"Is that so?"
Facing Rob Lucci's provocation, Gild Tesoro didn't show the slightest trace of anger.
Instead, as though he had just heard an amusing joke, he elegantly clapped his hands together. The smile on his face didn't fade in the slightest.
"Then allow me, this humble 'moneybag'… to properly entertain the World Government's highest-ranking agents."
The moment his words fell—
Gold began seeping from the ground beneath Tesoro's feet.
From the soil and stone around him, molten gold oozed outward in shimmering streams. In the blink of an eye, dazzling golden ripples spread across the earth before liquefying completely.
Thick, luxurious liquid gold surged outward like a tide, its gleaming surface reflecting blinding light.
Within seconds, it had flooded nearly half the surrounding area.
Then Tesoro slowly raised both hands outward with graceful poise.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—!!!
At his command, sharp protrusions erupted from the liquid gold around them.
In an instant, they solidified and took shape.
Countless weapons formed from solid gold—
Spears.
Greatswords.
Battle axes.
Arrows.
Even massive drill-like lances.
They hovered densely in the air, an endless arsenal suspended above the battlefield.
Every single one pointed toward Lucci, Kaku, and Maha.
Like a king unveiling a deadly treasury that could rain destruction at any moment.
(The visual was reminiscent of Gilgamesh opening the Gate of Babylon—except every weapon here was forged from dazzling, weighty gold, making the oppressive aura even greater.)
"Welcome to my Golden Theater, members of CP0."
Tesoro's voice carried effortless elegance.
"But the ticket price is rather expensive."
"You'll have to pay with your lives."
At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield, Toritoma also moved.
She slowly raised the long blade in her hand.
The sword's tip pointed directly at Kaku and Maha.
"Since you're already here…" she said coolly, her voice as sharp as frost.
"Don't even think about leaving."
She tilted the blade slightly.
"Cleaning you up before my man gets back… should make a nice little gift."
Lucci, Kaku, and Maha instantly tensed.
A low growl escaped both Lucci and Kaku as their bodies began to swell and shift.
In the blink of an eye—
Their awakened Zoan forms emerged.
Muscles bulged, fur spread, and monstrous power surged from their transformed bodies.
The battle at G-10 was about to erupt.
Meanwhile—
Far away from the base.
A Marine battleship carrying the core sample of the Mother Flame was sailing back toward G-10.
The atmosphere aboard the ship was completely different.
Inside the cabin, Lipo sat cross-legged for once, unusually quiet.
Her fluffy ears twitched gently as she listened attentively.
Beside her, Bartholomew Kuma calmly read aloud from a book describing customs and cultures from around the world.
Kuma's gloved hand carefully turned each page.
His expression was as peaceful as ever.
As though this were nothing more than an ordinary voyage.
At the bow of the ship stood Douglas Bullet.
Like a black iron tower, he stood firm against the sea wind with his arms crossed.
His sharp eyes scanned the ocean and sky ahead, missing nothing.
The overwhelming pressure radiating from him spread naturally across the ship.
The Marines aboard felt reassured by his presence—
Yet none dared approach too close.
Not long after, the battleship followed its planned route into a remote island harbor meant for temporary resupply.
The vessel slowly approached the dock.
The moment the hull lightly bumped against the pier—
"Hm?!"
Bullet's pupils shrank to needlepoints.
His beast-like combat instincts and top-tier Observation Haki screamed a warning.
The danger wasn't in front of him.
It was—
Behind him.
He didn't even have time to fully turn around.
The only thing he could do was raise both arms, instantly coating them in pitch-black Armament Haki, crossing them in front of his body.
BOOM!!!!!
A dull, explosive impact erupted.
A massive leg, wrapped in Armament Haki, slammed straight into Bullet's hastily raised guard.
The sheer force sent him flying off the bow of the ship.
His body shot backward through the air before crashing violently into the island's beach dozens of meters away.
BOOOOM!
His body plowed through the sand, carving a deep trench and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
"Ahhh, my my…"
A voice filled with playful amusement rang out.
Standing where Bullet had once been was a newly arrived figure.
He slowly landed atop the ship's railing.
The man was a heavily muscled elder with deep wrinkles across his face and a prominent bulbous nose.
His body was covered with thick hair.
Long orange-yellow curls were tied into a braid behind his head.
The beard beneath his mouth had been meticulously trimmed into the shape of a cross.
After mocking Bullet, he casually flexed the right leg he had just used for the kick.
He was none other than a member of the God's Knights—
Saint Shepherd Somaz.
"Just as expected of the man known as 'The Demon,' Douglas Bullet."
Somaz grinned broadly.
"Your reaction speed really is terrifying."
"But unfortunately…"
"You were still just a little too slow."
Almost at the exact same time—
Another sudden attack erupted on the other side of the ship.
The cabin where Kuma had been sitting suddenly exploded outward.
CRASH!
The porthole shattered.
A streak of green burst through the opening.
It was Aramaki.
Or rather—
He should now be called Admiral Ryokugyu.
But something about him had changed.
On his arm was a strange tattoo:
"Shallow Sea Contract."
This symbol signified that he had accepted a certain "blessing."
He had formally become one of the Blades of the Gods.
His target was obvious—
Lipo, standing behind Kuma.
Or more precisely—
The Mother Flame they were escorting.
Unfortunately for him—
Kuma was faster.
The instant Ryokugyu burst in, Kuma's glove floated upward.
His right hand rose calmly.
Air compressed violently within his palm, forming a dense white shockwave shaped like a giant paw.
"Ursus Shock."
WHOOSH!
The compressed blast shot forward at a speed nearly impossible to see.
It struck Ryokugyu squarely in the chest just as he finished landing.
BOOOOM!!!
He didn't even have time to properly defend himself.
Nor could he transform into his elemental state.
A mouthful of blood erupted from his lips as the impact launched him backward faster than he had entered.
His body blasted through the cabin wall again—
Before crashing awkwardly onto the deck.
For a moment, he couldn't even stand.
"Lipo, be careful," Kuma said calmly.
His massive body stepped forward, blocking the broken cabin entrance.
But Lipo's reaction had already been faster.
The moment Kuma attacked—
She had already moved.
Using Geppo, she vanished into the air like a white afterimage.
In an instant, she shot through the shattered window and appeared behind the struggling Ryokugyu.
Two carrot-shaped daggers had somehow appeared in her hands.
Her eyes were icy cold.
Without hesitation—
She stabbed directly toward the back of Ryokugyu's neck.
Clean.
Precise.
Merciless.
But—
At that exact moment—
A rapier thrust in from the side with perfect prediction.
CLANG!!!
Sparks exploded as the blade intercepted her deadly strike.
Lipo felt her wrist go numb from the impact.
Without hesitation, she used the recoil to propel herself backward, performing several incredibly agile Geppo backsteps midair.
In the blink of an eye, she returned to Kuma's side.
Landing lightly on the deck.
Her expression had turned extremely serious.
Her fluffy ears stood upright in alert.
She twirled the carrot daggers in her hands, reversing her grip as her gaze locked onto the one who had blocked her attack.
The man holding the rapier—
Another member of the God's Knights.
Saint Figarland Shamrock.
"Damn… two troublesome bastards just showed up," Lipo muttered, licking her slightly dry lips.
"Looks like someone really doesn't want us getting home safely."
Kuma's calm gaze swept across the deck.
Ryokugyu.
Somaz at the bow.
And Shamrock standing before them.
"…Mm."
He gave a quiet acknowledgment.
Then he raised both hands—
Revealing the massive Paw-Paw Fruit pads on his palms.
"Protect the Mother Flame."
"Remove all obstacles."