Chapter 164: Fear
The noise in the casino was gradually replaced by waves of gasps, sweeping through the hall like a rising tide.
Every eye turned almost simultaneously to a single spot—the roulette table.
There, a black-haired man wearing sunglasses leaned back lazily in his chair, looking as relaxed as if he were on a beach vacation.
The mountain of chips piled on the table refracted the crystal lights, dazzling like scattered gems.
Round after round, the chips fell. The clack-clack-clack of the rolling ball now sounded like war drums pounding on everyone's nerves.
"32 Million Belly!"
When the croupier mechanically announced the number, it exploded in the air like thunder, silencing everyone instantly before a deafening uproar erupted.
"What... what kind of monster is this?!"
"I just lost 1,000 Belly, and he won over thirty million in one go?! This is insane!!"
"In just five rounds, he turned one million into thirty-two?! Are you kidding me?!"
Gasps, whispers, jealousy, and fear swept through the crowd like a storm. Onlookers packed tighter and tighter around the table, forming an impenetrable wall.
And at the center of the storm—
Roy sat steady as a rock, chin resting on his hand, a faint smile playing on his lips.
His expression was indifferent, as if everything that had just happened was as trivial as picking up a few seashells on the beach.
He slowly took off his sunglasses, revealing eyes as deep as the sea and dark as the abyss.
His gaze swept lightly over the crowd—mocking, scrutinizing, imposing. Like a hunter surveying his trap.
Cold sweat beaded on the croupier's forehead, his fingers trembling silently.
"Impossible..."
"I rigged it... why did the wheel still stop on his number?!"
He stole a glance toward the surveillance room, praying for an instruction, an order, even just a look.
But the only response was silence, dead as stagnant water.
Second Floor - Surveillance Room
"Notify the Vice President immediately!"
The surveillance officer's face was pale as he scrambled for the Den Den Mushi. "Serious anomaly at the roulette table! The target has won thirty-two million consecutively!"
In the casino corridor, high heels clicked rhythmically on the marble floor.
Nico Robin walked through the brightly lit hallway, her steps steady and elegant, followed closely by two bodyguards in sharp suits.
"Vice President, a guest at the roulette area—"
"I know."
She interrupted softly. Her eyes remained calm as a lake, her tone gentle and composed.
However, when she turned the corner and her gaze fell upon the man—
"BOOM!"
A thunderclap exploded in her mind, wiping her thoughts blank instantly!
"It's him...?!"
Her body felt bound by invisible chains. She stopped abruptly, her knees going weak, nearly losing her balance.
She wanted to run. She wanted to turn around and leave immediately, like fleeing a storm that would swallow everything.
But in that split second, Roy looked up.
Just one glance.
Those eyes, deep as the night, met hers. It was casual, yet it cut through her mind like a blade.
Robin's breath hitched. Her blood seemed to freeze instantly, a chill running down her spine. She felt nailed to the spot, unable to move a single finger.
"He's warning me..."
"If I run now... I'll die."
With the crisp clack, clack, clack of high heels, a figure slowly walked into view from the crowd.
Nico Robin wore a form-fitting black outfit, a long black coat draped over her shoulders billowing with her steps. Her raven hair fell like a waterfall, her red lips striking as a rose. She walked with the wind, like a phantom stepping out of the night shadows.
She looked elegant, composed, and effortlessly charming, like the queen of the casino.
"This guest truly has amazing luck."
Her voice was gentle and melodious, low and pleasing like fine wine, calm but laced with a faint, almost imperceptible chill.
The surrounding gamblers immediately stirred.
"The Vice President came out personally?!"
"It's over. This guy provoked the higher-ups!"
But no one noticed that beneath that flawless, cold mask, her fists were clenched, knuckles white, palms soaked in sweat.
Her smile was fixed like a sculpture, but cold sweat trickled down her back.
Roy simply smirked, tapping his finger lightly on the table, his expression unreadable.
"Luck?"
He murmured, looking at her indifferently, as if piercing through her skin straight to her soul.
"Perhaps."
With that, he flicked a gold chip casually. It flew with pinpoint accuracy, landing right in Robin's palm.
"Why don't... you play a round with me?"
His voice was gentle and casual, yet it hit her heart like a hammer, making it impossible for Robin to take a single step back.
In this game, she had no choice.
Meanwhile, Rain Dinners Casino - Top Floor Office
In the dimly lit room, cigar smoke swirled, the air thick with anxiety and oppression.
Crocodile stood in front of the massive surveillance screen, his golden hook hanging by his side, his clenched right hand trembling involuntarily.
On the screen, Roy sat lazily at the table, looking as if the entire casino were his personal stage.
Opposite him stood Nico Robin, wearing a professional smile.
But Crocodile could tell she was afraid. A true fear seeping from her bones.
Crocodile's face darkened instantly, his teeth grinding against his cigar.
"Damn it..."
"Whitebeard alone nearly beat me to pieces..."
"Now comes a monster Marine who can fight Whitebeard and Kaido simultaneously?!"
His golden hook trembled slightly, reflecting the chilling smile on Roy's lips on the screen.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
"I am a Warlord of the Sea... a 'legal' pirate recognized by the World Government. He has no reason—no, no right to do anything to me, right?"
"But then again, this guy doesn't seem to care about the Warlord title at all..."
"Donquixote Doflamingo is currently reading newspapers in Impel Down..."
Crocodile took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, but the veins on his forehead and the cold sweat on his back betrayed him.
He stared fixedly at Robin on the screen, his expression twisting.
"Robin... she is my key!"
"The only one who can decipher the Poneglyphs! The most important piece in my plan!"
"If that monster targets her and takes her away, my entire plan is finished!!!"
He slammed his fist onto the console, crushing his cigar instantly, ash and tobacco scattering.
"No! I can't let him take her!"
"But the question is... how do I keep her from that kind of monster?!"
His thoughts tumbled frantically like a trapped beast. "Fight head-on? Are you kidding me... I couldn't even block one hit from Whitebeard. Him? He soloed Kaido and Whitebeard!"
"Negotiate? What can I give him? Why would he listen to me?"
"Run? This is Alabasta, my territory, my foundation—if I lose this, what revenge can I talk about?!"
He gritted his teeth, eyes filled with rage and anxiety.
Just as he was trying to think of his next move, Roy on the screen suddenly looked up—
Those deep, abyssal black eyes seemed to pierce through the lens, through the screen, looking straight into the top-floor office!
Crocodile's heart lurched with a THUMP!
His body stiffened, cold sweat pouring down his back like a tide, his breath catching in his throat!
"He... he found me?!!"
In that moment, he instinctively took a half-step back, like prey spotted by a predator.
"Impossible... impossible... how could he know...?"
But the oppressive pressure of that momentary gaze was like a spike driven into his soul, making it impossible for Crocodile to deceive himself any longer.
He stumbled slightly, forcing himself to stand firm, but he couldn't muster his usual arrogance and confidence.
He knew very well that this game was no longer just a gamble on a table...
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