Gild Tesoro

Gild Tesoro, also known as the "Casino King", was the proprietor of Gran Tesoro, the largest entertainment city-ship in the world, before his defeat by the Straw Hat Pirates and arrest by the Marines.

He served as the main antagonist of One Piece Film: Gold.

Appearance
Tesoro is a very tall and muscular man with slicked-back green hair who wears a pink suit and pants. He has a very large star-shaped scar on his back, covering his Hoof of the Soaring Dragon slave mark.

He is adorned with lots of jewelry, the most prominent being a clip-on chain with a star on the end of his right shoulder, as well as star-shaped earrings and a ring on every finger except his left ring finger. He wears a pair of sunglasses with wings by the lenses which he sometimes keeps on his head. He also sometimes wears a top hat.

When he was performing a concert with Carina, Tesoro wore a gold button-down shirt with a white jacket over it; the jacket is covered with gold star patterns and also has a rose on the left breast. He also wore gold pants and a white top hat which has a gold-colored flow on the top.

As a child, Tesoro's hair was messy and not slicked back, and he wore a tattered shirt. When he was a young adult, his hair was slightly shorter and he wore a cerulean collared shirt.

Personality
I make people happy. I am the only one who can grant people joy... I trap them... Make them suffer... Tear them apart... Drag them into despair! When he was a child, Tesoro loved to sing, and dreamed of being in the entertainment business. However, due to his poor childhood, he turned to a life of crime. He once changed his ways when he met a slave girl named Stella. He fell in love with Stella and hoped to one day buy her freedom, but this dream was crushed after she was purchased by a World Noble. Due to harsh treatment, Stella died two years after being bought, causing Tesoro to snap and return to criminal activity after he escaped from slavery. Due to his conniving and criminal ways, he was able to establish the Gran Tesoro and achieve his dream, though his dark past caused it to become twisted and corrupt.

After Stella's death and his own failure to buy her, Tesoro became obsessed with money and made it his dream to amass wealth so great that he could become the most powerful person in the world. His personal philosophy is that people can only succeed with money. His experiences have made him somewhat sadistic, as he takes joy in seeing people suffer. He uses his powers and authority to force people to help him gain wealth without care for the people themselves.

Tesoro craves power and control, which he exercises on Gran Tesoro by showering people in gold dust when they enter, allowing him to encase them in gold whenever he wishes. He also keeps a tight eye on every event that occurs in Gran Tesoro. Due to his complete control over what happens in Gran Tesoro, Tesoro has developed a god complex. He hates it when people laugh in front of him without his permission, going so far as to kill said person in cold blood if they are caught doing so. Tesoro is fond of saying "I decide who laughs," something the World Noble who bought Stella once said to him. Tesoro's main objective in running Gran Tesoro is to drive visitors into severe debt and forcing them to work to pay it off, which is impossible to achieve.

Due to once being a slave to the World Nobles, Tesoro hates wealthy people and aristocrats. Ironically and hypocritically, he is a wealthy person himself who revels in his own status while looking down on the less fortunate.

The reason why he surrounds himself with beautiful women like Carina and the Tesoro Girls is not because of love or lust, but because he thinks that beautiful women are something that a powerful man needs to show off to make others understand his wealth and power.

Parents
Tesoro had a terrible relationship with his parents. Born into a poor family, Tesoro's father squandered their money by gambling and later died due to being unable to afford surgery. His mother was never supportive of his dream of being a star and even drunkenly snarled at him to stop singing. Tesoro ultimately fled from home at age 12, abandoning his mother to pursue a life of crime.

Stella
Stella was a slave and a love interest of Tesoro. Due to his love for her, he attempted to emancipate her. Because of her hate for crimes, Tesoro even changed his ways for her. When Stella was bought by a World Noble before Tesoro could afford her and later died, Tesoro became incredibly frustrated at his inability to save her, and became obsessed with money. Seconds before Luffy's finishing strike reached Tesoro, he remembered Stella's last words of gratitude to him.

Donquixote Pirates
Tesoro first encountered the Donquixote Pirates when the crew was auctioning off the Goru Goru no Mi. He used force to acquire the Devil Fruit, which the Donquixote Pirates did not intend to actually sell, creating an antagonistic relationship between them. The Donquixote Pirates attacked Tesoro's crew four years later, but were unsuccessful in defeating them. Therefore, Donquixote Doflamingo decided to use Tesoro as a business partner instead. Doflamingo gave Tesoro connections in the World Government and the Underworld, and the two worked with each other for eight years, but Tesoro intended to kill Doflamingo. He was pleased when he heard that Doflamingo was defeated by Monkey D. Luffy.

