By the time Valthior returned to the tavern, Roger and the others were still playing cards.
"So? Has the Gambling Freak won yet?" Valthior leaned in and teased.
"The Gambling Freak's about to get demoted to the kids' table," Rayleigh burst out laughing, pointing at Shanks, who was off to the side playing Old Maid with Buggy.
Meanwhile, Roger's face was ashen, looking like he'd practically gambled away even his last pair of underwear.
Every member of the Roger Pirates had their own share of the spoils.
All things considered, ever since God Valley, any one of them could easily pull out tens of billions of Berries. After all, back on the Sky Island, each of them had carried down a whole sack of gold.
Through Valthior's hands, that gold had long since been converted. Back at Sabaody Archipelago, when Valthior sent Lincoln out to deliver gifts, he also arranged for the gold to be purchased.
And Valthior hadn't skimmed anything off the top—he priced it fairly, factoring in historical, antique, cultural, and material value. The Jaygarcia Family had more than enough money; they didn't care about that kind of expense.
He had even gifted the old man a highly collectible golden lamp back in Mary Geoise.
A proper show of filial respect.
In terms of sheer wealth, the Roger Pirates were probably the richest pirate crew on the seas.
As for second place, Valthior figured it was the Big Mom Pirates.
Earlier, while chatting with Spandine, he had asked about intelligence across the seas, and the Big Mom Pirates stood out as particularly noteworthy.
It had to be said—Charlotte Linlin was an exceptionally capable pirate.
Right now, the biggest names on the seas were Shiki and Whitebeard, with the Roger Pirates now joining that list.
As for Charlotte Linlin, a former Rocks Pirate, her presence seemed almost overshadowed. When people mentioned her, it was usually just as a comparison piece to Shiki or Newgate.
But in reality—
Charlotte Linlin was quietly building her power.
Compared to her time in the Rocks Pirates, the Big Mom Pirates' territory had expanded more than fivefold in just a few years. And more than two years ago, she had already formally raised the banner of Totto Land, establishing a structured pirate nation.
Her system included:
-Turning officers into formal officials
-Bureaucratizing the crew's governance
-Stabilizing territory
-Instituting structured taxation
She hadn't fully revealed her edge yet, but compared to other pirate crews—who still relied on protection fees, plunder, and enslavement to sustain themselves—Charlotte Linlin was clearly ahead of the curve.
Even the Roger Pirates couldn't compare in this regard.
After all, they didn't even have a fixed territory.
They survived through patron funding, exploration gains, and looting.
From a broader perspective, Charlotte Linlin was truly a formidable figure among women. Her Big Mom Pirates were bound by blood ties and marriage alliances, supplemented by select elite outsiders.
Compared to other crews, her members were far more loyal and reliable—likely a lesson learned from her time under Rocks.
Internally, she maintained order, built a pirate nation, absorbed elite talents from various races, and established an effective bureaucratic system.
The depth and stability of her rule far surpassed that of other pirate crews.
Looking ahead, Totto Land would become a standout power in the New World.
Sure, living there required paying a "soul tax"—a portion of one's lifespan to the Big Mom Pirates.
But in exchange, you could live a stable, even carefree life.
The lifespan you paid would be used to create Homies to work in your place, producing goods and maintaining society.
Compared to exhausting yourself day after day?
It was a far better deal.
As long as Charlotte Linlin didn't fall into one of her food cravings, and your island delivered its dessert tribute on time, life there was incredibly safe.
After all, ordinary people wouldn't dare provoke a Yonko.
And what about the rest of the New World?
In non-affiliated nations, average life expectancy might not even reach thirty. Constant war, pirate raids, natural disasters…
Even World Government member nations had to pay heavy taxes and Heavenly Tribute, leaving people struggling.
Because of this, even later—after Linlin and Kaido were both defeated in Wano—their crews ended up in completely different states.
The Beasts Pirates collapsed almost immediately. Officers fled, were captured, retired, or joined other forces.
But the Big Mom Pirates?
They remained stable, continuing to hold Totto Land. Aside from some disputes over succession, many were even trying to rescue Charlotte Linlin.
Valthior figured Linlin probably wasn't dead. Otherwise, Nami's Clima-Tact would've been affected.
If she returned, then aside from losing the Yonko title, the Big Mom Pirates' actual losses would be minimal.
That was why Valthior admired Charlotte Linlin—
And at the same time felt a bit frustrated with her, despite not knowing her personally.
Because she was wasting her absurd, top-tier talent.
If she weren't so obsessed with that ridiculous cycle of pregnancy, childbirth, recovery, and then doing it all over again—and instead focused on improving her own strength—
She might have become the sole ruler of the seas.
After all, this was someone who was lazy, gluttonous, mentally unstable, constantly exhausting her body through childbirth—
And still managed to sit firmly as one of the Four Emperors purely through talent.
It was absolutely absurd!
Currently, the Roger Pirates had no intention of claiming fixed territory. Valthior had asked Roger about it before, and Roger clearly had no interest.
So Valthior didn't push the matter.
They'd deal with it after reaching the Final Island.
Once that dream was fulfilled, perhaps their journey as pirates would enter a new phase.
At that point, Valthior planned to seriously map things out.
That was why he paid close attention to the Big Mom Pirates—hoping to learn some practical experience from them.
Theoretically, he could write essays all day as a keyboard warrior.
But when it came to actual execution?
He was lacking.
And that meant he had to learn.
"Quick, Lord Valthior—lend me some money! I can turn this around, I swear! Trust me, I'm the Gambling Freak!" Roger said urgently the moment he saw him.
"The hell? You lost everything?" Valthior asked in shock.
This wasn't tens or hundreds of thousands—
This was hundreds of millions of Berries.
"Of course not! I just lost my pocket money. The main stash is still sitting untouched in your family's bank," Roger waved it off, then added defensively, "Besides, I'm just circulating funds within the crew. We're all on the same ship—does it matter whose hands the money's in? How is that losing?"
Valthior didn't bother arguing. He casually pulled out a few large-denomination bills and tossed them to Roger.
"It's only because I have a kind heart and can't stand to see the poor."
Rayleigh chuckled, then asked,
"So? Did you get anything useful just now?"
"Yeah. Plenty," Valthior replied. "Picked up some intelligence. More importantly, I found out that Professor Clover's team—who are also searching for Poneglyphs and ancient secrets—are heading to Wano."
He grinned.
"Apparently, they already have copies of some Poneglyphs. We can compare notes—might get a huge payoff."
"Tsk tsk, that's our Valthior for you," Gaban said from the side. "The Marines won't cut us any slack now, but CP comes knocking instead. Truly unfathomable, Lord Valthior."
Spencer took a drag from his cigarette and added,
"Yeah… our Lord really does play both sides. Impressive."