Chapter 29 - Losing Myself

Gambler?

Robin's palm, holding the teacup, hovered in the air for a moment as her eyes locked onto Finn. A gentle smile curved at the corner of her mouth.

"Sir, what do you mean by that?" she asked.

Finn replied with a smile, "It's simple. I bet on myself, you bet on yourself. If one of us loses, the other gets to claim them."

Robin set down the teacup and sat up straight, her gaze fixed on Finn.

She remained silent.

Finn raised an eyebrow slightly.

He wondered why she wasn't speaking. If she was unwilling to gamble, it would complicate things, as the choice required winning Robin to meet its conditions. Even if he forcibly captured her, the selection condition wouldn't be met.

The two stared at each other for a long while. Finally, Robin broke the silence.

"Sir, why make such a request?"

"There are many reasons, some of which I believe you'll find interesting. But if you want to know them, you'll have to first gamble with me. Win or lose, you'll get an answer that satisfies you, Nico Robin."

Robin was taken aback when Finn used her full name. A subtle tremor ran through her, but she masked it well.

In this casino, no one knew her real name or even her code name. Yet, this young man had used her full name effortlessly.

Robin's expression hardened. "Are you from the World Government?"

Finn shook his head with a smile. "Do you think CP9 agents are as refined as I am?"

Robin's lips twitched as she almost laughed. She knew that if CP9 were involved, they would have arrested her outright. Finn's demeanor was too different.

Still, her vigilance kicked in. "Sir, who are you? Are you here for my bounty?"

"Don't always assume the worst of people," Finn said, crossing his arms and leaning back, showing his displeasure. "I know what you're thinking. If you want to find out more, win or lose, you'll get your answers. Isn't it pointless to ask questions here?"

"In that case, will you bet or not?"

Robin scrutinized Finn's eyes, trying to guess his intentions, but she couldn't figure it out. After a moment, she picked up the dice cup and placed it in front of her.

"Sir, are you confident in your gambling skills?"

"No! I don't gamble at all. I just rely on my luck!" Finn said, his interest piqued.

Robin, who was confident in her gambling skills thanks to her Devil Fruit powers, pushed the dice cup toward Finn. "There are three dice inside. You roll the cup, and we each guess the number. Whoever is closest wins!"

Robin, a Flower-Flower Fruit user, could see and manipulate the dice, making her a formidable opponent in gambling.

Finn, eager for the challenge, was thrilled.

Robin, wanting to test Finn further and get some answers, proposed the bet.

"Alright!"

Finn instantly moved, using a technique to appear as a phantom before Robin.

"What are you doing..."

Robin was startled and tried to resist, but before she could react, she felt a wave of weakness and slumped into her chair. Seastone handcuffs were clamped onto her wrists.

"You... are definitely from the World Government..."

Weak but with anger in her eyes, Robin spoke. But she fell silent as she saw Finn placing a pair of seastone handcuffs on himself.

"What is the meaning of this?"

Finn smiled. "Robin, in a gamble, everything should rely on pure luck. Cheating isn't part of it. These seastone handcuffs are to show you that I'm not using any Devil Fruit powers. No cheating."

Robin's face reddened slightly with embarrassment, realizing Finn had anticipated her thoughts. It was indeed cheating if she used her powers.

She considered the possibility of Finn pretending to be powerless. "What if you're pretending not to be a Devil Fruit user? What if these seastone handcuffs are fake?"

Finn admired Robin's caution. He approached her, transferred the seastone handcuffs to her wrists, and took off her handcuffs, putting them back on himself.

"Is this acceptable?" Finn asked, waving his hands in front of her.

Feeling the genuine effect of the seastone, Robin's expression softened. "I'm sorry. I was suspicious..."

"It's understandable," Finn said with a smile. He handed the dice cup back to Robin. "Now, let's shake and see if luck is on our side."

Robin took the dice cup, moved by Finn's gesture of trust.

She shook the cup and placed it on the table. With her Devil Fruit abilities, she couldn't listen to the dice or see them, so she guessed blindly.

"Since it's a matter of luck, I'll guess 11," she said.

Finn replied, "Alright! If you're betting on 11, I'll bet on 10."

"Let's see then. The larger number wins for you, the smaller one for me!" Finn clenched his fists in mock anxiety.

"Small! Small!" Nami and Tashigi cheered along with Finn.

As the dice cup was opened, the dice showed: 1, 2, 2.

"Haha! I won!" Finn exclaimed, thrilled. He patted his chest and sighed in relief. "It seems my luck is on point today!"

Robin sank into her chair, her expression a mix of defeat and resignation.

She had lost. What would be her next encounter?