High Stakes in a Shady Town

"They're definitely going to get into trouble." Nami muttered, watching Ryomen, Luffy, and Zoro disappear into the bustling town.

"Yeah, but Ryomen's with them. He should keep them in line." Usopp reassured her.

"He better. I'm not in the mood to start running for my life." Nami grumbled.

"Where's Robin-chan?" Sanji suddenly asked, scanning the deck.

"Oh! She's gone!" Chopper exclaimed in surprise.

…

As the trio wandered through the town, they passed by a multitude of colorful characters—thieves, wrestlers, gamblers. The town was alive with chaos.

Suddenly, a man collapsed in front of them, falling off his horse.

"Oh! He fell!" Luffy exclaimed.

"He sure did." Zoro replied, his tone flat.

"Koff!" Blood spattered from the man's mouth.

"He coughed up blood." Luffy observed with wide eyes.

"Yeah, he did." Zoro repeated, equally unphased.

Ryomen rolled his eyes at the two. 'Do I strangle them now, or later?' He wondered.

"Pardon me, folks...Could you help me up?" The man wheezed.

"Are you even trying?" Zoro asked, unimpressed.

Without a word, Luffy walked over and helped the man back onto his horse.

"Much obliged," The man rasped. "I was born with a weak constitution...Huff...Alright, let's go, Stronger..." He urged his horse forward, though the poor animal promptly began coughing blood as well.

"The horse too!?" All three yelled in disbelief.

"I don't have money to offer, but please, take one." The man held out a basket of apples.

"No thanks. They look suspicious." Zoro declined, while Ryomen nodded in agreement.

"Oh, apples! Thanks!" Before either could stop him, Luffy had already grabbed and eaten one.

"Luffy!!" Ryomen shouted, wide-eyed.

"Why'd you eat that!?" Zoro barked.

"Aaaah!" A nearby building suddenly exploded.

"What happened!?" Someone cried out.

"That weird guy gave out apples, and when people ate them—boom! Five people exploded!!" Another man yelled.

Ryomen's face went pale. "Hey, spit it out!" He rushed to Luffy, trying to force his mouth open.

"I can't! I already swallowed!" Luffy replied, looking more concerned about the commotion than his own wellbeing.

Zoro's hand moved to his sword hilt, his eyes locked on the mysterious man. "What's the big idea!?"

The man chuckled weakly. "Don't worry...If that one was bad, you'd be dead by now. Seems you're a lucky boy."

"You bastard!" Ryomen growled, stepping toward the man, rage simmering in his voice. "Do you get a sick thrill from playing with people's lives?"

The man's coughing intensified, but he looked at Ryomen with amusement. "Luck, my boy...It's all luck."

"How about testing your luck against my swords?" Zoro challenged, his tone deadly.

"There's no need for that." The man extended the basket of apples. "Care to try another?"

Ryomen slapped the basket from his hand, his face twisting in disgust. "Enough. You think you can just gamble with lives without facing consequences?"

The man's eyes gleamed, his voice quiet and menacing. "You're one of the unlucky ones. I can tell."

The tension snapped as Zoro blocked the man's escape, stepping in front of him. "I really don't appreciate people trying to kill us."

Luffy, sensing the tension, intervened. "Zoro, let him go. What's done is done."

But Ryomen shook his head. "Luffy, this isn't just about us. Look at him. Can you honestly say he's never killed an innocent? And if we let him leave now, do you think he won't kill anyone else?"

Luffy studied Ryomen's face, seeing the determination there. "Alright then, I'll trust you!" He finally said, adjusting his straw hat.

The man chuckled, though it sounded more like a series of labored coughs. "So...what now? Are you going to kill me?"

Ryomen grinned darkly. "No. We're going to play a game. Guess who the captain of our crew is just by observing us. If you guess correctly, you can walk away. If not, well...I guess it's just your unlucky day."

The man froze, staring at Ryomen. For a few long moments, nothing happened. Then, a raspy laugh broke free. "Alright...Let's play."

The man's demeanor shifted in an instant—from a weak, frail old man to a predator eyeing his prey. The sudden change put Ryomen, Luffy, and Zoro on guard.

He first observed Zoro, a swordsman with a powerful presence. Strong, loyal, but clearly not the captain. The way he followed the Straw Hat boy's commands made that much obvious.

Next, he turned to Luffy. At first glance, he looked like a fool, carefree and simple. But underneath that exterior was hidden strength. The calmness in his eyes in the face of danger spoke volumes. This boy held authority, the kind seen in leaders. He was likely the answer.

Lastly, his gaze fell on Ryomen. Calm and confident, his stance spoke of experience. He carried a quiet but deep concern for his comrades, ready to defend them, yet capable of standing against them if necessary. Still, he lacked the commanding presence of a captain.

