One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 204 The Blind Gambler Uncle?

Since then.

Finally, after a long time, two more official crew members joined the Shuttle.

There were still plenty of empty rooms left. Bonney was assigned to the room next to Nami, while Kuma stayed in the suite next to Jack.

Both of these large bedrooms are custom-made and modified; Smoker had specifically designed to connect this area with the second floor.

If 8.3-meter-tall Jack can live comfortably, then 6.9-meter-tall Bear will naturally have no problem either.

Talk about it.

The time for BIGMOM's tea party is getting closer and closer.

Katakuri had previously taken the initiative to make amends and had also contributed greatly to the training of his Observation Haki. Shano felt indebted to him and had no intention of breaking his promise.

Therefore, the Fallen Ship did not delay any longer and headed straight for the Totto Land waters where Whole Cake Island was located.

There's no need to worry about the course either, as Katakuri left behind a permanent compass when he left.

Simply sail in a straight line following the direction of the pointer.

……

Seven days later in the blink of an eye.

The journey has been very smooth, and we are already halfway there. In five or six days at most, we will be able to enter the waters of Totland.

Meanwhile, a rather bustling town came into view from the Curtain Falls.

"Not bad luck."

Xia Nuo, who was resting on a rattan chair on the second floor, smiled upon seeing this, stretched, and stood up. "My supplies are almost depleted. I'll rest here for the night and replenish them while I'm at it."

While it's said that reserves are running low, everything else is actually plentiful; the only real shortage is food.

Before leaving Dressrosa, Zeff, based on his usual experience, stored enough food to last for more than half a month, but it was all used up in less than a week.

If it weren't for Xia Nuo's masterful fishing skills yesterday, catching a giant squid over ten meters long, the entire crew would probably be starving today.

The reason is quite simple...

Besides Xia Nuo, there was another super glutton on the ship, who could even eat much more than Xia Nuo.

"Bonnie!"

With a dark expression, the bear pulled the little one out of the cabin:
“Besides the three regular meals, Mr. Zeff has already given you two extra meals today. This time, you actually took advantage of everyone’s inattention and ran straight to the storage room to steal a bite. That’s really too rude!”

"Haha, let her be. Xiong, she's so young and has such a good appetite. Other parents can't even dream of that."

Zeff didn't seem to mind and stepped in with a smile to smooth things over.

Bonnie was very sweet-talking in front of him, calling him Grandpa Zeff all the time. She wasn't picky about food and ate everything with relish. He was happy to cook different dishes for the little one every day.

"But stealing food from the storeroom is going too far."

Bear still wanted to teach Bonnie a lesson, and asked seriously:

"Bonnie, the storeroom is always locked with a padlock. When did you learn how to pick locks?"

"I don't have that ability!"

Bonnie's cheeks were still puffed out as she chewed vigorously, huffing and puffing:
"Don't wrong me, Xiongxiong. I only found my way in because I saw Ah Yin carrying milk out of the tunnel when I got up to pee in the middle of the night."

Ok?
A tunnel was secretly dug under the storage room?

Zeff was taken aback, and then immediately turned his unfriendly gaze toward Silver.

When this big, silly dog ​​was a puppy, he drank too much sugary food and developed diabetes, so Zeff has always strictly controlled the amount of strawberry milk he drinks.

So they actually pulled this trick behind the scenes?
Ah Yin was pretending to be asleep, but secretly listening with her ears sticking out. At this moment, she suddenly felt something was wrong.

It first raised its head, looked at Zeff, stuck out its tongue and chuckled foolishly, trying to fool the other person.

But the next second, Xia Nuo also glanced over indifferently.

Ah Yin froze, gave Bonnie a resentful look, then went to the railing and jumped down without hesitation.

……

soon.

As we got closer, the entire town came into view.

This place appears to be a paradise for the gambling industry.

In the center of the island stands the tallest building in the city, designed to resemble a giant roulette wheel, with neon lights flashing incessantly around its edge.

As soon as we docked, we could hear upbeat jazz music drifting from the open casino doors.

The saxophone melody mingled with the sounds of dice and chips clattering, the shouts of gamblers, and the croupier's giggles...

That air of extravagance and decadence immediately came through.

"It's called the City of High Rollers? It sounds lively."

Xia Nuo turned his gaze away from the neon sign that read "Welcome to the City of High Rollers" and glanced around.

The dock was almost full of boats of all sizes, and many tourists headed straight for the casino street as soon as they landed; business seemed to be booming.

This sea area is roughly in the middle of the New World. In such a place, it would be impossible for such a prosperous entertainment industry to develop without the support of a powerful force.

as predicted.

After searching for a while, the group soon spotted the Big Mom Pirates' flag fluttering in the moonlight at the very top of the island.

"It's a place where the world collects protection money."

