The dice rattled furiously inside the metal cup.
Ding... ding... ding...
The dealer's hand moved elegantly as she pressed the button to stop the roll. The metallic clatter echoed across the room — sharp, rhythmic, suspenseful.
Teach stood in the middle of the crowd, his grin hidden beneath the shadow of his hat. As the noise rang, he quietly released his Observation Haki, letting his perception spread across the table like an invisible tide.
But something was off.
The dice cup which was made from a strange alloy blocked his Haki. It wasn't ordinary metal; it had been forged specifically to prevent Observation Haki users from cheating. A casino backed by royalty didn't take chances.
For most gamblers, that barrier was impenetrable. Only someone whose Observation Haki had reached the highest tiers could see through it.
Teach, of course, was no ordinary man.
His awareness pierced the veil of the cup. He could sense the faint tremors, trace the dice as they bounced and rolled, feel their indentations, read the shape of the numbers—
Until suddenly, everything went blank.
The future, which he could usually glimpse, became a fog of shifting possibilities. The dice outcomes kept changing, like a flame flickering in the wind.
A mysterious force was rewriting probability itself.
Teach's smirk deepened. "Zehahaha... so that's how it is."
The Lucky-Lucky Fruit.
Only such a power could twist fate and disrupt his foresight. The ability to control luck was terrifying in the right hands. Depending on the user's will and strength, it could border on wish fulfillment.
He studied the young woman at the table. She looked calm, almost radiant, her expression carrying the same quiet confidence as a seasoned queen.
She's already begun using it.
Whether her fruit boosted her own fortune or drained it from others didn't matter. Either way, she was dangerous.
Across the table, Baccarat felt the shift too.
A faint thrill ran through her chest. That presence, that vast, ominous aura wrapped in laughter, it had to be him.
The one she'd been waiting for.
Her life flashed briefly in her mind.
Born on a small island in the first half of the Grand Line, her father an actor, her mother a singer, she'd inherited their grace and charisma. When pirates destroyed her home, she survived only by pure accident... or rather, by luck.
She had eaten the Lucky-Lucky Fruit without knowing its name. The pirates who tried to claim her died in freak accidents — slipping on wet floors, choking on their own food, crushed by falling debris.
From that day on, she understood: luck was power.
She vowed to master it.
Through countless voyages, she tested her gift; turning ambushes into windfalls, danger into opportunity. Eventually, her power began to guide her, leading her toward something... or someone.
That subtle feeling had brought her here, to Spring Queen City. For half a year, she'd made a name for herself under an alias — "Barbara," the Lucky Lady of the Queen's Casino.
Every month, she came once. Every time, she won.
And today, the pull in her chest told her that destiny had finally arrived.
Her emerald eyes flicked across the crowd. Somewhere nearby was a presence that radiated good fortune — a magnet for her ability, someone bound to her by unseen threads.
She didn't yet know who he was, but she could feel him watching.
A blush threatened to rise, but she suppressed it. Not yet.
The dealer lifted the dice cup.
"Six... one... two. Small!"
A roar erupted from the crowd.
"The Lucky Lady wins again!"
"Unbelievable—she's never lost!"
"I bet the same as her! Thank you, Miss Barbara!"
Round after round, the result was the same. Every roll fell in her favor.
Her stack of chips swelled until they nearly spilled over. She didn't play for large sums — just small-stakes games on the first floor — but her winnings still totaled millions of Berries. Enough to make ordinary men tremble.
Teach watched in silence. Then, with his usual grin, he handed chips to Peto and Gar.
"Go on. Play a little. But don't jump in blind, watch the rules first."
Peto nodded eagerly, darting toward a nearby table. Gar followed, his imposing presence scattering timid gamblers like mice.
Teach, meanwhile, returned to the center, easing his massive frame through the crowd until he stood within reach of Baccarat's table.
She felt him before she saw him.
Her pulse quickened.
When her gaze finally landed on the man forcing his way through the crowd, tall, broad-shouldered, with wild black curls and eyes that gleamed like oil, she knew....
This was him.
The one her luck had been calling to all this time.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, the clamor of the casino fell away.
He's dangerous, she realized — not in a physical way, but cosmically so. The air around him twisted probability itself. When she brushed her power against his aura, it recoiled as though burned.
Could she even escape him if she tried?
No.
She smiled faintly. Perfect.
Teach sensed her curiosity. Her emotions pulsed faintly through the haze of luck surrounding her, excitement, recognition, not a hint of hostility.
He grinned. So you've noticed me too, eh? Zehahaha...
To him, this was opportunity wrapped in charm. He'd been planning to recruit her anyway, but now, it seemed she might fall into his hands willingly.
The game continued. Teach started placing bets — always second to last, always choosing the opposite side from Baccarat.
Big when she went small. Small when she went big.
Every single time, he lost.
Spectators began to gather.
"Look at that idiot! Betting opposite the Lucky Lady!"
"He's lost millions already!"
"Maybe he's doing it on purpose. Trying to impress her?"
Teach didn't flinch. His pile of chips dwindled, but his smile never did.
To the onlookers, he was a rich fool. To Baccarat, he was the calm center of a storm.
Finally, after what felt like hours, Baccarat leaned back. The mountain of chips before her glittered under the chandeliers.
She exhaled softly — satisfied, but drained.
That was when Teach moved.
He stepped forward, the crowd instinctively parting. His coat rustled, and the gold around his neck caught the light.
"Beautiful lady," he said with a grin, bowing slightly and extending his hand, palm up. "Would you allow me the honor of buying you dinner?"
The entire room froze.
So direct. So absurdly bold.
Whispers rippled instantly through the crowd.
"No way she'll say yes!"
"She's turned down nobles and tycoons!"
"He must be insane... or loaded!"
But Baccarat only looked up at him, at the tall, wild man who radiated power and fate like a burning sun.
Her lips curved into a smile, dazzling and dangerous.
"Alright," she said, resting her gloved hand lightly atop his. "But my dinners don't come cheap."
The crowd exploded.
"WHAT?!"
"She agreed?!"
"My goddess! She's leaving with him!"
Teach chuckled, low and dark. "Zehahaha... then I'll just have to make sure it's worth the price."
As he led her away, the gamblers could only watch, hearts breaking and wallets empty.
Behind them, Peto and Gar exchanged a look, shrugged, and followed.
They cashed out their remaining chips and trailed their captain out of the Queen's Casino — leaving behind a room full of shattered pride and stunned silence.