"Mr. Tesoro, where is this place?"
"This is our true headquarters. Don't speak carelessly, bringing you here is a risk for me too."
His words were a bit exaggerated, but they were also true; he was recruiting people externally on his own.
There weren't many within the Hundred Beasts who were adept at managing businesses, so Arceus gave Tesoro the authority to recruit people himself. He couldn't manage the entire company alone.
Over the years, he had recruited some people, and he had some management skills, but Baccarat was the first person he brought to Ghost Island, mainly because her abilities were quite unique.
The Hundred Beasts never reject talented individuals unless they are traitors.
"Alright, I'll be careful."
"No need to be so tense, it's not that serious. There are quite a few children here too, but don't use your abilities here."
Baccarat's abilities were something even she couldn't control well. She could only decide good luck or bad luck; everything else was up to fate. As long as luck defied the odds, her Fruit Ability might not have any effect.
Outside Wano Kuni, the environment was slightly terrifying under the cover of night, with occasional glimpses of giant figures in the water. As the waterfall at the Hidden Port opened, Tesoro and Baccarat arrived at the entrance of Hakumai.
"Baccarat, stop looking, it's time to go."
"Oh, coming."
Tesoro hoisted his backpack and stepped out. It had become second nature; he instinctively brought some gifts whenever he came to Ghost Island.
He didn't need to bring anything for someone like Kaidou or Arceus because it was meaningless. These gifts were prepared for children like Yamato or officers like Queen.
As long as he did his job well, Arceus wouldn't shortchange him no matter his actions, but managing relationships with people below was very important.
"Hey, you're here."
"Yes, it's per Lord Arceus' wishes."
"Go on in, Lord Arceus is still in the office."
For instance, some people on the road greeted him.
"Loto, unknown identity, entry prohibited, please stop, Loto."
However, his identity card didn't include Baccarat's identity. He could go in, but Baccarat was stopped by Rotom.
"She's someone I just recruited. Can't I take her in?"
"Insufficient clearance, Loto. Please obtain identification proof first, Loto."
In this area, Rotom's work was very procedural. Tesoro wasn't often on Ghost Island, so his clearance was limited.
Just as Tesoro was pondering, Queen walked over from outside, holding a thick stack of papers, with faint dark circles visible around his sunglasses.
These were the papers he had recently stayed up to revise; after several modifications, they were finally finalized. He had just taken them to the Hundred Beasts Pokemon Center.
These doctors, heavily recruited by the Hundred Beasts from around the world, were considered famous. Having them review the reports provided some reference value.
After multiple checks and modifications, Queen had resolved some of these issues.
He even had some Ohara scholars look through them. Some of their research involved ancient medicine and minerals, and many had published papers with the World Government. The modifications also served to polish the documents anew.
That was his final modification, and this time the doctors at the Pokemon Center found no faults, so he came to report to Arceus.
"Tesoro? You arrived so early? Why aren't you going in?"
"Brother Queen, I'm here with a new recruit, but my clearance isn't enough..."
"Have you already learned this? You're integrating quite quickly. Come with me, Rotom, this young lady is an exception; let her in."
As a high-ranking member, Queen had the authority to make this decision. At his request, Rotom opened the electronic door.
"Don't run around, little girl. You have zero clearance, and if you wander off, you might get electrocuted to bits. Muahaha."
"Brother Queen, don't scare her. I brought you quite a few cigars from the Tikens Kingdom."
"You're too kind, but I wasn't joking. It's better for those without clearance not to wander around."
Getting electrocuted to bits was certainly an exaggeration, but if she triggered any alarms, punishment was certain.
...
Inside the top-floor office, Baccarat saw many unscientific creatures for the first time. Rotom could be considered a special form of mechanical intelligence, but Swampert and Manaphy were different.
"Lord Arceus, this is a child I've adopted, a Paramecia-type: Luck-Luck Fruit Ability User. She's been a great help to me and is very reliable."
"As long as you trust her, it's fine. Yamato, take her and Manaphy out to have fun and get her a temporary identity card."
"Alright, foster father, leave it to me."
When there was serious business, she would obediently leave. As the door closed behind her, discussions about the implementation of the plan began in the room.
"Lord Arceus, here are the relevant documents and treatment reports. Everything is ready, and the nun has been informed."
Queen handed over the necessary items. Preparations had been mostly completed during this time.
"Tesoro, what about your side?"
"The plan has already begun; once the news spreads, we can take action."
"Very well, then send a message to Morgans. You'll have to work a little harder to finish these things first."
"As you wish, the new life you've given Stella and me means this little bit of effort is nothing."
As he spoke, Tesoro glanced at his watch.
"At this time, things should have already begun with Stella."
The news explosion required a condition. They didn't plan to rely solely on Morgans' newspaper; instead, they intended to start from women's circles.
At this moment, on an island near the Red Earth Continent, a salon of noblewomen had begun. Stella, having shed her former identity as a slave, now appeared in the public eye as a rising star.
"Miss Stella, watch your step."
A big-headed man, resembling a Doraemon walked in front of Stella. She had absolute trust in Tesoro and did not doubt his social interactions. This man, named Tanaka, was another subordinate of Tesoro's and also served as Stella's bodyguard.
A Paramecia-type: Through-Through Fruit Ability User, he could pass through any non-living matter and could bring others with him, making him perfect for this environment.
Additionally, there was also Persian accompanying Stella. Almost every woman present had a cat, which was the theme of this salon. Stella soon found a few acquaintances.
Holding a platinum lead wine glass and looking at some platinum lead tableware on the table, she was ready to put the plan into action.