Under Tesoro's personal guidance, everyone walked around and observed this moving sea entertainment city. One had to admit that Tesoro was quite skillful. In just a few decades, he had created the Gran Tesoro, known as the world's largest entertainment city. The Gran Tesoro included most of the world's entertainment facilities, exuding an atmosphere of luxury and extravagance.
Because Tesoro was personally leading them, everyone enjoyed an emperor-like experience. At each location they arrived, the Gran Tesoro staff would clear the area in advance to ensure no one disturbed them.
Soon, Brook and the others arrived at one of the core buildings on the Gran Tesoro, a golden tower over 300 meters tall. The tower was adorned with brilliant lights, and at the top, a giant golden clock was slowly turning. The clock was entirely made of gold, with intricate carvings by master craftsmen, looking very luxurious. As the time reached the hour, the clock's chimes echoed throughout the Gran Tesoro.
Seeing the expressions on Brook and the others' faces, Tesoro couldn't help but smile. Their slightly shocked eyes were the best satisfaction for Tesoro.
"Welcome to my kingdom, Gran Tesoro!" Tesoro's voice rang out.
Katie frowned unconsciously, sensing a tone of arrogance in Tesoro's laughter.
Urouge snorted coldly, seemingly dissatisfied, "We didn't come here to admire these things. Can you let Stella come out to see us, Tesoro?"
"Hahaha, don't be in a hurry. We have plenty of time. Since you are Stella's friends, you are also my friends. Since you are on my turf, I must entertain you well. Let's go to the casino and enjoy the fun of gambling," Tesoro continued to laugh.
"We don't gamble," Katie said coldly.
"Miss Katie, a little gambling is fun, but too much is harmful. On the boring sea, gambling is a rare relaxation. Since you are on the Gran Tesoro, why not experience it? I have other matters to attend to, so Des and Baccarat will entertain you," Tesoro said with a smile.
A tall, imposing man named Des, who had been standing beside Tesoro, stepped forward.
"I will entertain you for now," Des said respectfully, having noticed Tesoro's attitude.
"Since Mr. Tesoro is so enthusiastic, let's go," Brook said slowly, curious about what Tesoro was up to.
Moments later, Des led Brook and the others to a grand palace. Eight slender, beautiful women stood on either side of the palace, and in front were luxurious golden pillars that required three people to embrace, supporting the hall's ceiling.
"Is this the casino?" Brook glanced around and smiled, "It is indeed very luxurious."
"Yes, the casino is inside the hall, but since you are distinguished guests, we will go directly to the VIP room," Des said, leading them deeper into the hall.
Soon, they boarded a golden elevator to the VIP room. As the elevator stopped at the VIP floor, the doors did not open.
Suddenly, a large-headed man in black, who had been beside Tesoro, emerged from the wall. He introduced himself, "I am Tanaka, a user of the Through-Through Fruit. For safety reasons, the casino is sealed, and everyone entering must go through my ability."
Baccarat explained, "This is a rule set by Mr. Tesoro, and no one can change it."
"Rules? Rules are meant to be broken," Katie said, placing her hand on her sword. With a few flashes of her blade, the wall in front of them was instantly cut open, revealing a large space inside.
Under Baccarat's surprised gaze, they entered the VIP room through the cut entrance.
Entering the casino, they were greeted by a luxurious, opulent golden hall filled with gamblers, exquisite gaming tables, golden chips, and various meticulously crafted games. The hall was surrounded by a massive indoor aquarium, making it feel like they were underwater.
In the center of the hall was a large gaming table, flanked by two sumo wrestlers responsible for VIP security. There was also a giant dice cup and two large dice.
"Mr. Brook, please enjoy a few games," Baccarat said, taking a suitcase of golden chips from a beautiful waitress and handing it to Brook. "Feel free to play. If you lose all your chips, I'll get more for you."
"Yohohoho, my luck in gambling has always been bad," Brook said, holding the chips with a smile.
Baccarat was momentarily stunned, then responded, "No problem. Mr. Tesoro has instructed that all your expenses will be on his account. You can play without worry."
"Forget it, these chips are too much for me. One chip is enough," Brook said, taking one chip from the suitcase.
He casually walked to a gaming table where they were playing dice, a simple game of betting on big or small.
"Place your bets, big or small," the beautiful dealer said, shaking the dice cup and looking at Brook.
Brook tossed his golden chip onto the "big" spot.
"Big!"
Moments later, the dealer announced loudly, pushing the chips towards Brook with a golden ruler.
The dealer glanced at Baccarat in the distance, who nodded slightly, and the dealer's tense heart relaxed.
As the saying goes, nine out of ten gamblers lose. Often, once you enter a casino, your wins and losses are no longer up to you.
After the initial victory, Brook's emotions remained unchanged.
"Sir, your chips have been sorted. Would you like to deposit them into a private account on the Gran Tesoro or exchange them for Beli to take away?" a gentle voice asked from the side.
"Hehe, I didn't expect to win so much so quickly," a surprised voice said.
Many around them looked puzzled. A blind man winning so much was unexpected, especially in the VIP room, where wins and losses were calculated in billions.
Brook and Katie looked at the speaker.
The gambler, who referred to himself as "I," had short black hair, wore purple clothes, a navy cape, hand guards, wooden sandals, and carried a cane sword. Most notably, his eyes were tightly closed.
"Yohohoho, isn't this Vice Admiral Issho?" Brook said, approaching Issho.
Brook's words made Issho pause.
"Brook, isn't your captain here?" Issho asked.
"The captain is currently occupied, but he is everywhere," Brook replied.
"…" Issho fell silent.
"Place your bets, big or small," the dealer said.
"So, do you think it will be big or small this time?" Issho suddenly asked Brook.
Brook smiled, "Do we need to bet?"
"Indeed," Issho said, casually tossing a chip onto the table. With a clear sound, the chip landed on the "triple six" spot, winning both big and small.
"Place your bets, big or small," the dealer said, shaking the dice and opening the cup, "Six, six, six, wins both big and small!"
Neither Issho nor Brook showed any reaction to the chips in front of them, clearly having seen through such things long ago.
Or perhaps this was why Tesoro could thrive in both the underworld and the legitimate world.
If you were a high-ranking official of the World Government or the Navy, you would always leave the Gran Tesoro with a full load. Even if there were wins and losses, you would always win more than you lost.
Although the Navy Headquarters and the World Government's top brass were aware of this, they mostly turned a blind eye.