Footsteps echoed, announcing the arrival of a flamboyant man bedecked in pink and excessive gold jewelry: Gild Tesoro.
His gaze, sharp and predatory, fixed on Rhodes and Nia. "If I'm not mistaken, you are members of the Rhodes Pirates," he declared, adding, "A friend asked me to entertain you well." Rhodes immediately understood this "friend" was likely Doflamingo, given Tesoro's known alliance.
Rhodes, with a calculated move, pointed at Baccarat. "First of all, may I ask, is this lady yours?"
Tesoro confirmed that Baccarat was a new employee of his Grand 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 on Issho, 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! A Haki-infused fist 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 the Gold-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 concentrated Haki penetrated 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 for Joker. 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 a Haki-infused uppercut before the gold could fully coalesce into armor.
BANG!! Tesoro had tried to spread his Haki defensively, but it was no match for Rhodes's focused blow. It's not good enough! Rhodes thought, observing Tesoro. His recent battle with Zephyr had highlighted the veteran's superior combat skills and Haki usage. 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 his Devil Fruit development.
~~~~~~~~~~
The Rhodes Pirates' visit to Lavis takes an explosive turn as Gild Tesoro, the "Golden Emperor" and Doflamingo's partner, 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 his Gold-Gold Fruit, transforming the casino into a flowing river of gold, but Rhodes proves overwhelmingly superior. With a Haki-infused Six Kings Spear, Rhodes effortlessly breaks through Tesoro's defenses and lands devastating blows, revealing Tesoro's unexpected weakness in direct combat and Haki application.
With Tesoro now reeling from Rhodes's attacks and Issho still 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?