RBS ("I'm Taking Reviews")

Awareness Bringer: Strategist sounds best for Foxy in my opinion, but I do hope I didn't spoil you with what I know. In any event, I'm hoping things will turn out alright.
A: Not to worry, I'm fairly caught up on the little factoids and stuff Oda reveals. I even gleamed Foxy's backstory but more on that later. Admitedly I have not been following the current Wano arc so closely but that's a longggggg ways off. I collect the volumes and I factcheck things through it.

Monkey D. Dre: I am really loving this story as the crew feels much more organized than it ever was in cannon, and I imagine it can extend Merry's lifespan just a bit longer. I also wonder what will happen by Saboady since I don't imagine Kuma will go through the effort of blasting the 500 crew members of Luffy away. It will be really interesting to hear how the rest of the world reacts to Luffy's crew expanding by a few hundred, he already has a mini fleet.
A: This will certainly greatly change future events, in ways even I haven't figured out yet. All I can say is...prepare to see some characters earlier than you do in the manga!

Black Victor' Cachat:In response to your own answers:
-nice touch with the sign warning people off from disturbing Robin; her nakama thinking ahead.
-looking forward to what you come up with.
-that is a relief to hear! I certainly want to have those guys and Jinbe aboard! Idea that came to me, is that CP9 instigates a fight between the Franky Family and the Straw Hat fleet. They are unaware of Franky's relationship with Iceberg, but are aware there is one from when Franky first tried to approach him years ago, and the Straw Hats are powerful enough to be at least an annoying wildcard during their plan.
Nice work with the crew working to formalize things, and Foxy shows his worth in noting the threat of a mutiny-Zoro does a nice job of handling that in the short term. Also yeah, Foxy may think twice about double-crossing someone stronger than him, but not somebody that strong AND recklessly insane and brave. Looks like Usopp will not only be Luffy's big test, but also to the unity of the fleet, as I bet he will try making accusations of the carpenters and such out of his denial. Having more helping hands is definitely useful for Sanji and Chopper to do their jobs, and make them feel happier as well :-)
Keep up the nice work :-)
A: Thank you. I try to tune these things with a bigger crew size in mind. There's one fic I love that does organization in a similar way but I'm trying not to copy anything in particular. I have an idea of how I want Water 7 to play out, but if it's just Usopp, that's not as interesting as it could be with 508 crewmates. Giving Sanji and Chopper help is something I wanted from the start, though.

Scanders: Great idea, interesting story
A: Appreciated.

Smiley-Nami: This is good. Continue when you can.
A: Understood! (Thanks.)

Lord Ticky: Interesting reading so far. Looking forward to what happens next!
A: So do I.

Awareness-B: Hate to use a guest review, but I like to point out that Luffy should probably know what a First Mate is, considering he knew Ben Beckman as a kid. I know he's not the sharpest tool in the shed, but it feels weird that he wouldn't know what that is. Aside from that, I think Nami's proper authority title among crew would probably be something like Quartermaster since she's both a Navigator, Treasurer, and a responsible enough person to watch over the supplies. Just saying.

A: I'm glad I got this review in particular, as keeping these minor detaiils in mind is very important. How to explain...well, Luffy didn't question what it *was*, he was simply confused...after all, he recruited Zoro to be his swordsman, not his First Mate! It's sort of a meta jab at how fans call Zoro that when technically Oda never designated him as such. But you're right Luffy had to have picked up a thing or two from hanging out with Shanks and his crew. Like you said, he's not completely stupid, he's just...Luffy. Regarding Nami, that is an excellent point, and I'll probably start editting titles around. No one can navigate as well as Nami, but no one (yet?) can keep tabs on money as well as her either. Anyways thanks for the feedback.

(Ok review corner over! Will I be able to keep doing this when 10+ people review the same chapter? ...I don't know!)

Chapter 4 - Betting Man

It was a calm morning at sea…the waves gently lulled the two ships, while most of the crew slumbered. But the main cook of the ships always woke up earlier than the rest. He had hundreds of meals to prepare!

"Good morning, Mr. Chef. Did you sleep well?"

Sanji's mood brightened more than the rising sun. "Of course I did, Robin-chwan! You just reading out here? Shall I get you some coffee? Black, no sugar, right?"

"Ah, if it's no trouble…." Robin looked out onto the horizon. "Does it get exhausting, having to prepare so many more meals? I know the Captain isn't helping in that regard."

