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

Chapter 205 Bitter Battle Against Fujitora!

Give me some face?

Why?
The white-haired beauty frowned and looked the handsome young man up and down.

Just as he was about to say something, he was suddenly stopped by Du Feld's large hand.

She turned her head in surprise and saw that her boss was frowning and sweating profusely at the temples.

"At least pay attention to the world outside the casino, Adele."

Du Field exhaled a smoke ring, squinted, and said in a deep voice:
"It is an honor that such an important person has the privilege of visiting your small shop. You will never have the chance to do so in your lifetime. Please do not be impolite."

As one of the emperors of the underworld, he has seen countless storms in his life.

But the black-haired boy who suddenly appeared in front of him still made him feel inexplicably nervous.

A dangerous man whose strength is almost on par with the Four Emperors, but whose personality is far more unpredictable than those old men...

Why did they come knocking on our door?
If there's any transaction you'd like to discuss...

He was also invited to the tea party by BIGMOM. Can't we meet on Cake Island and talk about it there?
Can't you even wait a few days?
Du Feld's mind raced, countless guesses flashing through his mind in an instant, but his face remained calm. He quickly composed himself, placed his right hand on his chest, and gave a slight bow.
"Your Excellency Xia Nuo, I never expected to meet such a distinguished guest as you here."

When he looked up again, a radiant smile bloomed on his plump face:

“Since this Mr. Yixiao is the person you have taken a liking to, then it is naturally your responsibility to recruit him. Although I, Du Feld, have some influence in the underworld, what am I compared to you? How dare I compete with you for his man?”

The entire casino fell silent in an instant.

Upon hearing that name, all the gamblers who had been driven out of the lobby instinctively raised their heads and stared incredulously at the young figure on the second floor.

"Did I hear that right, Xia Nuo?! You mean the world's greatest swordsman?"

"Who else could it be but him? Wow... He's even younger and more handsome in person than in the photos!"

"What are you doing here, such an important person?!"

Hearing the whispers around her and seeing her boss's respectful demeanor, the white-haired beauty turned pale and felt a wave of fear wash over her.

Luckily, the boss reacted quickly and stopped me, and I didn't say anything rude, otherwise...

"You're welcome."

Shano waved his hand casually, seemingly satisfied with Du Feld's attitude.

He then leaped from the second floor, landing lightly in the center of the casino. He walked slowly towards Fujitora and smiled:

"Mr. Yixiao, I have long admired your name. May I ask if we could speak in private?"

Although Fujitora was blind, he was fully aware of everything happening around him. He quickly stood up, nodded, and said:
"You're too kind, sir. It is my honor to be personally invited by someone of your stature."

Seeing this, Du Feld quickly signaled to his men:
"Quickly! Someone, take these two gentlemen to the top floor and prepare the most luxurious VIP room! Serve the finest wines and snacks!"

The white-haired beauty immediately took out a Den Den Mushi (a type of electric scooter) to make arrangements.

Xia Nuo shook his head:

"No need. This place is smoky and chaotic. I wouldn't bother going in here if I weren't looking for someone. Mr. Yixiao, how about we go find a tavern outside and have a drink?"

Would you like to buy me a drink?

Fujitora laughed heartily: "That's the best news I've heard all day! It couldn't be better!"

Shano nodded, then turned and led Smoker directly out the door.

The gamblers gathered outside the lobby immediately parted to both sides like a tide, watching Xia Nuo leave in awe.

Fujitora put away his wooden staff and was about to follow when he suddenly remembered something and turned to look hesitantly at Du Field:
"Sir, may I ask about the chips I won previously..."

"I'll redeem it for you right away!"

Du Field said with a smile, "Nineteen consecutive wins, a total of 320 million Berries, right, Adele?"

"Yes, I'm ready."

The white-haired beauty respectfully handed over a briefcase.

"Excuse me, both of you."

Fujitora took the box, a relieved smile on his face, before turning to leave.

……

Du Feld stood motionless.

He flicked off the ash from his cigarette, and as he watched the departing figures, his face quickly darkened.

What are you doing?
Xia Nuo suddenly appeared, giving me quite a fright. It turned out he really was looking for the blind man.
Instead of doing business with himself?
Furthermore, the other party didn't even say goodbye when they left, which is incredibly disrespectful.

