Crack—crack—crack… Tesoro's giant golden body shattered in an instant, sending yellow sand swirling in all directions, disrupting his senses.
Rosen's fist struck his head squarely. In a battle where both sides were fighting beyond their limits, even a moment's distraction could completely shift the balance.
Boom!
Tesoro crashed to the ground as sand spikes, coated in Haki, shot up from beneath him and pierced through his body—his defense was broken.
The awakened "Collapse" power of Rosen's Sand-Sand Fruit unleashed its destructive potential, tearing through Tesoro's armor.
Under normal circumstances, even with his awakened ability, Rosen wouldn't have gained such an advantage. But Tesoro's unstable state of mind, coupled with Rosen's sudden awakening, made him falter—and that moment of hesitation cost him dearly.
"Don't move." Rosen crouched and pressed his hand, radiating the destructive force of collapse, against Tesoro's chest. Tesoro's limbs were impaled and pinned to the ground, his heart under Rosen's control.
The blow from earlier had already shattered part of Tesoro's forehead, exposing raw flesh. If not for his golden dust sealing the wound, blood would be pouring everywhere.
"Strange… the mission hasn't completed yet. That means Tesoro hasn't been fully defeated. He still has something to save himself with?" Rosen frowned. Even while restraining Tesoro, he remained cautious—his system hadn't indicated mission completion.
"What's wrong? Not going to kill me?" Tesoro smiled faintly, his tone calm.
"I don't know what tricks you have left, but I'm sure you still have some fight in you. Still, this is your real body. Whatever you've planned, I promise you one thing—before you escape, I'll make sure you remember it for the rest of your life." Rosen's words made Tesoro fall silent.
Indeed, Rosen was right. That was exactly why Tesoro didn't resist further. His condition was terrible, especially after Rosen's psychological provocation.
If he wanted to escape, he could, even now. But as Rosen said—doing so would come at a cost he might never recover from.
If Rosen had pressed his attack immediately, showing clear intent to kill, Tesoro would have fled without hesitation.
But Rosen chose to restrain him instead—meaning he wanted something. After all, this man wasn't known for mercy. If he'd wanted him dead, he'd have gone all out already.
So Tesoro decided to wait—if the negotiation failed, he could still escape later. He hadn't expected that Crocodile would so easily deduce he still had a trump card hidden.
A truly powerful and troublesome enemy.
Tesoro didn't want to die—not yet. He might not fear death, but "not fearing" and "not wanting" were two entirely different things.
"Tell me—what's more important to you, money or life?"
"You think you can kill me?" Tesoro stared blankly at his bleeding limbs. "I admit—you're strong. Much stronger than I estimated. But if I want to escape, you can't kill me."
"I'm just asking. For now, I'm holding at least half your life in my hand, aren't I?" Rosen lit a cigar calmly, watching Tesoro. Heat still rose from his body, sand swirling around—proof of his continued vigilance.
"What do you want?" Tesoro asked bluntly. Ending up in this state was humiliating enough.
But he had to acknowledge Crocodile's strength. The strong deserved respect—even as enemies.
"I don't want a beast lurking near the Kingdom of Andia. So, I want Paradise. You've got the money—use it to smooth things over and transfer ownership to Xia. In return, you walk away unharmed. Fair, isn't it?" Rosen stated plainly.
He'd considered this ever since Morris informed him about Tesoro. If the opportunity arose, he'd seize it.
Paradise, being close to the Kingdom of Andia, was strategically valuable. Controlling it meant controlling its information network.
Paradise was indeed a goldmine, but it was also chaotic—a mix of all sorts. Many visitors there often passed through Andia, sometimes engaging in shady dealings. Having it under his control would ensure security and intelligence flow.
That was why he'd held back from killing Tesoro outright.
"You call this 'unharmed'? Hahaha… Crocodile, you're insane. I don't know why you want Paradise, but its web of connections is far more complicated than you think." Tesoro laughed bitterly, glancing at his battered body.
But he soon realized the logic.
Crocodile was secretly aiding the opposing faction within Andia's leadership—and from the bigger picture, that faction would soon rule the kingdom. Leaving Paradise outside their control would indeed be a thorn in their side.
Even the current king had tried and failed to control it, eventually compromising with shared profits.
"If it weren't for all those connections, I'd just kill you now and take over by force. But as things stand, weigh your choices—do you want to be hunted down and crippled, or buy your life with that precious wealth of yours?" Rosen's collapsing power began to intensify again, drying Tesoro's skin in visible warning.
"Fine. Paradise is yours." Tesoro didn't hesitate for long. The profits from Paradise were nothing compared to the alternative.
The loser must bear the price of defeat—and the highest price is life itself. In the end, there was no deep hatred between them—only conflicting interests.
Paying with profit was a fair trade. Being maimed or killed wasn't worth it.
Rosen wasn't surprised. Tesoro wasn't a hotheaded fool—he was a pragmatic man who knew when to concede.
And true powerhouses often shared one trait—they kept their word. Without such discipline and pride, reaching their level was impossible.
Even if Tesoro broke the deal later, Rosen wasn't concerned. He could simply destroy Paradise entirely, letting no one have it. With the Andia Kingdom's cooperation, he wouldn't even need to do it himself.
It'd be troublesome, but the current political turmoil meant any retaliation would be limited.
Rosen released Tesoro.
"Within three days, send your men to hand over Paradise. You've lost big this time. The Warlord of War and the King of Andia really dug a pit for you. Hahaha… Still, you'd better guard it well. I've heard the Warlord of War has an eye on both the Kingdom and Paradise. You're enemies now—so why not try challenging the powers of this world yourself?"
Tesoro struggled to his feet, expression calm. Not being forced to use his ultimate escape technique was for the best—it would've left him weak for a long time. If the criminals of the New World learned of his vulnerability, even if he escaped Crocodile's pursuit, his days would be numbered.
When you're strong, everyone shows respect—but reveal a moment of weakness, and the vultures will tear you apart.
Watching Tesoro walk away, Robin frowned. "Boss, why not finish him?"
"Can't kill him. He still has cards left. Better to maximize our gain. Plus, with the deal made, he won't tell the World Government anything. I'd rather let him see the real cracks in the system—maybe he'll become a threat to them someday. He's an unstable bomb, and I'd rather not have it explode in our hands."
(End of Chapter)