Just as Robin was stubbornly insistent, he heard the sound of a door opening and closing behind him, followed by a deep, mature male voice.
Olvia looked up and saw a man with slicked-back hair, a cigar in his mouth, a terrible scar running across his face, and a black cloak draped over his back, exuding the aura of a mafia boss.
That face was recognized by almost everyone in the sea; it belonged to Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai, who shared the same title as Vic. The person speaking was his daughter Robin, and he didn't even glance at her or Vic, as if they were completely beneath his notice.
"What? Can't afford to lose? If you can't afford to lose, then don't run a casino. You think you can just rob and kill the customers who come to gamble after they win? If word gets out that you have this kind of reputation, how many people will dare to gamble here?"
You don't think you can be foolproof in everything you do, do you? With your limited vision, you want to run a casino? I suggest you go back to being a pirate and just rob people; that would be much faster. You're still a long way from being a hero."
Just as Crocodile was waiting for Robin to kill the two opponents, a familiar yet unfamiliar voice entered his ears.
He detected no fear or panic in the voice, only endless calmness and tranquility, which made him look at the man who had spoken.
That one glance was enough to make his heart skip a beat; he couldn't see the face of the man sitting on the other side of the gambling table at all!
It wasn't that the person had no face; he could only see countless different faces flashing across that person's face, making it impossible to determine which face belonged to that person. Crocodile knew he had encountered a formidable opponent today, and he wondered if things would end well this time!
"Who are you? If you have such power, why do you need to come to my casino to beg for money?"
Crocodile knew he had encountered a powerful opponent, but he wasn't too afraid; after all, he was Logia Fruit user.
The person opposite him is definitely a Devil Fruit user, but he has never heard of this person's ability before. Therefore, this person is most likely a newcomer who has just arrived on the Grand Line from the Four Blues, and he can't be that strong. There are also differences in strength among Devil Fruit users.
"You're complaining about me asking you for some money? I spared your life last time! It was a life-saving favor for you! I never expected you to be such an ungrateful person. You've really disappointed me. It seems I shouldn't have spared your life last time, don't you think, Crocodile!"
"You! You... you are... it's Vic! How could it be you!"
When the person opposite him first spoke, Crocodile thought the other party was being arrogant and even sparing his life. Had they even met before?
To say such things in front of him is tantamount to courting death. To say that sparing his life is a life-saving grace? That's utterly absurd. He was already thinking about how to kill this man later.
But after the man finished speaking, his face stopped changing and finally froze on a face that both shocked and terrified him—a face he would never forget!
The owner of that face did indeed spare his life; otherwise, let alone becoming Shichibukai, it's uncertain whether he would even be alive!
Just seeing that face made him break out in a cold sweat. He couldn't be sure if the person in front of him was really Vic, because Vic didn't have the ability to change his expression.
But if it wasn't Vic, how did this man know Vic had spared his life? He regretted coming here. It was just winning some money, right? How much could he possibly win? He could have just given it to him! At that moment, he really wanted to slap himself twice!
The mother and daughter noticed Crocodile's attitude and changes in expression. Olvia, on the other hand, didn't react much. Vic was a powerful figure who had defeated Big Mom, one of the Four Emperors, and was not Crocodile, Shichibukai, could easily fool.
Although Vic is also Shichibukai, the difference between Shichibukai is huge Shichibukai. With Vic's abilities, he could easily create a royal crew to fight for territory in the New World and become Emperor of the Sea in a short time. He just doesn't want to take the lead.
Robin was quite surprised by Crocodile's change. This Shichibukai had never lost his composure like this in front of her before; he had always maintained a profound level of control.
But now, with such a drastic change in expression and as if facing a formidable enemy, Robin's eyes were that the Shichibukai were already great pirates and important figures with very high status. As for the Emperor of the Sea of the New World, they were legendary figures, completely beyond her comprehension as someone who had just entered the Grand Line.
But this important figure in her eyes was like a natural enemy to another Shichibukai of the same level, which made her more and more curious and interested in this young Shichibukai, Vic!
Just how powerful is the person Mom secretly loves? How could Crocodile be so terrified of him, like Nezumi before a cat? What exactly happened between them? Did Vic really spare Crocodile's life? Was it something that happened when Vic was a Marine?
"Just because I left the Navy, did you forget the promise we made? Now I'm telling you, that promise still stands. If you dare to break it, I'll come after you. Let's see if you can withstand my wrath."
Vic gave Crocodile a look and said calmly, "I made the agreement with Crocodile when I was a Marine. Now that I'm no longer a Marine, Crocodile might have other ideas. So, while I'm visiting Robin, I'm also giving Crocodile a little warning. That's the origin of today's bet. Vic definitely doesn't want to make more money."
"No! No! I will keep my promise!"
Crocodile was terrified by Vic's gaze; his very soul trembled. He involuntarily took two steps back. He was now completely convinced that this man was Vic, and that the agreement was known only to him and Vic.
Of course, it's possible that the agreement was leaked by Vic, but another possibility is that this person's power was too strong. He couldn't even withstand a single glance from him, which is something that no expert of the same level could bring to him!
The only explanation for this is Vic himself. He already knows why Vic came here. Winning money from gambling is secondary; the real reason is the agreement. Gambling was just a way to lure him here.
"Nicole Robin! You're wasting your talents working for this guy. If you'd like, you can join my pirate crew. Several of my crew members can easily defeat him. What do you say? Crocodile won't object."
Vic ignored Crocodile and looked at Robin with admiration.
" Mr. Vic! Thank you for your high regard, but I am not the kind of person who often betrays his partners as rumored. They betrayed me first because they were after my bounty. I was just trying to survive. As long as Mr. Crocodile doesn't betray me, I will not leave him."