"Divination shows..."
"The probability of a single point winning is 50%..."
Beside the long-haired man who was smiling as he went all in, a blond, cold-faced man was currently staring at the divination cards in his hands with some frustration.
Sure enough, whenever any divination result involved Orin, it would become vague and ambiguous, wouldn't it?
Orin was having a great time playing here.
Even though no one here was qualified to play against him, and no one could put up 10 billion Belly to gamble with him, he was still enjoying himself immensely.
As for the other guests in the VIP room, after hearing that when gambling against Orin, if they lost they only needed to hand over all the money they had on them, but if they won they could obtain 10 billion Belly, each and every one of them became extremely enthusiastic, believing they would be the chosen one blessed by fate.
In the end, however, they could only question their very existence as they lost all their money to Orin.
Truly naïve to the extreme.
Only a small number of people remained clear-headed, standing to the side with cold sweat breaking out on their faces as they watched that tall, long-haired man sitting at the gambling table with a beaming smile.
Leaving aside whether it was even possible to win against such a master of Observation Haki, even if their luck truly defied the heavens and they barely won a round, did they really think they could carry 10 billion Belly off the Gran Tesoro?
As Dice—a blond, burly man in a black suit—slammed his head forward to reveal the result,
"One point, six points, odd number wins!!!"
"Impossible!!!"
A king of a small country who had just lost to Orin now had a twisted expression covering his fat face, utterly unable to believe that he had lost.
If he had to hand over all the money from his national treasury, then what about this year's Heavenly Tribute...
At that thought, he couldn't help but want to go back on it.
But clearly, no one could default on a debt owed to Orin.
Hawkins, who was temporarily working part-time as a dealer in the Golden City, spoke coldly,
"A bet is a bet. The underworld has specialized debt-collection teams."
...
Watching that tall, long-haired figure at the gambling table who was clearly having the time of his life and winning every single round, the Straw Hat crew's pupils shrank sharply, and the coward trio even burst into tears.
"H-how could this be?!"
"Could it be that the so-called honored guest is that Orin?!"
"So scary!!!"
Luffy and the others weren't doing much better either.
Zoro grit his teeth, cold sweat forming on his face.
"I should've realized it earlier... that instantaneous movement during the racing competition,"
"and that sandstorm and enormous slash..."
Luffy, as boisterous as ever, shouted out the names of the people in front of him,
"Orin-san, and... Crocodile and Hawk Eyes!!!"
Hearing her name, Crocodile snapped out of her match at another gambling table, turned her head, and shot Luffy and the others a sideways glance.
"What is this... any low-tier pirate can get into the VIP room now?"
"Hey!!! Orin!!!"
"Next time, just go play in your own exclusive VIP room!!!"
Mihawk, meanwhile, was resting in a chair in the lounge area with his legs crossed and his eyes closed.
At this moment, he opened his eyes and looked toward Zoro. The latter clicked his tongue and spoke,
"That massive slash earlier—was it an attack aimed at me?!"
"An attack?"
A trace of confusion appeared in Mihawk's eyes.
"That was just casual amusement..."
Hearing this, even Zoro—who usually loved reciting poetry and showing off—couldn't help but have a vein pop on his forehead.
Casual amusement?
At this moment, Orin also turned his head and looked at the extremely tense Straw Hat crew.
"Oh my, isn't this the future Pirate King Luffy—my disciple, my adopted son—and his companions..."
"So? Want to play a round?"
Orin revealed a very gentle smile.
Faced with Orin's proactive invitation, it could be said that everyone in the Straw Hat Pirates except Luffy immediately raised their guard to the highest level.
After sailing the seas for so long, and with several crew members being old acquaintances of Orin, they had long since understood what kind of man he was.
To this day, a rule-like urban legend still circulated on the seas.
Although it was no longer possible to trace its origin or know who first spread it, its credibility was well established.
That rule was—
Never, ever gamble with Orin, compete with him, or engage in any game that determines winners and losers, no matter how exaggerated or tempting the stakes might be.
The Straw Hat crew members who had heard of this were all extremely wary, even his most beloved disciple and adopted son.
Orin clutched his chest, feeling a chill of heartbreak.
So he continued to raise the stakes, unleashing the ultimate temptation straight from the devil himself.
"As long as you can win, the wager can be any condition you want—one wish with no restrictions~"
"For example, the way to become Pirate King, or the world's greatest swordsman, the eternal Log Pose to All Blue, inexhaustible treasure, the truth of world history..."
Orin's words fell lightly, striking with pinpoint accuracy at the dreams—or rather, the desires—deep within each person's heart.
Hearing their own dreams spoken aloud, everyone was deeply shaken, their pupils trembling.
Especially Nami and Sanji—their dreams were more direct and realistic, the kind that Orin truly could accomplish with ease.
Baccarat and the others also smiled upon hearing this.
Those who ran casino operations understood better than anyone just how terrifying human desire could be.
"What are you smiling about? If you're willing, you can participate too~"
"Huh?!"
Baccarat and Tesoro's subordinates were all stunned by this.
They could participate too?
"That's right~ Do whatever you like. As long as you can win against me, your wishes can be fulfilled as well~"
Orin turned around and then looked toward the entrance.
"What do you think, Tesoro?"
"Lord Tesoro?!"
Baccarat, the others, and the VIP room guests all turned to look at the arriving Tesoro.
They saw a trace of concealed shock and suspicion in his eyes.
"Do you mean that as long as we can defeat you, any means are allowed?"
"Of course."
Even for Tesoro—despite his immense wealth and experience with grand occasions—this condition made his heart stir.
Although reason told him he must not gamble with Orin, desire was like a boulder rolling down a mountain. From the moment he began making black-hearted money, it had already become impossible to stop.
After pondering for a moment, the corner of his mouth lifted.
"Very well. Then what wager must we put up?"
For such tremendous profit, he could accept temporarily forming an alliance with Luffy. As long as he could obtain that chance to realize any wish, everything would be worth it...
"That, huh..."
Hearing this, Orin's eyes sank slightly as if he were thinking. After a moment, a faint smile curved his lips.
He spread his hands, and a faint crimson light burst forth from his half-lidded eyes.
"It seems I lack nothing at all..."
"How about this—offer up what you believe to be your most precious thing?"