Shortly after the mysterious meeting between Kaidou and Red Hair, apart from the Navy's strict vigilance, Tesoro naturally became a subject of discussion.
It was also at this time that they realized that Hundred Beasts Fruit had become a special enterprise that's too big to fail. Even if forceful sanctions were imposed on this enterprise, the consequences for Hundred Beasts Fruit were one thing, but the complaints from the Heavenly Celestial Dragons would give the World Government a headache.
The reduction in tax revenue, the mass unemployment of employees, and the public opinion impact caused by Tesoro's own celebrity status would all be major problems.
This is no longer just the influence of an ordinary pirate group. For the World Government, pirates have never been considered a threat, even those so-called Sea Emperors.
In their eyes, only those who shake the foundation of the World Government can be considered a crisis. The current Hundred Beasts have shown signs of touching this line.
Tesoro's words left them speechless.
[I'm just a moneybag. Have you seen any moneybag that can control a gun? Not to mention, this moneybag isn't even mine.]
The World Government's main policy had always been to let these pirates divert public contradictions, pursuing that so-called "balance." If Hundred Beasts were to be more obedient and stir up less trouble, they wouldn't even want to meddle in Hundred Beasts' affairs.
However, Hundred Beasts constantly stirred up major incidents, starting from Kaidou's raid on the G-1 Branch, their disturbances became increasingly significant.
As long as there's enough profit, the World Government's tolerance is still high. Morgans frequently defied orders, exposing scandals of the World Government, yet he remained well and alive.
On one hand, he's good at hiding; on the other hand, the World Government hadn't made up their mind to deal with him, as the benefits brought by the World Economic News Agency outweigh the disadvantages.
The World Government currently does not plan to go to war but wants to weaken Hundred Beasts, thus a new plan has been proposed - to turn Tesoro.
Tesoro has behaved differently from Hundred Beasts' pirates. Since his debut, he has either performed on stage as a star or engaged in all sorts of business, not having any warrants on himself.
If they could turn him, the gains would not only be huge profits but also many benefits including secret intelligence about Hundred Beasts.
A secret operation against Tesoro gradually unfolded, and while they were still preparing, two Dragonites from Ghost Island had already arrived at the new headquarters of Hundred Beasts Fruit.
Arceus knew very well what Tesoro cared about. Money and fame were all external to him; the only person he truly cared about was Stella. As long as Stella was fine, Tesoro would remain loyal.
He had experienced Arceus's power and knew that a True God was hidden within Hundred Beasts, making the Dragonite act as a courier and bodyguard was seen as making full use of their abilities.
Pokémon who could serve as couriers weren't limited to Dragonite; Dragonite was chosen because of its own powerful capabilities to handle more situations.
The Persian raised by Stella used to be a special bodyguard, but as time passed, its combat capabilities became slightly inadequate. It could handle ordinary thieves but wasn't enough against professional CP agents.
...
In Tesoro's home, there were two new guests at the dining table - Dragonites.
Having Pokémon at the table wasn't strange. For those with deep bonds, they were part of the family, could understand human words, and had human emotions. For such people, Pokémon were only different in appearance from humans.
In a sense, Pokémon like Gardevoir even had a more special side.
"Is this... the new bodyguard sent by Lord Arceus? This is too adorable."
Looking at the Dragonite's appearance, Tesoro was a bit stunned. He was naturally pleased that Arceus said he had assigned him two new Pokémon, but Dragonite's appearance lacked any deterrence.
"Isn't it great, round and adorable."
"As long as you like it. Lord Arceus's words won't be deceptive. But recently, you should reduce outings. You never know what those World Government guys are planning; they're acting a bit odd."
"You too, be cautious. If there's anything you can push, do it."
"Rest assured, I have my limits. Those people won't dare to do anything openly, and in private, I don't fear them."
If it were in Tesoro's domain, unless it was an enemy of Admiral Level, he wouldn't be afraid. Even Admirals could be taken on.
Even away from his domain, although slightly weaker, not just anyone could deal with him.
If one observes closely, one would notice that Tesoro recently changed his dressing style, with a noticeably increased amount of gold jewelry.
...
The World Government's actions were swift. When Tesoro returned to his workplace, he noticed there was an extra person in the room.
"Sneaking in stealthily, is this your style of action?"
Tesoro closed the door behind him and looked at the masked man in white in front of him.
"CP0, I don't think there's anything worth you coming out for."
"Gild Tesoro, you're a smart man. I won't say any more nonsense. This is a chance from above.
Pirates are pirates in the end, working for them won't lead anywhere."
"This is not a recruitment tactic; where's the attraction in that?"
"Ah?"
"You have to give me some visible benefits; painting a beautiful picture is useless. What do you think you can offer me? But before drawing a conclusion, you'd better think carefully if you can afford this price."
"..."
Tesoro's words left the CP0 agent in silence. They knew well enough that to recruit someone, sufficient benefits had to be offered. But the problem was, just as Tesoro said, his value was high, and they might not be able to afford his price.
But it's okay. The CP0 organization is known for its ruthless methods. Besides carrots, they also had sticks.
"Tesoro, you'd better not forget your former identity at Shampodi. There are things we can take away from you at any time. Making money is all well and good, but you need a life to spend it. Don't forget, you have someone you care deeply about as well."
Using relatives to threaten others was a common tactic for CP0. To make some people serve the Heavenly Celestial Dragons obediently, CP0 would often use their families as leverage.
"If you cooperate, you'll get more benefits, and your family can maintain their current glamorous status..."
But before he could finish his words, he abruptly felt a sense of killing intent. Tesoro was glaring at him intently, with an aura that was absolutely not something a star or businessman should have.
"I hate it the most when people use these things to... threaten me."