Silver Pirate Alliance
The Silver Pirate Alliance once worked for Tesoro, supplying him with a large quantity of silver as well as delivering wanted pirates to him as tribute. These trades seemed to go through his subordinate, Tanaka. The leader of the alliance, Bill, was particularly fearful of Tesoro's powerful wealth, as he and his crew found themselves indebted to the Casino King in the past; fearing at the thought of losing Tesoro's favor. Upon hearing of Bill's demise and the destruction of Silver Mine, Tesoro payed it no regard, considering that the alliance's work was nothing more than entertainment for him.

Mad Treasure
Tesoro recognizes Mad Treasure's abilities enough to task him with procuring the legendary Pure Gold; a task which lead Treasure to attack a Marine fleet and its CP-0 escort in a head-on assault. However, when Treasure failed to acquire the Pure Gold thanks to the Straw Hat Pirates' interference and was lost in the process, Tesoro was surprised but merely dismissed his loss as he was already content with his vast wealth.

Straw Hat Pirates
While Tesoro was at first rather pleased with the Straw Hat Pirates for their action of defeating Donquixote Doflamingo for him, he did not hold them in high regard, and saw them as no different than his other victims of Gran Tesoro. He conned them into a severe debt, intending to make them into his slaves for his city, and even plotted to have Roronoa Zoro executed publicly as a means to entertain the guests. However, as Monkey D. Luffy continuously defied Tesoro's authority, Tesoro came to hate the young pirate more and more, utilizing everything he had in an attempt to regain control. Ultimately, Tesoro's constant claim that he would make the Straw Hats his property and gloating about becoming a god infuriated Luffy to no end, which led Luffy to overwhelm and defeat Tesoro.

World Nobles
Due to the fact that a World Noble purchased Stella and abused her, leading to her death, Tesoro came to detest them. Their overwhelming wealth defeated his legitimate attempts to earn money to rescue Stella, and they took him into slavery as well after his failed attempt to attack them. During his time as their slave, the master of Tesoro heavily mocked and abused him, and even forbade him from smiling. This impacted his personality, causing him to threaten to kill anyone who laughs in front of him. Despite this, he is content with paying the Celestial Dragons a Heavenly Tribute, likely due to the power and authority they wield, something Tesoro recognizes as valuable to his ambitions.

Overview
Tesoro was formerly the proprietor of the Gran Tesoro, which is the largest entertainment city-ship in the world, giving him authority over everyone on it. His wealth accounted for ~20% of all the money circulated in the world, and made him a very influential person even within the New World. His "Tesoro Money" was as high a fortune as 500,000,000,000, enough money to buy a small country. He was not restricted by the World Government, who recognized his city-ship as neutral territory and an entirely independent nation, and even submitted to his requests sometimes due to his vast wealth and influence. His influence also extended to the Underworld thanks to his previous partnership with its most powerful broker, Joker. Tesoro's influence has gave him the title "Monster of the New World", and Koala stated that his power to be equal to that of the World Nobles. However, after being defeated by Luffy and arrested by the Marines, Tesoro lost all his wealth and power.

Tesoro's sheer influence was enough to bring Bill and his crew into their submission, forcing the latter to pay in copious amounts of ore and captive pirates as tribute just to stay in favor of the kingpin. Tanaka stated that Tesoro would easily dispose of Bill should the latter disappoint him. His crew fought evenly against the infamous Donquixote Pirates, led by the former Warlord himself.

He is also a very skilled performer, regularly singing and dancing in concerts for the residents of Gran Tesoro.

Devil Fruit


Tesoro ate the Goru Goru no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit that allows him to freely manipulate any gold that he has previously touched at will. He can use this power to create huge fountains of liquid gold, trap his enemies, and infuse gold dust and flakes into other people's bodies so that he can then slowly transform their skin into gold. He is also able to create gold armor that grants him increased power and defense, as shown when he equips his high-ranking executives with it during the final battle with the Straw Hats. He can manipulate it to the extent that he can create and pilot a massive golden golem, the size of a skyscraper. His gold is strong enough to withstand a slash from Zoro's swords. By showering his guests with gold dust when they enter his ship he is able to control the movements of everyone on-board and should he will it, use the gold their bodies have absorbed to turn them into gold statues, cementing his authority in the city.

Awakening
Since consuming his Devil Fruit he has been able to awaken its powers, furthering the range of his influence over gold and enabling him to use all of the gold in Gran Tesoro that he has touched as a complex sensory network. Through this he is able to detect attempted break-ins or attacks on the city. When utilizing large gold constructs he is also capable of unleashing focused light beams or explosive force through unknown means that have the power to destroy a Marine warship or critically injure an opponent with a single blow.

Haki
While he he did not showcased his usage of it in the One Piece Film: Gold, he can use Busoshoku Haki in Burning Blood.