Zeff shook his head. "Prices in places like this won't be cheap, but there are advantages, like the market will definitely have a wider selection of ingredients... Hey, Bonnie, do you want to come with me to do some shopping? Point out anything you like to eat, and I'll buy more."

"Hurrah!"

Bonnie's eyes lit up, and she jumped happily onto Zeff's shoulder. "Hehe, thank you, Grandpa Zeff!"

"I'll come too."

Xiong smiled. This kind of place is a mixed bag, and there are some troubles that Zeff might not be able to handle alone.

The three chattered and laughed as they walked away, with Bonnie chattering away in the middle. Looking at their backs in the setting sun, there was a sense of warmth between the three generations of a family.

The rest of the crew members also went off to shop separately. Shano had originally planned to go to a tavern with Smoker for a few drinks.

As soon as I stepped off the pier, I heard several young tourists walking towards me talking about something.

"Hey, have you heard? A blind old man has come to the Golden Roulette casino and has won seventeen rounds in a row!"

"Seventeen rounds? Really? Is this cheating?"

"Impossible! That uncle can't even see the cards, he's genuinely blind. The casino staff have already confirmed it, and they're green with envy..."

A blind man?

gambler?

Xia Nuo paused, her eyebrows slightly raised.

These characteristics combined instantly reminded him of someone.

A monster who, in the original timeline, will be promoted to Admiral of the Navy through global conscription.

Could it be him?

Xia Nuo closed his eyes slightly and released his Observation Haki, but he did not sense any particularly outstanding powerful aura on the island.

However, this doesn't prove anything. As long as they don't cause any major disturbances, strong individuals of the same level can easily conceal their presence in a crowd.

He turned and patted Smoker on the shoulder: "We'll go to the tavern later. Come with me to see what's going on first."

"what?"

Smoker, a cigar dangling from his lips, looked puzzled. "Boss, when did you become interested in gambling?"

"It's not gambling, it's about finding someone."

Xia Nuo laughed heartily, turned around, and led the way towards the center of town. "A guy with a strong sense of justice. If you hadn't left the Navy, this guy might have become your superior!"

what?
Smoker frowned, becoming even more confused.

……

The so-called Golden Roulette Casino is the tallest building shaped like a roulette wheel that everyone saw when we landed earlier.

It is the largest casino on the island and also the one with the most powerful backing.

now.

The casino was bustling with noise.

The gambling table in the very center was surrounded by gamblers watching the spectacle, while the person sitting in the main seat was a slightly overweight middle-aged man with his eyes closed.

He wore wooden clogs and a simple purple bathrobe, and carried an inconspicuous wooden cane in his arms. His face was calm, and there was a faint smile on his lips.

It really was him. Xia Nuo grinned when he saw this scene. He thought to himself, "This trip wasn't in vain."

Fujitora smiled!
Looking across the entire Navy, there aren't many high-ranking officers he can respect, besides Garp, Aokiji, Smoker... perhaps only this one.

Of course, Issho hasn't joined the Navy yet, so the admiral nickname "Fujitora" is still out of the question.

He waved to the waiter, ordered two glasses of sparkling wine, and found a seat on the second floor with Smoker. While enjoying their wine, they quietly observed Fujitora's gambling table below.

Opposite to Fujitora.

A young dealer was sweating profusely as he shook the dice cup, his hands trembling slightly.

"You've placed your order, sir/madam, it's time to go!"

Fujitora nodded and, without hesitation, stretched out his hands and pushed all the chips piled up in front of him into the "big" area.

"Same as always, all in."

The whole audience was in an uproar!
"Again? This is the nineteenth time they've gone all in!"

"He got all eighteen rounds right. If he wins again this time, his chips will be worth more than 300 million Berries. How did he do that? I can't even see them!"

"Is the casino going to go bankrupt...?"

Hearing these whispers, the dealer became even more nervous, his fingers trembling slightly as he lifted the dice cup—

5, 6, 6, Big!

"We won again..." the dealer's voice trembled. "Congratulations, sir."

The Golden Roulette Casino is a large and well-established business that can afford the loss of over 300 million, but his salary for this month will probably be deducted.

"Thank you."

Fujitora chuckled and stroked his stubble: "You've already won nineteen rounds? You can stop now. You've had some really good luck today."

"Wow, that's amazing!!"

The gamblers watching the spectacle cheered wildly, while the security personnel maintaining order nearby exchanged grim glances with grim expressions.

The second floor.

"How did this blind man do that?" Smoker asked incredulously, then suddenly realized, "Wait... is that Observation Haki?"

"No."

Xia Nuo stared at Fujitora and shook his head slightly. "No other means were used. It's a very clean betting scheme."

How did they manage to win nineteen consecutive rounds?
Smoker looked bewildered, and Shano frowned slightly, equally confused.

Logically speaking, besides using Observation Haki to "peek," Fujitora's Gravity Fruit could also easily change the direction of the dice.

