One Piece: A Guide for Ordinary Players

"Okay, now tell me how you got scammed. Be objective. I will never blame you, so don't let your personal emotions get in the way. That will make it easier for me to make a judgment."

Ah San nodded: "The woman said she was the agent who had been helping Miss Uta with her publicity. This time, she was taking a boat to go to the Sabaody Archipelago in advance to make preparations. Along the way, she would pass through major cities such as the City of Spring Queens and the City of Seven Waters, and negotiate advertising space sales along the way."

"I didn't want to give up such a good opportunity, so I took the initiative to approach her and flatter her. I brought Da Luo and Xiao Luo to serve her tea and water all the way. Finally, in the City of Seven Waters, she reluctantly agreed to arrange an advertising space for us and also agreed to let us set up a food stall at the ticket gate!"

“We followed her off the ship in Seven Waters. She said the investment conference would be held there. She first asked me for a deposit of 50 yuan, promising that she would refund the money to me regardless of whether an agreement was reached in the end.”

“I had my doubts at the time, but she immediately called Uta, who is my idol. I was absolutely certain I wouldn’t mistake that voice, so I handed over the money without hesitation.”

"That very night, she asked me for another 100 million yuan for the queueing fee, saying that other businesses had already paid this amount, and since she had agreed to me first, she was naturally going to give me the best spot. But she also had to silence everyone else, and that this money would be returned to me later along with the previous 50 Berry."

Robert thought to himself, "This is reminiscent of telecom fraud from later generations: You actually gave it to her? I thought you were pretty smart before, how could you believe such a lie?"

Ah San said aggrievedly, "I also felt that something was wrong with this money, but she took me directly to the bank in Water City. The bank staff gave me proof that the deposit was deposited into a public account under the bank's supervision, and I can apply for a refund at any time. I..."

Robert increasingly felt that he couldn't blame Ah San; he came from a small town and had never seen such a gang-related crime scheme before.

Ah San became increasingly aggrieved as he spoke: "Then yesterday, she came to me and said that the bank in Water Seven had frozen that money because our source of funds was unclear. I'm genuinely scared. We killed someone in Jaya to escape, and I'm afraid we'll be found out..."

Robert gave a wry smile: "So, did you give her money again to unfreeze the previous two sums of money?"

The Indian man looked ashamed: "She said she had connections at the bank and that if I gave her another 150 million Berries, she could open a large VIP account for me to prove that the funds were legitimate. Then all three million would be deposited in my own bank account, and I could withdraw them at any time!"

Robert slapped his forehead. Wasn't this the most typical case of telecom fraud involving tricking people into transferring money? He never expected that there would be such an expert in the One Piece world who had developed such advanced methods. Robert even wanted to meet this woman.

"So after you gave her 150 million, what new reason did she come up with?"

"She's been arrested by the police! A sheriff from Water Seven came to us and said that she even bribed a high-ranking bank official out of her own pocket to help us launder money. Now she's been arrested on charges of economic crimes, but she didn't implicate us. It was the bank official who implicated us. He's demanding that we raise 200 million Berries to pay the fine, or he'll confiscate all our previous money and make us wanted worldwide!"

Robert found it increasingly intriguing: "So how did you find out she was lying?"

Ah San was so ashamed he wanted to disappear into the ground: "I...we don't have enough money...We sold those jewels and got a total of over six million Berries. Many of the things you entrusted to me, sir, were custom-made at high prices. We also paid extra because we were in a hurry. When we set sail, we only had a little over five million two hundred thousand Berries left."

“We’ve been spending money to maintain our connections along the way. After paying three times for a total of three million Berries, we still have a little over a million left, which is not enough to cover the fine.”

"So we found a local gang of thugs and tried to borrow some more to make it two million..."

"In the end, they robbed us of all the money we had left, and they laughed at us, calling us fools and saying that the woman was a habitual swindler. They said that instead of lending us money and letting her get away with it, we should just rob us of all the money we had!"

Robert smiled and nodded: "Rayleigh, this isn't your fault. You've suffered because you're not well-educated. When I have time, I'll teach you a set of con-making techniques, and I guarantee that you'll be the one conning people, and no one will con you."

Ah San grabbed Robert's sleeve: "Sir, please continue to call me Ah San. I'm not worthy of the name Rory! But please call the police to the Central Bank of Water Seven as soon as possible. That woman doesn't know we've discovered she's a con artist! She's definitely still waiting for us to deliver the money!"

