Chapter 186: Teaming Up to Cheat
"Why do you say that?" Ian asked, somewhat puzzled.
Fujitora tapped his chest with his finger and said, "Heartbeats. Your heartbeat is quite the anomaly in this casino."
Ian glanced at the other gamblers and immediately understood what Fujitora meant.
To be promoted through the Marines' worldwide conscription later on, rising directly from a commoner to one of the Marine Admirals, Fujitora Issho naturally had his exceptional qualities. Besides being a Paramecia Gravity-Gravity Fruit user, he was also extremely skilled in Observation Haki. His Observation Haki had reached an astonishing level, with a perception range so vast that he could even pinpoint the location of drifting meteorites in space. By combining this with his Devil Fruit ability, he could shoot gravity waves into the sky and pull those meteorites down as his own attack method!
Even a small meteorite crashing down from high altitude could cause devastating destruction over several miles. If Fujitora wished, he could pull down even larger meteorites, possessing the power to easily destroy an entire country. That was why he was later called a monster.
With such powerful Observation Haki, even though he was blind, it didn't hinder Fujitora's movements at all. While he couldn't see people's faces, every action and reaction of each person was reflected in his perception.
Moreover, Observation Haki was essentially a power akin to "hearing," so Fujitora could naturally "hear" Ian's heartbeat.
Among the many gamblers in this casino, whether they were losing or winning money, they were all in a state of excitement. Under such circumstances, any true gambler's heart rate would quicken, especially at the moment when the result was about to be revealed.
However, Ian was an exception. His mind wasn't focused on gambling at all. Although he had won several rounds in a row and multiplied his bets many times over, for someone like Ian, who had seen tens of billions of Berry piled up in the Celestial Dragons' treasure vault, this amount of money was still too little to get him excited.
Especially since Ian was the type to bet all his chips every time, giving the impression that he was deliberately trying to lose money.
This was likely why Fujitora had noticed he was different from others.
Realizing this, Ian chuckled softly. It seemed that running into Fujitora here wasn't entirely by chance or coincidence.
The chips Ian had won were already pushed over by the dealer. Combined with his original chips, he now had eight hundred thousand Berry in hand. But without even looking, Ian pushed all the chips onto the triple bet.
The dealer in charge of this table broke out in a cold sweat at the sight. He's betting on triple again!?
If the dice rolled triple again, the casino would have to pay out two million four hundred thousand Berry at once!
The dealer had already tried to manipulate the dice earlier, but even he didn't know how it happened—the result was completely different from what he had intended.
What now? If this guy hits the triple again, the boss will kill me!
Thinking this, the dealer hesitated, afraid to shake the dice cup again.
"Old man, are you still following my bet?" Ian ignored the dealer's expression and whispered to Fujitora.
"Of course I'll follow!" Fujitora whispered back. "I've been too poor lately. Winning some money to continue my travels would be perfect."
"Aren't you going to enjoy the thrill of gambling anymore?" Ian asked.
"There's no real gambling here, so where's the thrill?" Fujitora said. "True gambling leaves the outcome to fate, not to men!"
Ian smiled slightly upon hearing this. It seemed the casino's tricks couldn't fool Fujitora. With his powerful Observation Haki, every move the dealers made was within his perception. Any special tricks were something Fujitora could "hear."
Fujitora was indeed addicted to gambling, that was true. But this casino could no longer be called gambling—it was just the casino fleecing people. Fujitora wasn't some stubborn fool; how could he knowingly walk into a trap and hand his money over to the casino?
Ian was sure that the dice in the cup earlier had been tampered with by Fujitora. He had noticed the dealer's surprised expression. The dealer had probably intended to roll something other than triple, but his skills were no match for Fujitora's. By using the Gravity-Gravity Fruit's power to apply extra gravity to the side showing six, Fujitora could ensure that the red one always faced up.
That was how he helped Ian win that round.
Ian realized for the first time that the Gravity-Gravity Fruit could also be used to cheat!
But then again, Ian wasn't sure what Fujitora meant by helping him win money. Was he just using Ian as a shield to make some cash?
No way. Ian knew that with Fujitora's strength, getting money would be a breeze. There was no need for him to do something like this.
Ian didn't know Fujitora's true intention, but he decided to play along and see what he was up to.
And although the situation was different from what he had expected—he hadn't managed to lose money and couldn't use that as an excuse to cause a scene—the direction of events hadn't changed much.
With Fujitora acting as a cheat device, Ian could keep winning until the casino couldn't take it anymore, and his goal would still be achieved.
Thinking this, a sudden idea struck Ian: Maybe Fujitora's thoughts were the same as his own.
Ian didn't believe Fujitora was unaware of the situation on this island. Because of this casino, the men on the island had abandoned their work, neglected their families, and indulged in gambling day after day. As long as this casino existed, this situation on the island would never change.
Ian knew Fujitora's character. He was also someone who hated evil as much as an enemy. Connecting the dots, it was likely that Fujitora despised this casino just as much.
With this rough guess in mind, Ian didn't say it out loud, but he felt much more at ease cooperating with Fujitora.
The two of them exchanged whispers without letting anyone else hear, because by now, the gamblers around this table were all stunned by Ian's big win. They had abandoned all other thoughts and followed Ian in betting on triple. Not only that, but this table had even attracted other gamblers to join in. Originally, there were only about a dozen people at a table, but now forty or fifty had crowded over to place their bets.
And without exception, everyone bet on triple.
After placing their bets, the gamblers, eyes red with excitement, urged the dealer to shake the dice cup.
Faced with so many people staring at him with fervor, the dealer had no choice but to steel himself. Gritting his teeth, he shook the dice cup. After a clattering sound, he placed it on the table.
This time, he didn't dare to use the slow, dramatic reveal. He lifted the lid in one swift motion.
But when he saw the numbers inside, the dealer felt dizzy and collapsed under the table.
Three ones! Another triple!
The gamblers around the table cheered loudly, frantically urging the dealer to pay out their chips.
Only Ian and Fujitora remained calm. Ian smiled and whispered to Fujitora, "The boss behind this casino should be showing up soon, right?"
Fujitora opened his eyes, revealing his pale white pupils, and smiled as well. "Looks about right..."