future, he would be incredibly wealthy, with enough money to control 20% of the world's Belly.
The Elder Stars, who were in charge of important matters, must have been old and senile to not understand what this represented.
The officials of the World Government were also likely out of touch, allowing a private financial monster to rise on the seas.
However, such vast wealth could not be made from just an entertainment city. Tesoro's real business must have been in the underground world, serving the world's criminals with illegal banking.
Eric thought, 'When we need money, we'll go rob him.'
Unfortunately, the treasure room on Eric 's ship was still full, having been used to store the treasures looted from the Land of Flowers. Da Vinci's experiments were also progressing steadily, and he wouldn't spend all the money at once. The question was how to take all this treasure away.
This was the first time Eric had been troubled by having too much money. Suddenly, a thought flashed across his mind, and he remembered the system's shop. He had an idea...
◇
The war-torn ruins had not been fully cleared, but the festive atmosphere of the celebration had already descended upon everyone. Faces were filled with joyous smiles as they celebrated the return of King Riku, whom they had once loved but had misunderstood, now taking the throne once again.
In the real world, such large celebrations would take at least a month to prepare, but in the pirate world, they could be planned and executed in just one day. This efficiency would make any judge who cancels a trial due to sudden illness blush with embarrassment.
Colorful ribbons fluttered down from the sky, and vibrant flower petals rained down on everyone's heads.
The Dawn Pirates, of course, didn't share the same view as the citizens of Dressrosa, standing on tiptoe in the crowded streets. They had rented an entire hotel and were standing on a balcony close to the street, watching King Riku's "inaugural speech."
Eric extended his hand and gently plucked a small piece of golden paper from Akame ' black hair.
"What's wrong?" Akame , who was usually emotionally dull, turned and asked.
Eric noticed some members sneaking glances at them. Looking into her puzzled Akame , he smiled and answered, "Nothing."
"How boring," Esteth commented, watching the ceremony with her arms crossed, leaning against the wall. Unlike her usual white military uniform, today she wore an elegant light blue evening gown, complementing the color of her hair. Black stockings wrapped around her beautiful legs, giving her a sexy yet sophisticated appearance.
"Oh? What's your problem?" Kurumi, who didn't get along with Esteth, mocked, "Does their smile make you uncomfortable?"
"Hmph." Esteth dismissed Kurumi's words. "These citizens are too foolish. I've looked into the events. They didn't question the behavior of King Riku, which was completely out of character, and just blindly believed everything they saw."
"They were overly trusting of Doflamingo, and when they were deceived, they couldn't do anything because they were too weak. The ones who now realize King Riku is a wise king and welcome him back are the same ones who cursed him relentlessly just a year ago."
Kurumi, wearing a white shirt, was silent. These were the facts, and she had no rebuttal. Her soft black hair clung to the shirt, creating a striking contrast of black and white.
Hearing Esteth's words, Eric looked at the smiling crowds below. "These aren't things we can control. As long as we do what we're supposed to, that's enough."
"Let's go, let's meet King Riku."
Eric led the way, with the Dawn Pirates following behind.
◇
The royal palace on Royal Heights had been mostly destroyed, and the simple banquet could only be held on the ruins of Royal Heights.
"Thank you very much for your help, Eric ." King Riku bowed and expressed his gratitude. "You've protected the people here, and this country, Dressrosa."
"I didn't do much. Doflamingo was defeated by Artoria," Eric replied a smile . "The Don Quixote family was eradicated by my crew. You should thank them."
They turned to look, and most of the people were happily eating at the table. King Riku sighed with relief. "I thought..."
Eric interjected, "We're going to rule this country like Doflamingo did?"
King Riku scratched his cheek and said apologetically, "When I heard that another group of pirates defeated the Don Quixote family, I was worried this might happen."
"Don't worry, I won't interfere with Dressrosa's internal affairs." Eric shrugged. "Only a pirate with the title of Seven Warlords could steal from affiliated nations. The Navy wouldn't stand by and let a pirate take control of an affiliated nation."
"Maybe you should think about criticizing the World Government for their inaction while Doflamingo was stealing from nations." Eric patted King Riku on the shoulder. "We'll leave tomorrow. You don't have to worry."
With that, Eric walked toward his companions.
(END CHAPTER)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Johanssen10