"Hmmmm. When a man gets hungry, they need to eat. It's that simple." Sanji lit his first cigarette of the day….to his dismay, the pack was almost empty. "I served plenty of people back at the Baratie."

"The sea-going restaurant….yes, Longnose told me about it…."

"What about you?" asked Sanji. "Miss your home from time to time?"

"….."

Maybe I touched a nerve? Best to leave it be. Instead the cook gave a smile and quick wave as he headed over to the larger kitchen on the Sexy Foxy.

XXXXX

"Oh for crying out…!"

The kitchen was a mess, with all the cooks snoozing on the floor. Dishes piled up in the sink, stains everywhere….and he could've sworn he told them to mop! So he decided to give them a couple of wake-up kicks for good measure.

"Ow!"

"My head!"

"My face!"

"Chef, why did you do that?!"

"I gave you idiots instructions on what to do for the night, at the promise you could rest this morning and I'd make all the food! But this place is a mess! So get cleaning already!"

"Aw come on, Chef, it was a fun party last night! Where's your sense of camaraderie?"

Sanji shoved past them, mentally resisting the urge to smash all of their heads into the walls. He took a good look in the fridge….how many days of food did they have left? Including the provisions on the Merry? With the way Luffy partied, less than a week.

"GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE! IT'S FINALLY TIME! TIME FOR THE RESULTS!"

"Time?" Sanji looked towards the snail spewing their announcer's….announcement. "What's he talking about?"

Nami did not appreciate being woken up by Itomimizu's booming voice - something that plagued every morning now - and not knowing what "results" he was talking about was adding to the frustration. Once on Merry's deck she saw Usopp hammering away.

"You're still at this? The carpenters have been patching up Merry for days!"

"I know, I know, just…" Usopp hammered his finger and winced. "…she was looking a little haggard on this side, you know? They did a good job, but it doesn't hurt to double check, you know?"

Nami sighed. "If you say so…..oh! Any updates on the other job?"

"The safe for the gold?"

Say it louder why don't you!

"They're almost done! I've even picked up some shipwright tricks from them. I bet I could make another ship if we just had moreYOUCH!" Usopp dropped his hammer. "M-Maybe I need a break…."

One by one all the "founding" members of the Straw Hats arrived to check on said….results. Things seemed a bit suspicious when many crewmates greeted them, offering congratulations. Eventually Luffy and the sleepy Zoro arrived, as the former Foxy Pirates huddled around one of the sails.

"I knew it! I knew Captain would make the top of the list!"

"What the heck are you guys prattling on about?" Usopp asked. "Some kind of contest?"

"Yes!" an eager Porche explained. "Whenever we get new crewmates, we have to decide who's the most popular of the lot! Then we add them to the overall pool. Everyone always tries to be the most popular on the ship! Hint, I always win the girls' side."

The other pirates let Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Chopper, and Robin ahead to see the list….one Foxy had spent hours collecting data for.

1. The Captain, Luffy!

2. The Cute Doctor, Chopper!

3. The Romantic Sniper, Usopp!

4. The Swordsman, Zoro!

5. The Chef, Sanji!

6. The Archaelogist, Robin!

7. The Navigator, Nami….

"H-Hey! I'm LAST?! And my name's not even written with the same enthusiasm!" Nami glared at Foxy. "This is stupid, what kind of pirates have popularity contests?!"

"Tch, tch. You're not fooling anyone, Nami, you're disappointed!" Foxy feh-feh'd. "It's something we do to boost morale on the high seas. You'll get your chance to increase your rating. Don't take it so personally!"

"Oh please! Luffy's the Captain, so he can just cancel this dumb thing. Right Luffy?"

Not right. Luffy was already being lifted into the air by cheerful crewmates (including Usopp and Chopper). "I'M NUMBER ONE! YAHOO!"

"That's right! According to survey remarks, Captain Luffy is funny, a GREAT party thrower, and he did the unthinkable….FOUGHT AN ADMIRAL! That's a deed most of us would only dream of!"

"W-What about me?" Chopper wondered. Immediately Porche hugged him.

"99.9% of the crew finds you completely adorable! But many also want to learn some medical knowledge from you, considering you patched our crewmates up!"

"Where are you getting that statistic from?!"

"As for Miss Navigator….well, a lot admire your business sense but you're considered the scariest of the bunch!"

