One Piece Gunslinger

After all, Tesoro is a major taxpayer. As a member state of the World Government, it has to pay Celestial Gold. Tesoro's annual Celestial Gold contributions are among the highest, naturally earning it the support of the World Government.

"Mr. Luther has arrived," the waiter said to the staff who were already waiting nearby after stopping the car in front of a building.

"Alright, Mr. Luther, please get out of the car. Lord Raditz has been waiting upstairs for a long time."

This certainly couldn't be a direct conversation with the Golden Emperor Tesoro. Tesoro must have his own group of employees for business operations, and this Raditz was one of them. He was in charge of the commercial development of the West Sea.

Upon hearing this, Luther opened the car door and followed the staff member into the building. Looking at the magnificent building, which seemed to be cast in gold, Luther couldn't help but marvel.

Seeing Luther's reaction, the staff member led Luther into the elevator and explained, "Heh, the exterior of this building is covered with gold, but it's not entirely made of gold, otherwise the building wouldn't be able to support itself."

"Oh, I see. I thought the entire outer wall was made of gold. No wonder it's called the City of Gold; it's practically covered in gold here," Luther exclaimed.

The staff member chuckled ingratiatingly, but inwardly thought, "What a country bumpkin! Why be so surprised to see so much gold? With Tezzolo's wealth, he could easily have an entire building made of gold." However, gold is relatively soft and certainly couldn't support the entire structure. Tezzolo's palace was rather short, only two stories high, and that was because it was entirely cast in gold.

Little did Luther know that he was also secretly thinking to himself, "A nouveau riche is a nouveau riche, no manners whatsoever. This entire exterior wall is gold. In the words coined by CEO Li Ang, it's light pollution. At night, with all sorts of blinding lights on, it's enough to make anyone dizzy."

Chapter 333 The Three Old Farmers

Blah blah blah.

Afterwards, Luther engaged in a lengthy verbal battle with Tezzolo's henchman, Raditz, transforming himself into a seasoned veteran. He argued forcefully over every detail regarding the interests involved, and the discussion continued into the evening before finally concluding the matter.

From the moment he entered the surveillance view of Golden City until what he did at this club, everything was done to confirm Luther's identity, facilitating his subsequent actions.

"Finally, I wish you a pleasant cooperation."

"Yes, it's a pleasure to work with you. Oh, by the way, how about I show Lord Luther around a bit later? It would be such a shame to come all this way just for work. This is the Golden City that you can travel the world to. You might not have the chance to come back again."

Luther originally planned to go out and explore on his own after leaving here, and to find the two employees who had been brought in earlier. Since Raditz had offered to be his guide, it wouldn't hurt.

Luther nodded and said, "Very well, very well. I don't necessarily have to go back to report right away. Indeed, it would be a waste to come to the City of Gold and not have a good time."

"I wonder what Ludsson's hobbies are? Our Golden City has everything, and we guarantee to meet your needs."

Upon hearing this, Luther quickly responded: "Hehe, I don't really have any particular hobbies. If I had to name one, it would be ramen. And the kind served with bone broth would be even better. I wonder if Golden City has any of those unforgettable delicacies?"

Luther didn't actually like ramen; that "hobby" was just something he made up on the spot. He'd heard about some underhanded methods before, and he knew that his two friends happened to be working for free at a tonkotsu ramen shop. This was all to force him to get involved there.

“I see.” Raditz turned and instructed, “Go and find out where Ludsan’s needs can be met, then prepare a car to take us there.”

As the saying goes, "The leader just needs to say something, and the subordinates will run themselves ragged." After receiving the order, he responded and quickly set off. By the time the two of them leisurely made their way down to the first floor, all the preparations were complete.

On the way to the ramen shop, Luther started a conversation, saying, "It's strange, really. I used to have two subordinates. To be honest, their abilities were pretty much the same, but they weren't bad either. They went on vacation recently and traveled all over the world. But while they were traveling, they just disappeared. This world is getting more and more chaotic."

Raditz didn't know why Luther brought this up, but he could only continue, "That's for sure. Ever since Roger started the Great Pirate Era, the seas have become incredibly lively. In recent years, a powerful rebel force has emerged, and things are practically in complete chaos. So Luther-san has to be careful on his journey."

"I have nothing to be afraid of. The conglomerate has assigned a ship to escort me on this trip. Ordinary small-time pirates won't be able to break through our advanced cannons," Luther said confidently.

Raditz chuckled twice and said, "That's true. Your conglomerate is famous for its technological prowess, especially in the field of everyday civilian technology, where it stands out from the crowd."

"Haha, you flatter me, you flatter me."

After exchanging compliments, Luther and Raditz arrived at the only tonkotsu ramen shop in the Golden City.

"Hey? Manager Luther!" "The conglomerate has finally come to our rescue!"

As soon as the two stepped through the gate, two joyful voices came from inside.

"Martin?! King?!" Luther exclaimed, his mouth agape in surprise. "What are you two doing here?"

Although Raditz didn't recognize the two men, he immediately realized that they were probably the two missing employees that Luther had mentioned earlier. They must have been swindled out of all their money here and were now forced to work for free.

