From then on,
the End finally had two more full-time crew members, a long-awaited addition.
There were still plenty of spare rooms. Bonnie was assigned the room next to Nami, while Kuma occupied a suite adjacent to Jack's.
The bedrooms of these two large men were custom-built, with Smoker having previously connected this section to the second floor.
Jack, at 8.3 meters tall, could live comfortably, and Kuma, at 6.9 meters, naturally had no problem either.
Speaking of which,
the Big Mom tea party was drawing closer.
Katakuri had previously made overtures and had made significant contributions to his Observation Haki training. Shano owed him a favor and had no intention of breaking it.
Therefore, the End wasted no time and headed full speed towards the Totland Sea, home to Cake Island.
There was no need to worry about navigation—Katakuri had left a permanent compass when he left.
Simply follow the direction of the compass.
...
And in the blink of an eye, seven days passed.
The journey had been smooth sailing, and they were already halfway through. In five or six days at most, they would reach the Totland Sea.
A bustling town appeared within sight of the End.
"What good luck!"
Shano, resting on a wicker chair on the second floor, smiled, stretched, and stood up. "Our supplies are almost empty, so we'll rest here for the night and replenish."
While other resources were fine, food was running low.
Before leaving Dressrosa, Zeff had followed his usual habit and stocked enough food for over half a month. But it had all been eaten in less than a week.
If Shano hadn't reeled in a massive squid over ten meters long yesterday, everyone on board would have been hungry today.
The reason was simple...
Besides Shano, there was another glutton aboard—possibly one even hungrier than Shano.
"Bonnie!"
Bear said with a scowl, dragging the little one out of the cabin.
"Besides your three regular meals, Mr. Zeff already gave you two extra meals today. This time, you sneaked into the storage room. How rude!"
"Hahaha, let her be, Bear. She's so young and has such a good appetite. Other parents would envy her."
Zeff didn't mind at all, smiling as he smoothed things over.
Bonnie was always sweet to him, calling him Grandpa Zeff, and she wasn't picky—she devoured everything. He enjoyed cooking different dishes for her each day.
"But stealing food from the pantry is too much."
Still wanting to scold her, Bear asked sternly, "Bonnie, the pantry is always locked. When did you learn to pick it?"
"I don't have that skill!"
Bonnie retorted, cheeks still puffed out as she chewed furiously.
"Don't blame me, Bear Bear! I was getting up to pee last night and saw Yin coming out of a tunnel with milk in his mouth. That's how I found the way in."
Huh?
A secret tunnel under the pantry?
Zeff was stunned, then immediately shot a stern look at Yin.
This big, stupid dog drank too much sweet stuff as a pup and developed diabetes, so Zeff had always restricted his strawberry milk intake.
And yet he pulled a stunt like this?
Yin had been pretending to sleep, ears perked, and upon sensing something was off, he slowly lifted his head, met Zeff's eyes, stuck out his tongue, and giggled guiltily.
Then Shano glanced over.
Yin's body froze.
She shot a resentful glare at Bonnie, then padded over to the railing and lay flat.
...
Soon after,
as they neared the island, the entire town came into view.
It looked like a gambler's paradise.
At the center of the island stood the tallest building, shaped like a massive roulette wheel. Neon lights buzzed around its edges.
As soon as they docked, jazz music drifted out from the open doors of the casino.
The saxophone's melody blended with dice rolls, chip clinks, gamblers' shouts, and dealer giggles—
A decadent, indulgent atmosphere filled the air.
"Is this the City of Gambling? It's lively enough."
Shano looked up at the large neon sign reading Welcome to the City of Gambling, then scanned the area.
The docks were packed with ships. As soon as tourists disembarked, they headed straight for the casino district.
Clearly, this thriving entertainment industry must be backed by strong powers to survive in the middle of the New World.
And sure enough—
after a brief glance around, they spotted the Big Mom Pirates' flag flying atop the island in the moonlight.
"That's where the Banko collects protection money,"
Zeff said, shaking his head. "Prices in these places aren't cheap, but the upside is the market usually has a wider variety of ingredients... Hey, Bonnie, want to go shopping with me? Pick out anything you like."
"Great!"
Bonnie's eyes lit up. She happily jumped onto Zeff's shoulder. "Hehe, thank you, Grandpa Zeff!"
"I'll come too,"
Bear smiled. Places like this could be unpredictable—Zeff might not be able to handle everything alone.
The three of them walked away, chatting and laughing. Bonnie babbled in the middle, their silhouettes against the sunset looking like three generations of family.
The rest of the crew also split off to shop. Shano had originally planned to go to a tavern with Smoker for a drink.
But just as they left the dock, they overheard a few tourists talking.
"Hey, did you hear? There's a blind old man over at the Golden Roulette Casino who's won seventeen rounds in a row!"
"Seventeen? No way! Is he cheating?"
"Impossible! The guy can't even see his cards. The casino confirmed it—he's really blind. And their faces turned green..."
A blind uncle?
A gambler?
Shano paused, raising an eyebrow.
That description brought someone to mind.
A monster who, in the original timeline, would be promoted to Admiral through world conscription.
Could it be him?
Shano closed his eyes slightly and released his Observation Haki. He didn't sense any particularly strong auras.
