"Bets are closed, open!"
"One, three, one. Small!"
As the dealer lifted the dice cup, revealing the numbers on the dice, the room erupted in groans of despair.
Gion had lost the one million Berries she had won, along with her own five hundred thousand Berries.
"I don't believe it. Again."
With Raleigh by her side, Gion felt she couldn't afford to lose here.
But her expression didn't escape the dealer's notice.
In simpler terms, the dealer judged that Gion was hooked.
Moving forward, the dealer only needed to let Gion win a little and lose a lot to empty her wallet.
Raleigh didn't pay it any mind.
After all, he had plenty of money to spare. The amount he exchanged wasn't even as much as he could earn from capturing a single pirate.
"Two, three, one. Small!"
"Three, three, two. Small!"
"Four, five, six. Big!"
The dealer shook the dice cup in his hands, while the chips in front of Gion dwindled.
The money she exchanged was disappearing from her sight.
"How can I keep losing?" Gion felt unhappy.
She hadn't considered using Observation Haki to see the dice inside the cup.
In her view, going out to have fun was about enjoying oneself.
It was like spending money on ring toss games at a fair—even if the prizes weren't valuable, the process was enjoyable.
However, Gion didn't realize the dice cup could be controlled by the dealer.
Although his hands had left the table, there was a hidden button under his foot that could shift the dice inside the cup.
This was why the casino was never afraid of losing money.
Even if someone won a lot at the casino, it took one loss to pay it all back with interest.
"Beautiful lady, you have no chips left. Would you like to continue playing?"
Gion snapped out of her thoughts and looked at the empty table in front of her, feeling bored.
Although she had been engrossed in the guessing game, she was an elite of the Navy and regained control of her emotions.
"No, I'm done playing."
Gion planned to go with Raleigh to the lounge area to have some cake and red wine.
A pot-bellied middle-aged man spoke up.
"Hey, beautiful, want me to cover your chips? Just spend a little time with me."
He leered at Gion's figure.
In theory, the casino didn't welcome troublemaking guests, but this middle-aged man was acquainted with a minor boss under Crocodile's command, so he acted bolder.
"Raleigh." Gion turned her head to ask for his opinion.
"What's so good about a pretty boy like him? Beautiful, you'll have a better life if you follow me."
"Hahahahaha!"
The middle-aged man laughed, clutching his stomach. The gamblers around them looked up at Gion and Raleigh and laughed.
A smile curled at the corner of Raleigh's lips.
He didn't understand why some people thought their power and influence were impressive.
The more unfamiliar someone was, the more cautious one should be—because you never knew if they had a powerful figure backing them or if they were strong.
This fat man was about to learn a lesson.
"What did you just say? I didn't hear it."
Raleigh's figure appeared behind the middle-aged man, a large hand pressing down on his head.
"You... you dare touch me? My brother is an officer under Lord Crocodile. Let me go now, and we'll pretend we never met. We can forget everything."
Though frightened, the middle-aged man believed that since this was Crocodile's stronghold, Raleigh wouldn't dare to act harshly.
It would be better to accept his terms and go their separate ways.
As for Raleigh and Gion leaving Rain Dinners, he would find people to take revenge later.
"Who do you think you are, trying to bargain with me?"
With a burst of force, Raleigh grabbed the middle-aged man's head and slammed it onto the casino table.
Bam!
The middle-aged man lay at Raleigh's feet, head bleeding.
Raleigh took a handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his hands, and tossed it to the ground.
Then, he addressed the approaching casino security.
"He's not dead."
This was a lesson to let him know not everyone could be offended.
The gamblers and dealers in the room froze. They had assumed that after taking action in the casino, the young couple would leave.
The slender man had struck hard—with one blow, he left the middle-aged man bleeding on the ground.
"Excuse me, sir, please come with us."
The security personnel stepped forward and spoke to Raleigh. This was Rain Dinners, and maintaining order in the casino was their duty.
Even though the person who acted seemed capable, they had to brace themselves and step up.
They felt no fear.
This was Crocodile's territory, and his office was upstairs.
"I'm not going. Can't be bothered with the hassle."
Raleigh waved his hand, returned to Gion's side, picked up a glass of red wine, and took a sip.
"I'll stay in the casino today, but if you don't get this guy help soon, I can't guarantee he won't bleed to death. Don't blame me when that happens."
The security personnel glanced at the middle-aged man on the ground, then at Raleigh sitting on the sofa, unsure of what to do.
The casino manager arrived and took charge.
"You, take the man to the hospital first. Leave these two guests alone."
Following the manager's instructions, the security personnel carried the unconscious middle-aged man away.
The manager walked over and said, "Guests, we may need an explanation from both of you later. Of course, our casino won't take sides. But I think it's best to keep things peaceful when you're out having fun. Reconciliation is the better option."
Neither Raleigh nor Gion paid him any attention.
Though annoyed, the manager didn't say more and left with a forced smile.
---------
Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator