72 Chapter 72: Altered Destinies

Area GR27.

"Name."

"Stella..."

"Age."

"Nineteen."

Tesoro stood aside and watched Stella being questioned by a government employee. He was surprised when he heard the latter's age. He thought they were of the same age.

It's interesting to say that although they have known each other for a year, he has been busy making money most of the time and had not had the opportunity to know those details.

At this time, not only them, but also the people who had been captured as slaves had taken off their explosive collars and were lining up in long lines to receive investigation and arrangements.

"Gender."

"Ah?"

Stella looked at the government officials in suits and ties in front of her with doubtful eyes. Tesoro beside her couldn't help but complain: "She is so beautiful, can't you see it?"

"Just because she looks like a woman, it doesn't mean she must be a woman. Who knows if she is from the Kamabakka Queendom?"

The government employee showed some impatience in his eyes, tapped the notebook in his hand with the end of his pen, and said, "I need to record it, so just answer whatever you ask!"

Stella nodded and replied softly: "Okay, the gender is female."

"Which sea area, which kingdom and which island do you come from?"

"The South Blue and Strawberry Island do not belong to any kingdom."

When the government personnel heard this, they took notes and nodded secretly, thinking: 'Sure enough, most of the slaves are free people without the management of the kingdom. After all, basically no one will care about them.'

"Do you want to stay here, or do you want to go back to your hometown?"

"This....."

Stella hesitated and looked at Tesoro. The latter showed a hearty smile, held the former's right hand and said: "If you want to go back, I can accompany you."

But as soon as he said these words, the government personnel in front of him reminded him: "According to regulations, the Navy only sends enslaved personnel, and you cannot go with them."

"Then I'll just take the boat and follow."

Tesoro didn't take it seriously. The money he earned this year was enough to buy a small boat. At this time, a naval captain who was maintaining order nearby came over and said with a smile: "Let's not say if you're allowed to follow the warship. Ordinary ships can't keep up with warships, and besides, with the extreme weather on the Great Route, you could end up getting lost or even sinking your ship."

Many people had witnessed the previous passionate kiss between Tesoro and Stella, so the two had now become a major focus in this area, and naturally received more attention from the surrounding navy.

Tesoro's expression changed, and he opened his mouth not knowing what to say. He really didn't want to be separated from Stella again, but he also didn't want to prevent the latter from returning to his hometown, which made him extremely entangled.

"I choose to stay here!"

Stella held Tesoro's hand and looked at the latter tenderly as he made his decision. The two looked at each other and smiled: "I believe you will be able to send me back in person, right?"

Tesoro's throat moved as he nodded determinedly. "I'm going to earn enough money to buy a big ship and take you back to the South Blue."

But in the midst of his loving gaze, the Navy officer felt a certain discomfort and bitterness. He coldly said: "The money and the ship are not enough. Do you have the ability to protect her and yourself? My advice is for this young lady to return with our ship, otherwise, she may not be able to return in this life."

Hearing this, Tesoro was dumbfounded. He had never been out of the Sabaody Archipelago from his birth to now. However, he is not a fool, and he also knows what will happen if he encounters pirates at sea.

"What should I do..."

"It doesn't matter, then don't go back. I am willing to live here with you forever!" Stella smoothed Tesoro's frown with her fingers.

"I'm sorry..." Tesoro looked at the beautiful woman in front of him guiltily.

"Okay, now that the decision has been made, you can leave." The government official waved his hand for them to leave, and he still had to take notes for the people behind her.

"Thank you for your hard work, and this kind Mr. Marine, thank you for the reminder."

Seeing Stella's beautiful smile, the government personnel and the navy officer suddenly felt a lot happier. She was easy on the eyes and her voice was charming.

"Let me take you home first, Stella!"

"Okay, is there anyone else at home?"

"No, that annoying mother died of alcoholism two years ago, so the house became mine, and it will be our home from now on!"

Stella nodded as she walked. She had heard Tesoro talk about his mother, who hated his singing despite how well he did it...

But just as this finally reunited couple approached the bridge that connected the GR27 and GR26 areas, three men in black suits approached.

Tesoro quickly stood in front of Stella and asked cautiously: "Who are you?"

"May I ask if you are Mr. Gild Tesoro?" The black-suited man in the center smiled, and Tesoro, hesitating for a moment, responded, "It's me, what's wrong?"

"Let me introduce myself. I am the Senior Director of the Propaganda Department. My name is Don Draper."

"Uh, hello, Senior Director Draper, do you have any business with me?" Tesoro asked with a puzzled look on his face.

Draper looked at him gently and smiled: "That's right, our Propaganda Department is a newly established department. We plan to launch several artists and cultivate them into stars, among which singers are the top priority. After careful consideration and investigation, we have selected you as one of the candidates."

"What?!"

Tesoro opened his eyes in surprise, unable to close his mouth as he looked at the man in front of him, and Stella behind him covered her mouth with both hands.

"Wait... Wait... There are many problems here, let me think about it first..."

Tesoro immediately came back to his senses, suppressed the excitement in his heart, forced himself to calm down, gritted his teeth and asked: "First of all, how can I confirm whether your identity is true, and how can you pay attention to me, an unknown passerby?"

"About the identity, we can take you to a Marina Branch to confirm it. As for why we selected you..."

To be honest, Draper didn't know. He was also confused and had questions. He was given a name and a rough description and was ordered to find that person and select him for special training.

The reason? There was not. The lack of a reason was a big problem, it indicated that this was a confidential matter, something that not even a top executive like him could know about. That meant it had to be taken seriously.

This is political wisdom!

"It's a talent scout. Our talent scout saw you by chance on the roadside and thought you have a very good image. How about you? Do you want to try the road of becoming a singer?"

