Chapter 499: Let's Place a Bet!
Chapter 499: Let's Place a Bet!
The red-haired woman stood in front of the car, trying to maintain a smile, but the twitching of her face and the trembling of her body betrayed her inner fear.
She was indeed a hostess, entertaining the Navy, high-ranking government officials, underground world VIPs, and pirates.
For some, she would simply provide the best service, ensuring they had a good time.
For others, she would manipulate the situation, absorbing their luck after a brief encounter, causing them to lose and fall into a deep abyss beneath the glamour.
The only prerequisite was that someone was willing to play by their rules and that their strength hadn't reached the pinnacle.
They could even use this tactic against Navy personnel and government officials, but it was impossible to use it against high-ranking Navy admirals, influential government officials, and renowned pirate emperors.
The Four Emperors were the pinnacle of these pirate emperors.
"Even our boss is in awe of your reputation. To better accommodate you, we have prepared a banquet at the most luxurious venue. If possible, we hope you will grace us with your presence. All of Gran Tazolo is in utmost admiration of you. Our boss is also your loyal fan!"
The red-haired woman bowed her head, "Your reputation is always spoken of by our boss. This place is definitely not a threat to you."
"Oh?"
Sage dragged out his voice, sizing up the woman with a glance, and chuckled, "You're quite the talker. Tazolo ran away, and in your mouth, he becomes a fan of my banquet, hahaha. Who are you?"
Baraka visibly relaxed and said, "My name is Baraka, I'm under Boss Tazolo, and I ate the Luck Fruit, making me Luckyman."
"Who?"
Sage was stunned, "What did you eat?"
"Lord Cataclysm, to show our sincerity, our boss also asked us to reveal our Devil Fruit abilities. The one who helped the boss escape is Mr. Tanaka, the security officer here, and he ate the Penetrating Fruit, becoming a Penetrator who can pass through any non-living object and take others through with him."
"Des is the security personnel in the casino, not a Devil Fruit user, but he's proficient in Armament Haki."
"And me, Baraka, I can absorb other people's luck for my own use."
"As for the boss..."
"Stop, that's enough!"
Sage opened the car door and stepped out, walking up to Baraka, and asked with anticipation:
"I'm not particularly interested in Tazolo, but I am interested in you, Luckyman. How lucky are you? Can you give me your luck?"
The Luck Fruit!
In that distant memory, there seemed to be such a fruit that could indeed bring good fortune.
This is great!
If I can get someone else's luck...
Then he might be able to catch that fish!
"Lord Cataclysm, the luck I absorb can only be used by me. If you want to rely on luck to win against someone, I can absorb their luck. Once they become unlucky, Lord Cataclysm, you can also be considered to have gained good fortune."
Of course, Baraka couldn't share her luck with others; otherwise, she would have already given it to Tazolo. Moreover, the absorbed luck had a time limit. However, while she couldn't bring good luck to others, she could make them unlucky.
As long as one person's luck completely disappeared, it could be considered an indirect way of increasing another person's luck.
"What do you want me to make someone unlucky for?"
Sage immediately lost interest and returned to the car, "Alright, scram. I don't need you. After I'm done sightseeing, I'll go find Tazolo. Forget the banquet. Go back and tell your boss, five billion belli, not a penny less. Once the money is paid, his life will be spared."
No matter how unlucky one could get, could they be unluckier than him?
And why would he want to make others unlucky?
If he didn't like someone, he could just kill them!
He wanted his own good luck!
This ability couldn't benefit him if he hadn't eaten the fruit.
He acknowledged his unluckiness, but he believed in overcoming all obstacles with sheer strength!
The Luck Fruit's ability was too abstract and not quite suitable for him.
After all, given the choice to be a lucky person or an unlucky landlord, he would definitely choose the latter.
Ignoring Baraka, Sage stepped on the accelerator, causing the car to suddenly speed up and dart through the entrance into the traffic lane.