Sure enough, Luther quickly replied, "I always thought you two had perished at sea. Why didn't you contact me?"

Martin immediately replied, "We lost everything here, and then..."

Raditz was also in a real bind. It was indeed the truth, but he couldn't say it outright. Just a moment ago, the two were like brothers, having finalized a huge deal with the Grandet Group. If word got out, and it escalated, he'd be branded as someone who cheated their business partners. That would be detrimental to Tezzolo's business globally. If he didn't handle this well, Tezzolo could practically bankrupt him.

But what a coincidence! We were just talking about it, and then we ran into the person in question.

"Ahem, this..." Raditz hurriedly interrupted nervously, "Ludsan, this might be a misunderstanding. I'm not entirely clear on the issue either. I'll ask the person in charge."

As he spoke, Raditz quickly called the people in charge of these slaves to ask if these two people were there and how much money they owed.

"What?! How did you two manage to do that? Not only did you lose everything, but you also incurred a huge debt." Luther, hearing the phone call from Raditz, also put on an incredulous expression. "That's twenty million Berries! You two probably wouldn't be able to pay it back in twenty or thirty years doing this kind of work."

In terms of actual purchasing power, 20 million peles is roughly equivalent to over one million RMB.

Raditz secretly wiped away his sweat, thinking to himself, "This will take at least twenty or thirty years to pay off. If interest is added, he'll never be able to leave."

However, this was just something he was saying in his mind; he still had to maintain appearances. To prevent the two from actually answering the question of how he had managed it, Raditz quickly said, "Oh dear, this is a huge misunderstanding. I'll take the liberty of waiving the 20 million Berries, and consider the previous debt settled."

For Tezzolo, this was nothing more than losing two slaves that could be captured at any time. There was absolutely no need to lose a big business deal for the sake of these two slaves, so Raditz's handling of the situation was perfectly reasonable.

“Oh, how could that be?” Luther said, “They owe us twenty million Berries. How can we just wipe that clean?”

Raditz quickly replied, "That's not true. Compared to the friendship of your conglomerate, twenty million Berries is nothing."

Of course, Luther wouldn't agree; the mission wasn't complete yet.

“Hey, you’re right. Compared to our friendship with the Golden City, what are twenty million Berries?” Luther immediately made the decision. “I’ll pay off their debts.”

After saying that, Luther ignored Raditz's attempts to stop him, rolled up his sleeves, revealing two large gold bracelets: "I just bought these gold bracelets a while ago. The two of them together cost me exactly 20 million Berries. I don't have any money on me, so I'll use these two gold bracelets to pay off my debt."

“No, no, Luther-san, you can’t do that.” Raditz, who had dealt with gold for many years, could tell that the pair of bracelets were worth about that much. Luther genuinely wanted to help the two pay off their debts.

Hmph, this trio had already been in cahoots through secret communication. They knew not only that the two were working at the ramen shop, but also that they owed twenty million Berries. So, Luther only had this pair of bracelets with him, calculating precisely, he couldn't afford anything more.

Luther immediately feigned displeasure and said, "Do you think my pair of gold bracelets aren't worth the price? Or do you think that people from our conglomerate are unreasonable and can refuse to pay back debts just because they have power?"

Raditz was completely bewildered. How could this be interpreted so forcefully? And Luther wasn't just making excuses or being polite; he was actually trying to repay the debt. He himself had clearly said he didn't need it. Was this the foundation and quality of a large conglomerate?

Finally, with no other option, Raditz, unable to refuse Luther's insistence after several attempts, put away the gold bracelets.

However, he also noticed that the disturbance the two had caused in front of the ramen shop had attracted a lot of onlookers, including some who were also being enslaved.

"What are you looking at? The road is blocked. Go do what you're supposed to do." Raditz shooed away the onlookers. "If you had a pair of gold bracelets like these, you'd be free too. If not, go back to work."

Hearing this, Luther was practically giving Raditz a thumbs up. He'd have to ask him if Raditz was also a comrade sent by the Revolutionary Army. Otherwise, why would he be so cooperative? This was only the first stop, yet he'd already left the many slaves with the impression that a gold bracelet equaled freedom.

These slaves are the best propaganda brochures, and this incident will inevitably become their topic of conversation. Afterwards, when they return home and are bored, they will surely embellish the story and tell others. Coupled with the revolutionary army spies stirring things up and deliberately distorting the facts in the direction they want, this will further fuel the revolution.

Wow, the effect is amazing!

"Luthersan, I'm so sorry." After dismissing the others, Raditz quickly put on a smile and said to Luther, "Please let me do my best to be a good host. I'll cover all your expenses in the Golden City. Don't refuse this, or you'll lose face. Oh, and by the way, which two young men are coming along too?"

"Hehe, that's great! I can take them back to report after a day of fun." Luther laughed happily. "Come on, let's have a good time for a day before we go back."

Martin and King were also overjoyed, dancing with glee, as if they were celebrating their newfound freedom.

With that, Luther's trio's mission was complete.

