From then on.
The Sunset finally welcomed two new full-fledged crew members after a long time.
With plenty of spare rooms remaining, Bonney was assigned to the cabin next to Nami's, while Kuma moved into the suite adjacent to Jack's.
Both of these giants' bedrooms were specially modified—Smoker had previously expanded this section by connecting it to the second floor.
If the 8.3-meter-tall Jack could live comfortably, the 6.9-meter-tall Kuma naturally had no issues either.
Speaking of which.
BIGMOM's Tea Party was drawing closer.
Since Katakuri had proactively extended goodwill and even lent a significant hand in Observation Haki training, Xiano owed him a favor and had no intention of breaking his promise.
Thus, without further delay, the Sunset set sail at full speed toward Totto Land, where Whole Cake Island was located.
Navigation wasn't a concern either—before leaving, Katakuri had provided an Eternal Pose.
They only needed to follow the pointer's direction in a straight line.
...
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
The journey had been smooth so far, with more than half the distance already covered. At most, five or six more days remained before they entered Totto Land waters.
And now, a rather bustling town came into view from the Sunset's deck.
"Pretty good luck," Xiano, who had been resting on a rattan chair on the second floor, grinned as he stretched and stood up. "Perfect timing—our supplies are running low. We'll rest here for the night and stock up."
Though he said "supplies," everything else was actually well-stocked—except for food, which was genuinely scarce.
Before leaving Dressrosa, Mr. Zeff had stocked up on enough food to last over half a month based on past experience. Yet, it had all been consumed within less than a week.
If Xiano hadn't put his master-level fishing skills to use yesterday and hauled in a giant squid over ten meters long, the entire crew might've had to go hungry today.
The reason was simple…
Aside from Xiano, there was now another bottomless pit on board—one who could out-eat even him.
"Bonney!"
Kuma's face darkened as he dragged the little troublemaker out of the cabin:
"Aside from three full meals a day, Mr. Zeff even gave you two extra servings today! And now you've gone and sneaked into the storage room to steal food when no one was looking? That's beyond disrespectful!"
"Hahaha, let it go, Kuma. At such a young age, she's got such a healthy appetite—other parents would envy that."
Mr. Zeff didn't mind at all, stepping in with a chuckle to mediate.
Bonney was sweet-tongued around him, calling him "Grandpa Zeff" affectionately, and she wasn't picky—she devoured everything with gusto. He was more than happy to cook all sorts of dishes for the little one every day.
"But sneaking into the storage room is going too far."
Kuma still wanted to discipline Bonney and asked sternly:
"Bonney, the storage room is usually locked with a heavy padlock. When did you even learn how to pick locks?"
"I don't know how to do that!"
Bonney's cheeks were still stuffed as she chewed furiously and protested indignantly:
"Don't accuse me wrongly, Kuma! I only found the way in because I saw Agin sneaking out with milk through a tunnel when I got up to pee at night!"
Huh?
A secret tunnel had been dug under the storage room?
Mr. Zeff froze for a second before immediately shooting a sharp glare at Agin.
When this big dumb dog was little, he had too much sugary stuff and developed diabetes, so Zeff had always strictly controlled his strawberry milk intake.
And now he's pulling this stunt behind our backs?
Agin had been pretending to sleep, secretly eavesdropping with his ears perked up, but now he sensed trouble.
First, he raised his head, met Zeff's gaze, and stuck out his tongue with a silly grin, trying to play it off.
But the next second, he saw Xiano also glance over coolly.
Agin stiffened instantly, shot Bonney a resentful look, then trotted to the railing and—plop—jumped off on his own.
...
Soon.
As they drew closer, the full view of the town came into sight.
This place seemed like a paradise for the gambling industry.
At the center of the island stood the tallest building in the city, designed entirely in the shape of a giant roulette wheel, its neon-lit edges flickering rhythmically with a click-clack sound.
The moment they docked, lively jazz music could be heard drifting from the open doors of the casinos.
The melody of saxophones mixed with the clatter of dice, the clinking of chips, the shouts of gamblers, and the coquettish laughter of dealers…
The atmosphere of reckless extravagance hit them instantly.
"So it's called the City of Gamblers? Pretty lively."
Xiano pulled his gaze away from the neon sign that read Welcome to the City of Gamblers and scanned the surroundings.
The docks were nearly packed with ships of all sizes, and many tourists headed straight for the casino district the moment they disembarked—business was clearly booming.
This stretch of sea was roughly in the middle of the New World. For such a thriving entertainment industry to flourish here, it was impossible without the backing of a major power.
Sure enough.
After a quick search, they soon spotted the flag of the BIGMOM Pirate Crew fluttering atop the island under the moonlight.
"A place paying tribute to Totto Land, huh."
Zeff shook his head. "Prices here won't be cheap, but the upside is that the markets must have a wide variety of ingredients… Hey, Bonney, wanna tag along with me for shopping? Point out anything you like, and I'll grab extra."
"Yeah!"
Bonney's eyes lit up as she happily scrambled onto Zeff's shoulder. "Hehe, thanks, Grandpa Zeff!"
"I'll come too."
Kuma chuckled. A place like this was a den of all sorts, and some troubles might be too much for Zeff to handle alone.
The three walked off chatting and laughing, with Bonney chattering nonstop in the middle. Their silhouettes under the setting sun almost looked like a heartwarming scene of three generations.
The rest of the crew also split up to explore the town. Xiano had originally planned to grab a few drinks with Smoker at a tavern.
But just as they left the docks, they overheard a group of young tourists talking excitedly.
"Hey, hear about that blind old man at the Golden Roulette Casino? He's won seventeen rounds in a row!"
"Seventeen? No way! He's gotta be cheating, right?"
"No shot! The guy can't even see the cards—he's legit blind. The casino staff checked and their faces turned green…"
A blind old man?
A gambler?
Xiano paused mid-step, his brow quirking slightly.
Those traits combined instantly reminded him of someone.
A monster who, in the original timeline, would later break into the ranks of Marine Admiral through the World Military Draft.
Could it be him?
Xiano slightly closed his eyes, releasing his Observation Haki, but didn't sense any particularly formidable auras on the island.
However, that didn't mean much. Experts of the same level could easily conceal their presence among the crowd as long as they didn't make any major disturbances.
He turned and patted Smoker on the shoulder. "We'll hit the tavern later. First, come with me to check out something interesting."
"Huh?"
Smoker, cigar dangling from his lips, looked puzzled. "Boss, since when were you interested in gambling?"
"Not gambling—looking for someone."
Xiano laughed heartily, changing direction as he led the way toward the center of town. "A man of justice. If you hadn't left the Marines, he might've ended up as your superior!"
Huh?
Smoker frowned, even more confused now.
...
The so-called Golden Roulette Casino was the tallest building they had seen upon docking—shaped like a roulette wheel.
It was the largest and most well-connected casino on the island.
At this moment, the casino was bustling with noise and excitement.
Around the central gambling table, a crowd of onlookers had gathered, and seated at the head was a slightly plump, middle-aged man with his eyes closed.
He wore wooden sandals and a plain purple yukata, cradling an unremarkable wooden staff in his arms. His expression was calm, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
So it really was him.
Xiano grinned as he took in the scene. His trip hadn't been in vain.
Fujitora Issho!
In the entire Marine organization, there were only a handful of high-ranking officers he respected—Garp, Aokiji, Smoker… and perhaps this man.
Of course, at this point, Issho hadn't yet joined the Marines, so the admiral title "Fujitora" didn't apply.
He beckoned a waiter, ordering two glasses of sparkling wine before taking a seat on the second floor with Smoker. Sipping his drink, he quietly observed the gambling table below where Fujitora sat.
Opposite Fujitora, a young dealer was shaking the dice cup, sweat pouring down his face, his hands trembling slightly.
"Place your bets, sir! It's time to decide!"
Fujitora nodded and, without hesitation, pushed the towering pile of chips in front of him onto the "Big" section.
"Same as before—all in."
The crowd erupted in shock!
"Again?! This is his nineteenth all-in!"
"He's won all eighteen rounds so far! If he wins this one, his chips will be worth over 300 million Berry! How is he doing this? He can't even see!"
"Is the casino gonna go bankrupt…?"
Hearing the murmurs, the dealer grew even more nervous, fingers shaking as he lifted the dice cup—
5, 6, 6—Big!
"H-He won… again…" The dealer's voice was weak. "Congratulations, sir."
A loss of over 300 million was something the Golden Roulette Casino could handle, given its vast resources, but his salary this month was probably as good as gone.
"Thank you."
Fujitora chuckled, stroking his stubbled chin. "Nineteen wins in a row, hm? I suppose it's time to stop. My luck today has been truly remarkable."
"Woooh! Incredible!!"
The surrounding gamblers cheered wildly, while the nearby security guards exchanged dark glances.
Second floor.
"How did this blind man do it?" Smoker couldn't believe his eyes, then suddenly realized, "Wait... is it Observation Haki?"
"No."
Xiano stared at Fujitora and shook his head slightly. "No other methods were used. It's a clean game."
Then how could he win nineteen rounds in a row?
Smoker was baffled, and Xiano frowned, equally puzzled.
Logically speaking, apart from using Observation Haki to "peek," Fujitora's Gravity-Gravity Fruit could easily alter the dice's orientation.