Similarly, a group of his subordinates got into their chosen four-wheeled vehicles. Those who didn't make it in time squeezed together, shouting and revving their engines. They sped off in a cloud of smoke, following Sage.
On this ship, resembling a city, the passing cars witnessed a strange sight. In the most luxurious vehicle, a white-haired man was driving wildly with a group of beautiful women of various ages, from mature ladies to young maidens and lolis.
This was a common sight on this giant ship, but these three women were of exceptional quality.
However, the vehicles behind were a different story. Aside from a few that were passable, the rest were driven by fierce-looking individuals, with their tongues hanging out, shaking their heads, or simply opening the car doors and sticking half their bodies out, shouting wildly.
It was like a convoy of unruly drivers. But driving luxury cars made the scene even more bizarre.
However, this strangeness wouldn't last long, as the news of the Four Emperors' arrival began to spread like a virus from the port to the center. Tourists who wanted to escape but found themselves unable to leave spread the news, causing greater panic.
"Escape? We can't escape, so let's just pay up! What? You want all my money?! Damn it, I have no choice but to pay!"
"Move, move, let's get out of here quickly. All the money, every penny, those are the Four Emperors. I don't want to be affected!"
"Hmph! What's there to be afraid of? There are Navy and World Government personnel here, haven't you heard? Two Navy Admiral Cadets are here, and even the Four Emperors would retreat!"
"That's right. Boss Tazolo is also a strong man, and there are a large number of Navy and government personnel. What's there to be afraid of? Even the Four Emperors have to consider actual threats."
Among the guests on the ship, some were panicking, while others didn't seem to care.
After all, this was an absolutely neutral zone, and it was indeed too powerful.
...
"Now, immediately, right away! Escort Kamael Saint and the two princesses out of here!"
Deep within Gran Tazolo, Tazolo sat at a desk, smiling at the panicked CP0 agent in front of him, who was wearing a white suit but no mask.
"Hmm, leave?"
Tazolo chuckled coldly, his face filled with disdain, "That's not possible. Haven't you noticed? There are whirlpools in the surrounding sea, and a gale above. I don't have the strength to deal with the Four Emperors."
"If you can't handle it, then pay up. The World Government will remember your contribution. Remember, not a single mishap can occur in the Kamael Saint family, even if it means your death!" The CP0 agent barked.
Tazoro's expression darkened.
Initially, he was undoubtedly shaken, as anyone would be upon encountering a Four Emperor; it was instinctual to feel fear.
Although it was their first encounter, and it couldn't even be considered a proper meeting, the Cataclysm likely didn't see him, and Tazoro only caught a glimpse of the Skull Flag. But that overwhelmingly terrifying aura was unmistakable.
That's why he had Tanaka lead him away quickly. After confirming they were far from danger, he calmed down.
It was highly unlikely that a Four Emperor would come here for fun.
Especially Norton Sage, who, compared to the other Four Emperors, had a terrifyingly strong influence on the Underground World.
The other Four Emperors, even the Big Mom Pirates, known for their industry-leading intelligence and cooperation with the Underground World, maintained more of a partnership than a ruling relationship. But Cataclysm was different.
Tazoro had investigated and found that after Cataclysm eliminated the 'Master Undertaker,' they had forcefully taken over 5% of the assassination business in the Underground World, turning assassins into enforcers.
5% was not a small number. The Underground World represented the entire world, more so than the World Government.
The World Government only governed member nations and ignored those unable to pay Sky Gold. But the Underground World sometimes needed channels to non-member nations and conducted business with them.
After all, the resources obtained were converted into Belli, and where there was profit, why not seize the opportunity? The Underground World was chaotic and disorderly, purely driven by interests, with even some powerful nations involved, all seeking their share.
There was no true ruler in the Underground World. All 'Kings' were merely titles, indicating their dominance in their respective industries.
But being the biggest didn't guarantee a higher share. Some only held 10% or even less, as the remaining industry was fragmented among numerous smaller players, ranging from 1% to 2%. It was this collective that formed the industry's leadership.