If it were anyone else, given his usual temper, he would have already ordered his men to teach the other party a lesson.

But this one...

Du Feld shivered inexplicably, subconsciously shifting his gaze from Shano to Fujitora's back, and narrowed his eyes.

Even now, he still can't figure out why this is happening.

How could a blind swordsman possibly be more valuable for cooperation than himself?
“Hey, Adele.”

He summoned the white-haired beauty and gave her instructions:
"Have your men go to the local black market to find out who this blind man is. Remember, keep a low profile and don't disturb him before that person leaves the island."

"Yes, boss."

The white-haired beauty understood immediately and quietly left.

Before leaving, she glanced at Du Feld's chest with some curiosity.

Wait, did I just misremember?
The boss was wearing a purple flower pinned to the chest of his suit tonight, just like always. How come it's suddenly gone?
……

It's not just the king of loan sharks who can't understand it.

There was also a white-haired man with a slicked-back hairstyle.

At this moment, outside the casino, the night was already deep.

Under the streetlights of a secluded alley, Shano walked in front, with Smoker following closely behind, a cigar in his mouth, occasionally turning his head to secretly glance at Fujitora.

Fujitora, seemingly unaware of this, followed leisurely, leaning on his wooden cane.

"I said, boss."

Smoker couldn't hold back any longer. He lowered his voice and whispered in Shano's ear, "Is this guy really that amazing? Is he worth you spending all night working on him personally..."

"There aren't many people around here." Xia Nuo didn't even look at him. "If you're not convinced, you can go and spar with him."

Discuss?

Smoker raised an eyebrow.

Hey, that's just what he wanted!
Normally, he would carry out Xia Nuo's instructions without hesitation, but this time, he was really not convinced.

To know.

Apart from Nojiko and Nami, almost everyone else on the ship admired Shano's reputation and volunteered to join.

Needless to say, he himself had spent several days hiding in the ventilation ducts, and almost choked to death by the kitchen fumes.

Where is the blind man?

Who is this guy? What makes him so arrogant? Why does he deserve such attention and respect from Boss Xia Nuo?
He was the first to lose it! *Smack*

Smoker abruptly stopped in his tracks, standing before Fujitora. The latter also halted, looking down at the man who was sixty or seventy centimeters shorter than him with slight surprise.
"What's up?"

"It's nothing, but Mr. Yixiao, after sitting at the gambling table for so long, shouldn't you stretch your legs a bit before drinking?"

Smoker, adhering to the principle of politeness before force, offered a cigar and then gestured towards an empty space nearby:
"Shall we practice a little here?"

He grinned and said frankly:
"Don't worry, I just want to see what kind of real skills this guy has that made Boss Xia Nuo take notice of. I always know how to behave when dealing with someone who isn't my enemy."

"This……"

Fujitora hesitated for a moment, then glanced at Shano. Seeing that the latter had no intention of interfering, he nodded.
"Alright."

……

In the open space.

The two stood facing each other. Smoker took a deep drag on his cigar, tossed it aside, and exhaled a long plume of smoke, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.

"Mr. Yixiao, please enlighten me."

As soon as he finished speaking, Smoker suddenly sprang up!
He leaped into the air using Moonwalk, his right arm instantly transforming into elemental form, turning into billowing smoke that compressed and condensed into a giant fist. Covered in Armament Haki, it slammed down on Fujitora!
"White Fist - Extra Strong Nicotine Cannon!"

Are you a Logia-type Devil Fruit user?

Fujitora looked up at this scene, his expression solemn, and slowly drew the sword hidden in his wooden staff...

Ten seconds later.

In the center of the cracked ground, Smoker lay in the position of Yamcha, his eyes rolled back, smoke rising from his body, and his curled-up right leg still twitching.

"I told you, but you just wouldn't believe me."

Xia Nuo reached out a hand and helped pull the stubborn radish out, saying leisurely, "Now you know how powerful Lord Yixiao is, right?"

"Accepted."

Fujitora apologetically helped Smoker up.

Because this was one of Xia Nuo's trusted lieutenants, and his Logia-type abilities were terrifying, he didn't dare to be too overconfident this time. And the result...

It seems I overestimated the other party.

"Um...ah..."

Smoker was dazed and staggered for a while before he could regain his balance, clearly still reeling from the blow he had just suffered.