But at this distance, such methods are even less likely to escape his perception.

That's really strange.

They weren't the only ones who couldn't understand it; many others, such as... the casino's controller.

"This distinguished guest."

Just as the atmosphere in the casino was getting heated, a languid and alluring voice came from upstairs.

Everyone looked up and saw a white-haired beauty wearing a high-slit cheongsam gracefully walking down the stairs, her high heels making a crisp sound on the marble floor.

"Your gambling skills are truly superb; our boss is very interested in you!"

The white-haired beauty stopped in front of Fujitora, her red lips curving slightly. "Why don't we move to the VIP room on the third floor to discuss this further?"

She leaned forward slightly, her cleavage partially revealed, and the surrounding gamblers immediately began to swallow hard.

But Fujitora remained motionless, as if he couldn't see anything.

He really couldn't see it.

But the overwhelming malice was clearly perceptible. Behind the white-haired beauty, a large group of menacing thugs dispersed with cold faces.

Some people began to clear the area, driving away the gamblers who were watching the excitement in the lobby on the first floor, while others surrounded Fujitora completely.

"This is really a difficult situation."

Fujitora sighed softly, "I'm just an ordinary gambler here for fun, why make such a big fuss?"

"Don't joke around, sir. An ordinary gambler wouldn't win nineteen rounds in a row!"

The woman covered her mouth and chuckled, "Between a toast and a penalty drink, I advise you to choose the former. If you insist on playing dumb, then..."

She snapped her fingers, and the bald, burly thug at the head of the group grinned maliciously and suddenly drew his sword to slash:

"What's going on? Are there really madmen who dare to cause trouble at the Golden Roulette? In that case, I'll make you, this cheating 'blind man,' a real cripple tonight!"

Swish!
A flash of light—

But he struck empty air.

Fujitora's figure had appeared behind the burly man without him noticing, and his wooden cane gently tapped the back of his neck.

The burly man felt as if a thousand pounds had been added to his body, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud, unable to get up no matter how hard he struggled.

"What are you all standing there for? Get up there!"

The bald, burly man was both anxious and angry. He turned his head and shouted angrily. Only then did the other thugs react and respond in a roar, rushing forward from all directions.

However, Fujitora merely turned slightly to the side, casually drawing a few afterimages in the air with his wooden staff.

With a series of muffled thuds, twenty or thirty burly men, like dominoes, all sank to the floor one after another.

The entire casino fell silent instantly.

The second floor.

"What a bizarre Devil Fruit ability..."

Smoker looked surprised and couldn't help but wonder if he could withstand the blind man's attacks at such close range.
The boss once said that when domineering aura is cultivated to its extreme, it can transcend even the fruits of one's labor.

These days, whenever he has free time, he goes to find the Dream Grass and practices with Teacher Zefa, which has improved his domineering aura a little.

They should have no problem with being able to withstand the blind man's attacks.

"……you!"

In the blink of an eye, all the thugs were rendered powerless, and the white-haired beauty subconsciously took a few steps back.

at this time.

Pop, pop, pop.

Three crisp applause rang out from the dome, and the gamblers who had just been driven to the front hall all looked up.

At the very top of the circular corridor, a short, stout man with an imposing presence, dressed in a suit similar to Akainu's, was walking down unhurriedly.

"Lord Duffield!"

The white-haired woman felt as if she had been granted a pardon and hurriedly retreated behind him.

What a familiar name.

The gamblers pondered deeply, and slowly some of them began to realize what was happening, unable to help but gasp in shock.

Du Feld?

Isn't that the infamous king of loan sharks, one of the six emperors of the underworld?

Is the big boss behind the Golden Roulette casino really such a powerful figure?

"Is it bad luck or good luck?"

Du Field, with a cigar in his mouth, ignored his secretary and fixed his gaze on Fujitora:

"The name you wrote when you registered is Yixiao, right? It's rare for me to come to this gambling city to inspect the industry, and I just happen to run into an extraordinary gambler like you. You have superb cheating skills and considerable strength. It's quite tempting."

He held up two index fingers to Fujitora, grinned, and said, "I'll make you an offer: 20 million Berries a year to become an executive under me. How about it?"

"I'm afraid that won't work."

Before Fujitora could respond, a faint voice came from the second floor.

Who?
The king of loan sharks turned cold and looked in the direction of the voice with displeasure.

next second.

His pupils contracted, and a few drops of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

"It would be a waste for him to become your cadre, wouldn't it? After all, this Mr. Yixiao is someone I've taken a liking to and want to recruit."

The handsome, black-haired youth leaned against the railing, leisurely swirling the wine glass in his hand, and chuckled:

"How about this, give me some face and let me have him, okay?"

　I checked the latest chapter's information, and it seems that Blackbeard is Rocks' son. Rocks killed a Marine Admiral, so this can't be completely confirmed. I'm just letting everyone know.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)