In the vast hall.
The clinking of dice sounded particularly crisp.
Seeing that Kong Tai and the others were standing by the gambling table and not leaving, the dealer's momentarily quiet heart instantly felt as if it were being squeezed, beating rapidly, as if it were about to jump out of her throat.
Her face turned red, and she cautiously glanced up at Kong Tai.
Kong Tai also seemed to notice her small movement. When the dealer looked over, he gave her a friendly, gentle smile.
He wasn't that insane. These dealers were just ordinary people, not pirates, and he wouldn't do anything to them.
Feeling the goodwill emanating from Kong Tai, the dealer gradually let go of the fear that had suddenly surged in her heart. Although she was nervous, she didn't collapse.
After all, at this moment, Kong Tai had restrained all his aura. From the outside, he looked like an ordinary person, an extremely ordinary person.
Although this ordinary person was a bit handsome.
Bang—!
Putting down the sweat-soaked dice cup, the dealer didn't have time to wipe the sweat from her forehead and said in a slightly nervous tone, "Bets down."
As she spoke, she looked at the blind uncle. "Uncle, this is your last chip. Are you sure you still want to bet on small?"
Having been a dealer for so many years, she had seen many gamblers, and many unlucky gamblers, but a gambler who could lose nine consecutive hands, one on one, was not common.
Therefore, at the last moment, she couldn't help but remind him.
"It's okay, I'll bet on small. Just open it."
As if he hadn't heard the dealer's kind reminder, the blind uncle tapped the gambling table nonchalantly, his face a little embarrassed, but he still forced himself to ask the dealer to open the dice cup.
"Alright!"
The dealer shook her head. Her kind reminder was just a momentary impulse. She had seen many gamblers like the blind uncle in front of her who had lost their minds, and she had seen even more people who had lost their homes and families for gambling.
Therefore, her heart had long been as cold as iron towards gamblers.
The reminder just now was only to show the silver-haired man that she also had a kind side.
Because she already knew from the newspapers that the silver-haired group was different from ordinary pirates.
Although this difference, in most people's eyes, was just a case of calling a sheep's head but selling dog meat. Pirates with a sense of justice, what else could they be but ridiculous?
At least in the idle chats between her and her sisters after work, such news was considered ridiculous and amusing.
Of course, at this moment, when she truly faced the silver-haired man, she could only believe the justice that had made her laugh at the newspapers.
Otherwise, if the silver-haired man were a "real pirate," and wanted to kill her or do something to her, even her boss, Tesoro, would not say anything for her.
It was like the Celestial Dragons.
Every time the Celestial Dragons came here to play, one or two of her good sisters would go missing.
She didn't know where they had gone, but thinking about the ways of the Celestial Dragons, it was not difficult to guess the fate of her sisters.
Fortunately, although her figure was good, her face was very ordinary, which allowed her to remain a dealer for many years.
Picking up the dice cup and looking at the dice below, the dealer's face showed a hint of surprise when she saw the numbers.
She swore she hadn't cheated.
But…
Looking up at the blind uncle, whose face was filled with anticipation, the dealer said coldly, "Four, four, five… Big."
"I'm sorry, Uncle, you lost again."
After saying that, the dealer ignored the disappointed blind uncle and, as if by reflex, picked up the ruler on her right and pushed the chips the blind uncle had placed on "small" towards herself.
Then she put down the ruler and reached for the dice cup again, only to find that there were no more chips left on the gambling table.
Now that she had nothing to do, the peace she had just found began to waver again.
As if seeing her predicament, Kong Tai's gentle voice rang out, "Alright, I believe you know who I am. You're not needed here anymore. May I ask you to clock out now?"
The dealer looked up, met Kong Tai's beautiful, sky-blue eyes that resembled the starry sky, then quickly lowered her head, a faint blush appearing on her slightly pale, pretty face.
She didn't say anything, but took two steps back, bowed to Kong Tai and the others, then quickly turned around and fled the scene as if escaping.
Withdrawing his gaze from the dealer, Kong Tai took a step, walked past the right side of the gambling table, and stood in the position where the dealer had just been standing.
"Issho…"
"Hmm… No, it should be 'Issho.' I wonder if Uncle Issho is here specifically waiting for us, or… is it just a coincidence?"
Picking up the dice cup, Kong Tai slowly shook it twice, then casually set it down.
At this moment, Issho raised his head, and the gambling dog demeanor he had moments ago was gone, replaced by a look of calm.
It was then that Koina and the others noticed that this uncle was actually blind, and there was an "x" shaped scar on the left side of his forehead, extending to his eyes.
It was unclear whether it was this scar that caused him to close his eyes forever.
Koina and the others didn't know, but Kong Tai knew that Issho had closed his eyes himself.
Just as Kong Tai knew and had experienced, behind the prosperity of this world lay countless tragedies.
As a wanderer who had roamed the world for many years, Issho had experienced countless misfortunes, which had led him to an extreme mindset.
That is, "It is also a blessing to be blind, for the human world truly contains too many people that one cannot bear to look upon, those who are filthy and lewd." Thus, his eyes were voluntarily closed precisely because he did not wish to see the world's wickedness.
To Kong Tai, this was actually a foolish act, a form of escape.
But this was someone else's life, someone else's choice, and Kong Tai had no reason to criticize, even if he disagreed.
Why did Kong Tai think Issho was specifically waiting for him here?
Of course, it was because he knew Issho very well.
With this guy's Kenbunshoku Haki, he couldn't possibly not know what had happened upstairs.
Tesoro was dead, and this place would immediately become a chaotic swamp. And for him to still be waiting here, there could only be one possibility: he was waiting for them to come down.
"I am here, indeed, specifically waiting for Mr. Silver-haired. I wish to see for myself the true Mr. Silver-haired, whom I cannot learn about from outsiders. What kind of person is he?"
Issho raised his head, his eyes still closed, but his face was directly facing Kong Tai, as if he could see Kong Tai.
"Oh…"
Kong Tai released the dice cup, took his gourd from his waist, pulled out the stopper, took a small sip, and chuckled, "Did you see clearly?"
"I saw clearly."
Without hesitation, Issho spoke directly.
"Then what kind of person am I?" Kong Tai asked with some curiosity.
"I can't sense it."
"Uh…"
Kong Tai's drinking action paused, then he put down the wine gourd, leaned forward, his sky-blue pupils intently staring at Issho's closed eyes.
"You can't sense it?"