Luxurious hotel - through the eavesdropping Den Den Mushi, the atmosphere became strangely silent for three seconds.
After a pause, Sengoku cleared his throat and gave a solemn command.
"Chaton, inform Momousagi to immediately have her take that singer named Carina away... Prepare to evacuate from your end, leaving no room for the other side to find any evidence."
"Uh... Oh! Understood!"
Chaton was stunned for two seconds before snapping back to reality, deeply admiring Rowen in his heart!
Damn, he's truly a kindred spirit!
RBQ, RBQ! (Translator- This is Internet Slang)
Suddenly remembering something, he grinned with a cigarette in his mouth and asked, "Fleet Admiral, Rowen has proven his loyalty, right?"
Not only did he uncover many unknown data and information about Golden City through a series of negotiations, but he also provided them with a reliable informant who knew a lot about internal affairs. If Rowen wasn't deeply loyal to the Marines, he could have acted on his own, as Tesoro suggested, to earn more money.
"I never doubted Rowen!"
Sengoku's opening statement left Chaton's expression frozen. He then sighed and said, "Don't worry about this matter. With Garp's precedent, there won't be any major issues with Rowen."
Probably...
Sengoku was not lying. At least, since he willingly handed over the code name "Soryu (Azure Dragon)," originally intended for Dragon, to Rowen, Sengoku had stopped suspecting him.
If someone like Rowen had second thoughts, Sengoku could only say... Bring it on!
A single Rowen could turn the Marine world upside down and make pirates fear him like a tiger. With a few more like him, clearing the New World was not impossible.
"Alright, I understand..."
This was a matter for the higher-ups to consider. Chaton shrugged and stopped talking, starting to pack his bags to ensure that, apart from the alias registered on the check-in list, there would be no traces left behind.
Not long after, receiving Chaton's notification, Momousagi furrowed her brow.
"Carina? That singer?"
Posters of Carina were plastered all over the streets and casinos, making it naturally challenging to covertly take away such a big star. Momousagi rubbed her temples.
"Troublesome!"
In theory, the former Marine Assassination Force commander, Shadow Dragon, would be more suitable for this mission.
However, considering Chaton's creepy old face that would trigger alarms just by sitting next to a girl, and the fact that even disguising the lewd Sword Energy was impossible, Momousagi had no choice but to take matters into her own hands.
"Don't worry, in the name of... cough cough... Rowen, Tesoro will send Carina to Rowen's room. You just wait there in advance, and the subsequent evacuation will proceed as planned." Chaton awkwardly responded.
"In the name of...?"
Blinking, he suddenly blushed, and the next moment, Momousagi emitted a terrifying killing intent, causing Chaton to shudder even through the Den Den Mushi.
"Heh! Men!"
Chaton kept silent, Chaton was wise in self-preservation, and Chaton's survival instinct was extremely strong!
Uttering a resentful curse, Momousagi thought for a moment and nodded, "Taking her away is easy, but leaving can be troublesome... Just in case, when we leave, have Rowen delay Tesoro, or create some chaos..."
Chaton: "..."
Your idea is quite bold, I must say!
...
After a lively discussion, the Century City gained the support of the Gold Emperor, promising a bright future. With Fujitora joining the Gold Emperor, their confidence soared. Everyone chatted happily about the prosperous times ahead.
Hot springs should not be soaked for too long, especially not for three Devil Fruit Ability users.
After a quick rinse and change of clothes, Tesoro escorted the two downstairs, smiling and saying, "You two aren't in a hurry to leave today, right? This is the most prestigious Diamond VIP card in Golden City. With this, you can spend anywhere, with a limit of three Billion."
A maid approached with a tray, featuring two gold-based diamond-studded cards in the center.
It cost a whopping Six Billion Belly!
To what extent was a man who controlled 20% of the world's Belly rich!?