Having assessed them, the man still craved more certainty. He cheated.

His senses expanded outward, scanning the nearby area until they locked onto a notice board a few buildings away. Two familiar bounty posters stared back at him. A grin spread across the man's face. Victory seemed near.

But fate was not on his side today.

"You." He pointed, chuckling through a fit of coughs.

The three stayed still, silently observing him. The tension in the air thickened.

Ryomen's voice cut through the silence. "You cheated, didn't you?"

The man's eyes widened, his shock barely concealed. 'How did they know? These are just low-level pirates!' He thought, but quickly masked his surprise.

"Can you not accept your loss, boy?" The man rasped. "I told you, you're one of the unlucky ones. Those who deny their fate always pay the price."

With a surprising burst of strength, the old man dismounted his horse, towering over them, much to their surprise.

"Taking your life will suffice as compensation." He brandished a double-headed scythe, slashing toward Ryomen with terrifying speed.

"Cursed Dismantle."

Before the scythe could reach him, it crumbled, falling apart as if cleaved by an unseen force.

The man froze in disbelief. "What!?"

Ryomen seized the moment. "Cursed Cleave." He gently touched the man's chest, cleaving him in two.

The man gasped, blood trickling from his mouth as darkness consumed him.

"I already knew about the bounties." Were the last words he heard, before succumbing to his injuries.

His horse, Stronger, bolted, disappearing into the distance.

The three stood still, Ryomen staring at the fallen man with quiet contemplation.

"What was that about the bounties?" Zoro asked, breaking the silence.

Ryomen shrugged. "When we passed through town earlier, I noticed my and Luffy's bounties on display. I knew he'd try to use that to cheat. So, I baited him into guessing who our captain was."

Zoro raised an eyebrow. "So you were gambling on him having Observation Haki?"

"Exactly. But it wasn't about gambling. It was about playing his game and turning it against him." Ryomen explained, a grim look crossing his face. "He wanted to toy with our lives, so I gave him a taste of his own medicine."

"But in the end…He cheated. And 'those who deny their fate always pay the price'." He told them, looking toward the horizon.

Luffy, casually munching on a piece of meat from the destroyed store, chimed in. "I don't know. Having your dream get destroyed is worse than dying."

Ryomen's eyes narrowed. "You really believe that? Is that why you don't care if you die?"

"I told you, as long as I'm following my dream, I don't care!" Luffy replied, his voice filled with conviction.

Ryomen stared at him in silence, the weight of Luffy's words sinking in. He admired Luffy's determination, but now, with people he cared about, the thought of losing them for a dream seemed unbearable.

"And if someone you cared about died chasing their dream, how would you feel?" Ryomen challenged.

"I'd understand. They chose this life, just like me. Pirates risk their lives for their dreams." Luffy shot back.

Ryomen let out a sigh. "Agree to disagree, then."

'I just hope you never have to experience that loss firsthand, Luffy.' He thought in concern.

The conversation ended as Zoro wandered off. Moments later, shouting erupted from nearby.

"Who is this guy!?" A voice yelled.

"He's the second person to defeat the 'Tiger' !" Another added in disbelief.

Ryomen looked over, spotting Zoro standing victoriously over a knocked-out fighter.

"Zoro! C'mon, let's go!" Ryomen grabbed his arm, dragging him away from the crowd.

"I can walk on my own!" Zoro grumbled.

Luffy snickered. "Can you?"

As they bickered, Ryomen's mind wandered back to the strange man they had just faced. 'Two Haki users on this island…something's not right. We should get the information we need and leave as soon as possible.'

His thoughts drifted elsewhere, a sinking feeling gnawing at him. 'Every time I use cursed energy, it feels like…something taints my soul. A small part of me changes.'

An ominous memory surfaced.

"But know this…For your insolence, once I take control of you, I'll slaughter every single person on that ship of yours."

'Is this…what he meant by taking control?' Ryomen thought grimly.

His introspection was interrupted by a push. "Hey! Listen when someone's talking to you!"

Ryomen blinked, realizing they had arrived at a resort, Zoro and Luffy beside him. In front of him stood a silver-haired man holding a blonde woman in his arms.

"Beat it already, or I'll kick you out!" The man sneered.

"How about me kicking you out!" Luffy retorted.

"This isn't even your place, Luffy." Zoro sighed, putting a palm on his face.

"What happened?" Ryomen asked Zoro, raising an eyebrow.

"Huh? How do you not know?" Zoro gave Ryomen a weird look. "This guy rented the place we were checking out."

Ryomen sighed, thinking to himself, 'How do you always manage to get in trouble? Though, I guess I'm not much better.'

