Chapter 41

AN: Check out my P@treon For +30 extra chapters.

Thank You For your Support!!

www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777

--------------------------------

As the wine flowed through his body, he suddenly felt his chakra ignite like a raging fire. Reacting quickly, he followed the instructions displayed on his screen, channeling his chakra to refine the effects.

After a short while, Jack opened his eyes, staring at the honey wine on the table, his gaze now filled with excitement.

Just one sip had given him the equivalent of several days' worth of hard training! However, the gourd was small, and he could tell that the boost to his chakra was limited. Still, the discovery that the treasure draw could yield such rare and powerful items made the gamble feel entirely worth it.

Suppressing the urge to finish the entire gourd in one go, Jack glanced at his remaining 11,549 diamonds. He hesitated.

Should I try another treasure draw?

If the treasure wheel contained exclusive items unavailable in the mall, then investing in it might just be the smartest move he could make.

'Alright, let's do this! It's just diamonds, right? Small investments lead to big returns! Worst case scenario, I'll ignore Luffy for now and clear out all the bounty hunters in Baroque Works first!' Jack thought with a wicked grin.

"Please, please! Just give me another treasure that boosts chakra!" He practically prayed to the heavens.

"You used the treasure wheel and obtained: Dragon bead ×1."

"Dragon bead? Sounds fancy! But… it probably isn't something that enhances chakra." Jack quickly opened his inventory to inspect the item.

Dragon bead: A variant of the Stone of Gelel. Effect unknown. Can be absorbed into the body.

"Effect unknown?" Jack raised an eyebrow at the system's description.

Reaching into his inventory, he retrieved the Dragon bead—a small, blood-red orb that emitted a faint glow. It wasn't as awe-inspiring as he had imagined.

"How do I even absorb this thing? Do I just… eat it?" He hesitated. Then, recalling how treasures in novels often required blood recognition, he pricked his fingertip and let a drop of blood fall onto the bead.

The dragon bead glowed faintly as it absorbed the drop of blood, then returned to its original state.

"Do I really have to swallow this thing? Or...?" Jack hesitated.

After a moment of thought, he took his dagger and made a small cut on his left arm. Slowly, he moved the Dragon bead toward the wound, wanting to test whether it would continue absorbing his blood. If it did, taking it into his body might be outright dangerous.

But before he could react, the bead melted directly into his wound and disappeared into his body.

"Oh, shit!" Jack cursed, immediately scanning himself for any abnormalities.

After a thorough internal check, he finally located the Dragon bead—now settled near his heart. To his relief, it didn't seem to be draining his blood. Otherwise, he would have already been sucked dry.

"Is this thing some kind of filter? Or does it serve another purpose?" He observed carefully, noticing that blood flowing through his heart now passed through the bead before circulating through his body. The process repeated in an endless cycle, almost as if the bead were refining his blood.

"Wait… my strength?" Jack clenched his fist and immediately felt the difference. His body felt stronger. Wasting no time, he opened his attributes panel—both his strength and speed had increased significantly.

"So, this thing has been filtering my blood and gradually making me stronger?" Jack narrowed his eyes, studying his attributes. While there was no visible numerical change, he could feel a subtle increase in his physical strength—weak, but undeniable.

"Let's try channeling chakra."

After careful observation, he was certain the Dragon Bead posed no immediate harm. He cautiously directed his chakra toward it, but the bead showed zero reaction—as if it had no interest in chakra at all. Jack didn't dare push it further. If this thing exploded inside him, he'd be the first to go.

"Hah~ Not a bad haul today. Looks like it's time to stir up some trouble with those bounty hunters." Jack stretched, a sly grin creeping onto his face.

However, just as he was about to stand, he froze. His gaze fell on his arm. The scratch from earlier—it was gone, leaving only a faint white mark.

"What the hell? This kind of healing speed... Is it because of the Dragon Bead?"

Curious, Jack grabbed a dagger and made another small cut on his arm.

Blood trickled out, but much slower than usual. Within seconds, the bleeding stopped entirely. He wiped away the excess blood and watched in astonishment as the wound sealed itself—as if it had never been there.

A slow grin spread across his face. Then, he burst into laughter.

"Finally—finally, I have a body as broken as those overpowered anime characters! This is insane! Hahaha, it's a real treasure!"

Whether at Navy Headquarters or out capturing pirates, Jack had noticed something peculiar—people in this world possessed abnormal recovery abilities.

Take Zoro, for example. The man was nearly cut in half by Hawkeye, yet after a quick bandage, he was somehow back in action at Cocoyashi Village.

If it had been me, I'd be dead without immediate treatment, Jack thought grimly. This was one of his biggest weaknesses. According to old man Garp, his body wasn't tough enough—he needed to keep training and keep pushing his limits.

But now? After spending 20,000 diamonds, he had gained:

→ Honey wine, which boosted his chakra

→ The Dragon Bead, which enhanced his physical resilience

What more could I ask for?

That night, Jack didn't sleep. First, he practiced the intermediate body movement technique, Treading on Snow Without a Trace. Then, he fully absorbed the effects of the honey wine, converting it into his chakra.

Afterward, he refilled the gourd with ordinary sake. It no longer carried the power-enhancing effects, but it still looked stylish—perfect for showing off.

The next morning, Jack set off again, this time changing course—his destination: Rainbase.

He wasn't entirely sure if the other Baroque Works members had bounties, but there was one person he knew for certain had a hefty price on their head—

Nico Robin.

