"This isn't the place to talk, Mr. Tesoro, let's discuss in the reception room."
"Young master, they..."
Upon seeing Doflamingo's actions, Diamante was taken aback and didn't immediately realize what the name Tesoro signified, but upon Doflamingo's indication, he chose to keep quiet.
"You seem to know quite a lot."
Tesoro didn't revert his form, but this response already confirmed his identity.
"Although this is a small place, it's crowded with people. You were careless, Mr. Tesoro. These two are regulars by your side, aren't they?"
Having the conversation reach this point, Tesoro, of course, understood how his identity had been uncovered. However, while Doflamingo knew him, he wasn't familiar with Doflamingo.
Currently, Doflamingo was only somewhat famous in the first half of the area, and he wasn't yet a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Neither his bounty nor his business acumen was enough to draw Tesoro's attention.
His influence on the world economy far exceeded Doflamingo, whether it was his underworld dealings or legitimate business ventures.
Even if he had investigated the situation here before coming, he had merely glanced at the name.
But Tesoro did not refuse Doflamingo's invitation. Observing others is a crucial skill for any businessman, yet he couldn't discern anything from Doflamingo's expression, indicating that Doflamingo was not an ordinary character.
Shortly after they entered the reception room, Monet came in carrying a few boxes.
"Mr. Tesoro, this is the cost you incurred for the fruit auction earlier. We seem to have had a minor misunderstanding, so take this fruit as an apology."
Looking at the money box Doflamingo pushed over, Tesoro furrowed his brows slightly.
"What do you want?"
"Fufufufufu, you truly are a wise man, so let me get straight to the point. This fruit is an apology, Diamante is someone I value greatly, and I don't want this incident to affect our cooperation."
"Cooperation? When did we ever have a collaboration?"
"Not much now, but there could be in the future, Mr. Tesoro. I want exclusive rights to the underworld operations in the Hundred Beasts' territory. Give me these rights, and I guarantee that in a year, I will double the profits on the existing basis."
"These businesses are already managed by others."
"Then make them disappear. Once they're gone, won't the market here be open?"
Doflamingo straightforwardly stated his intentions to eliminate other intermediaries so that he would be the sole operator here.
"Interesting, you can give it a try. If you can achieve it, handing it over to you is not out of the question, but if you fail to deliver on your promised profits, the wrath of the Hundred Beasts is not something you can bear."
Business is essentially a gamble, and the underworld is no exception. Their stable distributors are all in the New World, so they actually care less about Paradise, the first half of the Grand Line. If Doflamingo can manage this, then handing it over to him is feasible.
As Tesoro said, this is an unequal gamble. Tesoro is betting on profit, while Doflamingo is betting his life on his future. Empty words mean nothing at this moment. To Tesoro, Doflamingo's claim of doubling profits is tantamount to a military order.
If he can't achieve it, he must bear the cost of his lies.
"You have two months, two months to make this call, or the opportunity will be gone."
Tesoro left a business card. His message was clear: if Doflamingo manages to sort out such a large area within two months, then it's his to manage. Delivering to just one person also makes things much more efficient.
Destruction and occupation have never been the same thing. If Doflamingo truly accomplishes it, it proves he has the capability.
"Tanaka, let's go."
Saying this, they picked up Belly and left without hesitation. To him, taking the money and leaving carried no psychological burden. In the underworld, this was blood money. No matter where, a backstabbing act like Diamante's was a taboo, and even being killed would be met with silence.
Initially, they had sold the Gol-Gol Fruit, but now it turned into a free giveaway.
"Doflamin....."
After Tesoro left, Diamante realized his mistake, but Doflamingo did not pursue the matter.
"It's okay, Diamante. Despite the losses, this is an opportunity. Let's get to work. We can't afford any mistakes this time. Success or failure depends on this go."
If captured by the Navy, due to his status, the worst he would face is imprisonment, but when it comes to Kaidou, he doesn't dare to stand him up.
...
On the other side, Tesoro also left the island directly.
"Mr. Tesoro, do you really intend to hand over all the business here to that man?"
Baccarat, who acted as a secretary-like figure, was always learning various things bit by bit; sometimes, she couldn't understand Tesoro's decisions.
"If he's capable, of course, he can. He's not a simple character. At least his patience is commendable."
Even after almost killing his subordinate, he remained all smiles, not only returning the money but also gifting the fruit, all to gain the cooperation opportunity. From this, Tesoro could tell that the other party had grand ambitions.
But he liked ambitious partners. Such people could further grow things, and whether their ambition would threaten him or not, standing behind Kaidou and Arceus, he feared nothing.
"Baccarat, draft a report for me and send it back to Ghost Island. Tanaka, change course, we still have matters to attend."
"Understood."
"Alright, Mr. Tesoro, leave it to me."
Subsequently, the meaning of Tesoro's legal status became apparent. Their target was the West Sea. As non-wanted individuals, they could pass directly through the Windless Zone, landing on the Red Earth Continent and traversing it to reach the West Sea.
The aim behind heading to the West Sea wasn't some rare fruit or treasure, but to recruit a new artist for the entertainment division of Hundred Beasts Fruit. In this division, the backbone was Stella and Tesoro.
However, over the years, their attitude towards this business had shifted. Previously, they only saw the glamour of the industry, not the hard work behind it.
The strong backing had helped them avoid many troubles, but renowned artists in this world possessed genuine talent, which required hard training. Relying solely on Stella and himself was becoming too overwhelming.
Although An had potential, her current fame wasn't enough to alleviate the workload, so Tesoro planned to recruit someone with a certain level of influence, showing his sincerity by choosing to go in person.
And that person was the famous stage diva of today—Victoria Cindry.