But that didn't mean much—someone of equal strength could easily conceal their presence in a crowd unless they made a big move.
He turned and patted Smoker on the shoulder. "Let's skip the tavern for now. Come with me to check this out."
"Huh?"
Smoker frowned, a cigar in his mouth. "Boss, since when were you interested in gambling?"
"Not gambling. Finding someone."
Shano chuckled, heading toward the center of town.
"A man with a sense of justice. If you hadn't left the Navy, he might've become your direct superior."
Huh?
Smoker's frown deepened, even more confused.
...
The so-called Golden Roulette Casino was the tallest building they'd seen earlier—the one shaped like a roulette wheel.
It was the biggest, most prestigious casino on the island.
Right now, it was bustling.
A crowd gathered around the main table. In the center sat a slightly overweight middle-aged man with his eyes closed.
He wore wooden clogs and a simple purple yukata, and held a plain wooden staff. A faint smile lingered on his calm face.
It was indeed him.
Shano grinned. This trip wasn't in vain.
Fujitora smiled!
Among all the Navy officers, there were only a few Shano truly recognized—Garp, Aokiji, Smoker... and perhaps this man.
Of course, Issho hadn't joined the Navy yet, so the title of Admiral Fujitora didn't apply.
Shano waved to a waiter, ordered two glasses of sparkling wine, and found a seat on the second floor with Smoker. While sipping, he quietly observed the table below.
Across from Fujitora,
a nervous young dealer shook the dice cup with trembling hands.
"Please place your bet, sir!"
Fujitora nodded and calmly pushed all his chips onto the "big" square.
"Same as before. All in."
The crowd erupted!
"Again? That's nineteen times all-in!"
"He's been right every round. If he wins again, he'll have over 300 million berries in chips! How does he do that? He's blind!"
"Is the casino going to go broke?!"
The dealer's hands shook as he revealed the dice—
5, 6, 6. Big!
"Another win..." the dealer's voice trailed off. "Congratulations, sir."
The Golden Roulette Casino could afford the loss, but this dealer was probably losing his salary.
"Thank you,"
Fujitora said gently, stroking his stubble. "Nineteen wins now? Then that's enough for today. My luck's been quite good."
"Wow, he's amazing!"
The onlookers cheered while security guards exchanged uneasy glances.
Second floor.
"How's that even possible?" Smoker muttered. "Wait... is he using Observation Haki?"
"No."
Shano narrowed his eyes. "No tricks. Just pure gambling."
Then how did he win nineteen times in a row?
Even Shano didn't know.
He would've noticed if Fujitora used Observation Haki or manipulated the dice with his Gravity Fruit.
So how...?
They weren't the only ones puzzled.
Suddenly, a seductive voice echoed from upstairs.
"Such incredible gambling skills."
Everyone looked up to see a beautiful white-haired woman in a high-slit cheongsam descending the stairs. Her heels clicked against the floor.
"Our boss is very interested in you."
She stopped in front of Fujitora, lips curling into a smile.
"Won't you join me in the VIP room upstairs?"
She leaned forward slightly, revealing an alluring figure.
But Fujitora didn't budge. He truly couldn't see.
Still, the malice behind her was clear.
A group of thugs followed closely behind, beginning to drive out the crowd and surround him.
"This is quite the scene,"
Fujitora sighed. "I'm just a humble gambler. Why all the hostility?"
"Don't be silly, sir. No ordinary gambler wins nineteen times in a row."
She chuckled, covering her mouth. "You can come willingly—or be forced. Your choice."
She snapped her fingers.
A burly thug drew his sword and sneered.
"No one causes trouble here. You're a fake blind man, and tonight I'll break your legs!"
Swish!
The sword missed.
Fujitora had already moved behind him, gently tapping his neck with his staff.
Thud—
The man crumpled, unable to rise.
"What are you all standing around for? Get him!"
The thugs lunged forward—
but Fujitora barely moved, slashing his staff in a few casual arcs.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
More than twenty thugs collapsed like dominoes.
The entire casino fell silent.
Second floor.
"What a strange Devil Fruit…"
Smoker's eyes narrowed. Could he handle that?
These days, with Dream Grass and Zephyr's training, he'd improved his Haki... he should manage.
"...You!"
The white-haired woman stepped back in fear.
Then—
Clap, clap, clap.
Three crisp claps echoed.
From the upper balcony, a short, stout man slowly descended.
"Lord Du Feld!"
The woman backed away quickly.
That name rang out in gasps.
Du Feld? The legendary Loan Shark King?
One of the six kings of the underworld?
So the Golden Roulette Casino belonged to him?
"Should I call this bad luck, or good fortune?"
Du Feld, cigar in mouth, looked straight at Fujitora.
"You registered under the name Issho, right? I've come across many gamblers in my day, but none like you. Twenty million berries a year. Join me. Deal?"
"That won't work."
Before Fujitora could reply, a cold voice echoed from above.
Everyone looked up.
Du Feld's pupils shrank.
"It would be a bit of a waste to let him serve as your cadre, wouldn't it?"
"After all, this Mr. Issho is someone I've set my sights on."
Leaning against the railing, swirling his wine glass,
Shano smiled.
"How about it? Give me some face and let him go with me, hmm?"