"I'll pass, no work, no pay. Besides, I'm not fond of going out. But that woman..." Rowen glanced indifferently at the gold card as he spoke.
"Don't worry, the goods will be delivered to your door in half an hour!" Tesoro, with an expression as if he understood everything, assured, and spoke while patting his chest.
In the eyes of the Gold Emperor, people were commodities. He was a tragic figure tortured to death after his first love was bought by Celestial Dragons, shaping his extreme values. He believed that money could buy anything, including people.
Fujitora, standing beside them, slightly furrowed his brows, finding Rowen's behavior today strange. He had never shown such a hungry side before.
'Is that woman really that beautiful? To the point where even Soryu (Azure Dragon) couldn't resist the temptation.' Fujitora silently thought.
Although he was virtuous, he wouldn't interfere with Rowen's affairs concerning women. Moreover, if Carina could appear naked in the hot spring pool, she was probably not a virtuous woman. It was a matter between consenting adults; saying more would be pointless.
"Thank you!" Rowen smiled happily. Seeing this, Tesoro's face lit up with joy.
Desire was good; controlling that desire was even better.
As long as he had what Rowen desired, he could satisfy him and deepen their relationship. Although Carina was also a money tree for him, as her fame spread far and wide, even he had never touched her. Compared to being friends with Rowen, Gold Emperor didn't care much about that money.
Rowen's smile indicated that this quest was almost perfect; the remaining tasks didn't require his intervention. He could relax and prepare for the retreat... or so he thought!
Drip, Drip, Drip...
Suddenly, a rhythmic alarm sounded in a corner of Golden City, causing Rowen's heart to skip a beat.
It was the signal he and Sengoku had agreed upon. With the immense and chaotic crowd in Golden City, dealing with Tesoro while relying on the Heart Network to distinguish friend from foe was almost impossible. The mental pressure on his brain was too much to handle multitasking.
So they agreed on a signal, using this sharp alarm to alert Rowen when things changed and he needed to take action.
Troublesome!
Sighing discreetly, Rowen considered for a moment and said to Fujitora, "It seems like you would lose out if you come back with me now. This is a rare chance to visit Golden City!"
"What does Vice Admiral Rowen mean?" Fujitora turned silently after he spoke.
"I need some time for this. Let's discuss it later... Take my card with you; don't waste Tesoro's kind gesture!" After speaking, Rowen winked at Tesoro, who grinned, his face full of delight.
"Excellent... cough cough, I mean, thanks, Vice Admiral Rowen!"
Under Rowen's astonished gaze, Fujitora nodded decisively, put down the card he was checking, picked up the two diamond-studded gold cards from the tray, and said, "I'll go play in the casino. Vice Admiral Rowen can come find me if needed."
After that, Fujitora found a nearby server, asked for directions to the casino, and strode out.
He vanished in a whirlwind, leaving Rowen standing there in a daze. After a few seconds, he uttered a word from his mouth.
Damn!!!
Indeed, Fujitora, the old gambler, was wise not to let you become an Admiral!
"I won't disturb Vice Admiral Soryu (Azure Dragon)'s leisure. Farewell."
Tesoro also took his leave at this moment. One was fond of pleasures, the other a gambling enthusiast – having hobbies was indeed great.
However, Tesoro also needed time to make some contacts and fulfill the agreement. As Gold Emperor, he naturally had to maintain the aura of Gold Emperor; otherwise, he would lose face, making business even harder.
"Safe travels, Tesoro San!" Rowen politely bid farewell to him, then entered the hotel, guided by a group of female staff, and arrived at his room.
Declining their suggestive invitations, Rowen entered the main room. As he closed the door, an extremely sharp sword was placed against his neck.
"You, Soryu (Azure Dragon), turns out you're this kind of person?!"
"You are really underestimating Ain's feelings!"
Rowen: "..."
Wait a minute, Vice Admiral Momousagi, your statement is quite revealing!!!
(End of this chapter)
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