"Strange, what on earth was I thinking? How could I have done something so bizarre?"
Tesoro clutched his head, racking his brain, yet he couldn't recall why he had let Baccarat go after she'd siphoned off 10 billion Berries, let alone why he'd allowed her to stay in the most luxurious palace in Gran Tesoro.
However, it didn't matter if he couldn't remember! If worst came to worst, he could just take action now! As long as they were within Gran Tesoro, no one was his match.
The Gold Dust throughout Gran Tesoro would silently seep into the bodies of all visitors. With Tesoro's ability, he could easily manipulate this Gold Dust, turning it into expanding liquid gold to completely control those visitors.
With such a trump card, unless an opponent possessed a corresponding Devil Fruit ability or their Haki cultivation was powerful enough to directly repel the Devil Fruit's effects, they would be instantly killed.
While Tesoro was deep in thought, preparing to take action himself, a knock sounded at the door.
Click—it seemed the person knocking had grown impatient, as the door was kicked open. Tesoro was instantly enraged and reached out his hand. The gold ornaments throughout the room began to shift, transforming into a massive golden serpent that lunged toward the intruder.
"You certainly have quite a temper!"
A calm voice drifted in, and the golden snake Tesoro was controlling was suddenly pinned in mid-air. Seeing the Blond Youth before him and Baccarat standing behind him with a respectful air, Tesoro's expression turned grim.
"So you're the one behind Baccarat, the one truly after Gran Tesoro!"
"Gran Tesoro collects intelligence on the Marines, pirates, and all major factions, yet I've never seen a figure like you... Could you be some brat who ate a powerful Devil Fruit and grew so arrogant that you don't know your place?!"
Vegapunk gave a cold sneer, unhesitatingly exposing Tesoro's cards:
"Stop testing me, and stop using that clumsy Gold-Gold Fruit ability! That Gold Dust has absolutely no effect on me! I've already purged the Gold Dust from Baccarat's body as well!"
Seizing the moment while they spoke, Tesoro, who had been constantly activating his Gold-Gold Fruit ability, clenched his fist and glared at Vegapunk:
"It seems... you've come prepared! To think you know so much about my Devil Fruit ability... Could it be that bastard Tanaka who betrayed me!"
"No betrayal was necessary! It's simply because your Devil Fruit ability is naturally countered by mine!"
Vegapunk reached out, electricity flickering on his fingers. To deal with someone like Tesoro, if he still needed to conduct intelligence research, it would be overestimating the man.
In the original story, even Eneru, who stayed on Sky Island and was arguably the most ignorant Logia user, still developed the ability of Lightning Metallurgy with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, let alone the incredibly knowledgeable Vegapunk.
It could be said that all Devil Fruits with metal-related abilities are naturally countered by the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and the Magnet-Magnet Fruit, and Tesoro was naturally no exception.
Seeing the sparks on Vegapunk's hand, Tesoro's eyes narrowed slightly.
"A Rumble-Rumble Fruit user?! Damn you! Die!"
With Tesoro's roar, a pitch-black fist wrapped in Armament Haki smashed toward Vegapunk!
But after taking only two steps, Tesoro felt his body grow heavy, as if he were being bound by something.
The gold ornaments Tesoro wore all over his body, which he specifically used as weapons for emergencies, had this time become his opponent's accomplices, directly wrapping around him.
With Tesoro's strength, the interference from this gold would last for less than a single second, but that was already enough for Vegapunk to instantly take him down.
Electromagnetic Pulse!
A dazzling beam of light the size of an egg struck Tesoro's forehead. The intense electromagnetic waves nearly made his brain boil, instantly knocking him unconscious.
"Did he put all his energy into fruit development? Although his Haki isn't exactly weak, it's clearly far inferior to his Devil Fruit ability. He was knocked out so easily."
Although Vegapunk had verbally called it a 'clumsy' Gold-Gold Fruit ability, in reality, Tesoro's development of his Devil Fruit was quite good. The Gold-Gold Fruit had immense added value, but its actual combat power was not top-tier among Paramecia-types.
