Chapter 278

"The Swallow-Swallow Fruit... does anyone want it?" Sima Di asked with interest: "This thing can freely combine anything swallowed; if studied well and awakened... it should be able to swallow a Devil Fruit user and take their ability, right?"

Sima Di indicated...

They came here specifically to pick a fight.

Through the Palm Seal passage,

The opposite VIP reception room was empty—clearly cleared out in advance.

"Clap! Clap! Clap!"

Tettoro sat at the head seat, clapping his hands and smiling broadly at Luffy.

"You've really given me quite a show. As payment..."

"In the next bet, if I lose, I'll pay tenfold!"

"But if you lose, you pay nothing."

"After all, I have too much money—it's just for fun."

Just how arrogant is that?

But...

"I'm afraid you'll be disappointed," Sima Di said regretfully: "Because the stake I'm placing, you can't possibly pay ten times for—after all... there's only one life."

Tettoro's face darkened!

He looked past Sima Di, toward Luffy.

"Are you still the captain?" Tettoro mocked. "Letting your subordinate ride over your head!"

Luffy, however, didn't care at all.

"Di is smarter than me—he's always right. I just need to handle the fighting!" Luffy grinned widely.

He clearly meant it.

Tettoro was left speechless.

Really...

So carefree!

"You're betting my life?" Tettoro sneered. "Then can you put up an equivalent stake? Don't talk to me about gold or money—I alone have two quadrillion Berries in cash!"

Showing off again!

Who else would get targeted if not you?

"Of course not something as vulgar as money," Sima Di said. "Just in time—they've arrived."

The next second,

Zoro and Jinbe walked in through the Palm Seal passage; Zoro was dragging a man whose face had been beaten into a pig's head.

"Zoro, show him," Sima Di nodded.

"Huh?" Zoro blinked.

"Let me handle it," Jinbe took over: "Zoro, please give me the Devil Fruit Separation Serum."

"Oh."

Jinbe took the Devil Fruit Separation Serum, then picked up the fruit platter beside him, placed it next to the pig-faced man, and uncorked the bottle to pour the serum down his throat.

Not long after,

The topmost peach on the fruit platter twisted into the shape of two lips locked together—becoming the Swallow-Swallow Fruit!

Tettoro's eyes widened in shock!

How is this possible?

"As you see," Sima Di said confidently: "If you win, I'll give you the formula for this Devil Fruit Separation Serum. If you lose... your life is mine. Deal?"

Tettoro leapt to his feet in excitement!

How many years!

He'd finally encountered something exciting again!

"Devil Fruit Separation Serum? I'll take it! Let's bet!" Tettoro laughed wildly: "With the formula, I'll have money, people—I'll crush the World Government!"

Oh?

Didn't expect Tettoro to be so ambitious.

Then it seems...

Maybe there's room for later negotiations?

But...

First, we must get past Baccarat, the "Child of Fortune."

With her insane luck...

How do you beat her?

? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense? Incense?

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8. Suppressing the Straw Hat with Conqueror's Haki? A Miniature Summit War!

How do you beat a luck-saturated Child of Fortune?

Sima Di's solution was...

A burly man stepped forward, carrying two heavy metal dice in either hand; he tossed them onto the floor with a "Boom—!"

See the weight!

"I'm today's dealer—Dai Si!"

Then he directly picked up the large bell-shaped dice cup, covering the metal die and shaking it vigorously.

The sound!

It was like two master swordsmen locked in fierce combat, the clashing of metal ringing endlessly.

"Boom—"

The bell-shaped dice cup was slammed hard onto the floor.

Good form.

But what a pity...

Sima Di glanced at Usopp, who subtly shook his head, his expression oddly strained.

His Observation Haki could not penetrate that material!

"Don't even think about cheating," Baccala said with confidence: "This is made of special material, blocking most forms of ability detection, especially effective against Observation Haki with its X-ray vision property."

There's such a thing?

Like how Superman's X-ray vision can't pierce lead?

"No wonder you're so confident," Sima Di smiled.

Though well prepared...

It still couldn't stop Sima Di's spiritual force scan!

"So, guest, do you bet odd or even?" Baccala said confidently.

Odd or even?

"Not so fast."

Sima Di stepped forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Baccala.

"Hum—"

An invisible ripple spread out, enveloping only himself and Baccala.

Baccala frowned slightly, as if something had slipped away from her?

But luck is an ethereal thing; even as the user of the Luck Fruit, she could not quantify its units.

So after remaining alert for a moment and confirming nothing was amiss,

she dismissed it as overreaction.

And in fact...

She had already lost the power of the Luck Fruit, becoming an ordinary person.