Robert: Should I call the police? Wouldn't that just be giving the Water City police a bonus?

Chapter 15 If you dare touch my fruit plate, I'll call the police.

Robert chuckled and patted Ah San's hand: "Alright, then I'll still call you Ah San. I've indeed gotten used to calling you Ah San. But you must remember, apart from me, everyone else must address you by your full name!"

Ah San nodded vigorously, and Robert continued, "I have urgent business to attend to at the Navy G2 branch right now, and I'm wanted by the authorities, so I can only use a private ship. I don't have time to deal with that female swindler. This money isn't much, just consider it a lesson learned. You'll learn from this experience in the future."

Ah San gripped Robert's arm tightly: "Sir! Let Big Robert and Little Robert find a boat. The Central Bank is very close to here. I can remember this lesson, but if we can't get our start-up capital back, I'll feel guilty for the rest of my life!"

At this moment, Da Luo quickly chimed in, "Boss, we've been at the docks for almost two days now and have gotten to know a few people. Why don't you accompany Brother Luo Li on this trip? We've found a boat and are waiting for you; it won't take up much time."

Robert gave a wry smile: "Alright, find a boat and wait for me. The price is negotiable. The only requirement is that it be fast, and you can't ask about our purpose. If I go with Ah San, will you still be able to get up?"

Ah San mustered his strength and stood up: "Sir, my illness has improved a lot since you came. I was just hungry. Don't worry, let's go quickly."

Robert nodded: "Walk slowly, don't rush. I'll hide nearby. Once that woman shows herself, point her out to me. Leave the rest to me."

Robert never asked the woman her name, since a con artist would most likely be using a fake name.

The Indian man, carrying an empty suitcase, led the way in a pitiful manner. He didn't need to act; he looked exactly like a desperate gambler who had nothing left to lose.

Robert, draped in his cloak, trailed far behind.

The central bank of Water City is magnificent, but the Indian man couldn't even get through the gate before a man pulled him aside.

Robert didn't keep his eyes fixed on the Indians. He walked past the two of them and went up the steps next to them. He climbed onto the railing and leisurely observed the surrounding high-rise buildings.

Ah San caught a glimpse of Robert brushing past him out of the corner of his eye, and suddenly felt more confident: "I can't give you this money. Shouldn't the fine be paid to the police? They only said to pay at the bank, but they didn't say I should pay it directly to the bank!"

The person who was in contact with the Indian man was momentarily at a loss, and his eyes subconsciously glanced to the side.

Robert, being an outsider, saw things most clearly. Following the direction of his gaze, there was a three-story tavern with a flower-covered rooftop terrace offering a view.

There were many tourists sitting on the terrace near the railing, and Robert couldn't immediately tell who the person was looking at.

Soon the man changed tactics, threatening to abandon the matter and take control.

But Ah San remembered Robert's instructions: no matter what, he would not give in until he could draw out the instigator. As long as he wasn't in a hurry, it was others who were.

Sure enough, the man returned, bringing with him a person dressed in a police uniform.

The two men, one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop, took turns putting pressure on Ah San.

Once Ah San broke free from the quagmire of being deceived, his thinking became relatively clear. No matter how hard the two women tried to put on an act, he insisted on seeing the woman who had deceived him.

Finally, the fake policeman couldn't hold back any longer and shoved the Indian man hard.

The Indian man was already thin and weak, and recently he had fallen ill due to immense pressure. When this tall and burly fake policeman pushed him, he immediately fell to the ground.

One has to admire the Indian actor's acting skills; even when he fell, he was still tightly holding onto the empty box in his hands.

Just as the fake policeman made his move, a woman on the rooftop of the nearby pub suddenly stood up, tossed her hair, and turned to leave.

This action seemed to be a signal. The fake policeman and the bank employee who had first made contact with the Indian man bent down, snatched the empty box from the Indian man's hand, and quickly fled in different directions.

The Indian man was shocked to find that their attempt to swindle had turned into robbery. He looked anxiously in Robert's direction, but Robert, who had been leaning on the railing pretending to admire the scenery just a moment ago, had vanished!

Just as the Indian was at a loss, the two guys who had split up and fled suddenly flew back at the same time, and were unconscious when they landed.

A woman hurried out of the back door of the pub, taking off her trench coat as she went, revealing a loose, oversized shirt and jeans underneath. She also removed her black, medium-length wig, revealing a head of short, brown hair.

When she walked onto the street, she had completely changed her appearance.