Zoro silently gloated over the fact that he was ahead of his rival. And when Sanji came out to see what was going on, he was NOT happy to see Marimo ahead of him. But that wasn't all.

"Where do you idiots get off putting Nami AND Robin under Algae Head?"

"Well, a lot of people think Zoro is the coolest guy ever! They want to drink some more with him, and maybe even learn swordplay? I mean, he fought Hawk-Eye!"

"Tch…I mean, it wasn't THAT cool…..! Well, why am I below him?"

"Because you didn't fight a Warlord," Zoro mocked. "Maybe we can count going gaga over anything with a pulse as an achievement, if we're being generous."
"WHY YOU-!"

"Snaaaaaap! Sparks are already flying over the results!"

THUNK

Heads turned at the sound, leaving Luffy to fall and crash into Usopp on his descent. Robin was the closest to the edge so she managed to take a look and see.

"It's an old man. Should we help him?"

"Cough, cough…..you pirates saved my life….oh, can you untie me now?"

It turned out having hundreds of crewmates - and thus, a steady stream of unfiltered ideas - turned a simple assistance into a near interrogation, with the end result having the weary old man tied to the mast.

"Yeah, maybe we should…."

"Tch, tch! Let's find out what's his story!"

"Yeah old man, why were you drifting in that battered dinghy?" Luffy wondered. (Chopper and some of his nurses had worked on patching the man up). "Got in a fight?"

"Oh, you could say that….." The man coughed again. "My name is Forzo. I'm age 73, blood type SF-, and I like long romantic walks on the beach….oh, but that's not what you want to hear, right?" He also had a goatee but was balding.
"NO IT'S NOT!" half the crew shouted.

"Alright alright. The truth is…I lost it all! My ship, my treasure….I got too cocky….if you're going this way, it means you'll hit Redstone Island."

"Redstone Island….?" Luffy scratched his head. "Well, what's there?"

"The worst things you can imagine….a resort filled with high stakes games, beautiful women, and all the booze you can drink! Temptation is a cruel mistress!"

Games?! Luffy's eyes shined.

Women?! Sanji's eyes turned to hearts.

Booze? Zoro's eyes brightened.

"That doesn't sound so bad to me…." Usopp said. "Wait. It's a casino, right? That's how you lost it all?"

"You don't understand! I was on a hot streak! I kept playing and playing….and within an hour everything turned to disaster! But I couldn't stop! Cough…maybe you young'ins will have more luck?" This thought seemed to compel the pirates:

"Captain! Let's go to the casino!"

"Yeah I've got some money! I'm feeling lucky!"

"We need a relaxing trip like that!"

"Weren't you idiots listening?!" Nami shouted. "Why would we go to this place if it makes someone like him end up beaten up and sent off in a small boat?"
"Well….the jackpot is 700 million beli right now, if I remember correctly….o-oh maybe, but I'm 100 million in the hole….eh? Little lady, why are you drooling?"

"Perhaps we can try our luck," Robin offered. "We're running low on supplies and getting a windfall ourselves would be beneficial. But if we keep a control on we bet, we should be fine."

"You're mad! Plenty of people have tried for the jackpot, but the house always wins." Forzo sulked. "A lesson I learned too late in the game….I was up and thought, one more game! One more game! The deadliest three words to be uttered in that casino…."

"YOSH!" Luffy pointed ahead. "Next stop, Redstone Island! We'll get that jackpot!"

"DID YOU EVEN LISTEN TO ME?!"

"LUFFY!" Nami's voice rang out. "Normally I'd smack you for being this reckless with our funds…..but how bad could it really be?"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

As the Straw Hats got closer and closer to the island, the answer became clear - this was no regular casino. Dozens and dozens of broken down ships floated aimlessly around the place, while many other pirate ships were docked safely.

This was more than a game.

"T-There's so much wreckage!" Usopp shouted. "Let's turn back, Luffy!"

"Look, Straw Hat, there's plenty of pirate ships still intact docked at the island. A lot of people lose it big, but it does attract a lot of clientele!"

"What about the Navy?" Nami demanded. "What if this is just a honey trap for all the greedy pirates out there?"

"The owner pays them off so they leave this island alone. He likes profit, you know."

Nami looked disgusted.

"A-Any chance an Admiral came here?" asked the now cowering sniper.
"A WHAT?! Are you insane?! If one of them came here the owner would be the first one off this island!"
"IS THAT NOT ENOUGH WARNING SIGNS FOR YOU, LUFFY?!"

