The instant the dice cup was smashed open, the Straw Hats, Tesoro and his subordinates, and every VIP in the room held their breath.
The result was even.
That meant the outcome of this game of the century was clear.
The final winners were the Straw Hats and Tesoro.
Nami and Usopp high-fived in celebration. Chopper jumped with joy. Everyone was ecstatic.
Tesoro's pupils also shrank.
His already unsettled heart began pounding even harder, and even his breathing quickened.
Then... what wish should he ask for?
He lacked nothing now.
Should he ask for the status of a Celestial Dragon? Or overwhelming power?
Or perhaps he could ask for a future for his child.
For a moment, Tesoro's mind was in chaos.
But clearly, the first option was the most direct and tempting.
Yet just as they were celebrating, Ozz remained calm and took a sip of water.
"I say, all of you..."
"Are you so sure you won?"
The corner of Ozz's mouth lifted. He almost wanted to laugh.
Celebrating before the game was truly over had never ended well.
"What? Are you going back on your word, Uncle Ozz?!" Luffy shouted through gritted teeth.
"No, no, no..."
Ozz drained the sweet water in his cup and revealed a playful smile.
"I'm the kind of person who hates breaking the rules in the middle of a game."
As his strength and status had risen, Ozz had long since disdained using force to overturn a result after a game or wager ended.
For someone like him, that was far too inelegant.
He only acted against those who refused to follow the rules.
"Why don't you take a good look and see whether you really won?"
Ozz crossed one leg over the other, his scarlet-glowing eyes turning behind him.
Everyone followed his gaze and looked toward the dice in the center.
The giant die that had landed on five suddenly split open through the middle for some unknown reason.
The crack spread wider and wider until the entire die broke into two halves and collapsed.
The side facing upward became the two broken cut surfaces.
"If you look at it this way, the number is actually one, isn't it?"
"Well then... I win."
Everyone was stunned, staring at the split die in disbelief.
"Hey! What is going on?!"
Nami was the most anxious. She was certain there was something suspicious. She pointed at Ozz.
"You definitely tampered with it! Why would such a sturdy die suddenly split in half?!"
Seeing her point like that, Sanji nearly felt his soul leave his body. He hurriedly tried to stop her.
"Hey! Nami-swan!"
Unfortunately, before he could reach out, Ozz had already looked over and tilted his head.
"So you think I cheated?"
Tap.
Ozz lightly snapped his fingers.
In the next instant, Nami vanished from where she stood and stumbled directly in front of Ozz, where his large hand seized her small face.
"Nami!"
"Let Nami go!"
The Straw Hats instantly panicked and tried to move.
But a massive curtain of gold appeared in front of them, blocking their actions.
Tesoro stood there with a dark expression, static crackling across his hands as he controlled the gold.
"Though it is rather hard to accept, it seems we lost after all..."
"Brats, in this Golden City, the one and only rule is that a bet must be honored. Especially when the winner is Mr. Ozz."
His mood was terrible.
After all, he had gambled everything and lost. Losing after going all in was always hard to accept.
"What?! It was obviously Uncle Ozz who cheated!"
Luffy wanted to shout that it was unfair.
But he failed to notice that Sanji, who would usually be the first to rush to Nami's side, was standing silently in place.
"Unfair?"
Tesoro looked at the Straw Hats as if they were idiots.
"I have spent decades in casinos. I have seen every kind of cheating trick imaginable. But this time..."
"Father didn't interfere, Luffy."
Sanji suddenly spoke.
"Huh? Why are you saying that, Sanji? But the die clearly..."
Luffy was confused. He did not understand why even Sanji would say that.
"That was not Father using his ability to interfere. I saw it clearly with my Observation Haki..."
Sanji clenched his teeth tightly. His pupils trembled, and disbelief flashed through his eyes.
"The damage on the die came from years and years of use. I saw it clearly before it split. It wasn't caused by external force or internal force..."
With careful observation, one could indeed see that the giant die had already been damaged from repeated impacts.
This use had simply been the final straw.
"No way... Even something with such a tiny chance of happening..."
"Weren't we supposed to be the lucky ones?!"
Usopp clutched his head in pain, as if his worldview had been shaken.
Ozz, meanwhile, sat with one leg crossed, leaning back in his chair as he pinched Nami's face. He smiled and explained.
"Luck is the key to victory. That part is true. But it depends on who you're comparing yourself to."
"Do you know how I did it?"
Ozz swirled his wineglass, teleporting the orange juice that had nearly made him choke directly into his stomach, then smiled.
"Wasn't it because you did something..."
Nami's jaw and cheeks were held in his hand. She struggled painfully, but she could do nothing against Ozz's monstrous strength.
The tall man before her, that large hand, carried an absolute pressure she could not resist.
"The old me did like doing things that way, but times are different now."
Hearing that, Little Sand, who had once been trapped in one of Ozz's schemes, instantly darkened.
"That's impossible..."
Nami glared at him angrily.
"Hahahahaha!"
Ozz laughed happily.
"You still don't understand? The reason you failed is precisely because your luck was too good."
"A gamble is a contest of wisdom. And my wisdom told me it was time to use force."
"At the moment the result came out, do you know how I managed to do nothing, yet still turn defeat into victory?"
"A thought appeared in my mind. Of course, it was only a thought."
"If I lost, I would kill everyone on this ship."
"And guess what happened?"
Ozz laughed with genuine amusement, as if he found the development far too entertaining.
"The result was that your good luck saved you. Because compared to losing the game, keeping your lives was the best possible outcome."
"Isn't that right?"
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