"Sorry, four Aces..." Snow nonchalantly tossed the cards down, then, raising his eyes, he looked at the three men sitting across from him, who wore stunned expressions, "Then, I shall accept this without reservation..."

As he spoke, he reached out to take the money in front of him.

"Hold it!" In that instant, a light shout was heard, and at the same time, another hand...swiftly covered the money.

The owner of that hand was none other than the skinny man with the brown curly hair.

"What is it?" Snow looked at the man, a smirk playing on his lips, "Are you trying to welch?"

"What are you talking about?" Before the skinny man could speak, the burly man with the blue bandana on his head cut in, "Do you know who you're talking to?"

"No," Snow replied to those words calmly.

He was telling the truth; he really didn't know who that guy was.

However, it was this very "ordinary" response that caused an inexplicable fire to ignite in the other party's heart.

It had to be said, this was also one of Snow's "talents"—an invisible sense of superiority permeated his every gesture; a very ordinary, not particularly rude, phrase, coming from his mouth, had the potential to make people angry. And...the more insecure a person was, the more easily they were provoked by him.

"You little punk are pretty arrogant!" Blue Bandana was immediately incensed. He grabbed Snow's collar and pulled him up with him.

"Hey, hey~ What are you doing? Bullying people, are you?" Feng Bujue's reaction was quick enough; he instantly squeezed over and yelled, "Do you think I'm dead?"

"Who do you think you are?" Blue Bandana retorted without conceding, yelling back at Brother Jue with his loud voice.

Judging by their posture, it seemed like they were about to start fighting.

Many pirates near them also turned their heads, ready to watch the spectacle.

Just then...

"Godfrey," the skinny man's slightly gloomy voice sounded once more, "Let him go."

The man called "Godfrey" was undoubtedly the Blue Bandana; after hearing the words, he glared fiercely at the two players before finally releasing Snow.

"Gentlemen..." After Godfrey sat back down, the skinny man continued, "Could you...sit down and talk."

As he spoke, he winked, the meaning being...please pay attention to the surroundings.

"Sure, sit, why not." A second later, Feng Bujue responded first, and imperceptibly nudged Snow's arm.

The latter immediately understood, straightened his clothes, and silently sat back down.

"Hmph..." Once the two had settled, the skinny man snorted coldly, lowered his voice, and said, "I really didn't expect...to meet experts here today, and...two of them."

"What are you talking about?" Feng Bujue, picking his nose, said casually, "Didn't I say from the start? I'm awesome at playing cards...you think that after losing, praising us a couple of times will let you welch?"

"Save it..." The skinny man replied in a deep voice, "As soon as you opened your mouth, I could tell that your accent was deliberately faked, and then I guessed...you were planning to play the fool to trap the wise." As he spoke, he shifted his gaze to Snow, "I originally thought...you found a so-called 'compatriot' to act as bait, to make it easier for you to act. But I didn't expect...you're both hooks."

"Enough nonsense." Now that things had come to this, Feng Bujue was too lazy to keep pretending; in the blink of an eye, it was like he had become a different person, using a more intimidating expression and a gloomier tone than the other man, he coldly replied, "The rules of the game...there's no turning back once the arrow is loosed, and no taking back the money once the bet is placed. Since you knew long ago that we weren't 'easy marks,' then either don't play with us, or accept your loss gracefully...admit that your skills are inferior." He paused for half a second, putting on a ferocious look, "What are you now? Not only can't you win, but you can't even afford to lose?"

Brother Jue was also quite accomplished in "underworld slang." Although it was unknown how the system translated it, other than the skinny man, Hairy Bro and Godfrey were already stunned by his words.

"Good..." After a moment of silence, the skinny man finally spoke, "Today, I'll admit defeat..." He moved his hand, which hadn't moved for a long time, from the money, "The money, you can take it..."

Everyone knew that he was about to say "but."

"But..." The skinny man said, "You have to tell me, how did you cheat just now?"

As a professional cheat, the skinny man's words were equivalent to admitting defeat. Logically speaking, at this time, Brother Jue and the other should give him a way out. As the saying goes...leave a line of retreat, so you can meet again in the future.

But...

"What do you mean?" Feng Bujue, however, took an inch when given a foot, asking in a reprimanding tone, like a machine gun, "Do you understand the rules? Is that something you ask? How did you even make it to where you are today?"

"Don't go too far!" This time, Hairy Bro couldn't help but speak up, "This is the famous 'Suantou' (Garlic Head) Bro, how dare you say he doesn't understand the rules?"

"What Garlic Head Taro Head, never heard of it." Feng Bujue rolled his eyes at the other man, his arrogance becoming even more unrestrained as he replied, "Also...what are you, a 'junket operator,' sticking your nose in? You think no one can see the cards hidden in your fur?"

"Enough!" Suantou Bro finally couldn't bear it any longer and shouted, "Since you're talking so big, then I'd like to hear...where are you from? Give me your name and title!"

His shout was a bit too loud...for a time, everyone nearby turned their attention over.

"Heh...you've really asked the right question..." Even more unexpectedly, two seconds later, a thick, rough voice rang out from the other side of the mast, picking up with that line.

Thump, thump, thump...

Accompanied by a series of heavy footsteps, the speaker walked around the mast step by step, saying as he walked, "Even I have heard of his name..."

At this moment, besides Snow, everyone knew who the respondent, who had yet to appear, was.

"He's known as... Laughing, he surveys the azure sea, shattering a thousand armies, plotting and planning, determining the consequences of cause and effect..."

After reciting those first two lines, Blackbeard's figure had already appeared beside the dumbfounded "Garlic Head Trio."

"...Without awareness, without fear, he takes life and death lightly, neither ghost nor god, he resembles a mad demon."

By the time Blackbeard had finished reciting the entire poem, he was standing in front of Brother Jue, and their eyes met.

The two of them...were not in a hurry to communicate. After meeting, they just stared at each other silently, smiling without a word.

But the pirates on the deck all had their hearts in their throats; despite the dozens of fierce-looking men, at this moment, everyone was afraid to even breathe loudly.