Chapter 37: The Gambler Who Owes a Gambling Debt

Regarding the name of Tenguho, in the early manga chapters, the translation team mistakenly rendered his name as “Yixiao,” but this is not official canon.

In chapter 957, Oda directly painted the Chinese characters “Yisheng” on Tenguho’s warship sail, prompting the translation team to uniformly correct it to “Yisheng.”

Besides, I typed this character by character on my phone—don’t say I’m an AI.

I’ll take it as you complimenting my writing.

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Twin Serpent Island, casino.

Smoke drifted through the air.

At the table sat a gambler with short black hair and a scar stretching from his forehead across both eyes, dressed in a pale purple kimono, calmly awaiting the dealer’s reveal.

Behind the gambler, other gamblers who had lost all their money still lingered, chatting aimlessly.

“This guy has lost nineteen hands in a row.”

“Aren’t you a bodyguard? Why are you even at the table?”

“I heard he lost all his savings two years ago and now owes a massive gambling debt—so he stayed on as a casino bodyguard to pay it off.”

The dealer slowly flipped the cards. “Yisheng, you currently owe the casino one billion Berries.”

The gambler called Yisheng rose slowly, his tone laced with self-mockery.

“How regrettable.”

He could easily have used Observation Haki to cheat, but for a blind man like him, winning by luck… was more intoxicating.

Every bet, every card reveal, felt like a duel with fate.

And the outcome was always unknown.

Since the fall of Cang Nation and his wanted status by the World Government, Yisheng’s life veered completely off course—his former honor and status vanished into thin air, leaving only endless confusion.

Gambling became his only solace, his only escape from reality.

Yisheng rose from the table and returned to his duties as a casino bodyguard; when he sensed a crowd gathered nearby, he instinctively tilted his ear.

“Damn, a bounty of one billion Berries.”

“That’s right—he’s a former crewman of Gol D. Roger, someone who reached Laugh Tale and saw the One Piece.”

“No one like this has ever come out of the West Blue.”

Creak~ The casino door swung open.

At the sight of those sharp yellow eyes, gasps erupted throughout the casino.

“Marine Hunter Dracule Mihawk.”

A sharp blade, sharp eyes—swordsmen could sense each other’s sword aura.

In Mihawk’s eyes: the blind swordsman with a cane, his aura shrouded in mist.

In Yisheng’s perception: the man before him radiated an unstoppable sword aura.

Merely standing there, their invisible sword auras clashed, making the gamblers nearby gasp for breath, their scalps prickling with icy dread.

Yisheng spoke: “Let’s move somewhere else.”

Mihawk nodded: “Agreed.”

In truth, the moment he saw the man was blind, Mihawk had already abandoned the idea—he had no interest in fighting a blind man.

This was Mihawk’s pride: he never chose disabled opponents—except for idiots.

But then he remembered his captain’s instructions.

Mihawk thought this blind swordsman fit Barzab Seven’s criteria for crew members—and with an entire ship full of great swordsmen, the thought was thrilling.

If this were to happen, no pirate crew in the entire sea had ever been configured like this.

That was why Mihawk agreed to the sparring match.

Learning there was entertainment to be had, the gamblers trailed closely behind the two, keeping a safe distance.

Mihawk dared fight the Marines—what were they, a bunch of petty gamblers? Watching was important, but survival mattered more.

Twin Serpent Island, western side.

“Dracule Mihawk.”

“Yisheng.”

Brief introductions—perfectly fitting both men’s personalities.

Mihawk was calm and composed; even in battle, his emotions rarely showed.

Yisheng, having not fought anyone in years, felt his long-dormant heart slowly ignite.

The difference: Mihawk never named his techniques in combat, while Yisheng did—perhaps to appear more imposing.

“Gravity Blade: Tiger.”

A technique combining the powers of the Gura Gura no Mi with swordsmanship, concentrating gravity onto the blade to unleash a horizontal gravity wave.

While manipulating gravity, the pressure it generated also compressed space, inflicting secondary damage.

Gravity Blade: Tiger bore a similar effect to Barzab Seven’s flying slashes, which trailed behind with thunder dragons and electromagnetic storms.

Yet the next second—

Yisheng’s face flickered with stunned disbelief: his once-unfailingly effective Gravity Blade had no effect on Mihawk.

The man hadn’t even used Armament Haki.

Mihawk was equally surprised; he had merely intended to neutralize the disadvantage of blindness, never expecting the gravity wave to fail.

After a moment’s thought, Mihawk removed his hat and took the flying bamboo dragonfly from his hair.

“Sorry, a little gift from the captain.”

He had assumed it was just a simple flying device—never imagined this tiny bamboo dragonfly was an anti-gravity apparatus, something… beyond reason.

Even in this world of pirates, sustained flight remained an ability exclusive to rare individuals or special races.

Anti-gravity was even rarer.

This tiny device not only enabled flight—it was also the perfect counter to a Gura Gura no Mi user.

Mihawk placed his hat and bag on the sand, then drew his black blade, Yoru: “I’m vice-captain of the Morning Star Pirates. I’d like to invite you aboard.”

Yisheng’s lips curled into a faint smile.

“To be noticed by a swordsman like you is an honor—but I still owe the casino one billion Berries.”

Having witnessed too much evil, Yisheng blinded himself to avoid seeing such vile creatures, and had wasted years on Twin Serpent Island.

And yet this man, whose sword aura was so formidable, was merely a vice-captain—Yisheng suddenly longed to meet his captain… what manner of man could that be?

“After you.”

“After you.”

Clang~ Clang~ Clang~

The moment their two Supreme Grade Swords clashed, the roar shook the shore; the flying slashes spread outward, shattering rocks and splitting waves.

Sparks flew from the gap between their blades as gravity and sword qi battled each other.

Moments later, both pushed with full force—their blades snapped apart, each retreating several meters.

Tenguho’s gravity field intensified abruptly; shattered stones rose into the air, transforming into countless blades as they surged toward Mihawk alongside gravity waves.

Mihawk swung Yoru in a single flying slash, precisely shattering every attack.

The residual shockwaves from the clash between flying slashes and gravity carved deep, meter-wide trenches into the ground.

Far away, the watching gamblers’ eyes nearly popped from their sockets.

“These two… are terrifying.”

“I never thought… the fat bodyguard was this strong—I’ve punched him a few times before.”

“Then you’re done for.”

The gambler who had once beaten Yisheng with his brute strength turned pale. “Brother, I’m going into hiding for a couple days—take care of my wife.”

“Big brother, go in peace.”

Boom~

A more violent collision erupted; sword qi wove into an invisible storm, shattering vast stretches of coastal rocks as seawater flooded into the split trenches.

At the instant their blades locked, both felt the power within the other’s sword—

Mihawk's blade was razor-sharp, with extreme speed and edge, driven by an absolute obsession with being the strongest.

Yisheng’s blade was steady and heavy, a fusion of gravity and conviction, bearing the firmness forged by years of hardship.

……

The sea breeze swept gently, lifting their robes.

The setting sun stretched their shadows long across the water; the giant waves subsided, leaving only two upright silhouettes on the shore, and the lingering sword aura in the air.

Mihawk sheathed Yoru: “I’ll settle your gambling debt.”

“Thank you.” Yisheng’s sword aura faded, returning to the appearance of a blind, fat bodyguard: “Please don’t harm them.”

Hearing this, Mihawk paused for several seconds, then abandoned his plan to destroy the casino, pulling a Den Den Mushi from his bag.

“Captain.”

“Bring one billion Berries to Twin Serpent Island in the West Blue.”