Luffy was instead looking at all the different sails. "Wow….there's a lot of pirates here! …hey, there's some in those broken ships down there, eyeing us!"

"Luffy, you're something else….this is a casino!" Foxy exclaimed. "And those are pirates. We have materials they could steal just to get another shot at betting!"

"Hey! Is the Captain around?" On the shore were two bodyguards - one rather large and one half his size. But the smaller one looked quite menacing. Both were dressed in the finest of suits.

"I'm Luffy! Captain of the Straw Hat Pirates!"

"Alright, keep yer voice down." The small one flipped through a book. "Ah, okay, here we go. You wanna play?"

"Yeah! You got food?"

"'Course we got food, you dumb mook. But the boss has some rules before you can start flipping cards and shooting dice. Rule numba one. You get better clothes. The resort's got class."

"Yeah class, class!" the larger guard laughed stupidly. "Right, Pomodoro?"

"Shaddap Ragu. Youse can buy some from the shop right before the casino gates. Rule numba two. You'll need to bring in some beautiful women to the joint. Liven up the place, y'know?

"Man we just wanna play! What else?"

Pomodoro's glare was luckily masked partially by the hair covering his eyes. "Rule numba three. No. Cheating. If one of us or even the boss suspects you're cheating….it ain't gonna be pretty."

"M-Maybe we should think this over Luffy…." Chopper whispered.

"DEAL!" He did not. "Right, old man?" But when he looked back, Forzo was cowering behind the mast. "Huh? Old man?"

"Pay attention you mook, I ain't done." Pomodoro gestured to the water around the ships. "Anything off the island ain't our problem. Those bums circling around? You trip and drop your winnings in the water? We don't care. So when you're ready to come aboard, give us the signal, got it?"

"Why are you so short?"

"Youse better stop talking about before this bullet gets in yer head."

Unfortunately more than half the crew wanted to come on the island and play at the casino, shouting over each other to ask Luffy. But even he couldn't decide.

"This is going to take all day if you drag it out. Just have everyone put their name in your hat in little slips of paper. We're more than five hundred but bringing in even than half of that might look suspicious," Sanji suggested. "How about one hundred?"

"Okay! That's me…..Nami, she knows a lot of about this stuff…..Robin, she's smart…..Splithead, he's great at cheating-"
"D-Didn't you hear Ragu and Pomodoro? You can't even think about cheating!" Forzo exclaimed. (Foxy sulked in the corner).

"Why were you hiding from them? Would they have really swam out to get you?" Robin asked.

"Seeing me would immediate have them suspect you guys…." Forzo hung his head. "The boss doesn't forget when someone's in debt at this place!"

"Hey, we wanna have fun too, Pops! Maybe we can pay off your debt."

"F-F-For me? You're too kind….but what will you do? It's not like I can come with you and warn you which games are bett-I mean, more addictive."

"So we need a plan!" Luffy slammed his fist on his palm. "And Splithead's the guy that makes the plans!"

"H-Huh?! Me?" Foxy stood up proud. "Fehfehfeh….I won't let you down, Captain Luffy!" This is your chance, Foxy! Make yourself invaluable to this kid and you'll be just as famous as him!

Two hours later…..

100 Straw Hat Pirates descended on the island, towards the casino's gates. As Pomodoro said, there was a shop, a fancy one named Cugina's, just before the building.
But the sheer size of the casino made everyone gape in awe. Flashing lights, bright banners, a long line of well-dressed individuals…they had to see what was inside!

"Stay focused, everyone." Nami instructed. Luffy was carrying the large sack that contained the money to pay for the clothes, although not all inside were bills. "Don't stare the place like a bunch of monkeys! Robin, Luffy…..let's get what we need."

Usopp, Chopper, Zoro, and Sanji had not been selected to come, as part of the majority that remained on the Merry/Sexy Foxy. But Foxy had chosen their group carefully….plenty of the female crewmates were there, to give them "more class". He even had suggested two were on Luffy's arms at all times. (being Nami and Robin, despite their reluctance).

XXXXX

"Welcome welcome welcome to Cugina's! You need threads to get in, yeah?"

The shop owner was….a 10 year old girl that had a suit on of her own.

"Umm…..we're looking for-"

"Cucina, si, that's me! I'm the little cousin of the Boss. He said I'm the only one he trusts to dress his guests! How can I help you?"