The reason Tesoro could exert strength that ranked among the top two or three of the Shichibukai (with Hawkeye being in a league of his own compared to the others) was because he had developed his fruit to an extremely high degree.
But precisely because Tesoro put all his energy into fruit development, his Haki was clearly lacking. In a situation where his fruit ability was naturally countered, he had almost no power to fight back.
"What should we do next, Lord Vegapunk?"
Looking at the unconscious Tesoro, Baccarat felt a bit conflicted. Swallowing Gran Tesoro was not that easy; it was, after all, a legal city recognized by the World Government. Its greatest value lay in its entertainment and tourism industries. Seizing the territory like a pirate would be meaningless.
Unless Baccarat won the entire Gran Tesoro fair and square, brute force would only destroy the city. Of course, if Baccarat truly won Gran Tesoro, then force would serve as her backing guarantee.
But now, Tesoro had been attacked and knocked out. Was she supposed to force Tesoro to pretend to gamble with her?
Vegapunk shook his head:
"It's actually quite simple... For someone like Tesoro, can't we just disguise someone as him?"
As he spoke, Vegapunk's hands formed seals. After a puff of smoke, he transformed into Tesoro's appearance using the Transformation Jutsu.
This ability certainly couldn't fool experts proficient in Observation Haki, but experts of that level wouldn't normally spend their time observing Tesoro for no reason.
As long as he could keep up the ruse for a few days, Vegapunk could easily create a Clone of Tesoro and then have him lose Gran Tesoro to Baccarat.
Tesoro's Devil Fruit had already reached awakening, and a Clone couldn't possibly possess his level of strength. A long-term impersonation would definitely run into problems, but by following a script—losing to Baccarat and then eventually dying in a fit of rage after trying to flip the table—he could basically bring Gran Tesoro into his hands... Relying on the Transformation Jutsu and the memories he'd read directly from Tesoro's brain, Vegapunk's imitation of Tesoro didn't face any major issues.
Some of Tesoro's subordinates were a bit suspicious, but when Vegapunk used his electromagnetic abilities to mimic the Gold-Gold Fruit's powers a few times, those suspicions were immediately dispelled.
During this time, Baccarat continued her sweep of Gran Tesoro, and her winnings were doubling at a frantic pace. In just three to five days, the entire Gran Tesoro faced a shortage of liquid capital.
Under these circumstances, the 'Tesoro' naturally couldn't sit still. In fact, 'Tesoro's' subordinates had already attempted various assassination methods against Baccarat from the start, but the only result was heavy losses on their side, while Baccarat didn't lose a single hair.
Now, after warnings and assassinations had both failed, the only option left was for the boss, 'Tesoro', to step out personally.
Once again in the magnificent casino, Baccarat's appearance was met with the fanatical adoration of countless gamblers. She was no longer just the Red-Haired Goddess of Luck, but the God of Gamblers in the hearts of everyone there!
Conversely, the 'Tesoro' walking out from the other direction appeared bloodshot, his aura faintly carrying a hint of tyranny. As he walked, a cold air washed over the room, quickly silencing the majority of the gamblers.
Although the gamblers who could enter this top-tier casino were generally wealthy or noble, very few could compare to Tesoro in terms of status. Most gamblers didn't dare risk their lives over such a matter.
"Mr. Tesoro, it's been a few days. You seem to have become quite a bit more irritable!"
Baccarat covered her mouth and giggled. 'Tesoro' looked at her coldly and said:
"Laugh while you can! You'll only be laughing until now!"
"How could that be? I think I'll be laughing forever!"
After a few feigned barbs, Baccarat crossed her arms and continued:
"I wonder, Lord Golden Emperor, how much liquid capital do you have left? Is it enough for our next round?"
"Over the past week or so, you've already lost over 300 billion Berries to us. Can you still keep gambling with me?"
'Tesoro' gave a cold snort, his expression stern as he gritted his teeth:
"Don't you just want to raise the stakes? Then let's use the entire Gran Tesoro plus myself to play a big game with you!"
