Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Golden Emperor
Early chapters here and unreleased novels here: pa.treon.com/FFAddict
Hiro swiftly lifted his gaze to the individual, a sense of familiarity washing over him as if he had seen this person somewhere before.
"Who are you?"
"I'm Gild Tesoro. I've been imprisoned here for three years. I know how to get out of this hell!"
Gild Tesoro?
Hiro's pupils contracted slightly at the realization of who the man before him was. Wasn't this Gild Tesoro, the man who would become the world's richest person, possessing the Gold Gold Fruit, and earning the moniker of the Golden Emperor?
In the future, this guy would control twenty percent of the world's currency and amass a wealth of 500 billion Belly. That was the equivalent of one hundred Whitebeards. It was then that Hiro remembered that this future wealthiest man was once a slave to the Celestial Dragons. He would also be among the slaves liberated by Fisher Tiger from Holy Land Mariejois.
If he could recruit Tesoro while he was still destitute, Tesoro could not only be a source of funds in the future, but he would also be a very powerful subordinate. Truthfully, in the theatrical version, the fact that Tesoro appeared as the main villain alone demonstrated his strength. If it weren't for Luffy's plot armor, he wouldn't stand a chance against an awakened Tesoro. (TN: I did not realize he was awakened until doing research.)
With these thoughts, Hiro's eyes lit up. He had already decided to bring Tesoro under his wing.
"If you know how to escape this hell, why are you still here?"
Faced with Hiro's question, Tesoro lowered his head.
"I... I am not strong enough. Although I know the way out, I lack the strength to execute it. I once sought out the Fishmen, intending to escape with them, but they drove me away before I could get close..." Hiro smirked, "So, you came to me, thinking I could get close to the Fishmen?"
Tesoro didn't hide anything and nodded candidly.
However, Hiro questioned him, "You said your strength is insufficient. Given this, why should I help you escape?" Facing Hiro's questioning, Tesoro calmly replied, "I can trade the escape method for your assistance. In Mariejois, I'm the only one who knows this method. If you want to leave, you have to know my method."
Hiro, intrigued, asked, "Aren't you afraid that I might force you to reveal it?" At this, Tesoro raised his head and stared at Hiro with eyes full of hatred and a hint of regret. "My heart is already dead. Even if you torture me to death, I won't be scared. If it weren't for the hatred in my heart, I would have killed myself already. Please, I have a compelling reason to leave this place!"
Hiro asked, "Do you want to take revenge on the Celestial Dragons?" "Yes, I want to become the wealthiest person in the world. I want to use money to crush the Celestial Dragons underfoot!" Hiro laughed heartily and then, with a voice full of killing intent, told Tesoro, "Our goals are quite similar. I plan to kill all the Celestial Dragons. Though our goals are slightly different, they're generally the same. How about this? You become my crew member, we fight the Celestial Dragons together, and I take you out of this hell." "Okay, I'll join you!"
Tesoro agreed without hesitation to Hiro's proposal. He knew that escaping this hell by himself was impossible, but Hiro, as a powerful devil fruit user, had a chance to get close to the Fishmen, offering him an opportunity to escape this damned hell. As long as he could escape and take revenge on the Celestial Dragons, even if it meant selling his soul, he was willing.
Moreover, if he could really escape, he would need a person of formidable strength as a backer, and the powerful Hiro was the perfect candidate.
"Can you trust me now?" Tesoro knew Hiro was asking about the escape method. After a bit of hesitation, he decided to trust Hiro, as he had no other choice. Without Hiro, he couldn't get close to the Fishmen, who despised humans, and he couldn't escape. So, he had to gamble and trust that Hiro would take him away.
"In our bathing place, there's a huge sewage pipe that leads to an external waste outlet. I confirmed this from an outlet on the cliff outside. I used something I placed in the water and heard it flowing out from here."
Also, I've been to the drainage pipe. It's over three meters wide, wide enough for a Fish-man to easily get out. However, the water flows too rapidly, virtually straight down. Considering my power, no, the power of everyone in Holy Land Mariejoa, only a Fish-man, who can breathe underwater and possesses a strong physique, can get out from here. Most Fish-men are not that strong, only the powerful one called Fisher Tiger might be able to make it out alive."
After musing for a moment, Hiro said to Tserro, "We bathe every three days. We just bathed yesterday, so we need to wait for two days to go to the bathhouse. In two days, wait for us at the bathhouse entrance. We'll go to the drainage pipe with Fisher Tiger and see. I believe Fisher Tiger won't give up on any chance to escape."
"Alright!"
"Where do you live? How can I find you if we get a chance to escape?"
"I'm held in Cell 125 in Area E. You can find me there," Tserro replied.
Having finished his meal, Hiro said to Tserro, "Let's go find Fisher Tiger and talk to him." The two went back to Fisher Tiger, told him about their escape route, and agreed to inspect the situation in two days. After their discussion, they each departed, planning to meet again in three days.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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