"Don't worry, we're leaving." Ryomen said calmly, gesturing for Luffy to follow him out.

As they turned to leave, the man tossed a few bills to the ground. "Here, get yourself something decent to wear."

"Sarquiss! The money's wasted on them!" The girl next to him chimed in.

"Yeah, you're right. Would've been better to wipe my ass with it." Sarquiss sneered.

Ryomen's expression darkened, his muscles tensing. He exchanged a brief look with Zoro, both of them clearly annoyed. 'I've already caused enough commotion. We don't need more attention, or we'll attract forces we can't handle.' Ryomen forced himself to remain calm.

"Whoa, really!? You're giving it to me!?" Luffy exclaimed excitedly, completely unfazed.

"Seriously!?" Ryomen groaned, grabbing Luffy by the arm and dragging him out. "Let's go before you cause more problems."

"Hey, I can walk on my own!" Luffy protested.

"Can you?" Zoro smirked, clearly amused.

They eventually made their way down the street, heading toward a tavern to grab some food. Meanwhile, Sarquiss and his group were interrupted by a man rushing toward them, holding two bounty posters.

"You two, we've got a problem!" The man panted, thrusting the posters at Sarquiss.

Sarquiss glanced at them lazily before his eyes widened in disbelief. "Sixty million!? Impossible!" He blurted out.

The girl took a step back, clearly shocked. "No way that coward got such a high bounty!"

"You're right…must be some kind of mistake. We need to show this to Bellamy." Sarquiss muttered, trying to compose himself.

…

At a tavern, Zoro, Luffy and Ryomen sat at the bar. The place was bustling with people, noises coming from all around.

Luffy was halfway through a cherry pie, his face twisted in disgust, while Zoro finished his beer.

"This pie is awful!" Luffy groaned, forcing another bite down.

"Barkeep." Ryomen called out, putting down his pomegranate juice. "Can you tell us how to get to Sky Island?"

The bartender chuckled. "Hahaha! Sorry, but the Sky Island? That's just a myth. Your Log Pose is probably broken."

Ryomen frowned. "Are you sure?"

"Trust me, plenty of fools have chased that legend, and none made it back." He shrugged dismissively.

Ryomen sighed. "I see. Well, thanks for the info." He paused, then handed over some money.

The bartender happily took the money. Then, Luffy and the large man sitting next to him suddenly shouted at the barkeep simultaneously.

"Hey, Mister!!"

"Hm? What?" The man glanced at them.

"This cherry pie is so gross I thought I'd die!"

"This cherry pie is to die for!"

"Hm?" They both glared at each other in silence, then finished their drinks.

"This drink is terrific!"

"This drink is terrible!"

They're responses switched.

"Uh…I don't care either way. I'm not the cook." The bartender muttered, clearly uninterested.

Luffy and the man locked eyes again.

"Something wrong with your tounge?" The man growled.

"Something wrong with your brain?" Luffy shot back, equally aggressive.

Luffy then turned toward the barkeep. "Give me fifty pieces of meat wrapped to go!"

"Give me fifty one cherry pies wrapped up to go." The man exclaimed.

"Actually, make that fifty two pieces of meat."

"Know what, give me fifty three cherry pies."

"That's right. I said fifty four pieces of meat."

The two continued their bizarre back-and-forth, Zoro facepalmed while Ryomen observed the stranger carefully.

"What, you want some of this!?" Luffy and the man shouted ready to punch each other.

"How do you get into a fight over that!?" Zoro angrily questioned.

"Leave it be, Luffy. No need to cause unnecessary trouble." Ryomen tried to calm him down. 'My very soul is warning me…that this man is dangerous!!'

"Something wrong, Ryomen?" Zoro asked, noticing the tension in his companion.

"Yeah, something's off with that guy." Ryomen replied quietly.

"You a pirate?" The large man suddenly asked.

Luffy turned back to him. "Yeah, so what?"

"Bounty?"

"Forty million!" Luffy boasted proudly.

The man's eyes widened for a split second before he scoffed. "Forty mil!? Like hell you are! Stop lying!"

"I ain't lying, it's the truth!" Luffy shouted.

"Cut it out already." Zoro snapped, growing annoyed with the whole scene.

The barkeep quickly intervened, handing the large man a bag of cherry pies. "Here, fifty-one cherry pies. Now take it and leave."

The man scoffed, grabbed his bag, and got out of the tavern without another word. Just after he left, a blond man with a blue jacket draped over his shoulders walked in, flanked by a group of thugs. Two of them, familiar to the straw hats.

The blond man scanned the tavern, his grin widening as he locked eyes with Ryomen.

"So…'The Cursed Being' Ryomen is here after all."