AsNerulaunched his attack,Dicereacted instantly, concentrating hisHakion his head and meeting Neru’s spinning kick head-on.Boom!!!The impact sent a terrifying airwave out, and Dice’s face flushed unnaturally.

"So cool!" Dice roared, earning another thought of "What a pervert!" from Neru.

Neru spun several times in the air before landing, a slight wince betraying the tearing pain in his right leg.It was a difficult move to perform for the first time in battle, but his bones weren’t broken; he could still push on.

"I recognize you!" Dice, still flushed, gave Neru a thumbs-up before his eyes rolled back, and his body crashed backward, unconscious.

Huh~~Neru sighed in relief. Had Dice not been momentarily stunned by the sudden disappearance of his golden armor, revealing a crucial flaw, Neru knew he wouldn’t have defeated him. After confirming Dice was out, Neru retrieved his black gun, hanging it back on his body. Holding the familiar weight, he recalled past battles whereRhodes’s opponents, believing they’d won after disarming him, were then defeated by his fists.This time, he’d done something similar.Neru looked at the unconscious Dice. "Although I’m a sniper, I also know a little bit about fighting."

The massive commotion from the battle—the surging golden ocean, the towering golden pillars, the roaring Golden Giant, and the explosive sounds—had drawn the attention of the entire island. Shortly after the battle concluded, the rest of theRhodes Pirates, excludingGenosandDaz Bones,who remained on the Polaris, arrived at the scene.

"What on earth happened here?"PenguinandShachistared in shock at the utterly transformed landscape. Where once a magnificent, glittering casino stood, now lay sparkling golden ruins, even more exaggerated than anything they’d seen. Still, Rhodes and the others were safe, and that was enough.

"These golden lights, can’t they be gold?" Penguin joked, but whenNiamerely glanced at him without the usual complaint, he bent down, scraping the ground with his fingernail. He examined the gold powder closely.

"It can’t be gold!?"

"That’s too much!"

"How much gold is this!"

Penguin, Shachi, andBepobegan enthusiastically scraping and rubbing the golden ground like excited children. EvenGraypulled out tools to collect the gold powder.

"It’s just a layer of gold dust. It’s worthless," Nia said, holding her forehead as she watched her crewmates.So embarrassing! They wouldn’t want their new partner to think they were idiots.

"You’re so tall!"Mininaexclaimed, looking at the unfamiliar woman beside Nia.Baccarathad the same pink hair as Minina and a striking figure, almost as tall as Captain Rhodes.

Robinsecretly observed Baccarat, noting her casino uniform.A new partner? This woman seemed to have a role similar to hers within the crew.A sudden sense of nervousness rose in Robin. She had joined the Rhodes Pirates on a whim but had grown fond of the crew, especially after Rhodes’s perfect escape fromZephyr. She wanted to prove her worth and become a recognized companion.

Rhodes’s Ambition: Both People and Money

"These two are prisoners, right? What should we do with them?"Lawexpertly activated hisROOMability, extracting the hearts of bothTanakaandDice.

"Also, didn’t you say you were here to win some money? Why did you make such a big fuss?"

"To put it simply, I am no longer satisfied with winning a little money; I want both the person and the money!" Rhodes walked over, dragging a defeatedTesoro. Tesoro, despite being utterly overwhelmed by Rhodes’s "Haki Fist," had tenaciously survived.

"ROOM——" Law again skillfully opened his ability space, removing Tesoro’s heart as well.

"Give this guy some simple treatment." Rhodes tossed Tesoro in front of Law. Tesoro was unconscious and wouldn’t wake without medical attention.

"This guy’s ability is pretty good." Law gave Rhodes a questioning look.Did he want treatment? No Devil Fruit? The battle ended too quickly for him to jump in, but he’d seen the exaggerated power from a distance—the incredibly powerful Golden Giant. If he wasn’t mistaken, this was theGold-Gold Fruituser, a fruit that could bring immense wealth to their pirate group.

"It’s really good!" Rhodes nodded, understanding Law’s implication. "However, there are many different kinds of talents in this world. If I want to become the greatest power in the world, it is not enough to rely on ourselves."

"As for money matters, I would rather directly control the people who have already grown up than train the right talents from scratch." Rhodes pointed at Tesoro. "This guy is not only a powerfulDevil Fruituser, but also a business genius."

"It is also the future money bag of our pirate group. Compared with repeated robberies, long-term cooperation is more stable."

"As expected of you!" Law understood Rhodes’s plan and tossed the three hearts back to Rhodes. "Their hearts are in our hands. Are we going to use this to threaten them?"

"Can they feel it when their hearts are taken out?" Rhodes mused.

"It’s hard to say." Law shook his head. He’d only experimented with removing the hearts of ordinary people, who felt nothing special. He wasn’t sure if someone as powerful as Tesoro could perceive it.

"Treat him first." Rhodes looked at the hearts in his hand, a clear strategy forming in his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The battle concludes withNerudelivering a decisive, self-developedSix Powerscombination to knock outDice, solidifying his combat growth. The rest of theRhodes Piratesarrive to find the casino transformed into glittering golden ruins, prompting their astonishment and a comical scramble for gold dust.Niahas successfully subduedTanakaby utilizing her newly awakenedObservation Haki, andBaccaratshrewdly aligns herself with Rhodes, making it clear she’s on the winning side.

Rhodesthen reveals his ambitious strategy toLaw: he’s not just taking the casino’s wealth but also recruitingTesoro(and his subordinates) to be the pirate group’s "future money bag" and a powerful asset, by holding their hearts hostage. While Law is unsure if the powerful Tesoro can feel his heart removed, Rhodes insists on immediate medical treatment, setting the stage for a forced alliance.

WithTesoro’sfate sealed andBaccaratnow integrated into the crew, what challenges and opportunities will arise from their new "business partnership" with the former "Golden Emperor"? How will Tesoro and his subordinates react to being controlled by the Rhodes Pirates, and what role will they play in the crew’s pursuit of becoming the "greatest power in the world"?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by lotustale.com