"What the hell, I thought it was soone important. Turns out it's just that Black Gun Ozz."
"Yeah, it's that Black Gu...."
"..."
"???"
The words ca to a sudden halt. The once noisy casino turned as silent as a library in an instant.
Only a mont later did the chatter erupt again.
"Wait, wait, you're kidding , right?!"
"Just now… did Crocodile say… is it really…"
"Dotor Ozz?!"
"What?!"
Even in Paradise, anyone with half-decent intel couldn't possibly be unaware of that legendary na.
Openly or in hushed tones, everyone who heard it was struck with shock. A few of the more timid ones were already blubbering with snot and tears, their legs giving out as they collapsed to the floor.
Those intelligence agents and undercover operatives scattered throughout the crowd were now trembling as they frantically dialed their Den Den Mushi.
"Brrr....brrr.....brrr....."
"Reporting to HQ! We've got a situation!"
"It's about that legendary pirate with the forty billion bounty…"
People scrambled for the exits in a panic. Only a few reckless souls chose to stay, their hearts pounding out of their chests. So even tried to push their way forward, hoping to beg to be taken in as underlings.
But they were all blocked by the unsheathed blade of Mihawk's Yoru, which sliced through the air like a drawn curtain.
Having his identity revealed didn't faze Ozz in the slightest. Calm and unhurried, he simply turned his head and looked at Crocodile.
"As expected, sharp as ever."
Crocodile's face darkened. With a cigar clenched between her lips, she sat down casually across from Ozz at the gambling table.
"If you're in the mood for a ga, then allow to join you."
All around, the gamblers held their breath as the two figures now seated on either side of the table, each with one leg crossed radiated an unshakable aura. The air was thick with tension, yet thrilling to witness.
"Black Gun, I never would've pegged a man like you to be into gas like this."
Crocodile's long, bare legs shimred in the light, almost catching Ozz's eye and making him lose his edge.
Fortunately, his will was iron.
"I take an interest in anything that's fun. Gas included, but hardly limited to."
Ozz's eyes twinkled with mischief as a sly smile crept onto his lips. He looked at the powerful woman before him and offered, "Since we're gambling, why don't we make it interesting?"
Zzz...
Ding...
Fwooo...
Crocodile might've sensed she was outmatched, but admitting defeat had never been part of her vocabulary. She didn't answer imdiately. Instead, she lit another cigar with practiced ease, exhaling slowly, maintaining her aura of poise and control.
The breeze happened to carry the smoke toward Hawk Eyes. With a raised brow, he sliced his hand through the air like a blade, and the smoke drifted harmlessly away.
(No-Blade Style: Disperse the Scent.)
Through the rising smoke, Ozz saw a fearless, almost stubborn glint in Crocodile's eyes.
"So… what's the wager?"
She wasn't looking for trouble, but that didn't an she was afraid of it.
She hadn't even flinched at Whitebeard why would she back down from Ozz?
And ironically, it was that very defiance, that aura of command, that drew Ozz in even more.
If all he wanted was obedience, he could live out his days indulging in the red-light districts.
Sammy, Six, Seven those girls would treat him like a king and hang on his every word.
But now and then, eting a woman like Little Sand…
That's when life got interesting, didn't it?
Maybe that's just the nature of a man's thirst for conquest.
"I doubled it with you and ca out with 1.6 billion Berries. So now… let's double it again."
"...3.2 billion?"
Crocodile's face was tight.
She could scrounge that kind of cash together if she had to, though it'd be painful. It'd an bleeding her assets dry.
"No, no, no…"
Ozz shook his head slowly, watching her dumbfounded expression with open amusent.
"I finally found soone who piques my interest. A re double? That won't cut it."
He raised his right hand, extending a single finger.
"A tenfold increase?!"
Crocodile's expression turned grave. Sixteen billion Berries. If she lost, how many years would she have to run Alabasta just to earn it back?
Five years?
Ten?
She was a financial genius. Among pirates, her acun was top-tier. Otherwise, how could she have later loaned Buggy a massive sum to start a company? Or had her bounty bumped up by the Marines for her leadership skills alone?
So she knew. This ga was stacked against her.
Even if she had the confidence to win, what if she lost?
And even if she won, would Ozz really pay up without flipping the table in rage?
She'd been holed up in Alabasta too long. Her intel was lagging behind. She couldn't believe Ozz would risk tossing out over a hundred billion for a single hand of cards.
She opened her mouth, ready to decline.
Only to see the scorn and mockery flicker in Ozz's eyes.
"Ten tis? What, you think I'm panhandling?"
"What I said… was one hundred tis."
"One hundred and sixty billion Berries."
Before anyone else could react, those words slamd into Crocodile like a tidal wave.
Her head buzzed just from hearing the number. Bloodshot eyes wide open, she nearly bit her cigar in half.
"Impossible!!!"
"That number's insane there's no way!!!"
"Even soone like you couldn't possibly just have that kind of cash lying around!!!"
One hundred and sixty billion Berries could empty the coffers of a mid-sized nation. That kind of money could pay off decades of Celestial Tribute.
"How do you know I don't?"
Suddenly.
Ozz's voice cut through her panic like a blade.
He reached into his coat pocket and slowly pulled out a sheet of paper.
[Certified mber Nation of the World Governnt]
[Verified: The Dotor Royal Family as the sole ruling house of the Kingdom of Duramos]
"This is…"
"That's right."
Ozz casually waved his royal certificate in front of her like it was just a piece of loose change.
"I'm wagering a country. That should be enough for you, no?"
"Even just collecting taxes for a hundred years would more than cover it."
As if worried she still wouldn't believe him, Ozz reached into his own personal "four-dinsional pocket" and started pulling out docunt after docunt:
Bank deposit slips, company ownership certificates...
"Forget 160 billion. I could throw down 1.6 trillion and still have change to spare."
Of course, he didn't have that kind of money yet. But soon, he would. Once he took control of the underworld, even a trillion wouldn't be out of reach.
"So now the question is…"
His gaze locked onto her like a predator stalking its prey. Cold sweat trickled down Crocodile's back as his eyes glead blood-red.
"Crocodile~"
"Do you dare to play?"
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