In the o, Fujitora was smiling broadly as he tossed his chips onto the table with excitement. Despite his streak of losses, he felt as though he was dominating the game.

  Having heard about the Gran Tesoro's reputation as one of the best os in the world, he had been eager to visit. As a ronin with no ties or obligations, he figured there was no reason not to e here and gamble.

  And to his surprise, the o was as good as people said.

  As a seasoned gambler, Fujitora had visited tless os of varyiations. He knew most os used underhaactics, bck box operations were practically standard in the industry.

  The Gran Tesoro was no exception; he was certain it had its tricks. After all, no o could make money without stag the odds in its favor. But in the week he'd spent here, he hadn't felt cheated once. If there were any rigged games, they were rare enough to go unnoticed. That level of fairness was rare in the industry.

  Of course, Fujitora never sidered that his gambling skills were so poor that he didn't o be cheated. His bad lusured he lost everything on his own, making him the o's favorite type of er. Why bother cheating someone who was bound to lose anyway?

  In truth, Tesoro had deliberately made the Gran Tesoro's operations as fair as possible. For him, the o wasn't just about profit, it was a tool to "" money aimize his business empire. There was no need for excessive tricks, at least not yet.

  "Big!" Fujitora shouted enthusiastically, spping the table.

  He preferred straightforward betting games, finding the simplicity of "big or small" wagers exhirating. When the croupier revealed the did called out the result—"Big!"—Fujitririumphantly. "Hahahaha! Pay me back!"

  He bet big every time, without hesitation. Winning was thrilling, but losing didn't bother him. As a ronin with no responsibilities, he had no reason to save money.

  His parents were gone, and he had no elders to support. As a wanderer, he didn't o buy a house or a ship. He had no girlfriend to buy gifts for and no children to raise. At 40 years old, Fujitora still felt young and carefree, ued iling down.

  Why spend money on responsibilities when he could gamble?

  "If I'm destined for anything, it's the o," he thought.

  For Fujitambling wasn't about the money, it was about the thrill of the game. Winning was a bonus because it allowed him to keep pying.

  At the moment, Fujitora was thhly enjoying himself. But just as he gathered his chips for another round, a croupier approached him from behind and said politely, "Excuse me, sir."

  Fujitora frowned slightly, thinking to himself, "Here it es."

  He assumed the o had noticed his winnings and was about to pull some kind of trick to stop him.

  "What is it?" he asked cautiously.

  "There's a guest who would like to gamble with you. Would you be ied in moving to a VIP room?" the croupier said respectfully.

  Fujitora was momentarily stunned. "A guest wants to bet against me?"

  He wasn't sure what to make of the invitation. It felt suspicious, but at the same time, he was intrigued. Moving to a private room felt like an upgrade, an opportunity he couldn't pass up.

  As a seasoned gambler, Fujitora was fident in his ability to handle himself. Whether it was against the o or amblers, he had never lost in a frontation.

  With a grin, he scooped his chips into a small box, stood up, and said, "Of course I'm ied!"

  The croupier led him to the third floor of the ship, far from the noisy and bustling main o floor. The quieter atmosphere cked the chaotiergy Fujitora enjoyed, leaving him feeling slightly disappointed. "Gambling's more fun with a crowd," he thought to himself.

  When they reached a door, the croupier kwice before stepping aside auring for Fujitora to enter.

  Fujitora didn't hesitate. With his characteristic boldness, he nodded and walked in.

  Inside, a young man sat at a table, casually p tea. He looked to be in his early twenties, but his demeanor and aura suggested otherwise. The man exuded an air of nobility that Fujitora had rarely entered, even among the Celestial Dragons he had seen in the past.

  Indeed, Cudius's youthful appearance belied his actual age. Despite being in his thirties, he looked as though he had stopped aging in his early twenties. His noble bearing, however, made it clear he was no ordinary young man.

  Fujitora, standing just over three meters tall, immediately noticed that the man sitting before him was of simir height, a rarity. As he studied Cudius, he couldn't help but notice the tradis in his appearahe man seemed both youthful and mature, calm yet anding.

  For his part, Cudius was equally intrigued. Fujitora had the rugged look of a seasoned wahough his current attire, a mix h fabrics, hi a life of hardship. There was a certain elegao him, tempered by a gambler's carefree spirit.

  Fujitora felt a hint of familiarity as he looked at Cudius, though he couldn't pce where he had seen him before.

  "Please, have a seat," Cudius said, gesturing naturally as he poured a sed cup of tea.

  Fujitora instinctively obeyed, sitting across from Cudius. It wasn't until he was seated that he realized how easily he had followed the man's instrus.

  Cudius slid the teacup toward Fujitora and smiled. "Thank you for accepting the invitation. I hope I wasn't too presumptuous."

  Fujitora picked up the teacup and smiled iurn. "Not at all. I've been wanting to see what the VIP se looks like. Thanks to you, I've got my ce."

  "Hahaha, I'm gd to hear that," Cudius said, nodding.

  After a brief pause, Cudius asked, "May I have the honor of knowing your name?"

  Setting his teacup down, Fujitora introduced himself. "Fujitora. Just a lone ronin wandering the seas."

  Cudius nodded politely before introdug himself. "Cudius. Donquixote Cudius. Just one of the Celestial Dragons."

  At that moment, Fujitora froze. Though both of them had eheir introdus with the word "human," the differeween a Celestial Dragon and a ronin couldn't have been more pronounced.

  Before he could process the irony, another realization struck him. His eyes widened as he blurted out, "CP-X?"