Jack clearly remembered—when she first appeared, her bounty was 79 million berries.

That's a jackpot waiting to be claimed.

Without hesitation, Jack set his sights on Robin.

By now, Jack had tested the system thoroughly—once he captured a bounty criminal, the system would only reward him once. Whether he chose to kill or release them afterward made no difference.

Just as he stepped foot into Rainbase, a long-forgotten system prompt suddenly chimed:

Side Quest: Capture the pirate Crocodile!

Reward: 10,000 diamonds, 10,000 experience points, 1 million berries, and one random spin!

Jack's eyes lit up.

"It's been so long at headquarters that I almost forgot what a mission prompt sounds like!"

His gaze shifted to Rain Dinners, the largest casino in Rainbase—Crocodile's personal stronghold.

But Jack wasn't in a hurry.

The mission specifically said, "Capture the pirate Crocodile." However, Crocodile was still officially one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—technically an ally of the navy, not a pirate.

If Jack attacked him now, there was no guarantee he'd receive either the mission rewards or Crocodile's original bounty.

"Acting on impulse and only getting experience points without diamonds? That would be embarrassing."

So for now, his goal remained unchanged—Nico Robin.

Upon arriving at the casino, Jack casually exchanged some berries for chips and began playing.

Even without cheating, his enhanced hearing and photographic memory made it nearly impossible for him to lose.

Within a short time, his chips had doubled.

Naturally, this soon caught the attention of the casino staff.

"Sir, the stakes here are just small-time. Would you like to move to the VIP area? It would be more fitting for someone of your status and strength." A beautiful attendant approached Jack with a charming smile.

Jack smirked. "Can I meet your boss? I'd like to play a game with her."

The attendant was momentarily stunned. It was rare for a guest to request a game with the casino owner. Even in the outer gambling halls, there were subtle tricks at play, but the real deception happened inside. No matter how much a gambler won, the house always ensured they left empty-handed. And to challenge the boss herself? That was practically asking to lose.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that right away. I'll need to check with the boss first," she replied politely, quickly regaining her composure.

Jack chuckled. "Are you trying to see if I'm qualified? Or are you afraid I lack the ability?" He stood up, gesturing for her to lead the way.

"Oh, it's nothing like that," the attendant said with a light laugh, covering her mouth. "It's just that our boss isn't always present, so she may not be available right away."

Before long, they arrived at a VIP lounge.

"Please make yourself comfortable, sir. I'll inform the boss and see if she's available to entertain your request." With a respectful bow, the attendant gracefully exited the room.

Inside, several other guests sat around gaming tables. They barely spared Jack a glance before returning to their bets, making it clear they didn't see him as a threat.

Jack paid no mind to the dismissive glances and casually strolled over to a sofa, sinking into its plush cushions. Before long, a male attendant arrived, carrying a glass of red wine. "Is there anything else you need, sir?" he asked politely.

Jack shook his head. "What kinds of games do you have here?"

The attendant bowed slightly and began his introduction. "The minimum chip value here is 100,000 berries. Over there is the poker section, where the rules are flexible—players can negotiate them among themselves. The dice area is straightforward; it's all about guessing high or low. Lastly, we have a variety of other gambling tools. If you're interested in something specific, feel free to explore. Should you need an opponent, our staff can check if other guests in the lounge share your interests."

Jack nodded in approval. "As expected of Rainbase's largest casino. The scale of this place is truly on another level."

With that, he rose from his seat and made his way toward the dice tables. Thanks to his keen observation haki, he could determine the numbers on the dice with ease. Though he was well aware that the casino had its own ways of tilting the odds, Jack wasn't here to win money—his real goal was to meet Robin.

A short while later, he placed his bet on "small," then turned to the dealer with a knowing smile. Other gamblers, noticing his confidence, followed suit, stacking their chips alongside his. Winning or losing didn't concern him—only meeting Robin mattered.

For someone with haki like Jack, cheating in a casino would be effortless. However, at first, he had no intention of doing so. He placed his bets casually, playing along with the flow of the game. But after a string of lucky wins, the dealer began subtly targeting him, manipulating the odds.

Jack narrowed his eyes, irritation flickering across his face.

Oh? Targeting me, are you? Fine, let's play.

With a smirk, Jack tapped into his haki, steadily amassing a fortune in chips—his winnings climbing into the millions. The casino had switched out the dealer multiple times, yet none could stop him. The real issue? They had no idea how he was doing it.

The dice were theirs, the mechanisms had been checked, and yet... the results continued to defy expectations.

The current dealer, drenched in sweat, hesitated with trembling hands.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked, his tone light but taunting. "Not going to reveal the results?"

"Yes, open it! Hurry up!"

"Haha, this kid's got unreal luck today—nothing can stop him!"

"That's right! Thanks to him, I made a nice little profit myself!"

The gamblers around him laughed, riding the high of Jack's winning streak.

Just as the dealer prepared to lift the dice cup, a smooth, knowing voice cut through the chatter from behind him.

"I didn't expect you to be skilled at gambling."

Jack turned slightly, recognizing the voice instantly. Robin.

He chuckled. "I'm skilled at a lot of things. This is just a hobby, nothing serious. By the way, is your boss around?"

Robin smiled faintly as she elegantly took the dealer's seat. "I'm the manager here."

----------------------------------

AN: Check out my P@treon For +30 extra chapters.

Thank You For your Support!!

www.p@treon.com/noviceauthor777