Gambling—
When there's no cheating involved, it's a pursuit that places enormous emphasis on logic and calculation.
Yet there are also things that transcend pure reasoning.
For example—
Luck.
Because of his special trait, Ren's luck functioned like a balance scale.
Not long ago, after encountering Kuzan and surviving several near-death crises, his luck surged dramatically.
That was how he'd managed to draw the manga related to Kuma and obtain most of the relevant intelligence.
That kind of luck expenditure was enormous—but even the remainder was still terrifying in sheer volume.
At the very least, on the first floor of the casino, he was practically unrivaled.
No need to think.
Just follow instinct.
In the blink of an eye, piles of chips were stacked across the long table.
Each black-and-gold chip was stamped with 10,000, and there were a full ten thousand of them.
"Pretty good luck," Ren said casually."The twenty million in chips I borrowed turned into a hundred million."
He lounged on the sofa, casting a bored glance at Baccarat, who could barely hide her astonishment.
"Miss Baccarat, can we settle the debt now?"
"Of course," Baccarat replied smoothly, then smiled."But don't you think that's unnecessary, Mr. Ren? Your hand is incredibly hot right now.
The more chips you hold, the more you can win next.
Becoming a billionaire overnight isn't impossible."
Her tone was full of admiration, perfectly playing the role of a considerate host.
"But the first-floor casino," Ren replied lazily, following her lead,"has a low entry threshold—and a low ceiling."
"Naturally. The first floor is just for newcomers who want to test the waters," Baccarat said with a smile."Someone as skilled as you is already qualified to go higher."
"Oh?"
"The Golden King Hotel isn't limited to just one casino floor."
"Then lead the way."
Ren stood up and followed Baccarat out of the first floor.
They took a gold-plated elevator to a truly unique space.
When the doors opened—
A red-themed hall came into view, its style reminiscent of Wano sliding screens.Golden fish pools were set into the walls, inside which swam massive golden fish that looked suspiciously like Sea Kings.
The décor was extravagantly luxurious—even the edges of the corridor railings were pure gold.
Looking down—
Tiered corridors were lined with seating areas, each corresponding to different games.
Men and women in elegant attire and ornate masks gambled quietly.
At the very bottom stood a broad platform.
On either side sat enormous men—judging by their size, likely giants.
Before them were dice as large as houses.
And standing atop the platform was a massive man chewing on something, clearly preparing himself.
A crowd of guests waited at the front of the platform, ready to place bets.
"Odd or even?" Ren asked.
"Yes."
"And what's with that guy?" Vivi asked curiously.
"That's Dice," Baccarat explained."He used to be a champion in underground death matches.
He's so absurdly tough that no one wanted to fight him anymore, so he came here to be the house.
See that iron bell behind him? That's the dice cup. You're about to see something very exciting."
"Bets placed? We're starting now!"
Dice announced.
Two giants lifted the massive dice and placed them onto the platform.
Then—
With one die in each hand, Dice hurled them into the air.Just like in the original story, he spun around and grabbed the iron bell, catching both dice inside it.
The astonishing weight was nothing to him.
He shook the bell effortlessly, then slammed it down onto the platform.
"Now—results revealed!"
Dice suddenly pulled out a battle axe, gripping it with both hands as he leapt.
His body spun like a top, the axe blade forming the edge of a deadly whirlwind.
But—
"Completely meaningless movement," Ren said flatly."Is he just a masochist?"
As his words fell—
Dice smashed his head straight into the bell, never even using the axe.
Not only was he unharmed, he wore an expression of pure bliss.
"Two! Six! Even wins!"
"Oh my," Baccarat chuckled, covering her mouth."Just as expected of Lord Ren. Yes—Dice can endure so much because he turns pain into pleasure."
Her eyes glinted as she leaned slightly forward.
"So, Mr. Ren, would you like to play a round?"
"I'm more interested in Mr. Tesoro," Ren replied coolly.
At that moment—
The elevator chimed again.
The doors slid open, and a tall man stepped out.
He wore a pink suit, draped in gold accessories—
And behind him stood a familiar face.
Zans.
"Lord Tesoro!"
"He actually came personally?"
"Hey—doesn't that guy Baccarat brought look like…"
"Demon Ren?"
"So what happens next?"
"Anyone want to place a bet?"
"I bet they lose."
The upper-class onlookers buzzed with excitement, their gazes toward Ren and Vivi filled with mockery.
It seemed inevitable to them that this infamous troublemaker would fall into yet another of Tesoro's traps.
In this city, being deceived meant being a loser.
