A day later.
On this day, several pirates gathered on the deck of the Rocks Pirate ship, deep in conversation about something. If anyone happened to walk by, they would have been able to hear their discussion.
"Did you hear? Commander Bob is placing a bet with Wang Zhi and Commander Silver Axe!"
"Really? Who told you that?"
"Everyone on the ship is talking about it! Not to mention, I also heard that Commander Bob lost 30 million Belly the last time he gambled!"
"Commander Bob lost 30 million Belly? I never imagined someone as strong as him could be so bad at gambling!"
"Well, that's not too surprising. After all, Commander John a seasoned expert at this stuff."
"I've gotta see this! It's not every day you get to witness commanders gambling against each other. This is going to be quite a show! I wonder who's going to win in the end."
"Come on, it's obviously going to be Commander Wang Zhi! The real question is, how much more is Commander Bob going to lose this time?"
It wasn't just these few pirates; the news about Bob, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe gambling had somehow spread across the entire Rocks Pirate ship like wildfire.
Bob found this news quite troubling—not because of the rumor about him losing money, but because of the sudden attention this upcoming game was getting. It felt like just the buzz around it had cost him millions already.
Originally, Bob had planned to quietly profit by defeating Wang Zhi and Silver Axe. He could then use his skills to continue winning more from the other crewmates over time.
But now? That plan was as good as ruined.
As expected, when the other crew members had heard about it, they were both surprised and intrigued.
Gambling was nothing new on the Rocks Pirate ship. The treasures the pirates looted were often either squandered on land or circulated among the crew through various gambling activities aboard the ship.
To put it simply, gambling was a form of entertainment on the high seas—a way to kill time when boredom struck. Due to this, almost half of the crew had tried their hand at gambling at some point.
And now, with Bob reportedly losing 30 million Belly and yet still gearing up to gamble again with Silver Axe and Wang Zhi, the intrigue among the gambling enthusiasts as well as those who just wanted to see Bob humiliated was at an all-time high.
Especially Shiki. Upon hearing about Bob colossal loss, Shiki had gone through several extra cigars in delight.
He knew that 30 million Belly wasn't much for someone as wealthy as Bob. But seeing someone like Bob take a hit? That was satisfying in itself.
When Shiki found out that Bob was going to gamble again with Wang Zhi and Silver Axe, he was even more thrilled. This time, he could enjoy watching Bob lose in person.
With this thought, Shiki couldn't contain his excitement any longer. He decided to go mock Bob.
At this moment, Bob had just finished his training on the ship. Looking forward to some relaxation, he suddenly spotted Shiki walking toward him.
"Gyahahahaha!"
"Bob, I heard you lost over 30 million Belly last time, huh?"
The moment Shiki saw Bob, he didn't waste a second before bringing up the topic with a smirk on his face.
"Oh, it seems like your informant is pretty efficient. You heard about it that quickly?" Bob responded nonchalantly. "What is it? Are you planning on giving me money as consolation?"
Bob didn't bother explaining himself or correcting the rumor. After all, once he won the next match, the truth would come out naturally.
"You, the richest guy on this whole ship, need me to give you money?" Shiki snorted before speaking lazily. "Still, even if you've got the cash, do you really have to spend it like this? Playing against Wang Zhi and Silver Axe?"
"Do you really think you can beat them? Honestly, you might as well hand your money over to me. At least I'd lose it slower than you!" Shiki took a long drag from his cigar and smirked mockingly.
"Shiki, do you know why you lost to me last time?" Bob ignored the provocations, instead raising his own question casually.
"Why?" Shiki frowned, confused.
"Because you have too much free time." Bob rolled his eyes and exclaimed, "With all this downtime, why not train and improve yourself instead?"
Hearing this, Shiki expression darkened. He was about to blow up but quickly remembered that he couldn't actually beat Bob in a fight. Huffing, he threw out a snide remark.
"Hmph! I can't wait to see how badly you lose this time!"
With that, Golden Lion swished his coat dramatically before walking off.
Bob let out an exasperated sigh. "That guy just comes over every time to get insulted."
The time for the gambling match between Bob, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe was set for this afternoon.
The western sun was dipping lower in the sky—time was almost up.
Although Bob initially suggested playing in his own quarters, the sheer buzz the event had generated meant everyone wanted to see it. Under the crew's pressure, they decided to set up the gambling table on the main deck, in a central and open spot.
The reason for choosing this specific location? Simple—easy viewing and a wide, clear vantage point for the spectators.
The Rocks Pirate ship was fully equipped with all kinds of gambling tools. Dice, poker, roulette, darts—if it existed in a casino, it could probably be found onboard.
Gathering all the equipment together, they could practically start a fully operational casino in no time.
For this match, Bob, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe chose poker as their game of choice—specifically a game that Bob was particularly well-versed.
A table was set up in the middle of the deck, with Bob, Wang Zhi, and Silver Axe sitting around it. They exchanged brief, knowing smiles.
Each of them had their own calculations and schemes in mind.
"Bob, I can't believe playing a card game has attracted so much attention from the crew," Wang Zhi remarked, feigning exasperation. He pulled out a large bag filled with treasures and Belly, placing it on the table.
As for why the crew even knew about this gambling match, Wang Zhi himself had spread the word. His goal was to draw a crowd of witnesses, fearing that Bob might deny his losses later if the match went south for him.
With so many watching eyes, it'd be impossible for Bob to back out of the bet.
"Who knows," Bob replied, casting a glance at both Wang Zhi and Silver Axe. He continued with a sharp tongue, "But whoever leaked this, I hope they give birth to kids with broken, rotted backsides!"
Although Bob wasn't sure who spread the word, it was definitely one—or both—of these two.
After all, John didn't know about the 30 million Belly loss Bob had casually mentioned.
Hearing such venom, Wang Zhi was momentarily at a loss for words. He looked as if he'd swallowed a fly, unable to respond for a long time.
"Ahem… Let's just begin!" Wang Zhi coughed awkwardly, picking up a deck of cards.
Meanwhile, the rest of the crew gathered around the deck began flocking closer to witness the showdown.
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