Seeing Karl's completely calm expression—
Gild Tesoro couldn't help but reassess him once again.
Gold was just gold.
Anyone who had visited the Golden City would eventually get used to it.
But mountains of Berries?
That was a different story.
Very few people could remain unmoved in front of such wealth.
Tesoro's Thoughts
This man… is troublesome.
If Tesoro wanted to recruit someone—
Whether a politician or a Marine—
He usually relied on three things:
MoneyPower (利益交换 /利益关系)Women
But with Karl—
None of them worked.
Money?
Karl had already discovered the treasure of Shandora.
He casually possessed wealth that ordinary people couldn't earn in tens of thousands of years.
Power?
Karl was already a Marine Hero.
Authority, fame, influence—
He had it all.
Why would he need deals?
Women?
Karl was literally the most handsome man in the world.
Women throwing themselves at him?
Countless.
Even paying millions just for a chance—
Wasn't unrealistic.
At this point—
Karl would say:
"You won't know unless you try."
Collecting the Money
Karl yawned.
"Alright… all my money is here, right?"
Tesoro nodded.
"Yes. Do you want to count it?"
"No need."
Karl casually walked forward.
Then—
Wave.
A mountain of Berries disappeared.
Then another.
And another.
Within a few breaths—
65 billion Berries were completely gone.
Only empty racks remained in the vault.
"Gulp…"
Tesoro swallowed hard.
He had already noticed this earlier—
When Karl pulled out the gold.
What Ability Is This?!
He signaled Baccarat with his eyes.
Their long partnership made communication effortless.
Baccarat immediately stepped forward with a charming smile.
"So amazing, Mr. Karl…"
"How did you do that?"
Karl smiled slightly.
"You mean this?"
Whoosh—
A pile of Berries appeared.
Then instantly vanished.
Baccarat looked at him with admiration.
"Yes! That's it!"
Karl replied calmly:
"Miss Baccarat, your ability is quite good."
"You should develop it further."
"You'll discover… an entirely new world."
It sounded like an answer—
But also not.
To Tesoro—
That was enough.
He was now almost certain:
👉 This was Karl's Devil Fruit ability,
👉 And a highly developed one.
For a brief moment—
Tesoro felt tempted.
Since stabilizing the Golden City—
He had neglected his own growth.
Maybe…
He should train again?
But then—
He shook his head internally.
No.
For him now—
Money = Power
Baccarat, meanwhile, nodded thoughtfully.
Whether genuine or just acting—
Hard to tell.
Leaving the Vault
"It's getting late."
"I won't disturb you further."
"Goodbye."
Tesoro quickly responded:
"You're too polite."
"Baccarat, escort Mr. Karl back."
Back to the VIP Room
As soon as Baccarat left—
The Den Den Mushi rang.
"Carl, this is Sengoku."
"You've reached the Golden City?"
Karl leaned back casually.
"Of course."
"That World Noble should be enjoying herself."
"What's wrong?"
Sengoku's voice lowered.
"Are you alone?"
"No one nearby? No listening Den Den Mushi?"
Karl replied calmly:
"I checked already. It's safe."
"Go ahead."
Sengoku paused.
Then spoke:
"We have confirmation about Ace."
Karl narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Oh?"
"What did Intelligence find?"
Sengoku said slowly:
"Ace… is not ordinary."
"He is the son of…"
Gol D. Roger
"He should be called…"
Portgas D. Ace
"'Portgas' comes from his mother."
Sengoku sighed deeply.
"I should've realized sooner…"
"Why would Garp adopt a child at that exact time?"
Karl scratched his head.
"Wait… I get that Ace is Roger's son…"
"But what exactly happened?"
Sengoku Begins ExplainingFlashback — Year 1501 (After Roger's Execution)
At Marine Headquarters—
"Sengoku, I won't accept this!"
Monkey D. Garp roared angrily.
"Roger is dead!"
"Is that not enough to atone for his crimes?!"
"Why must you go this far?!"
Sengoku responded just as fiercely:
"Garp!"
"You are a Marine!"
"Will you oppose the Government's decision?!"
"I've already ordered the encirclement of Baterilla Island."
"The bloodline of evil must not continue!"
Garp clenched his fists.
"And targeting a pregnant woman…"
"Is that your justice?!"
He pointed at the plaque behind Sengoku:
Justice Above All
Sengoku looked at it—
And his resolve hardened.
"Yes."
"This is my justice."
"There is no room for negotiation."
"Have you forgotten what happened to Zephyr?"
"If we spare pirates' families—"
"Will pirates spare ours?"
Garp fell silent.
Unable to respond.
Then—
He turned and left.
BANG!
The door slammed.
Sengoku sighed.
For the first time as Fleet Admiral—
He understood:
Above the Marines → World GovernmentAbove them → Five Elders
Marine justice…
Was never absolute.
It was—
Compromised justice.
Baterilla Island
Meanwhile—
Warships surrounded the island.
Marines searched house to house.
Their mission:
👉 Find Roger's child
👉 Eliminate the bloodline
They searched for months.
Then nearly a year.
Still—
Nothing.
What they didn't know—
Was that a mother had made an impossible choice.
Portgas D. Rouge
She delayed childbirth—
For over 20 months.
Using sheer will—
At the cost of her life.
Finally—
After Roger's death:
1 year and 3 months later
On Baterilla Island—
She gave birth.
And named him:
Portgas D. Ace
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