Footsteps echoed, announcing the arrival of a flamboyant man bedecked in pink and excessive gold jewelry:Gild Tesoro.

His gaze, sharp and predatory, fixed onRhodesandNia. "If I'm not mistaken, you are members of theRhodes Pirates," he declared, adding, "A friend asked me to entertain you well." Rhodes immediately understood this "friend" was likelyDoflamingo, given Tesoro's known alliance.

Rhodes, with a calculated move, pointed atBaccarat. "First of all, may I ask, is this lady yours?"

Tesoro confirmed that Baccarat was a new employee of hisGrand Casino.

"It turns out he just joined. That's not bad," Rhodes mused, already envisioning Baccarat as part of his crew. "If they have been together for a long time, I am afraid that we may not be happy with each other later."

Tesoro laughed, an indignant sound. "Interesting, it sounds like you want to snatch my person away from me?" Rhodes cut straight to the chase: "How do you want to entertain us?" He kept a wary eye onIssho, who remained unmoving and felt like a greater threat than Tesoro himself.

Tesoro's smile turned sinister. "Of course, I'll make all of you into precious golden statues and give them to him!" With a flick of his finger, a golden ring shot from his hand, expanding to ensnare Rhodes.Boom!AHaki-infusedfist met the golden ring, deflecting it. Rhodes retorted, "Although I like gold very much, it doesn't mean I want to turn myself into gold."

"He really has some skills," Tesoro acknowledged, retrieving his ring. "But this is my home ground!" As he spoke, gold ornaments throughout the casino twisted and surged towards him. Panic erupted among the fleeing gamblers.

"What's going on?"

"So much gold!!"

Rhodes's Dominance

Massive amounts of gold flowed to Tesoro, coiling and twisting like a fluid. "I am the user of theGold-Gold Fruit. I can freely control all the gold that I touch," he boasted, as a steady stream of gold poured in from every corner of the casino.

"What a luxurious way of fighting!" Nia gasped, awestruck by the sheer volume of wealth. "Rhodes, you must defeat him!"

"Don't worry, we will win," Rhodes affirmed.

Tesoro let out an exaggerated, mocking laugh. "Defeat me!? You are such an ignorant brat!" His face contorted with malice. "You ignorant brats, go to hell!" He violently swung his arms, sending a colossal wave of gold crashing towards Rhodes.

"You are the one who doesn't know how high the sky is and how deep the earth is, right?" Rhodes countered. He clenched his fist and launched a direct strike:Six Kings Gun: Haki-infused Edition!

Boom!!!A powerful shockwave erupted from Rhodes's fist, instantly pulverizing the golden wave and continuing its trajectory to strike Tesoro directly in the chest.

"Wow--" Tesoro reeled, coughing up a mouthful of blood as the shockwave and Rhodes's concentratedHakipenetrated his body. He doubled over, stunned. "Little devil!" he snarled, his eyes burning with anger. He had dismissed Rhodes as a mere rookie, an insignificant annoyance he'd planned to capture as a gift forJoker. Now, he realized his mistake.This guy is tough!

Tesoro quickly began to form golden armor around his body. But Rhodes was too fast.

"Too slow!" Rhodes instantly reappeared before Tesoro, striking him with aHaki-infused uppercutbefore the gold could fully coalesce into armor.

BANG!!Tesoro had tried to spread hisHakidefensively, but it was no match for Rhodes's focused blow.It's not good enough!Rhodes thought, observing Tesoro. His recent battle withZephyrhad highlighted the veteran's superior combat skills andHakiusage. Tesoro, the "Golden Emperor," simply didn't measure up. Rhodes speculated that Tesoro's talents were likely more geared towards business and performance, and wondered about the true extent of hisDevil Fruitdevelopment.

~~~~~~~~~~

TheRhodes Pirates' visit toLavistakes an explosive turn asGild Tesoro, the "Golden Emperor" andDoflamingo'spartner, confronts them. Tesoro's attempt to turn Rhodes into a golden statue is swiftly thwarted, leading to a direct clash of powers. Tesoro unleashes the full might of hisGold-Gold Fruit, transforming the casino into a flowing river of gold, butRhodesproves overwhelmingly superior. With aHaki-infused Six Kings Spear, Rhodes effortlessly breaks through Tesoro's defenses and lands devastating blows, revealing Tesoro's unexpected weakness in direct combat andHakiapplication.

With Tesoro now reeling from Rhodes's attacks andIsshostill observing from the sidelines, what further abilities might Tesoro unveil in desperation? Will Issho, the future Navy Admiral, remain a passive observer, or will this escalating battle force him to intervene?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com