"Is this... really a temple?"
Carlo and the others followed Rocks's gaze.
They were all stunned by the sight on the island ahead.
At this moment, before them, on a small island with a modest land area,
stood a massive temple.
Calling it a temple was an understatement; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to describe it as a palace.
The central Mahavira Hall looked magnificent from a distance, its gilded roof shimmering brilliantly under the sun.
The pagodas on either side were covered in vermillion glazed tiles, and the thick beams and pillars were carved with dragons and phoenixes, exuding luxury and grandeur.
On the plaza in front of the temple, crowds of people bustled about.
Monks in brocade kasayas and donors walked back and forth; there was none of the cold seclusion typical of Buddhist sanctuaries.
Looking at the temple in his field of vision, Golden Lion took a sharp breath.
"Good grief, how is this a temple? This is clearly some kingdom's royal palace. I told you those monks were dripping with grease, didn't I? How many Berries did it take to build such a luxurious temple?"
"Rocks! What's the word?"
"We're already here, what else is there to say?" Rocks drew the saber at his waist and pointed forward.
"Boys! Start looting!"
"Ooooh! Looting time!"
At Rocks's command,
over a dozen pirate ships immediately sped toward the coastal port.
Hundreds, even thousands of pirates brandished their swords and guns, howling like ghosts as they rushed off the ships.
And the one who charged the fastest was none other than Golden Lion.
His body floated directly into the air as he flew forward with a wild laugh.
Seeing this, Silver Axe quickly jumped up and grabbed his ankle.
"Shiki! Take me with you!"
However, he was 'accidentally' stepped on the head by Golden Lion, kicked down, and fell onto the beach.
"Eh? Sorry, A Xiong, I didn't see you."
Silver Axe, who had eaten a mouthful of sand, was fuming with rage. He pointed at the snickering, flying Golden Lion and cursed loudly.
Kaido was also running very fast.
Shouldering his spiked club, he rushed onto the island as if being chased by dogs.
"Worororo! Treasure! I want treasure! Hand it all over!"
Carlo, on the other hand, was unhurried. Followed by John, Whitebeard, and Rocks, he stepped onto the island at a leisurely pace.
He instructed John: "John, you go too. When it comes to finding treasure, you're likely the most skilled among us."
John nodded without a word. His body floated off the ground, and he flew toward the distant pagoda.
A metal belt was tied around his waist.
He was using magnetism to control this belt to achieve flight.
As this large group of people landed on the island so blatantly,
the monks and donors on the island quickly discovered the situation.
Instantly, they were struck with panic and fled in all directions.
"This is bad! The pirates are here! It's... it's the Rocks Pirates!"
Some monks scrambled back into the temple to inform the abbot.
With the arrival of Rocks and the others,
this originally peaceful and quiet island quickly fell into chaos.
Rocks was long accustomed to such scenes.
Looking at Carlo walking beside him, he couldn't help but ask, "Carlo, why aren't you going to grab some money?"
Carlo admired the scenery of the temple before him and said indifferently, "I'm not interested in money."
"Uh..."
This single sentence choked Rocks up.
"What do you mean you're not interested in money? As long as someone is a pirate, no one is uninterested in money, right?"
"It's not that I'm completely uninterested. It's just that I have a lot of money, so much that I can't spend it all for the time being. And not long ago, I gained three sizable external debts. In that case, why be in a hurry to fight for it?"
"John has already gone, so it doesn't matter if I go or not. Anyway, regardless of whether I participate, as a Division Captain, I'll get a large share of the loot, won't I?"
Carlo's answer left Rocks with no way to refute.
It actually seemed quite logical!
Beside them, Whitebeard heard this and looked at Carlo with some envy. As if remembering something, he suddenly said, "Right, I almost forgot to say thank you, Carlo."
"Hmm? What are you thanking me for?" Carlo was taken aback.
Whitebeard laughed. "Thank you for letting me earn ten million Berries for nothing."
"I let you earn ten million Berries? Where did that come from?" Carlo looked at him in confusion.
"It's like this. That day when you fought Silver Axe and John, we... were betting on who would win or lose. Linlin placed ten million Berries for me, betting that you would win. Since you won, I got those ten million Berries for free," Whitebeard said with a smile.
Rocks also laughed. "Wahahaha, you also let me earn a million Berries."
After hearing this, Carlo said unhappily, "Next time there's something like this, remember to bet for me. Also, your stakes were way too small. You only earned that much? What's that even enough for?"
Rocks laughed heartily. "Wahahaha, it was just for fun, a bit of entertainment. But you really do have confidence in yourself. Fine, if there's a next time, I'll use my money to front a bet for you."
"That's more like it."
On the other side.
Inside the locked Mahavira Hall at the center of the temple,
at a long table covered with a red cloth, a dozen monks dressed in gold and red kasayas were counting stacks of Berries.
Their movements were very practiced; clearly, this wasn't the first time they had done such a thing.
Before long, bundles of neatly tied Berry banknotes were stacked on the long table, forming a small mountain of Berries.
Standing at the head, the old abbot, who looked aged but had a plump figure, saw the mountain of Berries, and his old face flushed with color.
"Amitabha. The recent incense money is much more than in the past. Lie, Liu, where did you solicit these from? To have such generous... such kind donors?"
He looked at the two warrior monks standing on his left and right, his eyes questioning.
The two questioned warrior monks answered respectfully:
"Reporting to the Monk Leader, these Berries were donated from various Affiliated Nations of the New World. The total amount is about three billion. What's here is only a small portion; more wealth has been placed in the underground vault."
"Oh? Since when were those noble lords of the Affiliated Nations so generous?" The Fat Abbot was somewhat surprised.
The two warrior monks answered respectfully again: "It was the World Government that acted as the intermediary to achieve such an effect."
"World Government?" The Fat Abbot was stunned for a moment. After thinking for a while, he realized:
"This humble monk roughly understands. It seems the World Government is in urgent need of more 'talents.' Moreover, seeing how generous they are, they must want even more gifted talents, right?"
He nodded and muttered to himself:
"Indeed, since Carmel's House of Lambs closed down, the World Government's source of talent has decreased significantly. We, Puttelocrone, have helped them a lot over the years, successively providing them with many talents."
"Perhaps seeing this, they allowed us to profit so handsomely this time."
"It seems this humble monk cannot fail the high expectations of the World Government. In the future, I must catch... provide more outstanding talents to them."
"The Monk Leader is wise."