Nami handed her the list of everyone's measurements. "If you please…?"

"Bene! This won't take too long." Effortlessly she roller-skated around the large shop, picking out suits and dresses for their group. She was so fast and so accurate it seemed like she had been doing this since birth.

"Si, I have!"

"WHOA! You're amazing! Hey, wanna join my crew?"

Cucina stopped in place. Her bright face turned dark in an instant.

"Idiota….I'm loyal to the Boss….don't ask any of his employees that ever again! You'll sleep with the fishes!" The Captain nodded and dropped the matter, and Cucina was bright as the sun again. "Grazie! Now, how will you be paying?"

"Luffy? Show her."

For the first time, some of the gold they got from their adventure on Sky Island was shown off. And this made Cugina's eyes go wide.

"Molto bene! I can calculate how much you have here! Ohhhh, I'm so happy! What respectful customers!"

"How much will all the clothes be, anyway?"

XXXXX

The price still had dejected Nami. While everyone went in the shop one by one to get changed, she was sitting at the base of the tree near the gate. Robin decided to sit down next to her, already changed.

"Robin….."

"Miss Navigator, as the saying goes, you need to spend money to make money."

"I'm having doubts. What if we lose it all because of Luffy or someone else? What if we lose our ships?! MY TANGERINES?!"

"I think the Captain is quite lucky. If there's anyone you want to bring into a casino, it's him." Robin smiled. "Hopefully this one doesn't have sea-prism cages and rising water."

"Not just that, I….I'm still weary about all of these….changes. I used some of our gold to pay for it, Robin. Gold these yahoos don't know about."

"It's normal not to trust a new crewmate so easily, let alone five hundred of them. I know you all had your doubts about me, but I think our adventure on Sky Island really brought us in the same fold."

"…..why were you low on that poll?"

"Hm? The poll? Probably the same reasons you distrusted me at first."

Nami blinked. "But….they don't know you worked for Crocodile and stuff….." Now it was giving her pause.

"I don't think it's important, Miss Navigator." Robin had wondered as well. But she was not willing to ask for the true answer.

Because she already knew.

"WE'RE READY!" Luffy's voice cut through. He even had a spiffy black hat covering his straw one. "LET'S WIN IT ALL!" One by one the Straw Hats got on line, and eventually, they got to the front door.

"It's not fair…..damn that Splithead….!"

Alas, many in the group that weren't tagging along were sitting around, looking pretty dejected. When was the next time they would get to play at a casino. Sanji, of course, was one of them.

"You wanted to play some games too, right?" Chopper sighed. "I REALLY wanted to come along…."
"That bastard gets to see Nami and Robin in high society clothing….damn his face! Damn his stupid splitface…!"
"Yeah! Stupid splithead!"

Zoro cracked open an eye. "Usopp, you're still working on the Merry? I thought those carpenters took care of it."

"They did! ….but I'm just making some adjustments, you know? This is Kaya's ship. It needs round the clock care!" Nervously, he looked around. "Z-Zoro, you'll protect it if some raiders come along, right?"

"Actually I was gonna take a nap…."

And he did. Zoro had all three swords rested near his body. He was finally able to tune out the annoying cook's complaints and get some relaxing sleep….until a shadow loomed over his head.

"Huh…?"

"Roronoa Zoro! Now that the Captain's gone, we have a score to settle!" It was Pickles. "Don't think me and Big Bun forgot what you and the cook did to us!" Said fishman/giant was nearby, glaring at the swordsman. "Are you ready?"

"A fight? Oh please, I don't even need my swords to whack you again."

"Not that! Oh no…..I have some much different in mind….!"

Eh?!

The bravado instantly faded when both Pickles and Big Bun bowed their heads in shame. "You need to train us! We want to be just as famous as you! We'll do anything!"

EHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!

Now that the casino group had finally made entry….

"THIS PLACE IS SO COOL!"

It had it all. Players of different shapes and sizes. A bar with all the drinks one could hope for. Waitresses that charmed the eyes. Velvet rugs and marble columns. So many lights enticing players to bet, bet, bet! The mood was filled with both good cheer and high tension.

"Luffy, not so loud!" Nami said. "This is a fancy place." Already she was getting those Sanji-like stares from other men. "Splithead, any ideas?"

Foxy "pretended" to scratch his ear when really he was trying to listen from the baby snail phone Itomimizu had provided for him. This way he could listen to Forzo.

