"Hey! Are you the boss? The one called Lord Peacock?" the Marine lieutenant commander demanded, his voice rising above the casino's ambient noise.
"I've been gambling in your establishment for hours, and I haven't made a single Berry! Something's not right here!"
Upon seeing the masked figure emerge, the officer slammed his palm against the table as if demanding an immediate explanation for his sudden reversal of fortune.
"Pafafafa! But I've certainly made money," the masked man replied with obvious amusement in his voice. "Lieutenant Commander, please don't disturb our other valued guests with your outburst."
"If you're done playing for the evening, perhaps it's time to settle all the debts you've accumulated over the past few months—including today's losses, of course."
The masked casino owner glanced disdainfully at the mess the Marine had created around the gambling table and scattered across the floor. Despite using a respectful title, his tone was ice-cold as he gestured to someone behind him.
His female assistant—the same middle-aged, heavily made-up woman from before—stepped forward and retrieved a carefully prepared bill from her handbag, presenting it to the increasingly agitated lieutenant commander.
The officer's eyes narrowed as he realized how dismissively the casino owner was treating him. This casual disrespect only fueled his growing anger and desperation.
He snatched the paper from the assistant's hands, scanned its contents, and made a split-second decision to deny everything. After all, his gambling losses had already accumulated to astronomical levels over the months. Even with all his savings from years of service, he couldn't cover even half of what he owed.
"What kind of scam is this? I don't owe you nearly that much money!" he protested loudly.
"Really, sir? Have you forgotten how... generous you've been with your bets?" the masked peacock man replied mockingly.
"Ha! You've been cheating me all along, making me lose on purpose! Why should I pay anything to a bunch of crooks?"
After this declaration, the lieutenant commander deliberately threw the bill aside, making his refusal to pay crystal clear to everyone watching.
"Oh? I suggest you think very carefully about your next words," the masked figure said, his fists clenching with audible cracks. "This is not the kind of establishment where people can simply default on their obligations."
"I don't suppose you've forgotten whose flag protects this island?"
He gestured meaningfully toward the massive Whitebeard Pirates jolly roger hanging prominently in the center of the casino.
"Whitebeard's flag... so what?! I'm an officer of Marine Headquarters! How dare you threaten—"
Before the lieutenant commander could finish his indignant speech, the masked casino owner suddenly exploded into action. He rushed forward and delivered a devastating punch that sent the Marine crashing to the floor.
"How dare you show such arrogance in my territory—in Whitebeard's territory!" he roared.
Before the injured officer could even attempt to struggle or get back to his feet, several waiters quickly moved in to bind him with rope and began dragging his unconscious form toward the casino's exit.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" the masked man announced cheerfully, his demeanor instantly returning to that of a gracious host. "That was simply a brief entertainment program provided by our establishment. I do hope it didn't disturb your enjoyment of the evening!"
"Today is a day of grand celebration, after all. I hope you all have fun and win big, just like I do!"
Seeing the crowd of gamblers becoming animated and excited again by the dramatic display, the masked casino owner grinned with obvious satisfaction. He then disappeared back into the casino's private areas, accompanied by his two assistants.
"So this is Ace's target?" Jerry muttered quietly to Skull, having witnessed the entire violent confrontation. "His methods seem a bit... brutal."
"Indeed. Shall we continue observing, or have we seen enough?" Skull replied in equally hushed tones.
"Let's head outside and find Carina and Carrot. They've been enjoying the festival for hours now—knowing Carrot's energy, she's probably gotten herself into some kind of trouble by now."
"Ah! Just give me a moment to exchange these chips for actual money first," Skull said, holding up a small collection of gambling chips he had managed to win during their time in the casino.
He headed toward the exchange counter while Jerry glanced at the darkening sky overhead. According to their pre-arranged meeting schedule, it was time to reconvene with the rest of their group in the next commercial district.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island, Ace had spent the better part of the afternoon making discreet inquiries until he finally managed to locate a gang leader who might have the connections he needed. He immediately approached the man and hinted that he had certain "goods" available for the right price.
Wrapped in a concealing cloak and wearing one of the decorative masks that had become popular due to the festival celebration, Ace was led into a newly opened bar. The establishment's entrance was marked by flashing colorful neon lights that seemed designed to attract attention from the street.
Since it was still relatively early in the evening, the bar wasn't particularly crowded. The few patrons present were mostly frustrated individuals who had been drinking away their problems for hours, or men who were taking a break after sending their wives and children to attend the outdoor celebration performances that had already begun throughout the town.
Despite the sparse crowd, the atmosphere was quite noisy. Everyone who chose to drink in a place like this seemed eager to engage in conversation, and their topics typically revolved around war, politics, and the latest pirate activities.
Although he claimed to be a gang leader, the man who had brought Ace here—who introduced himself as Gino—didn't appear to be particularly successful in his chosen profession. After entering the bar, he found a random table and immediately made his first demand.