The woman wasn't in a hurry at all, just like an ordinary local resident. She even picked out a few oranges from a fruit stand by the roadside.

After wandering around the main road of Water City for more than ten minutes, the woman headed towards the outer dock area and eventually entered a small shack.

She frowned, took off her wig, and threw it hard on the table. Suddenly, she froze, as if she had discovered something.

So, is purple your real hair color?

The woman froze for only a moment before turning around with a smiling face, revealing an extremely ordinary, even somewhat ugly, face:

"Women love beauty, isn't that normal? I love collecting wigs."

Robert walked into the house with a grin and unceremoniously found a chair to sit down.

"Do your two accomplices know how much effort I had to put in to keep my temper in order not to kill them?"

The woman laughed and said, "How did you find me? You're amazing! You followed me the whole way and I didn't even realize it."

Robert waved his hand: "I'm in a hurry."

The woman nodded, took a large box from the cabinet behind her, placed it on the table, and opened it:

"You must be the boss Mr. Raleigh was talking about. I am a conman. I cheated you out of three million Berries before. Those two idiots dared to rob us without permission. They deserved to be taught a lesson. Including the money they stole, plus the emotional distress and medical expenses for Mr. Raleigh, how about I compensate you with ten million Berries?"

This woman was a bit too pragmatic. Not only did she not try any tricks while taking the money, but she also didn't say anything like, "Since Robert killed the two robbers, he will definitely get the 200 million back." Instead, she directly offered compensation of twice the total amount of the fraud.

"Actually, I advised Raleigh that he should just consider this money as a lesson learned, and that if he can't get it back, he can't get it back. But he felt very guilty, so I stepped in more to stand up for him than for the money you gave me."

"Then how can we help you and Mr. Raleigh get revenge?"

The woman suddenly feigned panic: "Oh dear! You wouldn't be thinking of..."

She was wearing loose, baggy clothes, which made it impossible to tell whether she had a good or bad figure. Her face was pockmarked, giving her a somewhat elderly Stussy look.

"Madam, please don't misunderstand."

"Although I am indeed that kind of person."

"But you're really not cut out for this!"

Chapter 16 The First Expanded Meeting of Key Personnel of the Roche Group was Held in Grand Style

Although the woman was ugly, her shy demeanor and coy actions exuded a strange charm.

"That's good. I was wrong about this. I would feel uneasy if you didn't accept this money."

Robert said, “Since you swindled it from Raleigh, go and return it to him yourself. If you sincerely apologize, this matter will end here. If you try anything funny, I won’t mind charging you extra interest.”

The woman was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "You're such a good boss."

Robert stood up: "By the way, what's your name? Don't try to fool me with a fake name; I have a knack for spotting lies."

“Fiona, this is my real name, I’m not lying.”

Robert gave a thumbs up: "Although I know you're lying to me, it's really impressive that you can control your body to react as if it's the truth."

He stopped dwelling on the woman's name and led the way out of the shack.

Fiona followed behind, carrying a large suitcase, like an obedient little wife, and the two walked together onto the bustling street.

"Isn't this the way to the central bank?"

Robert didn't even turn his head: "I didn't say I was going to the central bank."

Fiona frowned. It seemed that ever since the man in front of her, who was covered up completely, appeared, things had gone against her plans at every step, and this feeling made her feel very insecure.

The two walked to the dock where Da Luo was found. Ah San and his men were waiting anxiously on the dock, with two of their accomplices tied up beside them.

Upon seeing Robert approaching with a woman, the three quickly went to greet him.

Robert said to the Indian man, "Have you found a boat? I've brought the people for you."

The Indian man quickly replied, "The price has already been agreed upon. It's a two-masted speedboat, and the owner will take us round trip. It only costs 30 Berries."

He looked at the woman behind Robert, a hint of hesitation on his face: "You are... Katyusha?"

Robert laughed out loud: "How many names does this woman have? Hurry up and apologize and pay up, I'm in a hurry."

The woman behind him suddenly smiled slyly and shouted in a tearful voice, "I already promised to give you the money! Why are you still hurting my friend!"

Robert's smile remained unchanged as he shook his head and said, "I warned you before that this matter of not playing tricks ends here, but it seems you didn't listen."

Several strangely dressed men with menacing faces walked up to us; they were clearly not good people.

"Hey, Selena, where's the guy you said injured our companion?"

The woman beside him pointed at Robert: "He did it. Look, El and the others are still tied up over there!"