Past
Tesoro was born into a poor family. He liked singing, and admired an entertainment show that he watched from the outside. However, his mother would often yell at him for his singing and his father wasted a lot of their money by gambling, and later died from an illness that their family could not afford the surgery for. Over time, Tesoro's family grew poorer, and so he left them at the age of 12 years old. He started stealing money, and befriended some people after giving money to them. He spent the money on gambling, liquor, and fighting.



When he was 16 years old, Tesoro suffered a devastating loss in an illegal casino, causing his friends to desert him and nearly resulting in him being enslaved. He managed to escape from the slave dealer, suffering many injuries in the process. He then met a girl named Stella in a human shop, and they fell in love. Since Stella hated criminals, Tesoro started legitimately earning money in order to purchase her freedom. However, a World Noble came into the shop three years later and bought Stella in an instant. An enraged Tesoro attacked the World Noble, but was defeated by his security guard. Tesoro was also enslaved by the same World Noble and taken to Mary Geoise as punishment for his assault. During his time as a slave, Tesoro was constantly mocked and abused by his master, who even forbade him from smiling. Two years later, Stella died during her enslavement and Tesoro was enraged that he could not buy her away from her fate, causing him to become obsessed with money. Tesoro was then freed from slavery five years later during Fisher Tiger's attack on Mary Geoise, and dove back into a life of crime with renewed intensity. He changed the Hoof of the Soaring Dragon mark on his back into a star mark, befitting his transformation from a slave into a gilded king.



Three years later, the Donquixote Pirates held an auction for the Goru Goru no Mi. Tesoro sent criminals to the auction venue to kill many people, and was able to gain possession of the fruit. This angered Donquixote Doflamingo, as he never actually intended to sell the fruit, and he sent assassins to kill Tesoro, but they were defeated. In another three years, Tesoro's fame grew and Tanaka joined his crew. Doflamingo heard of his exploits and tried to kill him again a year later, but he was unable to defeat Tesoro's strong crew. Finally, Doflamingo decided to use Tesoro as a business partner instead of killing him, and gave Tesoro connections in the World Government. Dice joined Tesoro's crew around this time.



Two years later, Tesoro's illegal business succeeded and he became very rich, building the Gran Tesoro and becoming a respectable world power in the eyes of the World Government and World Nobles. He intended to use vast wealth to become the most powerful person in the world, and his ultimate goal was to force the World Nobles to obey him. Baccarat joined Tesoro's crew around this time.

At some point a year later, Tesoro defeated the pirate, Bill, and his crew with the power of his wealth. Since then, Bill served Tesoro and paid him a regular tribute of silver from Silver Mine.

Silver Mine Arc
Tesoro received a report from Tanaka that Silver Mine had sunk and Bill had gone down with it. Tesoro was apathetic toward the news, stating that the real entertainment was about to begin.

Heart of Gold


Having discovered Myskina Olga, a girl from the lost island of Alchemi, Tesoro sent the notorious treasure hunter, Mad Treasure, after her in order to gain information on the whereabouts of the treasure, Pure Gold.

Tanaka later reported to Tesoro that Treasure had failed and the Pure Gold was lost, but Tesoro was content with the wealth he already had.

One Piece Film: Gold


Tesoro and Carina put on a concert for spectators in the dock of Gran Tesoro when the Straw Hat Pirates, who had just entered Gran Tesoro aboard the Sunny, were attacked by the Long Long Pirates. When he saw the two crews clashing, Tesoro put spotlights on them and made them the focus of the spectacle. After the Long Long Pirates were defeated, Tesoro caught the remaining members with tendrils of gold and encased them in gold. He then welcomed the Straw Hats to Gran Tesoro.

Later, Tesoro and Carina attended a party where a drunk partygoer laughed profusely at his own joke. Tesoro then punished him for laughing by wrapping him in gold and dropping a gold chandelier on his head.



Tesoro and Carina then headed to the VIP lounge where the Straw Hats were playing. Tesoro challenged Luffy to a game, promising to multiply Luffy's earnings by ten if Luffy won. However, Luffy lost due to Baccarat making him unlucky with the Raki Raki no Mi, and Tesoro prepared to collect all of Luffy's money. However, the Straw Hats resisted due to him cheating, and Tesoro and his subordinates retaliated with force. Roronoa Zoro confronted Tesoro, but Tesoro used the gold dust that had been sprayed on Zoro upon his arrival to Gran Tesoro to encase his legs and torso in gold. Tesoro threatened to execute Zoro should the Straw Hats not repay their debt by 12:00 tomorrow night. He then plotted with Carina to have her lead the Straw Hats to a source of money that was actually a trap.

Later, Tesoro sat in a pool of liquid gold when Spandam approached him, and Tesoro paid Spandam for his services, though he requested that he receive more World Government help after Spandam left.



