Chapter 14 : The Marine's Disgrace, General Gasparde, and a 100 Million Berri Bet!
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The bartender turned and walked toward the back of the room.
At the end of a short hallway, he unlocked a door.
Behind it was a pitch-black tunnel leading into the unknown.
He lit an oil lamp and handed it to Jin. "Just keep going straight. You'll get to where you want to go. This is as far as I can take you. You'll know what to do when you get there. Oh, and one more thing. When you reach the end, take out two 100-Berri coins. It's the password. I hope you make it out alive."
At the end of the tunnel, a vicious, ugly-looking man stood guard. After Jin produced the two 100-Berri coins, he opened the door.
Light spilled in.
Beyond the door was a massive underground casino. Hordes of pirates were gambling, drinking, and carousing.
The noise was deafening.
As they walked up a flight of stairs, they passed dozens of pirate flags hanging on the walls. A full-sized pirate ship was even suspended from the ceiling.
"Hey, new faces. You here to gamble?" a man called out from near the entrance. "The boss is on the next floor up."
Jin smiled. "No. We're not here to gamble."
"Eh?" the man said, surprised. "You're here for the race?"
He laughed and waved his hand dismissively. "You might as well turn back now. It doesn't matter how many lives you have; it won't be enough."
Someone else snickered. "Hey, do you even know what this race is about?"
Jin shot him a sidelong glance.
"It's a race held by pirates," he said slowly, his voice carrying over the din. "A no-holds-barred 'race to the end of death'. The finish line is different every time, but the starting line is always here. The destination is determined by the Log Pose you're given. The rules are simple: the first person to reach the finish line wins the prize money. Anything that happens along the way is fair game. That's right. Anything... including sinking your opponents' ships... and killing them."
The man who had been mocking him, now looking foolish, just snorted.
"Well, well," the gambler said, "you know your stuff. About a third of the people here are in it for the race. If you want to sign up, go see the boss upstairs." He pointed them in the right direction.
As Jin and Wilson headed up the stairs, they heard two booming laughs. Looking down, they saw two giants at the bottom of the room.
"Those are the number three seed for this race," a voice said. "The fishermen from the Giant Tribe, Bobby and Pogo."
Jin looked over. A fat man with a blonde woman on his arm was smiling at them. He had a yellow mohawk, a massive gut, and a gold chain around his neck. This was the public "boss" of the establishment.
"And over there," the boss continued, "is the number two seed, the killer whale Fish-Man, Willy!"
Willy was chugging a flagon of ale. His hearing was sharp, and he glanced over in their direction. He looked surprised to see Wilson.
That guy?
By the time he set his drink down, all he could see was the tall, imposing back of the Fish-Man disappearing into the attic with the boss.
"What is it, brother?"
"I thought I saw someone I knew."
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In the quiet attic.
Jin signed the entry contract, paid the 200-Berri fee, and was handed a Log Pose for the finish line.
"Asuka Island."
"So that's the finish line?"
"That's right," the boss said, his arm still around the woman. "The currents around there are a mess. Creates a ton of whirlpools, both visible and hidden. Without a top-notch navigator, one wrong move and you'll be swallowed by the sea. You'd better be careful."
Jin smiled faintly. "Compared to that, the other contestants are the real threat, aren't they?" He glanced at the contract. "Number three seed, the Giant Brothers. Number two seed, the Fish-Man. Who's the number one seed?"
"Gasparde," the boss replied. "Bounty: 95,000,000 Berries. He was originally a Rear Admiral at Marine Headquarters. For some reason, he stole his own warship and defected. The Marines consider him a disgrace. His main ship is a steam-powered warship—the Salamander. He won the last race."
Jin grinned.
So it's you. Candy Man.
User of the Logia-type Candy-Candy Fruit. Weakness: flour.
He was the perfect prey.
"By the way," the boss said, "aren't you going to place a bet? Anyone can bet. The payout is 350 to 1."
Jin's interest was piqued. "Is there a limit?"
"Theoretically," the boss said, "no."
"In that case," Jin said, "I'll bet on myself to win."
He held up one finger.
"Heh," the boss chuckled. "A million Berries? You're pretty confident."
"No," Jin said, shaking his head.
"Hm?"
"One hundred million Berries."
THUD!
The boss fell out of his chair in shock. The color drained from the woman's face.
"One... one hundred million Berries?!"
The grunts in the room were all speechless.
Is this guy an idiot? Betting a hundred million on himself?
The boss scrambled to his feet, slamming his palms on the table. "Do you have any idea who you're up against?"
"Is there a problem?" Jin asked calmly. "Or are you saying you can't cover a 100 million Berri bet?"
The boss's eyes were practically bulging out of his head as he tried to size Jin up.
Who the hell this guy? He'd never seen him, never heard of him. Was he just arrogant? Or was he a wolf in sheep's clothing?
After a long moment of hesitation, he suddenly burst out laughing. "Welcome! We love high rollers here!"
A plan was already forming in his mind.
"As long as you can put up the 100 million Berries up front."
Jin's eyes crinkled into a smile. "No problem. But... if I win and you can't pay up... everything here belongs to me."
The takedown of the Razor Pirates had netted him about sixty million Berries. That, plus the profits from the Ice Mushroom trade and the "collection" of Berries via the Merit Voucher Act, had brought his cash on hand to 200 million.
Lately, Ai had been analyzing the composition of the Berri. Once they could successfully counterfeit it, Jin would never be short on cash again. And flooding the market with "fake" Berries would inevitably trigger a financial crisis, shaking the very foundations of the World Government.
But until he had enough power to back it up, he had to keep a low profile. Build his walls high, store up his grain.
When Jin actually produced the 100 million Berries and signed the contract, the boss watched him leave, a puff of smoke curling from his lips.
"The nature of this race has just changed," he said. "Tell everyone that whoever takes out the Black Dragon Pirates tomorrow gets an extra fifty million Berries."
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Within half an hour, the news that someone had bet 100 million Berries on himself had spread throughout Hannabal Island, becoming the talk of the town among the pirates.
"Is that guy an idiot?"
"Guess he's in a hurry to die."
"I've seen plenty of arrogant fools who didn't know their place. They're all at the bottom of the sea now."
"The prize for this race is 100 million, plus another 50 million on the side? This is getting interesting."
The 100 million Berri bet had turned up the heat on tomorrow's race.
The spectators were buzzing with excitement.
The real contenders were rubbing their hands in anticipation.
Onboard the Salamander—Gasparde's voice was low and gravelly. "Is he just an idiot with more power than brains? Needless, go test him out."
The giants, Bobby and Pogo, made a bold declaration: "That fifty million is as good as ours!"
The Fish-Man, Willy, sneered. "What a fool. Humans really are an inferior species. His head is mine."
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