Reincarnated into the world of One Piece, in a land of giants with open eyes?!

Chapter 134: I Refuse

"No, no, no."

The gentleman shook his head, his sleeve moving slowly, correcting Oro's insignificant little mistake.

"Please don't misunderstand, sir."

His voice maintained that unsettling elegance: "It is I who am fulfilling your request."

"My request?"

Oro frowned, his golden pupils fixed on the gentleman's perfect yet fake face.

"As a new customer, you need to know the reasonable demands of existing customers regarding the terms of their contracts."

The gentleman repeated Oro's words, strolled to the golden statue of Lox with its frozen expression of shock and anger, and gently lifted the black clay tablet bearing three blood-red roses with a single hand.

The clay tablet hovered steadily three inches above His palm. The dark red, fleshy petals of the three roses were still pulsating weakly and independently. With each contraction and expansion, a few viscous blood droplets were squeezed out and slowly slid down along the fine lines on the surface of the clay tablet.

The gentleman turned the clay tablet toward Oro, displaying this rare treasure.

"Look, isn't this what you asked for?"

Auro's gaze moved from the gentleman's face to the three strange roses, then swept over Lox's golden body, and finally returned to the gentleman.

"You mean—we're reenacting the process by which Im and you signed the contract back then?"

'

"Ah~"

The gentleman let out the kind of exclamation an old teacher would make when seeing a model student solve a difficult problem.

A look of satisfaction appeared on his excessively handsome face: "What a clever child."

He nodded, his tone full of praise, though this praise was more offensive than direct mockery: "Just as clever as our old client was back then! Your deduction is absolutely correct!"

He stepped forward and brought the clay tablet closer: "So these three remaining roses—"

The gentleman lowered his voice, his tone alluring: "These are the three gifts our loyal customers received back then~"

"Come on, come on, eat these three little guys, and you'll understand everything~"

"What power did the person you yearn to defeat possess in the first place? What form did that power take, and what were its potential limitations?"

"All the secrets you are curious about and eager to know will flow into your body and soul along with this gift."

"No more guessing, no more risky investigation, just get the answer directly, even—directly obtain the power of the same origin!" How convenient, how—generous, isn't it?

Oro stood still, his gaze passing over the rose and landing on Lox's golden profile.

"If this guy is David Jones."

Oro slowly spoke, "I am Im. Where is Joey Boy?"

The gentleman's perfect smile paused slightly. He tilted his head, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he were trying hard to remember.

He gently tapped his temples with his gloved fingers, a graceful movement.

"oh!"

A few seconds later, He exclaimed as if suddenly realizing something, the confusion on His face vanished, replaced by a joyful smile of complete control.

"You mean that happy boy, right?"

His tone was relaxed, as if he were talking about a long-lost acquaintance: "That kid Joey Boy—he wasn't even born yet."

The gentleman spread his other hand, which wasn't supporting him: "Just like now."

His gaze swept meaningfully over Auror and Golden Rox: "Do you understand now?"

Oro nodded slightly.

The gentleman seemed pleased with his reaction, shaking his head to himself: "Now that you understand, let's begin."

His voice was full of encouragement, like a loving mother coaxing her child to swallow bitter medicine: "Come and taste this deliciousness~ Don't worry, only the one who eats the last flower is the true signatory of the contract and will bear that unique bond."

"The previous part was about sharing knowledge; it was just about looking at the contract."

"You—well, temporary partner."

The gentleman glanced at Locke: "He only gave you a taste of the flavor; the real core power is still waiting for you to claim."

"Look how considerate I am, I've thought of so much for you."

Oro finally moved. Instead of moving forward, he took two steps to the side and came to the golden statue of Lox.

He reached out, bent his fingers, and tapped the statue's shoulder with his knuckles, seemingly checking the strength of the gold plating on its surface.

"I refuse."

As Oro continued tapping, he spoke without turning his head, his tone crisp and decisive.

"reject?"

The gentleman was neither angry nor pressed further; he simply raised his chin slightly, adopting a superior posture, and waited for Oro to provide a reasonable explanation.

"I did not refuse to sign the contract."

Oro stopped hammering and turned around: "I'm just refusing to sign this contract."

He raised his hand, his index finger pointing straight at the three flesh-and-blood roses on the clay tablet in the gentleman's hand.

The gentleman followed his finger and looked down at the artwork in his hand. The three roses seemed to throb slightly more violently because they were being stared at.

"Ah, as a gentleman, I understand your—germaphobia."

The gentleman's tone carried an exaggerated tolerance: "After all, this style is indeed a bit too direct, and some guests with delicate aesthetic sense may need a little mental preparation."

"but""

He changed the subject, his voice becoming even more seductive: "Don't you want to know the details of your old clients' contracts?"

"That complete, detailed set of terms that define rights and obligations?"

"The specific description of the source of power that allowed the Celestial Dragon King to sit firmly on the Empty Throne for eight hundred years."

"Rejecting these three little flowers is equivalent to rejecting this opportunity to directly obtain the ultimate answer."

"If you miss it, you might not get another chance, and the risks... well, you've already experienced a small part of them."

After hearing this, Auro showed a relaxed expression on his face, and he even shrugged.

He didn't look like he was confronting an ancient demon in a terrifying city thousands of meters below the ocean; he looked more like he was haggling over a price in a market.

"Just add it to the new contract."

Oro spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and he patted the golden statue of Lox on the shoulder.

"It's not because of any kind of germaphobia."

He paused, looking directly at the gentleman: "But rather Im's abilities—"

"I feel it's not enough."

"Oh?"

The gentleman uttered a short syllable and tilted his head to another angle.

"Want to add one more?"

"This rude and dishonest gentleman—"

The gentleman's tone began to take on a cold, scrutinizing quality: "From beginning to end, you never asked what kind of price you would have to pay to sign this contract."

"Now, you're proposing to add one without even knowing the specific terms and costs?"

He leaned forward slightly, and although the distance did not decrease, the invisible sense of oppression suddenly intensified.

It wasn't an air of dominance, but rather a feeling of rejection and malice stemming from the living, breathing city beneath its feet.

"Oh dear!"

The gentleman shook his head, uttering a series of regretful exclamations: "Little fellow, you seem to be very insincere when it comes to contracts and transactions."

"This is not the attitude a qualified trader should have. Greed needs to be accompanied by corresponding awareness and resources; otherwise, it's just foolish delusion!"