A Wagering Match, with a Paramecia Fruit as the Prize

Tenpan City's uppermost level.

In one of the gang's rooms, several small cells had been partitioned off.

Ivankov was locked in the innermost one.

He sat against the wall, his purple afro looking somewhat duller than before.

"Big Bear, are you okay?" Ivankov called softly toward the neighboring cell.

A faint clink of chains came from next door.

Bartholomew Kuma sat on the floor with his back against the bars.

His arms were cuffed behind him with Seastone, and his breathing was slow and heavy.

"So weak... so tired..."

"Can't be helped. This is what happens when an ability user encounters Seastone," Ivankov sighed.

"Where... are we?" Kuma asked between labored breaths.

"Did Roy and Ginny... make it out?"

Ivankov's expression darkened.

Two days ago, they had caused a disturbance in the gang's compound and taken the opportunity to rescue a group of children.

Amid the chaos, Kuma had volunteered to hold the rear so the others could retreat first.

But after they split up, Ivankov had been forced into a maze of tangled alleyways and was still captured.

"I fled separately from them. I don't know what happened afterward."

Ivankov shook his head, his voice full of self-reproach.

"Still, I can roughly guess from what I've seen."

Ivankov raised his head and looked outside through the window. "This room is high enough to see the outline of the entire peninsula."

"We might be in the mountaintop area."

Kuma responded with his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling slowly.

Ivankov's heart ached at the sight of him.

Just then, another voice spoke up.

"Um... moshi moshi."

An eight- or nine-year-old boy was awake, gripping the iron bars as he spoke to him.

"What is it?"

"My tooth hurts really badly." The boy pointed at his cheek.

"What should I do?"

"A toothache?" Ivankov gave a bitter smile. "Once we get out, I'll take you to a doctor, okay?"

"But it hurts right now..." the boy said quietly.

"Just bear with it—"

Ivankov abruptly stopped speaking.

Footsteps sounded outside the corridor, approaching the room.

"Shh!"

Ivankov signaled with his eyes.

The lock turned, and Samuel entered first.

Behind him, Wade had turned both arms into brown ropes, which were wrapped around a pink-haired figure.

"Ginny!!"

Ivankov seized the bars with both hands. "What did you do to her?! Let her go!!"

Samuel ignored him. He lifted his chin, and Wade walked to an empty cell and threw Ginny inside.

"Don't worry."

"Saint Rosward ordered that the merchandise be kept intact. As long as you three behave yourselves, I won't do anything to you."

He put on a generous air. "Besides, I'm a very reasonable man."

"Before departure, I can satisfy whatever requests you have."

"Fine food? Fine wine?" Samuel tilted his head, and his smile turned suggestive. "Or women, if you prefer."

"As long as you're confident in your bodies, hahaha!"

"Um..." The toothache boy in the opposite cell suddenly spoke. "My tooth hurts really badly."

Samuel paused and turned his gaze toward the boy.

"Wade," he asked blandly, "haven't we been sending them too much food lately?"

Wade lowered his head. "Yes. Following your orders, the premium merchandise has been kept healthy, so their meals have been better than those of ordinary prisoners."

"No need to send any more from now on." Samuel waved a hand. "Just make sure they don't starve to death."

"Yes."

Samuel walked over to the boy's cell and crouched down. "Where does it hurt? Come on, open your mouth. Let me take a look."

The boy opened his mouth and pointed at a molar inside.

"It really does need treatment. It's already black."

The next second.

Samuel stuck two fingers into the boy's mouth, pinched the decayed tooth, and yanked.

"Uwaaah!" The boy clutched his mouth and rolled around on the floor.

Ivankov violently shook the bars. "Bastard! What did you do to him?!"

"Isn't it cured now?" Samuel smiled. "See? It doesn't hurt anymore, right?"

Samuel turned toward Ivankov, just about to say something.

The room's door was suddenly slammed open.

Several underlings rushed in, panting frantically. "Third Boss, this is bad! Second Boss brought a whole bunch of people up here!"

"He says he's taking the pink-haired girl away!"

Samuel's face darkened.

Just as he was about to go out and confront them, footsteps already sounded in the corridor.

"No need to look. I'm already here."

A tall, burly figure filled the doorway.

The moment Karim entered, his gaze locked onto Ginny's cell. Without another word, he strode toward it.

"Hold it." Samuel stepped in front of him, wearing a smile.

"Second Brother, why bring so many people to my territory this late at night?"

Karim pointed at Ginny. "That girl was prey I had my eye on first."

"We already settled it with Eldest Brother before. What gives you the right to steal her halfway through?"

"Steal her? That's not quite right, Second Brother. She delivered herself to us."

"She stole something in my establishment and was caught red-handed by my people. How does that count as stealing her?"

"I don't care how you caught her!" Karim grabbed Samuel by the collar.

"I'm taking her today, no matter what!"

"Second Brother," Samuel's voice turned cold, "are you sure you want to fight here?"

"We've fought for so many years. When have we ever decided a winner? It always ends with both of us injured and Eldest Brother cleaning up the mess."

Veins bulged on the back of Karim's hand.

A few seconds later, he let go, but bared his teeth in a grin.

"Fighting won't settle this." Karim took half a step back. "Then we'll do it the old way. A match."

Samuel's expression changed for the first time.

"I won't participate."

"I've already sent someone to invite Eldest Brother. Do you think he'll refuse after I make the request?"

"Besides... if you don't participate, you know what the consequences will be."

Samuel's pupils contracted sharply.

He remained silent for a full ten seconds before finally letting out a sigh.

"A match is fine." Samuel raised his head. "But this merchandise can be exchanged with the Celestial Dragons for an island and honor."

"What can you put up as a wager? Ordinary Beli or territory won't be enough."

Karim smiled.

He took a small black wooden box from his chest.

"The past few months weren't spent adventuring outside for nothing."

"During that time, I happened to obtain a very powerful Paramecia Fruit."

"If you can win."

"I'll offer this fruit with both hands!"