Tesoro and Stella looked at each other in confusion. The latter nodded to express his support for him to give it a try. The former hesitated for a few seconds and then said.

"Go to the Marine Branch first. If you can find an officer to certify it, I will believe you."

Anyway, he now has a high degree of favor and trust in the navy that saved Stella.

"Alright."

"Oh, by the way, do you have any songs of your own? If not, we can arrange for someone to compose for you."

"Okay, yes..."

From this moment on, the fate of two more people changed.

…

Holy Land Mary Geoise, Pangaea Castle.

While Imu was taking a break from playing tennis with Stussy and Gion, he noticed a maid approaching with a Den Den Mushi.

Imu took a look at the Den Den Mushi as he lay on his beach chair, enjoying the warm sun, squinting as he asked: "What's wrong?"

"Sir, CP0 has taken Crocodile into the Eternal Hell of Impel Down."

"Then keep him locked up for now."

"That's what it will be like."

The Den Den Mushi closed his eyes, lowered his head, and the maid respectfully withdrew, while Imu thought about the matter of Crocodile.

This guy is twenty-two years old. After losing the battle to 'Whitebeard', this guy returned to 'Paradise' in despair, and was arrested because of one of his orders.

The problem now was how to use this Crocodile, since it did not have restraints like Moria's, so it would require a little more effort.

…

The world's largest prison, Impel Down.

"Ahhhhhh!"

"No Please!"

[Splash!]

On the first floor of the prison, naked men and women lined up in a long line with faces full of fear and despair. Every time they heard the sound of water falling in front of them and the screams, their bodies would tremble involuntarily.

Around him, the prison guards held whips or firearms, watching his every move with an emotionless expression.

The first prisoners in line moved with fear, reluctant to take the next step, knowing that less than a meter away there was no further way.

"Hurry up!"

At this moment, an eight-foot-tall guard impatiently walked over, pushed the trembling prisoners, and then grabbed a female prisoner by the neck. Ignoring her slender figure and her desperate pleas, he threw her into the pot of boiling water.

"Ahhhhhh!"

On the other side of the large pot, several guards held what appeared to be fishing nets, and took turns pulling out prisoners who had fainted from the heat, carelessly throwing them to the ground.

There, other people put them in clean zebra-striped prison clothes and then they were handed over to another group of guards to take them to their respective floors and cells. This was the entire 'baptism' process.

But as the prisoners were carried away, they often turned to see someone in the pot, something that many of the guards around them did as well.

The eyes of many of the guards were filled with amazement, and even a little admiration, as they saw someone sitting calmly in the boiling water, with his eyes closed, showing a calm expression, as if he was taking a hot spring bath.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, awesome! How come there are so many newcomers who don't take 'baptism' seriously lately?"

The prison guards were chatting and laughing among themselves, not taking seriously the screaming prisoners who kept falling into the boiling water.

"What about this guy, who is he?"

"Well... it's said to be Crocodile, with a bounty of three hundred million berries. He has the Logia-type Sand-Sand Fruit, and it's said that two years ago he was defeated by Whitebeard. We don't know how he was captured... "

"By the way, how long does this guy have left?"

"Two minutes and twenty seconds."

At the same time, Crocodile, who was in the boiling water, felt that everything was unpredictable, and everything happened too fast. To be honest, he still hadn't reacted yet.

After becoming one of the main players in the 'New World' two years ago, he left that sea with serious injuries and wandered aimlessly on the main routes of 'Paradise'.

When he was hungry, he ate without paying. If anyone challenged him, he would easily eliminate them. Truly, he lived at his whim, unstoppable by anyone, even without using his Haki. His skill was enough to annihilate these fools.

However, his mind continued to torture him.

He doubted his own abilities and believed that perhaps he would never become the strongest during his life. The feeling of being overwhelmed by Whitebeard had been too strong. Gradually, he thought that there was no hope in relying solely on his own strength.

Until one day a month ago, he accidentally heard the legend of the ancient weapon 'Pluton' from an old liar selling fake antiques in a certain kingdom.

The power that was said to be able to wipe out an entire island with one shot immediately made Crocodile think that if he could find it, he might be able to defeat 'Whitebeard'.

And he also thought about military power!

Back then, the 'Admiral' of the Flying Pirates, the 'Golden Lion' Shiki relied on his huge fleet and men to surround 'One Piece' Roger. If it hadn't been for the big storm that shocked the world, Roger might have been killed.

What if he uses 'Pluton' as his main ship and an army of millions to form an unprecedented fleet that far exceeds the size of the Flying Pirates...

These plans instantly rekindled his ambition.

Then, due to his new objective, he began to recruit those subordinates who seemed moderately useful to him, while researching any information about the ancient weapon.

Finally, there is clearer information pointing directly to the Kingdom of Arabasta!

After researching the kingdom's past history, he discovered that the royal family was one of the twenty families that founded the World Government eight hundred years ago. At that moment, he felt that everything he wanted could be obtained from there.

Seven days ago...

Crocodile arrived at the port-town Nanohana in the Arabasta Kingdom, with a group of what could be considered the elite among the trash, boarding a fairly ordinary white sailboat.

After a few hours, he acquired a map of the kingdom, enough fresh water, food, and a dozen camels, as he planned to cross the desert towards the capital.

Then they left port-town and entered the desert. However, as they went deeper into the desert, just after crossing a dune, they spotted a white figure ahead.

As Crocodile and his group got closer, they were finally able to make out the white figure. He was a tall man, about two meters, dressed in a white suit, white gloves, a white hat and a white mask that completely hid his face.

Although they couldn't see his facial expression, it was evident that he was waiting for them, which alerted everyone. They quickly stopped the camels.

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