"We just have to pay back the money, yeah?" Cherry spoke up.
"That's right. You have until midnight tomorrow to pay back the entire 1,325,000,000 Beri," Gild Tesoro said casually. "Of course, I'd be willing to consider your own debt separate so your friends have a fighting chance, if you want?"
'So he's after me, is he? That's only natural I suppose. Kingdoms would go to war over my beauty alone; and if he's got more than 1 brain cell then he'll know I've got other valuable talents as well.' Cherry thought.
"Yeah, let's do it that way. I'll find a way to settle my own debt, and the rest of you should be able to pay off the three hundred million." Cherry said.
The others knew she was up to something. Since she and Robin had more than enough money to pay off the entire debt immediately, that could only mean she had no intention of paying.
"Perfect," Tesoro said with a strong contender for the smuggest smile in the world. "Before you leave, though, I need some insurance to make sure you keep your end.
Tesoro raised his hand. Zoro felt something was wrong and charged him, but before he was even halfway across the short distance between them, he froze. His body from the chest down was coated in gold.
"Do you remember the gold dust from when you sailed into the Gran Tesoro?" Tesoro's smile widened.
'Shit.' Cherry grimaced. 'I didn't notice because the whole damned ship is saturated with his influence…'
"""Zoro?!""" the group cried out in concern, ready to fight again.
"Stop!" Zoro shouted. "Just figure it out, I'll be fine!"
"Smart man, you should listen to him. He'll be right here when you pay up. Or when you don't." Gild Tesoro said, then tapped Zoro's gold shell with his foot. "Remember that some of you are worth more to me than others. The government pays out in full even if I turn bounties in dead, did you know that?"
"You bastard!" Luffy growled.
"Let us regroup, Luffy. Acting rashly here will do no one any good." Jinbe implored.
Luffy grit his teeth, but nodded nonetheless. Jinbe was a very wise man in his eyes, so even with his heightened emotional state he valued his words.
"Come back in an hour, my dear. I'll be waiting with the best meal you'll have ever eaten. Hahahaha!" Gild Tesoro's laughs rang in their ears even after Tanaka escorted them back into the elevator.
Soon enough, they were back out into the bustling streets; this time without a concierge to guide them, though that was for the best.
*GROWL*
"I need meat!" Luffy declared angrily.
"What we need to do is find Law so we can get all the damned gold out of you. It won't do any good to break Zoro out if he can just take another hostage," Cherry said. "Then, meat."
"It's a good thing we used those masks. We didn't breathe too much of it in, so we only have to worry about the gold on the outside," Chopper pointed out, lifting the mood ever so slightly from the dour pit it had fallen into.
*bump*
"Hold on!" Nami grabbed a woman's hand.
"You haven't lost your touch, cat burglar~" the woman teased. The hand that Nami caught was holding Nami's wallet.
"You have, though~" Nami shot back, and showed that she had the woman's wallet.
"Hey!" the woman snatched her wallet back as Nami took hers back as well.
"What are you doing here, Carina?" Nami asked, a bittersweet tinge to her tone of voice.
"Well, why don't you follow me and we'll have a little chat about that?" Carina giggled girlishly.
"This girl totally has the hots for Nami," Cherry leaned over and said to Robin.
"N-No I do not!" Carina stamped her foot, having overheard the comment that Cherry made no attempt to speak quietly.
Carina looked at Nami and saw a questioning look on her face. She repeated, "I don't!"
"Tsk, why do all the pretty women around me only go for other pretty women?" Sanji muttered grumpily, but then a perverted expression crossed his face as he looked down at Carina's cleavage and he continued. "Not that I can blame them, huhuhuhuhu~"
Jinbe's large hand clasped down on Sanji's head and lifted him just off the ground. Whilst Sanji kicked around the air in momentary panic, Jinbe said "That's an inappropriate way to speak about a lady, especially in her presence."
"I give, I give! I'm sorry!" Sanji frantically apologized.
Jinbe released him, then after Sanji caught his breath he bowed at a 90 degree angle and shouted "Please forgive my impudence, mademoiselle!"
"E~shishi! You have some funny friends, Nami~" Carina giggled.
"You can't have them, they're mine," Nami said jokingly. "Lead on then, Carina. I'll at least hear you out."
"Alright~ Follow me~" Carina skipped away. The group followed after her until they came to a restaurant with a bull's head on the front.
"MEAT!" Luffy didn't wait and immediately rushed inside. By the time the rest of them got inside, Luffy had already put in an order for half the menu and wasn't stopping there.
"You got any booze, boss?" Cherry asked the large man behind the counter.
"Hold on please, I'm still taking this gentleman's order." He said.
"Just bring him ten of everything. Here." Cherry slapped down a wad of cash that made the man's eye's bulge. If the entire stack was 10,000 Beri notes like the one on top, then it would cover several dozen times the charge for that massive order. "Bring me whatever you've got that's strong, and a lot of it. I've got a dinner date with Gild Tesoro and I won't be able to stomach his presence if I'm not wasted. Keep the change."
The big man nodded furiously and swiped the wad of cash off the counter. Watching Cherry closely and seeing that she didn't protest, he concluded that she was serious and got to work on the food immediately, drinks first of course. Just about everyone who worked on the Gran Tesoro was an indentured servant in debt to Gild Tesoro, so this money would go a long way towards paying the debts of himself and those he cared for on the ship
Robin didn't comment on the drinking. She wasn't sure she could stand to be alone with that man for more than five minutes without strangling him, and she had worked for Crocodile for several years.
"Can you guys really eat all that?" Carina asked curiously.
"Luffy can eat all that by himself; and he will if you aren't vigilant with your own plate," Nami said.
"Right…" Carina said, not really believing those words.
…
"This is both disgusting and fascinating." Carina gawked at the sight of Luffy literally throwing shovels full of food into his gaping maw with each bite.
"Nevermind him, spit it out. We're quite busy, you know?" Nami said, slapping Luffy's hand as it reached for her beef stew.
"Right. How would you guys like to pull off the heist of the century with me?" Carina's eyes sparkled.