Inside a lavish hotel...
The hotel had welcomed four unusual guests that day, and even its owner had come out to greet them personally.
In a spacious private room, roomy sofas surrounded a huge dining table.
Ark Maxim truly was one of the world's finest entertainment cities. Here, money could buy almost anything.
Fine wine, delicious food, every novelty imaginable—and, if you had the money, even a beautiful woman to spend the night with.
Everyone who lived aboard Ark Maxim was, in truth, a gambler who had lost everything.
They worked aboard the ship to pay off their enormous debts.
In a way, they did not deserve sympathy. If they had not been greedy, they would never have ended up like this.
"Are the dishes to your liking? They're all house specialties, prepared by our finest chefs."
Werther paid the hotel owner no attention. He was too busy eating.
It had been ages since he had tasted food this good. From the choice of ingredients to the chefs' skill, everything had been handled with care.
Others might not have noticed, but Werther, who was a capable cook himself, could tell.
"The food is excellent. This should cover the meal. Keep the change."
Doffy took out a piece of gold. Gold was accepted everywhere aboard Ark Maxim. Although most of the buildings here appeared to be made of gold, only their outer layers were real; the gold inside had been created by the Gild Tesoro's Devil Fruit power.
Coating it in real gold kept seawater from touching it.
Once a Human-type Devil Fruit power Awakened, it could transform surrounding objects. But when those transformed materials came into contact with seawater, they reverted to their original state.
"Thank you, Lord Yasha. Please enjoy the rest of your meal."
Doffy had paid in