But at this distance, such tricks wouldn't escape his perception.
This was truly strange.
They weren't the only ones confused. Many others were too—like the owner of this casino.
"Esteemed guest."
Just as the casino's atmosphere was heating up, a lazy, seductive voice came from upstairs.
Everyone looked up to see a white-haired beauty in a high-slit cheongsam gracefully descending the stairs. The click of her high heels echoed crisply on the marble floor.
"Your gambling skills are truly extraordinary. Our boss is very interested in you~"
The white-haired beauty stopped in front of Fujitora, her red lips curling slightly. "Why not join me in the VIP room on the third floor for a chat?"
She leaned forward slightly, revealing a glimpse of her charms. The surrounding gamblers gulped audibly.
But Fujitora remained motionless, as if he couldn't see anything.
And indeed, he couldn't.
Yet the malice radiating from her was palpable. Behind the white-haired beauty, a group of burly enforcers with cold expressions fanned out.
Some began clearing the floor, shooing away the curious gamblers in the lobby, while others surrounded Fujitora, sealing off any escape.
"This is quite troublesome."
Fujitora sighed softly. "I'm just an ordinary gambler here for leisure. Why such a grand reception?"
"Don't joke, guest. Ordinary gamblers don't win nineteen times in a row~"
The woman covered her mouth with a light laugh. "I advise you to choose the easy way out. If you insist on playing dumb, then..."
She snapped her fingers. The bald, muscular leader of the enforcers grinned savagely and suddenly drew his sword, slashing forward:
"What's the deal? You dare cause trouble at the Golden Roulette? Fine! Tonight, I'll turn you from a fake blind cheater into a real cripple!"
Swish!
The blade flashed—
but struck empty air.
Fujitora's figure had somehow appeared behind the burly man, his wooden cane lightly tapping the back of the man's neck.
Instantly, the enforcer felt as if a thousand pounds weighed him down. With a thud, he knelt on the floor, unable to rise no matter how hard he struggled.
"What are you all waiting for? Get him!"
The bald enforcer roared in frustration. The others snapped out of their daze and charged forward in unison from all directions.
Yet Fujitora merely sidestepped, casually tracing a few afterimages with his cane.
With a series of dull thuds, twenty to thirty burly men collapsed like dominoes, all pinned to the floor.
The entire casino fell silent.
Second floor.
"What a bizarre Devil Fruit ability..."
Smoker's eyes widened in shock. He couldn't help but wonder—if it were him at this close range, could he withstand this blind man's techniques?
The boss had said that Haki, when mastered to its peak, could surpass even Devil Fruits.
In recent days, he had been spending his free time gathering Dream Mirage Grass and sparring with Teacher Zephyr, improving his Haki slightly.
Taking on this blind man's abilities shouldn't be too much of a problem.
"...You!"
In the blink of an eye, all the enforcers had been incapacitated. The white-haired beauty instinctively took a few steps back.
Just then—
Clap. Clap. Clap.
Three crisp claps echoed from the dome above. The gamblers, who had just been herded into the front hall, all looked up in unison.
At the highest level of the circular gallery, a stout man dressed in the same style of suit as Akainu descended with an imposing aura, unhurried and deliberate.
"Lord Du Feld!"
The white-haired woman, as if granted a reprieve, hastily retreated behind him.
That name sounded so familiar.
The gamblers racked their brains until, slowly, realization dawned on some of them, drawing sharp intakes of breath.
Du Feld?
Wasn't that one of the infamous Six Underground Emperors, the notorious Loan Shark King?
The big boss behind the Golden Roulette Casino was actually someone of that caliber?!
"Should I call this misfortune or good luck?"
Du Feld puffed on his cigar, ignoring his secretary, his gaze fixed on Fujitora.
"The name you registered under was Issho, wasn't it? Rarely do I come to the City of Gamblers to inspect my businesses, only to run into a gambler as extraordinary as you—masterful cheating skills and decent strength to boot. Quite the appealing combination."
He raised two fingers toward Fujitora, grinning. "Let me make you an offer. Twenty million Berry a year—come work under me as an executive. How about it?"
"I'm afraid that won't be possible."
Before Fujitora could respond, a calm voice drifted down from the second floor.
Who?
The Loan Shark King's expression darkened as he turned toward the source of the voice, displeased.
The next second—
His pupils contracted, beads of cold sweat forming at his temples.
"Having him work as your executive would be far too wasteful. After all, this gentleman Issho is someone I've had my eye on as well."
A strikingly handsome black-haired youth leaned against the railing, idly swirling a wine glass in his hand as he smiled.
"How about this—give me some face and let me have him, alright?"
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