The sun had already slipped beneath the horizon, leaving only the faintest glimmer of light at the seam of sea and sky.
Dark gray drapery covered the heavens, and the cool autumn breeze swept across the plains before spilling into the bustling markets of the western peninsula.
Inside the gilded casino, neon lights shimmered brilliantly. Well-dressed gamblers bustled to and fro, drunk on the intoxicating atmosphere of excess.
Rainer and the others arrived, with Luffy charging ahead, laughing loudly as he darted from table to table like a monkey. He snatched food straight off a passing tray, crammed it in his mouth, then leapt toward something else that caught his eye.
Just like the Monkey King, Rainer thought, a faint smile crossed his lips.
"What's that familiar smell?" Chopper tugged at Rainer's leg, pointing toward a sofa in the corner.
They followed his gesture and saw six or seven people slumped across the seats, men and women alike, all with hazy eyes and unfocused minds.
On the table before them lay scattered cigarettes and powders—the likely source of the scent.
"High as a kite, huh. Stay away from them, Chopper," Rainer said calmly. Even if he didn't recognize the exact substance, their glazed expressions told the story well enough. Addictive junk, no doubt. He even spotted the bodyguard captain from the docks earlier among them.
They didn't linger. Instead, they pressed deeper into the casino.
Rainer had never gambled seriously before. He knew a few card games, but these tables had rules and spins he'd never seen.
The others weren't much better, but after wandering for a while, they stopped before a table.
The game: Big or Small.
"This one I know!" Usopp declared proudly, plopping into a chair. He leaned close to watch the dice, then squeezed his eyes shut to listen as the dealer shook the cup.
"I've decided—I'm betting Big!"
Convinced of his intuition, Usopp slapped down a 5,000-Berry chip with full confidence. The betting square read:
Big: Total 11–17, payout 1:1. Small: Total 4–10, payout 1:1.
"You sure about that, Usopp?" Rainer gave him a doubtful glance, but after hesitating, he placed a 20,000-Berry chip beside Usopp's.
"You look confident. Alright, I'll trust you this once."
"Relax, Rainer. I can't lose!" Usopp puffed out his chest, nose pointing sky-high.
But the moment Rainer followed him, Sanji and Zoro smirked and tossed their chips onto the opposite side—Small.
"Bet on Small."
"Anything opposite Rainer is a win."
The pair looked smug, perfectly united for once.
"…Heh." Rainer rolled his eyes. These two only ever agreed when it came to messing with him.
Chopper tilted his head, then slipped a chip into the dealer's hand. "Me too! Bet Small!" he squeaked.
Et tu, Chopper?
"Bets are locked!" the dealer announced, lifting the black cup.
"Two, three, three—eight total, Small."
Cheers rose from Sanji, Zoro, and Chopper. The others groaned.
"Yay, I won!" Chopper hopped onto Zoro's head, tail wagging. The swordsman and cook both smirked at Rainer.
"Damn it! How?!" Usopp slammed down another bet on Big.
Rainer stared, dumbfounded. He's not even waiting for the dice to shake? This guy's pure gambling trash!
Round after round, the dice rolled fast. Rainer didn't lose every single time, but losses outweighed wins. His initial two-million allowance vanished in no time. But seeing how much fun his crewmates were having, he didn't spoil it.
"Two more million," he said, waving at the dealer. "Nah, make it twenty."
He justified it easily—most of the chips just ended up in his crew's hands anyway. As long as it wasn't Luffy, there was no harm.
The casino manager, spotting such a massive exchange, immediately sent out hostesses.
They arrived in pairs—bunny girls—carrying trays of fresh chips.
"Your chips, sir."
A red-haired, sultry woman leaned close, rabbit ears twitching above her headband. Her tight bodysuit clung to her, every curve accentuated as she pressed the tray forward.
"Your luck hasn't been so good tonight," she purred. "Allow me to cheer you on."
A soft, sticky-sweet voice. She set the tray down and slid into Rainer's arms.
Rainer chuckled darkly. Money well spent. If I'm paying, I might as well enjoy the perks.
"Work hard, little sister. Do well, and there's a bonus in it."
With a grin, he wrapped an arm around her waist, and with his free hand, pulled in another bunny—this one with short blue hair and white stockings.
"You two place my bets."
"Ohh, sir, careful, or you might wear yourself out," the blue-haired one teased, pressing a hand to his chest.
"Better to burst full than starve empty. Ten thousand on Big!" Rainer barked, fully embracing the scoundrel role.
He sat back with both girls perched on his lap, shameless.
Sanji, meanwhile, was drowning in pink delirium just watching.
Rainer tossed chips left and right, letting the bunnies play the dice while he played with them. Losses didn't sting—his friends pocketed the winnings anyway.
This round's on the house. Absolute profit.
In the corner, on a crimson sofa, a man stirred awake.
Long brown hair framed his rugged face, though exhaustion dulled his features. He rubbed his temples and forced himself upright, color slowly returning to his cheeks.
"Phew… maybe too much tonight."
Sandy glanced at the wall clock, then drained a glass of water. He strapped a massive sword to his hip, straightened his plain white shirt, and rose.
He gave no more than a passing glance at the others still sprawled across the sofa, then turned to leave.
But as he turned, his eyes caught on a figure at a distant table—
A blond man, glasses glinting under casino lights, holding two bunny girls close.
"…Him. Again."
It was unusual to fixate on someone after a single passing encounter. But Sandy was not "usual." He was sharp, meticulous—sharp enough that even Doflamingo had valued him highly once.
If not for his… indulgences, strictly forbidden by his captain, Sandy wouldn't have been reduced to this.
"I had already dismissed the suspicion, but now…"
His eyes narrowed, like blades.
Across the bustling casino, he studied Rainer. Coincidence could be excused once, even twice. But recurring appearances? That demanded investigation.
Especially since Rainer had been his primary suspect before.
So Sandy stood still, watching, doing nothing else.
At the table, the bunny girls' laughter tinkled as they bet and lost, cheeks flushed from Rainer's teasing. His wallet thinned quickly.
These two are bleeding me dry. Stussy looks cheap next to them. Good thing it's all free this round.
Then a chill ran up Rainer's spine.
Even without Observation Haki, his honed senses picked up the heavy, hostile gaze. Years of training and his Devil Fruit's strengthening had sharpened his perception to a razor's edge.
He turned instinctively.
And across the crowded room, past rows of tables and gamblers, he spotted him—
The long-haired man from the docks.
At that exact moment, Sandy's focus sharpened. If Rainer was as weak as he'd seemed earlier, there was no way he could sense the stare through this chaos, from this distance, with his back turned.
Their eyes met.
Sandy's heart clenched. So it really was you… hiding in plain sight.
But his face showed nothing. He broke eye contact almost instantly and walked calmly toward the exit.
Rainer, meanwhile, frowned.
That was definitely the captain of the dockside guards.
But why?
They had only met today. Rainer hadn't even had time to get payback for being played earlier.So why was he the one being hunted first?