Pain

After their triumphant win in the race, Baccarat greeted the trio with a wide smile and open arms.

"Congratulations! That was an incredible performance. I'm honestly surprised you finished so far ahead of the others. Impressive driving, Rei!"

"Haha, thank you," Rei replied, rubbing the back of her neck, clearly flustered by the praise.

"I, uh, lost the umbrella you gave me," Imai said sheepishly, her gaze briefly meeting Baccarat's.

"Don't worry about it," Baccarat said with a playful wink. "I'll get you a new one—more luxurious and befitting of your stature."

"That's kind of you, but I think I'll pass," Imai said with a soft chuckle. "Wouldn't want to lose another one."

Uta, looking bored, interjected, "So, what's next? Are we going to keep playing, or are we done here?"

"Oh, I have the perfect place for you," Baccarat said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "The VIP room. High stakes, high rewards. A gamble so daring, it's made some into billionaires."

The trio exchanged glances, their shared determination shining through.

"Let's go," Imai said.

Before they could proceed, Baccarat knocked on the elevator door. A moment later, a large, ghostly head phased through the metal panel. Imai, on instinct, raised her leg to deliver a roundhouse kick, but Baccarat stepped in.

"Wait! This is Tanaka-san, our casino's security guard," Baccarat said quickly.

The head let out a strange laugh. "Welcome, sururururururu."

"Tanaka's the user of the Phase-Phase Fruit," Baccarat explained. "He can slip through anything."

"Now, lend me your hands," Tanaka said.

Reluctantly, Imai, Rei, and Uta linked hands with him. In an instant, they phased through the wall into the VIP area.

"That's actually kind of useful," Imai admitted, already imagining ways to exploit the ability.

"You've got that look," Uta said, narrowing her eyes. "You're thinking of something bad, aren't you?"

Rei laughed. "She gets that look all the time."

"Of course not," Imai said, brushing them off. "We're here to have fun. Look at this place."

The VIP room was a visual feast of extravagance. Suspended from the ceiling were golden paper bags filled with glittering goldfish. Women covered in shimmering gold danced atop tables, entertaining the crowd.

But the centerpiece of the room was a table at the bottom level, where a group of gamblers sat rolling dice.

"By a 'special gamble,' you mean rolling dice?" Imai asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Imai, look!" Rei pointed. "Even the Navy's here!"

Sure enough, two marines—a man and a woman—walked past, ignoring them entirely.

"That's odd," Imai muttered. "Usually, they'd jump at the chance to arrest us."

Baccarat smiled. "This location operates under special rules permitted by the World Government. Here, marines and pirates can't touch each other. No fighting is allowed."

"The power of wealth," Imai said with a nod. "It's absurd but impressive."

The room hushed as a booming drumroll filled the air. From the shadows emerged a man with an enormous torso and arms, supported by comically small legs.

"Wow," Rei said, visibly deflated. "What did he eat to get that big? But seriously, he's been skipping leg day every day."

"Doesn't matter," Uta said with a shrug. "We could still take him down if we had to."

"Relax," Imai said, her voice calm but firm. "No fighting, remember? We're here to enjoy ourselves."

"Yes, Captain," the duo replied in unison.

"Baccarat," Imai said, turning to their host. "Who is this guy?"

"That's Dice," Baccarat explained. "He's a legend from underground deathmatches. He was so strong, no one would fight him anymore. So, we brought him here to serve as our dealer."

"A clever intimidation tactic," Imai said, smirking. "Scare the players into keeping the game fair."

"Are you not scared of him at all?" Baccarat asked, surprised.

Imai crossed her arms, exuding confidence. "Did you forget who I am? I'm the Fifth Emperor. The only person who intimidates me is myself."

"Captain, look!" Rei exclaimed. "He's picking up both dice and the cup at once!"

The massive man hefted the oversized dice high into the air before slamming them into the steel cup with enough force to shatter it. The shards scattered as the dice rolled across the table, revealing the outcome.

Imai watched with a mixture of intrigue and discomfort as Dice's expression shifted into a bizarre mix of pain and joy, pink tints rising to his cheeks.

"Feels good!" Dice yelled, a shiver of pleasure running through him.

"Captain," Rei said, cringing. "This guy is seriously weird. He looked happy when he slammed his head into that steel."

"Yeah, I'm not fighting him if he's going to make that face," Uta added.

"Congratulations," the announcer declared, drawing attention back to the game.

Their turn had finally arrived. The trio took their seats, hearts pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves.

Would their gamble lead to untold riches?

Or would it mark the beginning of their downfall?

There was only one way to find out.

"Let's gamble!"