Night fell, and the bright moon generously cast down its light, illuminating this barren land as it always had.
Most rooms in the palace had already gone dark. Only one still shone brightly, and it was anything but quiet inside.
A group of people gathered around, watching the three people in the center duel to determine the winner.
"Rocket pair! And finally, a pair of aces. Hehehe, I win!" Vivi smiled as she lightly laid down the pair of aces, eagerly holding out her hand for money.
"What the hell, Zoro? You actually let the Landlord win!"
Luffy reluctantly handed over his money and shouted in dissatisfaction, "Why do I always lose whenever I'm the Landlord?!"
"Who do you think is the reason you lose when you're on the same team, bastard?!"
"Hahaha~~"
Zoro shouted back in protest, pulling out his money pouch and handing Vivi several coins.
Everyone burst into laughter.
Nami continued mocking Luffy. "Isn't it normal for someone like you, who only relies on luck when playing cards, to lose?"
"What are you talking about? I've won plenty of times too, okay?!"
"Hehehe, thank you." Vivi happily accepted the money and neatly gathered up the cards.
She brushed her long sky-blue hair behind her fair ear with slender fingers, then smoothed her skirt and stood up with a smile.
"That's enough for today. Everyone's setting sail tomorrow, so we should all get some rest tonight."
As soon as she finished speaking, the once-lively room suddenly fell silent. One by one, they lowered their heads, and no one said a word.
Everyone wore different expressions, yet each of them carried a trace of disappointment, lost in their own thoughts.
Gradually, the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
After a stretch of silence, Zoro seemed unable to bear it any longer.