How pathetic!

Tesoro felt conflicted, knowing he had to consider all possible unexpected factors. If Fujitora wasn't hallucinating, then Nicolas must have appeared in some unique form. Tesoro picked up the mic and said, "Dice, stop wasting time. After this round, find an excuse and go all out against them. Baccarat, use your ability fully, and focus on finding Nicolas! Also, seize any chance to absorb the luck of those three guys!"

Dice heard Tesoro's instructions. After slamming the dice cup down, he looked over at Fujitora and the others. Then, he grabbed his axe and leaped into the air, smashing down and breaking the dice cup again.

"Four, three, five—twelve points, big."

"Ah, it seems my luck is still bad. I've lost again," Fujitora said, shaking his head, while Katie laughed nearby. So far, every time Fujitora bet, the result was the opposite.

Seeing the numbers, Dice was stunned. With the opponent losing three rounds in a row, what excuse did he have to start a conflict? But he couldn't disobey Tesoro's order, so Dice angrily punched the ground.

"Damn it, you're cheating!"

With a loud crash, the dice were shattered, showcasing Dice's immense strength. Tesoro, watching from the control room, was taken aback. The acting was beyond bad, but it achieved the desired effect.

"Oh? I've lost three rounds and all my money. Why would you say I'm cheating? Who cheats to lose?" Fujitora remarked, sensing a fierce wind approaching. He frowned.

Dice's fist was about to hit Fujitora's face but stopped abruptly. Dice was shocked; a sudden force had immobilized him. He could only move his eyes, seeing the blind admiral slowly drawing his cane sword.

"Isn't there a misunderstanding?" Baccarat quickly stepped forward, trying to calm the situation.

"If you touch us, I'll cut your hand off!" Katie said coldly, her hand on her sword as she eyed Baccarat, who was reaching out to them.

In the control room, Tesoro thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Tanaka, let's go."

He didn't expect Dice's punch to fail utterly. Tesoro, led by Tanaka, walked through the wall.

The now-silent casino hall echoed with clear footsteps. The gamblers saw a well-dressed man approaching, recognized by everyone who visited Gran Tesoro—the owner, Gild Tesoro.

Hearing the footsteps, Fujitora turned slightly, finally seeing Tesoro. He had no fondness for the man who had corrupted many high-ranking Navy officials with money. "The controller of Gran Tesoro, the Golden Emperor, Gild Tesoro."

As soon as Fujitora finished speaking, the immense gravity pressing on Dice intensified. With a loud bang, the force crushed the ground beneath Dice, sending him through several floors, his body bloodied and unconscious in a deep hole.

All the gamblers were stunned by Fujitora's bold actions in front of Tesoro.

"Dice..." Tanaka rushed over using his powers, calling for a doctor.

Tesoro's smiling face quickly hardened. He hadn't expected Fujitora to act so blatantly, even after his arrival.

"Even though you're a Vice Admiral of the Navy, you can't just act recklessly here. Gran Tesoro is recognized and protected by the World Government!"

Tesoro glared coldly at Fujitora, knowing he had to invoke the World Government's authority to restrain him. Fighting wasn't an option; he wasn't that foolish.

"Tesoro, you probably don't know what kind of person I am," Fujitora responded, unfazed.

"You can test me with any method, but you must never accuse me of cheating. As a gambler, I have my own principles," Fujitora said, his white eyes fixed on Tesoro. "If Gran Tesoro wasn't protected by the World Government, that guy would be dead by now."

"Are you trying to become the king of gambling?" Nicolas finally couldn't hold back any longer. With a flash of lightning, he appeared between Fujitora and Tesoro.

Nicolas looked at Fujitora with a peculiar expression. He had genuinely felt a killing intent from Fujitora, indicating that he was serious earlier. If it weren't for the World Government's protection, Dice, who had accused Fujitora of cheating, would definitely be dead.

"Albert Nicolas."

"Hmm?" Nicolas calmly observed the large amount of liquid gold surrounding Tesoro, indicating Tesoro's awakened ability.

"Do you want to make a move on me? Interesting," Nicolas said, slightly intrigued.

Tesoro's face darkened as he saw Nicolas's interest, almost as if he were watching a performance. Suddenly, Tesoro spread his arms wide.

With this gesture, a wave of liquid gold, prepared in advance, surged violently. Golden ropes rushed towards Nicolas, even affecting several VIPs who couldn't react in time.

Nicolas tilted his head slightly, showing no intention of moving or defending himself against the approaching golden ropes.

Tesoro, watching Nicolas's lack of defense, said, "Nicolas, attacking me on my turf was your biggest mistake."

As Tesoro laughed, countless streams of liquid gold shot from the casino hall's ceiling, all aiming to bind Nicolas.

"What a boring move," Nicolas muttered as the golden waves approached. He calmly raised his hand.

"Electro Metallurgy!"

As soon as he spoke, the surging golden waves froze around Nicolas, as if suddenly immobilized. Tesoro could clearly feel that he had lost control of the gold, or rather, his control over the gold was now secondary to Nicolas's.

"Considering you didn't harm Stella, I'll let you live. But being oppressed by the Celestial Dragons, gaining power, and yet still not daring to fight against those who once oppressed you, instead becoming their lapdog and turning your blade on those weaker than you... how pathetic," Nicolas said.

His words seemed to have a magical power, leaving Tesoro stunned. His mind quickly replayed his past, stopping at the day he became a slave to the Celestial Dragons, the starting point of his life's nightmare.