They conducted business together, maintaining a delicate balance while also keeping an eye out for backstabbers.
However, this balance was recently disrupted.
The Cataclysm Pirates had invaded, and their rule over Ohara was a prime example. Unlike other nations, they openly declared their involvement in the Underground World, leading to grand-scale operations that attracted many new recruits.
The assassination industry, in particular, saw the emergence of a large group of enforcers. Those who previously worked as assassins found it easy to transition to being enforcers, as it was less dangerous, mainly involving debt collection.
Of course, they still took on assassination jobs, but they would never accept any related to the Cataclysm Pirates. Instead, they would find and eliminate anyone who took such jobs, along with the task givers.
The reputation of the Four Emperors was indeed powerful, and these enforcers also wanted to join the Cataclysm Pirates.
And they paid handsomely!
The rewards were indeed substantial, naturally motivating the enforcers to risk their lives.
It wasn't that no one had thought of replicating Sage's path by recruiting a group of loyal followers in the Underground World.
But those richer than Cataclysm, like Tazoro, lacked the necessary reputation.
Those with a reputation comparable to Cataclysm either looked down on the Underground World or simply weren't as wealthy as Sage, creating a vicious cycle.
Cataclysm himself was an excellent business tycoon, already considered the number one on the high seas, with Tazoro as the number two.
Most importantly, he was a pirate!
He was here for a robbery! But Tazoro, still unwilling to give up, asked Baraka to test his theory during their escape. What if he was wrong? What if they were just here to have fun?
As for robbing the audience, so be it. Pirates didn't need a reason to rob, and although it would undoubtedly affect the Gran Tazoro's business later, as long as he stayed alive, everything could be negotiated.
However, as Baraka's message reached him, his worries intensified.
They were here for the money!
Five billion Belli, all his liquid assets! "Hmph, my money isn't that easy to take. Five billion Belli for Cataclysm's head is only worth 4.5 billion. I can buy over a hundred heads for that!"
Tazoro's temples throbbed with anger. "You're here for the Sky Gold, and I've already paid that portion. The rest is up to you!"
As he spoke, he remembered something, and a sinister smile appeared on his face, tinged with Schadenfreude. "If something happens to the Dragon People, your reputation will take a further hit. That Cataclysm is truly daring enough to eliminate those so-called 'noble' individuals."
This was why the CP0 agent was so panicked!
The remaining pirates, even if they attacked, wouldn't be a problem. The Dragon People were supreme.
Usually, pirates would just rob and play the friendly game of Navy Chasing Pirates. But when it came to the Dragon People, they faced the full might of an Admiral's attack. No one dared to engage, and upon encountering the Dragon People, they kept their distance, avoiding any contact.
But Sage
He had truly killed them!
And no one doubted he would continue to do so.
If they met, he would definitely eliminate them!
"You!" The CP0 agent, cornered by Tazoro, took a deep breath. "In any case, I'll handle the rescue, but if something happens... you'll be fully responsible!"
He grabbed the massive suitcase, so large it could almost fill a hundred regular suitcases, and left the office.
"Fully responsible."
Tazoro watched him leave with disdain. "At this moment, you're still thinking about the Dragon People. The Four Emperors are the primary threat."
"Hmph, I might not lose."
A sinister smile crept onto his face. "The Navy, pirates, World Government, and Revolutionaries are all here. Since you want to rob everything here, don't blame them for uniting in resistance. Facing a strong enemy, alliance is the best strategy. As long as we hold out until reinforcements arrive, we win!"
"I can even spend more money and give out rewards."
Unconsciously, he reached for his left pinky, the only finger without a gold ring. His mind flashed with an image of a woman locked alone in a cage on a snowy day and a young man staring longingly from outside.
"With money, anything can be bought, even victory!"
Tazoro's voice deepened. "Then let's place a bet, Cataclysm!"
(End of Chapter)
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