Chapter 89: Can't Pay It Back? Then Spend Your Life Repaying It~

"So this is what the world's top powerhouses look like? Not even blinking at 160 billion…"

"Yeah! Who's gonna walk away with that bottomless mountain of money!? Get the betting table ready!!!"

"Lord Ozz is so cool…"

East Blue,

A Small Unknown Town

Inside a building, a group of pirates in circus getups sat in neat rows, eyes glued to the image transmitted by a Den Den Mushi.

At the head of the room sat a man dressed like a clown, lips curled into an excited grin.

"Hey!!! All of you! Watch closely now, and witness how my dearest friend wins this extravagant match of the century in the most dazzling way imaginable! Hahahaha!!!"

"Yes, Captain Buggy!!!"

The pirate grunts echoed back, faces equally lit up with excitement, even though none of them really understood why their captain was so sure the Black Emperor would win.

As for Buggy himself, his heart was torn between envy and joy.

That's Ozz for you… 160 billion Berries? That's way more outrageous than Captain John's treasure!

In Buggy's mind, Ozz's victory was already set in stone.

The thought that Ozz could lose?

Buggy wouldn't even entertain the possibility. That guy never loses. In anything.

Ozz was the best. At everything.

North Blue, Donquixote Family Estate

"Hey, hey, Doffy. If Lord Ozz… loses, this debt's gonna land on us too, right?!"

On an opulent sofa, a tall, muscular young man lounged with one leg crossed over the other, a pink feathered cloak draped flamboyantly around his shoulders. A wicked grin tugged at his lips as he stared at the live broadcast ahead.

When his subordinate voiced that panicked concern, his expression didn't change in the slightest.

"Fufufufufu… Looks like you still don't understand what this game is really about, Trebol."

That twisted smile deepened, and for a moment, he looked like that wild young "Mingo" of the past who once challenged the world with arrogant laughter.

"If that bastard Crocodile actually dares win, then we just kill her for Lord Ozz. Two birds, one stone, isn't it?"

"Fufufufufufu…"

"Well then… let's begin dealing."

With the entire world watching, the billion-Berry showdown officially began.

Sweat beaded on Crocodile's brow as she stared darkly at the equally tense dealer.

To ensure fairness, a freshly unsealed deck was used. Each contestant would randomly draw five cards.

Face-down. Perfectly smooth. No tactile markers to sense with Observation Haki or anything else.

Displaying his usual gentlemanly air, Ozz gestured for Crocodile to draw first, his calm smile completely unfazed.

Crocodile, seeing that serene confidence, didn't hesitate either. Appearing to pick at random, she selected five cards from the spread.

So many little tricks…

With Observation Haki refined to a microscopic level, Ozz easily saw through it.

Amid what seemed like a brand-new deck, five cards stood out subtly.

Something was smeared on them.

Sand? Tiny grains.

So fine you might not even feel them if you rubbed the card.

But compared to the pristine smoothness of the others, these five stood out like lanterns in the night to Ozz's Haki.

Marked cards, huh?

Such a childish cheat.

Crocodile, however, stared coolly into Ozz's eyes, thinking she had everything under control.

To her, there was no hope of actually winning the money. Just getting rid of this jinx of a man would already be a victory.

She had the biggest trump card in her hand.

Now, what would you do,

Dothal Ozz?

Hoo…

Under her heavy, world-weary gaze, Ozz casually picked five cards of his own.

No hesitation. No pause. He laid them face-down in front of him.

"Now then… who will be the final victor of this legendary game?!"

The promotional narrator's voice rang out at the perfect moment, full of drama, as though clutching every viewer's heartbeat. Around the world, the audience held their breath, eyes fixed on the table.

"When this round ends, I don't want your money," Crocodile said darkly, voice low and solemn. "I just want you… gone from Alabasta."

"Sorry, but that's not how I do things," Ozz replied, his tone light, still smiling.

"I always honor my word.

And besides why do you sound like you've already won?"

"…"

A vein bulged on Crocodile's forehead.

What an infuriating man. Looks like she'd have to pull out of Alabasta for now, after all…

"You brought this on yourself."

As both players flipped their cards simultaneously, the camera zoomed in tightly.

"And now, the result of this game is."

Crocodile opened her mouth, ready to declare her victory.

"I won~ Little Sand."

"???"

That teasing, lilting voice hit her ears and Crocodile's eyes snapped open, head whipping toward the table.

The card she had marked as the Joker was now…

No way?!

Her cigar slipped from her lips and tumbled to the floor. Her expression darkened terrifyingly, overtaken by a storm of disbelief.

A three? A measly little three?!

She looked up.

Ozz was smiling. Calmly, cheerfully. He picked up his cards, flipped them around, and displayed them toward both Crocodile and the camera.

At the center of them all was the unmistakable face of a jester wearing a crown.

"The Joker. Winner takes all."

As Ozz revealed his final card, silence fell.

Across the venue. Across the world.

And then an explosion of cheers.

"One hundred sixty billion!!!"

"The Black Emperor Ozz has officially become the richest man on the seas!!!"

"You lot have no idea. This guy's seen the One Piece with his own eyes. A mere 160 billion Berries is nothing to him!"

The whole world erupted in frenzy. The greatest gamble in history had just crowned a new king and Ozz rode the wave of that global attention,

Ascending in one fell swoop to the top of the world stage.

The most handsome man alive!

The richest man alive!

The strongest man of the new generation!

The unchallenged, uncrowned king of the seas!

But while the world cheered and Ozz beamed with delight, Crocodile sat frozen in place, her face pale with horror.

That card.

It was supposed to be in her hand.

Which meant.

From this moment forward, she bore a debt of 160 billion Berries?

What kind of sick joke is this?!

She clenched her jaw so tightly her silver teeth nearly cracked. No matter how frustrated she felt, there was nothing she could say.

What was she going to claim? That the Joker had originally been hers?

That'd be admitting she cheated.

No matter how she played it, it was a dead end.

And just when her fraying sanity reached its limit, Ozz smiled gently, his voice like the final straw that broke the crocodile's back:

"What's wrong? Can't pay?"

"It's alright."

"You just have to… spend your whole life paying it back~"

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