The New World.
A golden ship sailed steadily across the vast sea, its hull gleaming under the sunlight like a moving treasure vault.
"Lord Tesoro, we are almost five kilometers away from Peach Garden," a voice reported calmly.
Just as the golden ship approached the outer perimeter of Peach Garden.
Bang!
The entire vessel shook violently, as if it had collided with something solid. The forward momentum vanished instantly, and the ship came to a complete stop in the open sea.
The sudden impact caused the three people aboard to stagger.
"What happened?" Tesoro asked, frowning as he steadied himself.
Mr. Tanaka slowly walked toward the bow. He stretched out his hand and pressed it forward.
His pupils contracted.
His palm sank slightly into the air, as if pressing against an invisible wall.
"Lord Tesoro," Mr. Tanaka said in a low voice, "we're blocked by an invisible barrier."
"What?" Tesoro's expression tightened slightly. "Then we'll go around it."
"Why not just go straight through?" Mr. Tanaka asked, shaking his massive head.
Tesoro shook his own head calmly. "We're visitors. Basic etiquette still matters. Let's circle around and look for an entrance."
Mr. Tanaka nodded. He had originally planned to use his ability to pass the ship directly through the barrier. Since Tesoro had decided otherwise, he did not press the issue.
He adjusted the rudder and guided the ship to the left.
At the same time, inside the monitoring room on Peach Garden's main island, Wyper stared at a flashing green dot on the screen.
"Someone touched the barrier," Wyper said. "Aisa, did you sense it?"
Standing beside him was a small girl with dark red hair. She wore a beige hat and a simple dress.
Aisa nodded and pressed a golden sphere next to the screen. Closing her eyes, she focused.
"I sensed them," she said softly. "Three presences. One of them is very strong."
She frowned slightly. "They didn't try to break the barrier. They're heading toward the east gate."
Wyper gently rubbed her head. "Your Observation Haki keeps getting stronger, Aisa. At this point, only the King and Enel might rival you here in Peach Garden."
Aisa was one of the most gifted Observation Haki users to ever appear in Sky Island's history.
Wyper, as the captain of Peach Garden's security forces, was responsible for the defense of the entire territory. Back on Sky Island, the landmass had been small enough that he could handle everything alone.
Peach Garden was different.
Its territory was dozens of times larger, far beyond what one person could patrol.
After witnessing Enel's Observation Haki and Rolan's overwhelming perception, Wyper immediately thought of Aisa and recommended her as an assistant.
Rolan had agreed without hesitation.
Anyone familiar with her talent knew that with proper guidance, Aisa's Observation Haki rivaled Enel's, even without a Devil Fruit.
Aisa tilted her head and pouted. "Don't rub my head so much."
Wyper chuckled. Back during the Sky Island war, his cold demeanor had frightened her. After peace returned, that distance disappeared.
…
After sailing roughly twenty kilometers around the barrier, Tesoro and his companions spotted a massive archway rising from the sea.
Carved into it were two bold characters.
Peach Garden.
"This should be the main gate," Mr. Tanaka said as he brought the ship to a stop.
A guard stepped forward and called out, "Who are you?"
Peach Garden had eight main gates, and this was only one of them. Recently, countless people had come seeking refuge or hoping to join Peach Garden.
However, a ship entirely plated in gold was rare.
The aura radiating from the three people aboard made it clear they were not ordinary pirates.
Still, their posture suggested no hostility.
"Please announce our arrival," Tesoro said politely. "Just say guests from Golden City have come to visit."
Mr. Tanaka was stunned.
He had never seen Tesoro speak so courteously to a guard.
Golden City stood at the peak of the world of one piece's entertainment industry. Its influence stretched through both the underworld and the surface world. Even parts of the World Government bent under its weight.
Wherever Tesoro went, he was treated as an honored guest.
To approach Peach Garden with such humility felt… unusual.
But Tesoro's expression was firm.
Mr. Tanaka chose not to question it further and followed silently behind him.
Baccarat, standing nearby, noticed the oddity as well, though she did not dwell on it. As long as she remained at Tesoro's side, nothing else mattered to her.
"Golden City?" the guard asked, stunned. "You mean Grand Tesoro?"
Tesoro laughed. "I didn't expect Peach Garden to be so well informed. Yes, that's my city."
The guards exchanged shocked glances.
Golden City's reputation in the New World rivaled Peach Garden itself.
"Please wait a moment," the guard said respectfully.
Just then, a massive pterodactyl descended from the sky, its wings casting a shadow over the gate.
The guards immediately saluted. "Captain Wyper. They claim to be guests from Golden City and wish to see the King."
Wyper shifted back into his human form and studied Tesoro closely.
"So you're Gild Tesoro," Wyper said calmly.
He assessed him silently.
As expected of the ruler of the world's greatest entertainment city. Even this small ship beneath him was worth an unimaginable fortune.
The pressure Tesoro exuded placed him far above ordinary pirates.
Tesoro nodded politely. "That would be me."
Tesoro, in turn, examined Wyper.
An Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit user, and a powerful one at that.
If even Peach Garden's guards were this strong, then the rumors about its strength were likely understated.
For a brief moment, Tesoro imagined a future where Celestial Dragons were dragged down from their thrones and executed.
Seeing Tesoro's composed attitude, Wyper spoke again. "The King is not in Peach Garden at the moment. However, our Chief of Staff and the Queen are present."
Tesoro nodded. "Then may I ask when Lord Rolan will return?"
And just then…
...