"If you win, the Gran Tesoro and I, a Gold-Gold Fruit user, will all be yours. Likewise, if you lose, the money you've earned in Gran Tesoro plus yourself will all belong to me!"
"How about it? Do you dare play this round?"
As he spoke, Tesoro likewise threw out a pair of slave collars, placing them in the very center of the gambling table.
Theoretically, the slave trade was forbidden in the One Piece World, but since things like the Celestial Dragons existed, the laws and regulations of the One Piece World could be treated as toilet paper. Gran Tesoro itself, because of the massive amount of money it paid to the World Government, naturally possessed many privileges.
So as long as Baccarat agreed, this gamble could naturally include people as stakes.
In fact, the previous Golden Emperor had done this many times. Many of the attendants, waiters, and dealers in Gran Tesoro now were once poor souls who had lost everything and wagered themselves.
It was just that this time, because Baccarat had won too much and her capital was too large, the current 'Golden Emperor' had wagered himself as well.
Well, at least in the eyes of the other gamblers, that was the situation. They had no idea that the 'Tesoro' before them was merely a Clone that Vegapunk had spent three days of overtime to create.
This cloned 'Tesoro', because of the short manufacturing time and the need to display sufficient strength, had an estimated lifespan of only one or two months. Fortunately, Vegapunk's plan didn't require him to live very long.
Despite the short lifespan, the cloned Tesoro, who integrated the artificial Gold-Gold Fruit and Magnet Release Gold Dust abilities, didn't necessarily perform worse in battle than the original. However, his Haki level was mediocre, and he had almost no development of his Devil Fruit, so his actual combat power was certainly much lower.
Baccarat wore a smile of arrogance and mockery, perfectly portraying her persona, and spoke calmly:
"Since you're willing to walk into the trap, I certainly won't object. Tell me, what are we gambling on?"
To dare face Baccarat, the God of Gamblers, head-on, 'Tesoro' naturally had his own confidence. Part of that was the fact that Baccarat had agreed that all gambling methods would be proposed by the opponent.
Of course, in reality, this was a condition intentionally proposed to make the performance seem less forced. Otherwise, Tesoro wasn't a fool hit by an intelligence-lowering aura; if he had truly agreed to it, it would have definitely raised everyone's suspicions.
"Hmph hmph hmph! At a time like this, we're gambling with our fists, of course!"
'Tesoro' waved his hand, and the massive casino suddenly began to vibrate. The ground in the center turned into liquid gold, causing a group of gamblers to cry out in surprise and retreat. Moments later, a massive golden arena the size of a football field slowly rose from the liquid gold.
Then, 'Tesoro' leaped up, landing in the arena with a stride, and looked coldly at Baccarat:
"Let's use battle as the wager! I'll bet on myself to win! Will you step up, or will you find someone to take your place?!"
"The final wager is a duel? What a crude man!"
Baccarat said with a look of disdain, even waving her hand in dismissal.
However, none of the other onlookers present felt surprised. After all, the One Piece World was one where the strong preyed on the weak and fists mattered most. The final wager Tesoro proposed undoubtedly fit the essence of this world perfectly.
To put it bluntly, if she had truly won the entire Gran Tesoro through gambling alone, Baccarat's final end in a normal situation would not be wealth and honor, but rather being buried at sea. Even the so-called Luck-Luck Fruit was of little use against an absolute gap in strength.
So this contest of strength was also meant to silence everyone else eyeing Gran Tesoro!
"Stop your babbling! The essence of this world is supported by force! You didn't really think you could win the entire Gran Tesoro just with your gambling skills, did you? If you were truly that naive, your corpse would already be sinking into the ocean!"
"Tsk..."
Baccarat clicked her tongue in frustration, yet she acted as though she had to admit Tesoro was right:
"Don't worry, since I dared to come, I've naturally come prepared!"
"Boss, I'll leave this guy to you!"
As soon as Baccarat finished speaking, a flash of electricity flickered, and Vegapunk instantly appeared in the center of the arena.
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Rexlent
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"