The difference is too big!
He hadn't even seen how Fujitora made his move; he only remembered that his full-force punch was instantly shattered by a sword aura.

Immediately afterwards, it was as if I had crashed into an invisible wall, and I was pressed hard into the ground by a terrifying gravity, unable to move an inch no matter how hard I tried.

It's fair to say that for nine out of the ten seconds of the fight, he was struggling in the pit.

The scene of true defeat...

It only lasted for a second.

This level of strength... is probably even above that of the vice-captain Kuina, and about the same as that of Zephyr, whom I often fight in the illusion!
No wonder before going to the casino, Boss Xia Nuo said that if this blind man joined the Navy, he could become his superior...

Someone this strong should at least be a substitute for a key player!

Seeing Smoker's depressed and existential-questioning expression, Shano couldn't help but chuckle.

"Alright, stop worrying about it."

He turned and walked out of the alley. "Let's go, there's a tavern just around this corner. We can drink and chat."

Fujitora followed, leaning on his wooden cane.

Smoker stood there, staring at Fujitora's back for a few seconds, before finally sighing helplessly and quickly catching up.

"Hey, Mr. Ichisho!"

"Ok?"

Smoker hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking:
"In terms of strength, I have to admit it. You are very strong, extremely strong. Boss's judgment is indeed sharp. However, there is another thing I still can't figure out. Just now... how exactly did you win nineteen rounds in a row at the casino? And you were so confident, looking like you had victory in your grasp?"

Upon hearing this, Fujitora's lips curled up slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"Although I cannot see the dice, I can see the echo of fate flowing through that veil of mist. As a gambler, luck rises and falls, but it will eventually return to my hands."

"Uh……"

Smoker was completely confused and asked blankly, "Sir, could you explain it more clearly?"

“In the past few months, I have lost ninety-nine times in a row.”

Fujitora scratched his head, his old face turning red:
“I’ve lost all my savings, my boat… even my loincloth and shoes. All I have left is this yukata and this sword. So I feel that tonight, no matter what, my luck should change. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense.”

Smoker: "..."

No, that's it?
So that's how you get your confidence!

……

Inside the tavern.

The lighting was dim, and only a few bottles of aged rum were placed on the wooden bar. The location was remote, and business was obviously slow, but it was quiet.

Xia Nuo poured Fujitora a full glass and got straight to the point:
"Mr. Yixiao, you probably already know why I'm here. Let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point. I've heard of your reputation for a long time. With your abilities, it's a bit of a waste for you to be just drifting on this vast ocean."

He wasn't making this up.

Nami likes to buy newspapers when she has nothing to do, and she picks them up to read when she's bored during her breaks.

Indeed, I have seen reports on several occasions in some obscure pages about a blind swordsman wandering the world, gambling and drinking, and incidentally doing chivalrous deeds.

Before participating in the global draft and becoming a naval admiral, he was already quite a figure, and those who were interested would naturally notice him.

Fujitora picked up his wine glass, sniffed the aroma, but did not respond immediately.

"You flatter me. I'll just smile."

He took a sip of wine, closed his eyes, and savored it for a while before slowly saying, "I am just a blind gambler, how could I be worthy of your high regard?"

Overly modest people are really annoying, Smoker muttered.

"At such close range, the aura of a strong person cannot be hidden from my Observation Haki."

Xia Nuo smiled, looked directly into Fujitora's closed eyes, and spoke sincerely:

"I admire your abilities, but what I admire even more is your character."

"I've heard that you wander from place to place, solving problems for the local people and driving away pirates wherever you go. You often spend all your wealth and become penniless because of this. Your chivalrous heart is worthy of respect."

Fujitora looked up in surprise: "You even know such trivial matters?"

"Is it a small matter? It saved countless lives, how can it be considered a small matter?"

Xia Nuo picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp, then pointed at Fujitora's briefcase beside him and laughed heartily.

"Don't make it sound so easy. Take this for example, a whopping 320 million Berries. Come on, Yixiao, tell me, what are you planning to do with all that money you've earned?!"

　P.S.: I've been busy these past few days, so my update schedule has been a bit irregular. Sorry for the late update; I'll try to get back on track tomorrow.

　　Also, everyone, I haven't missed a single update, so why are you all spreading rumors that I'm going to enter the palace? That's ridiculous! Damn it, I really want to punch you all!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)