"Hey, newcomer—buy me a drink first, then we'll talk business," he said without ceremony.
"Of course! Let's drink together," Ace replied, grateful that his mask helped conceal his inexperience with this kind of undercover work.
After quickly consuming several glasses of alcohol, Gino's tongue began to loosen, and he started sharing information that Ace desperately needed to hear.
"Kid, you've found the right person for this kind of work," Gino began with slightly slurred speech. "But if you'd come looking for me a few years ago, I would've been completely useless to you."
"Really? Why's that? Someone with your connections couldn't make things happen back then?" Ace prompted, sensing an opportunity to learn more about the island's recent history.
"It's not that I couldn't make things happen—it's that the island used to be ruled by old man Corbett, not the current young Master Corbett we have now."
"What's the difference between them?" Ace asked, recognizing that this gang leader was clearly a local with extensive knowledge of the island's power structure.
Whether it was the alcohol taking effect or simply the relief of having someone genuinely interested in his stories after months of isolation, Gino began talking extensively about the island's recent transformation.
"Old man Corbett was what you'd call an old-school pirate," he explained with obvious nostalgia. "Despite being a pirate himself, he believed strongly in honor and proper conduct. After he was fortunate enough to earn Whitebeard's respect and protection, he raised that flag—which is worth more than ten thousand elite soldiers in terms of deterrent power."
"From that point forward, he began expanding his influence and cleaning up the island. The good news was that ordinary people on Pastoral Island gradually became more prosperous. As long as residents were willing to work hard, they could always count on having some income security and a decent standard of living."
"But for those of us in... alternative industries, it was nothing but bad news," Gino continued with obvious bitterness.
"Because of Whitebeard's strict rules about how territories under his protection should be managed, old man Corbett implemented countless regulations. He banned this practice, outlawed that behavior—he even completely shut down all the quick-profit businesses like drug trafficking and slave trading that had been the backbone of our operations."
Through Gino's increasingly detailed narrative, Ace learned that Pastoral Island had been a relatively prosperous hub in the surrounding waters for many years before the Corbett family's rise to power.
During that earlier period, the island had hosted every conceivable type of transaction and entertainment activity. This included not only drug and slave trading, but also underground fighting rings, multiple casinos, traveling circuses, musical concerts, and various other forms of both legal and illegal commerce.
The constant flow of visitors drawn by these diverse offerings had led to significant development in the island's legitimate businesses as well—hotels, restaurants, specialty shops, and other service industries had all flourished thanks to the steady stream of customers.
However, the prevalence of so many black market industries had also resulted in extremely high crime rates, leaving ordinary residents living in constant fear for their safety and security.
When the elder Corbett had consolidated his power and brought the island under Whitebeard's protection, he had systematically eliminated most of the darker enterprises. Only the relatively legitimate businesses survived his cleanup efforts—regulated fighting arenas, properly licensed casinos, family-friendly circuses, and authorized concert venues.
Since the island now flew under Whitebeard's banner, not only did the local criminals lack the courage to resist these changes, but even the World Government and Marine forces found themselves unable to interfere with the island's internal affairs.
The renovated Pastoral Island remained prosperous and bustling, but in a completely different way. Ordinary residents were obviously thrilled to finally live stable, prosperous lives without constant fear. Unfortunately, the gangsters who had previously made their living through illegal means now found themselves struggling in legitimate but far less profitable work.
Gino was clearly one of these displaced criminals. Perhaps because he had once been a successful gang leader who had briefly enjoyed significant power and influence through his various connections, he seemed particularly resentful about his subsequent decline in status and income.
"But things are completely different now!" Gino declared with obvious excitement, his eyes beginning to shine with renewed hope. "I've found new channels for handling goods like the ones you're offering."
"Hey, you interested in sampling some of this?" he asked conspiratorially, producing a small packet of what appeared to be drugs from his jacket pocket.
"Thanks, but I'll pass," Ace replied with a casual wave, though he made sure to mentally note this crucial piece of evidence.
They clinked their glasses together in a mock toast before Ace continued his investigation with another carefully crafted question.
"So what rules has the current successor changed from his father's policies?"
"Ha! Now that's the real question, isn't it?" Gino's face flushed red with alcohol and excitement as he raised his glass toward Ace.
"Young Master Corbett has restored everything to the way it used to be," he explained with obvious satisfaction. "Drugs, slaves—as long as you've got the goods, there's always someone willing to make a deal."
"The only catch is that none of this business can be conducted openly, since we still need to maintain the appearance of respectability to keep flying Whitebeard's flag."
"Speaking of which, you mentioned earlier that you had some merchandise available. What exactly are we talking about here?"
Ace's eyes flashed with satisfaction at having successfully extracted this crucial information, though he quickly concealed his reaction. He reached into his pocket, extended his hand toward Gino, glanced around cautiously to make sure no one else was listening, and whispered:
"I've got some high-quality product fresh from the Grand Line. You interested in making a deal?"