Red-Leg Zeff.
For an old man who flunked out of the Grand Line when he was still in his prime, and before he was crippled, a 75 million Beri bounty was a sweet deal. A temptation that Joffrey couldn't resist.
Was he worried that Monkey D. Luffy and his crew of monsters would come looking for revenge after he turned the old man's bounty in?
Maybe a little bit, but he had an ace up his sleeve.
[The Gamer System]
It would have been nice if he'd been dumped in this hell-hole of a world a few years earlier, but he wasn't the kind of whiny bitch who did nothing but moan about how unfair the hand he was dealt was. That's just how life, and poker, worked.
The point is, by the time the rubber fool caught up to him, he'd be ready to meet him head on.
It's a shame he couldn't collect all those beauties on his ship, though. Oh well, the world was full of sexy ladies he could add to his harem. As for the women already on his little crew? He would dump them just like the men once he could start pulling together a proper crew in the Grand Line. He did have standards, thank you very much.
He checked his status.
[Name: Jeffrey Joffrey]
[Level: 69] (nice)
[Extra Lives: 3]
[HP: 2,310 / 2,310]
[SP: 1,155 / 1,155]
[Strength: 231]
[Agility: 231]
[Endurance: 231]
[Intelligence: 1]
[Wisdom: 1]
[Luck: -1,000,000,000]
Lookin' goo- Huh???
Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait!!!
Why is his Luck negative… count the zeroes… negative one billion?!
It was 777 when he last checked his status just a few minutes ago!
[Ding!]
[New quest received!]
[Survive!]
[You've bitten off more than you can chew, this time! Maybe you should have put a few points into your brain, huh, dimwit?]
[Objective: Wriggle your way out of the mess you got yourself into, like the little rat that you are!]
[Success: Live another day, I guess, I don't know. +1 Extra Life, gain the title "By The Skin Of Your Teeth"]
[Failure: Death, and possibly soul destruction.]
"Huuuuuuuuuuh?!?!?!" Joffrey voiced his confusion in the only way he knew how.
"What's wrong with you?" Carne gave him a confused look.
Joffrey scanned him quickly.
[Level: 27]
Not him.
He scanned the maitre d.
[Level: 12]
Pathetic, definitely not him.
The door to the kitchen was kicked open, and out strode his target, Zeff.
[Level: 74]
Higher than expected, but nothing he couldn't handle. It wouldn't be the first time he fought someone with a higher level.
"What's going on here? Who gave you the right to come into my restaurant and attack my chefs?" Zeff growled at him.
Joffrey ignored him. He was in real danger right now, and he didn't even know where the danger was!
There, by the door to the kitchen. A table with three women sat around it, all glaring at him.
He recognized two of them. Nami and… Reiju, he thinks? What were those two doing in East Blue?
He scanned them, first Nami then Reiju.
[Level: 244]
What.
Why the fuck is Nami so strong???
Right, right, that fancy staff of hers, must be. Without it, she's useless.
[Level: 404]
But Reiju wasn't. She was the real deal, and she looked like she wanted to kick his teeth in.
Shit. Fuck. How could he talk his way out of this?
"Oh no!" Joffrey slapped both of his hands onto his cheeks in false shock. "I seem to have made a terrible mistake!"
"Boss?" Henchman One whispered at him. "What are you doing? We've got them right where we want 'em!"
Joffrey stomped on his foot and felt something break.
"It appears my man here didn't do his job correctly. He told me this restaurant was owned by the Red-Leg Zeff, but this old man clearly doesn't have any legs!" Joffrey pressed on, ignoring his screaming subordinate on the ground. Shut up and take the fall with some grace, dumbass!
"Oh?" Zeff ran a hand along his mustache as he sized Joffrey up. "And who's going to pay for Chef Patty's medical bills?"
Joffrey resisted the urge to curse the old man out for his transparent attempt to shake him down. "O-of course. Ginnry, be a dear and go grab some cash. A hundred grand ought to be enough."
As much as it pained him, the money would save his life. He couldn't spend it if he was dead!
"I don't know…" Zeff's peg legs clacked as he stepped over to Patty, who was now playing up his injuries in overdramatic fashion. "He might be laid up for two or three months. Better make it a million."
"You-!" Joffrey barely caught himself from saying more as he caught Reiju's narrowing gaze. "R-right… it's only natural…"
Ginnry, bless her stupid little heart, didn't seem to grasp the severity of the situation. "Why should I? That's my shopping money!"
You stupid fucking bitch! We're gonna die!
"Just do it, Ginnry!" Joffrey commanded through gritted teeth.
"Again, why should I?" Ginnry gave him a scowl that he'd never seen directed his way before, utterly baffling him. "You're about to die, anyways. I'll just save the money for myself."
"..." Joffrey was completely blindsided. What happened to sweet, scatterbrained Ginnry? Ginnry, who was too naïve and innocent for the world, and too stupid to stay home where it was safe for a weak woman to live out her days?
"I see you found yourself a decent mark for once, Ginnry," Nami's words shocked him to the core. "If he can hand out a million Beri like no big deal, he must have a pretty good chunk of change, huh?"
"You know it, babe~" Ginnry winked at the redhead. "Nothing like being in the big leagues like you, I'm sure, but I'll be able to live the high life for a few months."
Joffrey couldn't believe what he was hearing. She was just conning him? This whole time?
What about her promise to sleep with him after they reached the Grand Line?! Was that a lie?!
He looked at his men, but they all avoided eye contact. He looked at Martha, who met his gaze and said, "Looks like the jig is up, boys."
There was a series of groans and exclamations like "Man, we were making so much bank!" and "I was hopin' we could string him along a little longer!"
Joffrey's whole world was crumbling around him. He was supposed to be the one to throw them away! Not the other way around! How could this have happened right under his nose?!
"You damned NPCs!" Joffrey roared, activating his [Intimidation] skill in full.
However, before he could kill these traitorous assholes, someone appeared in his face in a blink.
"What is this?" the third woman from Nami and Reiju's table asked, crimson eyes gleaming with curiosity. "What manner of power does this technique use? If you tell me honestly, I won't kill you for attacking Patty."
If Joffrey wasn't a [Gamer], he would have pissed his pants in fright. Thankfully, [Gamer Brain: Max] kept him level headed.
He scanned her, then he wished that he hadn't.
[Level: 969]
Her pupils dilated. "What did you just do?"
Oh God, she felt it!
Her hand was clenched around his throat and his feet were kicking uselessly in the air. He didn't even notice when she grabbed him.
[Ding!]
[Urgent System Message Received!]
[GG.]
His vision faded to black as his brain starved of oxygen.