"The losers' game is about to begin," Zans sneered, locking eyes with Ren.
At that moment—
Gild Tesoro descended the steps calmly and spoke with a radiant smile.
"Welcome to Gran Tesoro. Are you enjoying yourself?"
"You must be Tesoro," Ren said, stepping forward.
A coin appeared between his fingers, flipping deftly like a nimble fish.
"Of course. No one on this ship would dare impersonate me," Tesoro replied, studying Ren closely.
Then he casually removed a golden ring from his finger.
"However, there's a small issue to address—concerning you and Mr. Zans here."
At his words—
Zans immediately stepped forward. He glanced at Baccarat, and after confirming something, his confidence surged.
He adopted an indignant, furious expression.
"Lord Tesoro, this man attacked the open terrace from the sky earlier. I was nearly crushed to death!"
"Gran Tesoro has always exterminated intruders without mercy!"
"So why is this man still strolling around freely?"
His words sounded accusatory, but the blade was clearly aimed at Ren.
"That's roughly the issue," Tesoro said, pointing at Zans with a faintly troubled look."Although I'd very much like to have a match with a talent like yourself…
I can't ignore a guest's grievance as the ship's owner.
How would you like to handle this, Lord Ren?"
"Oh?" Ren raised an eyebrow."Wasn't this already settled?"
"That was because you could kill me at any moment!" Zans snapped angrily."That's called intimidation—do you understand?!"
"If this isn't resolved, you don't qualify as a guest of Gran Tesoro!"
"Oh?" Ren's eyes narrowed, his expression cooling."And how do you propose resolving it?"
"I'm not here to stir trouble," Zans said coldly."Since we're in a casino, we'll follow casino rules.
I hear your luck's been incredible today? Well, mine's not bad either.
Let's gamble.
If you win, we wipe the slate clean.
If you lose—you hand over all the chips you have right now."
Then he turned sharply to Baccarat.
"Miss Baccarat, you arrived later—it's normal you wouldn't know the full story.
I'm personally willing to offer a 100 million Beli gratuity to temporarily relieve you of VIP reception duties for these two intruders.
If this delays your earnings, just charge it to me."
Interesting turn of events, Tesoro thought, eyes gleaming.
Bringing Zans into the game really had been the right choice.
These old foxes always produced unexpected moves.
"Oh my," Baccarat said lightly as she stepped forward,"in that case, I suppose I have no reason to refuse. After all, the matter does need resolving…"
As she spoke, she casually removed her black silk gloves, feigning apology as she reached toward Ren.
"What do you think, Ren—huh?"
Suddenly—
Her hand, about to touch Ren's shoulder, was seized mid-air.
A large hand interlaced with hers, fingers locking tightly.
From the contact, an unusual sensation spread through her palm—
Almost like… a coin?
"Since there's a problem, let's solve it," Ren said calmly.
He withdrew his hand.
The object flipping between his fingers—Gambler's Misfortune—had turned completely dim.
His expression hardened, voice turning icy.
"But your stake isn't enough.
You know who I am.
If you dare step forward and provoke me, then gamble bigger.
If you win—my life, plus 100 million Beli, I'll hand over myself.
But if you lose—
All prior debts are erased, and you must unconditionally fulfill one command of mine."
For a heartbeat—
The entire venue fell silent.
Then the onlookers erupted into cheers.
"This is good—bet on this!"
"Hey, Zans! I'm a Marine officer. Vice Admiral Onigumo was my instructor."
"You accept this, and if you win, I guarantee smooth sailing for you in the future."
"Accept it! I want to see blood!"
"Where else in the World Government do you get to see something like this?"
"A four-hundred-million-Beli pirate—this is fantastic!"
"Worthy of Demon Ren. That kind of courage—I'm starting to look forward to it."
Pressure crashed down on Zans.
The loan-shark kingpin, accustomed to schemes and manipulation, had never faced pressure like this.
A quick glance around revealed nothing but big names.
A Marine officer—
Unable to defeat Demon Ren, but fully capable of arranging an "accident" on the Grand Line.
World Government officials—
With a little leverage, they could wipe out his West Blue usury empire entirely.
Damn it—these lunatics who treat human lives like nothing!
Zans faltered, already preparing to back out.
Just as he was about to speak, a chill crawled up his spine.
In the corner of his vision—
Tesoro was watching him, smiling gently.
Right.
He'd already promised Tesoro he'd take part.
Backing out now—
Zans clenched his teeth.
After glancing at Baccarat's approaching smile, the words on his lips condensed into a single syllable.
"Fine."
(End of Chapter)