"So, it seems you think you've got me cornered," William remarked evenly.
"Of course!" Golden Lion Shiki replied with casual confidence.
"It's never wise to be so certain about anything," William countered. "I've always made a habit of preparing for worst-case scenarios."
Shiki bit down on his cigar and scoffed dismissively. "That's because you're excessively cautious and fundamentally weak."
William shook his head. As they conversed, he noticed a card game in progress by the roadside. In this town with its substantial pirate population, gambling ranked among their primary diversions.
Although White Pine Town maintained a proper casino, many pirates struck by sudden gambling urges rarely bothered making the journey there. These impromptu card games with their flexible stakes offered a convenient pastime.
However, when the gambling pirates spotted William approaching, their expressions transformed as though they'd witnessed an apparition. In unison, they tensely abandoned the table, having never anticipated encountering the town's proprietor on such an obscure side street.
William guided Shiki to the vacated table and idly manipulated the scattered cards.
"They appear quite intimidated by you," Shiki observed.
William cast a glance toward the retreating pirates. "Because I disapprove of their gambling here."
Shiki raised an eyebrow. "You oppose gambling?"
"No, I merely oppose gambling here," William clarified, setting down the cards. "When they gamble in the casino, management is straightforward. These informal games? I can't tax them."
Shiki's lips curved downward in a subtle smirk.
Meanwhile, the former players, noticing that William seemed preoccupied with Shiki rather than pursuing them, cautiously retreated further. Realizing they wouldn't face immediate consequences, they hastily fled, abandoning their cards and money entirely.
Returning to their previous discussion, William began organizing the scattered deck as he spoke: "You possessed tremendous strength in your prime. Against Pirate King Roger, you maintained the advantage. Yet weren't you ultimately defeated by an inexplicable storm?"
Shiki's expression darkened with anger, but William afforded him no opportunity to respond. Instead, he presented the deck. "Care for a quick game? Let's determine whose fortune is less favorable."
"I never gamble," Shiki replied coldly. "I refuse to allow something as ephemeral as luck to dictate my victories."
"One shouldn't rely exclusively on luck, but neither should one disregard it," William remarked with a slight smile. "The Conqueror's Haki you mentioned earlier—isn't possessing such a power also a matter of fortune?"
With a sharp snap, William slapped the deck onto the table and spread the cards with a single fluid motion.
"Let's each draw a card and see who obtains the higher number," William suggested, already selecting one for himself.
Shiki narrowed his eyes, tilting his chin slightly as he regarded William with meaningful intensity. After a prolonged pause, he released a cold chuckle and casually drew a card from the table.
Shiki flipped his card over with minimal interest—revealing the Ten of Diamonds. William then revealed his own selection—the Ace of Spades.
William's expression immediately fell.
"ACE?" Shiki's smirk widened, his tone saturated with mockery. "It appears your luck truly is abysmal. In most games, this would constitute a powerful card. But since we're simply comparing numerical values, yours ranks lowest. Your clever ploy only reinforces your resemblance to a clown."
Shiki picked up his Ten of Diamonds, tore it methodically into fragments, and contemptuously scattered the pieces across William's face. "You still fail to comprehend the reality before you. The disparity between our strength parallels the difference between our drawn cards. Yet you presumed a simple wager might dissuade me? You've proven profoundly disappointing. Don't you understand that lambs have no right to share a gambling table with lions? The only table where you belong is the dining table!"
"I'll grant you one month to contemplate my proposition," Shiki declared. "Decide whether you prefer remaining in the East Blue as perpetual prey or joining genuine lions in hunting across the world."
He added with chilling finality, "And regardless of what methods you employ, ensure you pacify and convince your subordinates. When I return, I expect to inherit a functioning operation, not a disorganized mess."
William understood that the one-month grace period primarily served Shiki's final condition.
Having delivered his ultimatum, Shiki signaled to Don Krieg, and the pair leisurely departed, leaving William, Selkirk, Aramis, and their companions standing in somber silence.
"Captain Shiki, what's your assessment?" Krieg inquired after they had walked some distance. During William and Shiki's exchange, Krieg had maintained a respectful distance and consequently missed portions of their conversation.
"Initially, I harbored substantial expectations for him," Shiki responded with derision. "However, after our brief interaction, I realize I overestimated him. While intellectually sharp, he lacks decisiveness. Placing hope in a card game? Utterly naive!"
Shiki scoffed again. "And throughout this confrontation, he remains preoccupied with gambling taxation. Doesn't he comprehend that if he cannot resist my authority, all the taxation in the world becomes meaningless? Foolish!"
"Most critically, he lacks courage. Does he believe he's exercising patience? Or perhaps attempting to recreate the circumstances of his initial ascension? He fails to recognize that present conditions differ fundamentally from the past. Then, he commanded merely two or three associates. Now, he leads thousands. I've commandeered his vessel, executed his men, and compelled his surrender—yet he offers no resistance." Shiki's assessment grew increasingly caustic. "He will soon lose all loyalty among his followers. Or perhaps he recognizes this reality but simply lacks the fortitude to challenge me."
Krieg cast a furtive glance at Shiki before averting his gaze. "Isn't that advantageous for our purposes?"
"Absolutely," Shiki laughed heartily. "Now, let's return to the island and wait. In one month's time, we'll return to claim everything—this island, this nation, and all he has constructed!"
...
Back in White Pine Town, long after Shiki and Krieg had vanished from sight, Aramis finally broke the silence. "William?"
The despair and defeat that had marked William's features moments earlier had completely vanished. With an expressionless countenance, he extracted a fragment of shredded card from his collar and discarded it. Then, raising his hand, he executed a circular motion above his head.
At the periphery of White Pine Town's harbor, atop the towering lighthouse, Dampier tapped Yasopp, who had remained motionless behind a specialized sniper rifle since the moment William and Shiki appeared on the same street.
"All clear."
Yasopp withdrew from the scope, stretched his stiffened neck, and spat forcefully onto the ground in evident frustration. "I could have eliminated him with a single shot."
Clearly, Yasopp had witnessed Shiki's contemptuous gesture of throwing card fragments into William's face.
"You'll have your opportunity for that shot," Dampier assured him. "But the kill... that must be William's prerogative."
🔥 Want to read the next 20 chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]