Conductor

"And we have a winner!"

Imai grinned as the crowd murmured in awe. Before her sat a towering stack of chips worth five hundred thousand berries. Her earnings had quintupled in no time.

"Captain, you're amazing!"

"Your luck is out of this world!"

Imai chuckled. Luck? She didn't believe in such a concept. Trouble followed her wherever she went like a shadow—proof enough that luck had no role in her survival. If anything, her success was a testament to her pure skill and instinct.

"Thank you," she said, feigning modesty. "Guess I'm just that lucky, huh?"

"I have to say, I'm very impressed," Baccarat said, stepping closer. "But that's to be expected. You are the Fifth Emperor, after all. It's like you excel at everything."

Imai raised an eyebrow as she noticed Baccarat casually slipping off her gloves. Suspicion sparked in her mind as the woman reached out a hand toward her.

Imai grabbed Baccarat's wrist mid-reach, smiling coldly. "Thanks for the compliment, but I don't like being touched."

Baccarat smirked. "Figured it out, did you? Your intuition really is sharp. You see, I'm the user of the Lucky-Lucky Fruit. I can drain luck from anyone I touch."

"What an intriguing ability," Imai said, her tone calm but sharp. "No wonder you tried so hard to cozy up to us. All for this moment."

"You catch on fast," an unfamiliar voice interrupted.

A tall, muscular man with slicked-back green hair descended the grand staircase. His tailored pink suit shimmered under the lights, exuding both wealth and menace.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Gild Tesoro, the owner of this casino. Perhaps you've heard of me—the Casino King."

Imai's eyes narrowed. "Casino King, huh? Let me guess. Using Baccarat's devil fruit ability, you've amassed a fortune. Those who lose to you become trapped in debt, unable to win back what they owe because they're stripped of their luck."

Gild grinned, clapping slowly. "Exactly. But what are you going to do about it? Remember, even if you're the Fifth Emperor, no one here is on your side."

"Who said I need anyone else?" Imai said, stepping forward. "I only need the two people already by my side."

"Ready when you are, Captain!" Rei and Uta chimed, their weapons at the ready.

Gild laughed darkly. "You're the first to ever take my money. But make no mistake—what's mine stays mine. You won't leave this place alive."

At his signal, a group of guards charged forward.

Imai clicked her tongue. This is what I mean by unlucky. Trouble seemed to follow her everywhere she went. Although, in fairness, sometimes it was partially her fault. But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

A low rumble filled the room as the walls and floor began to shift. Imai turned to see gold surging toward her like a tidal wave.

"Take a good look, Fifth Emperor! This is the power of my Goru Goru no Mi!" Gild bellowed.

Imai's body flickered as she transformed into lightning, narrowly avoiding a homing missile of molten gold. The missile struck the back of the room, causing an explosion that rattled the walls.

Rei and Uta recovered quickly, their blades clashing with Baccarat, Tanaka, and Dice, who had joined the fray. Meanwhile, Imai scanned the chaos, ensuring no civilians were in immediate danger.

"Impressive," she said, her voice carrying over the din. "So this is how you earned the World Government's acknowledgment—by creating wealth at will."

"What's the point of power if you don't use it to its fullest potential?" Gild retorted. "Enough talk—let's fight!"

Gold erupted from the ground, encasing Gild's body in thick armor. His voice boomed as he taunted her.

"But that's not all. Watch this!"

Gold from across the room surged toward him, forming a massive cocoon. It grew larger and larger until it took the shape of a towering golden robot.

Imai sighed, muttering, "Why can't anyone just stay still and accept defeat like normal people?"

Despite the overwhelming size and strength of the robot, Imai's confidence didn't waver. Her calm demeanor seemed to irritate Gild even more.

The golden behemoth swung a massive fist toward her, but Imai effortlessly leapt into the air, landing on its arm. She drove her blade into the metal, testing its resilience.

Stronger than steel, she thought.

Gild's scowl deepened. "Why aren't you scared?! People tremble at the sight of me, yet you act as if I'm nothing!"

"Credit where it's due," Imai said, dodging another swing. "Building this monstrosity must've taken a lot of time and effort."

"Enough games!" Gild roared. "I'll crush you!"

Imai smirked, electricity crackling at her fingertips. "High risk, higher return. Unfortunately for you, you took the risk... and you met me."

"What are you talking about?!"

"Gold is an excellent conductor for electricity," Imai said, her voice deadly calm.

Realization dawned on Gild's face. "Wait, you don't mean—"

"Goodbye, Gild," Imai said, releasing a devastating bolt of lightning.

The electricity surged through the golden robot, frying its systems and forcing Gild to eject from his creation in a desperate attempt to escape the onslaught.

As the smoke cleared, Imai stood tall, her blades at her sides and lightning still sparking around her.

"You should've bet on something other than gold," she said, turning her attention to Baccarat and the others.

With Gild incapacitated and his forces faltering, the tide of the battle shifted decisively in Imai's favor.

"Captain, what do we do next?" Rei asked, stepping up beside her.

Imai smirked. "We finish what we started. Let's clean this up."