When Luffy and Franky infiltrated Gran Tesoro's main hotel and attempted to disconnect several Eizo Den Den Mushi, they were discovered, and Tesoro and Tanaka confronted the two Straw Hats. Tesoro stabbed Franky in the back before overwhelming Luffy and encasing his arms in gold, saying that people can only succeed with money. Luffy refused to let Tesoro control him, angering the Casino King, but Tesoro decided to give Luffy the chance to continue defying him as a source of entertainment, as he had Tanaka send Luffy and Franky down to the large golden prison.

Tesoro later visited the imprisoned Zoro, gleefully anticipating the pirate's upcoming execution and mocking his faith in his crewmates.



After setting up Zoro's execution as a grand spectacle, Tesoro had Carina lead the Straw Hats, except for Luffy and Franky, onto the stage, where Tesoro trapped them. He then flooded the room where Luffy and Franky were in as he prepared to execute Zoro. However, the power in Gran Tesoro suddenly went out, and the Straw Hats revealed that Carina was on their side, and they were actually the ones tricking Tesoro. Seawater then sprayed all across Gran Tesoro, washing the gold dust off of everyone and freeing them from Tesoro's control. Luffy, Franky, and Zoro then joined the other Straw Hats to take on Tesoro, who was in a fit of rage as he remembered his past, and began hungering to regain power and control. Tesoro then blew up the hotel and summoned massive waves of gold to encase everyone with.



Tesoro gave Tanaka, Baccarat, and Dice golden armor and weapons, and he put himself inside a giant gold golem. Tesoro overpowered Luffy and sent everyone else running in fear as he attacked Gran Tesoro. As Zoro battled Dice, Tesoro grabbed Zoro's swords with gold tendrils, allowing Dice to take the swords for himself. Tesoro then attacked some of the Straw Hats, only to have Luffy resume attacking him. During their battle, Tesoro came under fire by Marine ships, who were seeking to destroy Gran Tesoro. Tesoro shot golden beams, known as Gon Fuoco di Dio, at the Marine ships, but Luffy attacked him by surprise with Gomu Gomu no Red Hawk, causing Tesoro to hit Luffy with Gon Inferno, sending him flying far away.

Tesoro then tried to get revenge on Carina by stomping on her, but Nami rescued her. However, Tesoro grabbed Nami and taunted Luffy as he threw her to the ground. Luffy managed to rescue both Nami and Carina and threw them to safety as Tesoro struck him. However, Luffy shattered Tesoro's golem forearm by activating Gear 4, and sent Tesoro crashing to the ground with a Gomu Gomu no Kong Gun.



When Tanaka, Baccarat, and Dice were defeated and Tesoro's remaining men ran away in fear, Tesoro turned his golem into liquid gold and swamped everyone in Gran Tesoro with it, trapping them. Luffy was still in the air, propelled by his Gear 4 jumps, but Tesoro continued provoking him as he asserted his supremacy while standing on top of a mountain of gold tendrils. As Luffy charged, Tesoro sent a massive gold tendril after him, an attack known as Gon L'ira di Dio. However, after a huge clash, Luffy managed to break through the tendril with Gomu Gomu no Leo Rex Bazooka and unleashed a finishing blow on Tesoro, sending him falling onto one of the Marine ships, where he was arrested by the Marines; his last thoughts before losing consciousness were of Stella's last words of gratitude to him.

Major Battles

 * Gild Tesoro vs. Roronoa Zoro
 * Tesoro vs. Monkey D. Luffy and Franky
 * Tesoro vs. Luffy vs. the Marines

Playable Appearances

 * One Piece Thousand Storm
 * One Piece: Burning Blood
 * One Piece: Great Pirate Colosseum
 * One Piece Treasure Cruise
 * One Piece Bounty Rush

Enemy Appearances

 * Dragon Ball Heroes
 * One Piece Treasure Cruise

Trivia

 * "Tesoro" is Italian and Spanish for "treasure", and "gild" means to cover thinly with gold, both of which correspond to Tesoro's Devil Fruit power, the theme and composition of his ship, and Film: Gold's title.
 * Tesoro's love of gold is shared with Eldoraggo, the antagonist of the first One Piece movie.
 * Tesoro is the first non-canonical Paramecia-type Devil Fruit User who is implied to have his Devil Fruit power awakened.
 * Tesoro is the second awakened Paramecia-type Devil Fruit User overall, after Donquixote Doflamingo.
 * In Burning Blood, Tesoro is shown to be able to use Haki.
 * Gild Tesoro is very similar to Donquixote Doflamingo in several ways; mainly that they are both powerful businessmen with tragic backstories involving the World Nobles and lived impoverished childhoods, but then attained an equivalent level of power. They both have god complexes and are obsessed with ruling over people and use their respective Paramecia powers to further control them. Doflamingo was the first canon antagonist to be shown with an awakened Paramecia fruit and defeated by Luffy's Gear 4, while Tesoro was the first non-canon character to have an awakening and be defeated by Gear Fouth.

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