These three could be considered the three old farmers of this vegetable-growing project. Two of them were responsible for clearing the land, loosening it with hoes. Luther was the one who planted the seeds, planting two gold bracelets in anticipation of a greater harvest of gold the following year.

These are the first two steps of the vegetable growing plan.

Chapter 334 The Vegetable Harvesters Attack

Of course, the actions of Luther's trio were only part of the plan. In addition to the three of them, many other farmers also participated in this vegetable-growing project.

Sometimes they are like the Luther Trio, working as field agents for the Chamber of Commerce; sometimes they become nobles or relatives of nobles from a certain country; sometimes they are members of underground forces; and even two of Buggy's subordinates from the Seven Warlords of the Sea "unfortunately" fell victim to their schemes and were "luckily" redeemed.

In short, they came from all corners of the world, from all walks of life, a diverse mix. And then, quite by chance, whether through receiving a message or following some clue, they always managed to arrive in the City of Gold.

Then he ran into his missing relatives and friends here, but found that he didn't have much money on him. He could only use gold bracelets, gold necklaces, gold earrings, and even gold teeth to help his relatives and friends pay off their debts.

Then, if this scenario plays out several more times, and the revolutionary army's spies infiltrated the Golden City make some moves, the influence of gold on the island will only grow.

In the end, everyone might forget the original plot and easily form the conclusion in their minds that gold equals freedom, and freedom equals priceless. This could spark a gold-worshiping frenzy.

This surge will gradually spread upwards, eventually covering the entire island and even affecting the Golden Emperor Tesoro.

Of course, as everyone knows, Tezzolo is a person who is obsessed with wealth and money, which makes it easy for him to become even more obsessed with gold.

However, this plan isn't foolproof; it's not perfect. There's a very serious flaw in it. In today's society, even if it's your own father, if he'll still cheat you, who would help you pay off your debts?

Yes, doing this once or twice is fine, but doing it too often will cause problems. It will give people the impression that...

"There are so many kind people here. This touching scene feels so familiar. I feel like I just saw it two weeks ago."

"Hey, you and he are just friends. Is it worth you using a gold chain to redeem him?"

"Hey, I've heard that noble families are always fighting for power and profit. Why did he save his brother? Is this some kind of rare harmonious noble family?"

"Wow, your chamber of commerce is really generous, reimbursing ten million Berries."

"That's nothing. I saw someone even more amazing last time. He lost 30 million Berries. If I worked in these places, someone might be coming to ransom me by now."

This is the problem; the first two steps actually leave a very fatal flaw.

To solve these two problems, the nobles and their relatives, the merchants' field agents, the loyal pirates, and the mercenaries who roamed the lawless zone racked their brains. Since Li Ang had left this hole, they had to find a way to fill it.

So these clever kids racked their brains, coming up with all sorts of bizarre and outlandish reasons to avoid this problem. For example:

“My brother must be brought back; he’s the only one who knows the location of our family’s treasure.”

"I've finally found you! Boss Todd! While you were away, the Rafe family has already seized two of our important territories."

"You said you'd tell me how to make the Marcus double-barreled gun if I ransomed you? You old codger! I never knew you were keeping a secret about your skills all this time."

Sigh, it's really tough on these old farmers. They have to come up with a well-reasoned and dramatic script just to grow vegetables. And then they have to play the lead role themselves.

However, the effect was obvious, because Luther and others who did this were using gold for transactions, which also sparked a wave of direct gold transactions, a retro trend.

It feels like going back to before the World Government was established, before paper money like Bailey existed, and when metal currency was used for direct transactions.

You know what, these rich people are really particular and know how to have fun. Or maybe they're just bored out of their minds and can't stand not being pretentious. This retro trading method has actually taken off like wildfire in the Golden City, developing at breakneck speed.

As a result, after two years of work by the revolutionary army, gold was widely used as the general equivalent in El Dorado. Only some smaller transactions used Baileys, such as the tonkotsu ramen shop.

Under this influence, the biggest beneficiary is undoubtedly Tezzolo's casino. Chips were originally invented to replace currency. If you bet a million Berries, you have to put a bundle of money on the table. What if you bet a hundred million? A hundred bundles of money piled on the table wouldn't even fit.

This was too troublesome, so they invented small chips. If you bet 100 million, you have chips that give you 100 million in face value. A round piece can replace them.

Now, gold itself is a very large commodity. Even if you bet a hundred million Pele, it's just throwing a few gold bars on top. It also has the inherent characteristic of being small and compact.

At the same time, it's incredibly satisfying. The sheer joy of throwing gold directly, the dull thud of gold hitting the table, the crisp sound of gold colliding with each other, and the cool, heavy, and comfortable feeling of holding it in your hand—it's just too amazing! Why would you need any cheap chips?

All of this was intended to influence the Golden Emperor Tesoro, making him value gold more and be more willing to collect and earn it, rather than Pele.

This also allowed Tezzolo to use his saved Berries to pay the Heavenly Gold, while keeping the gold for himself.

To achieve this goal, the revolutionary army spent a year figuring out how to influence public opinion and so on. This couldn't be rushed; it had to be developed gradually.