"Just look out for the owner. He always greets new guests."

"Why don't we chat up the boss?" Foxy suggested. "Just look for the fanciest guy in the room! After all, we're still here to have some fun, feh feh. Right….Captain?"

"Yeah!"

"Wait wait, don't run off! You need those two ladies on your arm. For class." Porche flocked to his own arm as if the two had been playing the part all their life. "Don't make it seem like you're a kid, Luffy. Be mature."

"Mature?" Luffy picked his nose. "I just wanna play."

Oh for crying out….. "Let's just get some chips!"

XXXX

Nami made it very clear from the beginning - everyone was only allowed a certain amount to play with, no more. If they lost all they had, that was the sign to stop and leave. Carefully, she handed over Luffy's share of chips.

"Here you go….Captain."

"Sweet!"

"What shall we play first?" Robin asked. She had gotten more into the role than Nami currently was, casually holding his arm. "Do you need me to explain any rules?"

"Let's try….this one!"

The trio made their way to a card table. One of the pirates playing, a rather tall and muscular man with wings, grinned down at Luffy.

"Beautiful women you got yourself with, junior."
"They're my crewmates."

"Har har! You're quite cheeky then, Captain." The man watched Luffy fork over his bet. "That much so soon?"

"I'm feeling lucky, old man!"

"Luffy," Robin whispered. "The game is called 21. You can't get over that total from the cards, understand?"

"Yeah!" Luffy picked up the two cards he had. "3 + Q equals….uh…"
"You're not supposed to announce what you have!" Nami hissed.

"HAHAHAHA! I like you, junior!" The large man punched his rubbery shoulder. "The name's Urouge."

"I'm Monkey D. Luffy, and I'm gonna be Pirate King!"

Why is he saying that so loud in a casino….! Nami facepalmed. "Luffy, the dealer's waiting for you."

"Huh?"

"Another card, sir?"

"Sure, why not." He flipped it over. "3 plus Q plus K equals…"
"More than 21," the dealer said bluntly. "You're out."
"WHAT?!"

Urouge the Mad Monk laughed once again.

Across the room, at another table…..one pirate in particular was getting angry.

"Who the hell said they were going to be Pirate King….?" A red-haired youth was looking around the floor. "They have a death wish…?"

"Excuse me, is this game all filled?" Foxy came on by with Porche. "Feh feh, I'd like to make a bet!"

Eustass "Captain" Kidd turned and cocked a grin at the challenger. "Who are you supposed to be, pinhead? Feeling lucky today?"

"E-Exy! Don't get so depressed!" Porche cried out.

Exy…wha…? Foxy sprang back to life. "I do, boy. Roulette is one of my favorite games! So let the master of play show you how it's done."

"Go on, then. The dealer's waiting."

Foxy put some chips on 17, black. The ball was dropped….and it skipped around the spinning roulette. The other patrons cheered the ball on. Foxy even shot a smug smile at the red-haired man but he chuckled, unafraid.

What's with this punk….?

Unbeknownst to the Silver Fox, Kidd had started to do what he had done the very first time he set foot in the casino….break the rules. He lowered one hand, under the table…..allowing him to play with the metal ball slowing down.

"It's gonna hit it!" Porche squealed. "How lucky!"
"Fehfeh! It's my specialty!"

But the ball didn't quite land on black 17…..no, it managed to fall back on red 55.

"Sorry," said the dealer. "But you lose."

"Aw man!" Kidd slapped Foxy's back mockingly. "So sorry, old man. Guess you just didn't have it today."

"Grrr…..you think you can do any better?!"

"Well, if you insist…." Casually he placed 50% of his chips on red 34. The wheel spun yet again….and to the shock of the other patrons, it landed on just that. "My lucky day!"

"Everything alright here?" asked a smooth voice.
Foxy and Kidd both turned to see a man in an impeccable silver suit, sporting a golden watch, a flower in his chestpocket, and the finest cologne money could buy. He was ridiculously handsome, with baby blue eyes so striking Porche was swooning.

"Y-Yeah…just playing your game…."

Foxy quickly composed himself. "And w-who might you be, good sir?"

Coolly, the man handed over a business card.

DINO MINESTRA

CASINO OWNER

Meanwhile Sanji was taking his frustration out at the hapless cooks in his kitchen: making them clean until the place was spotless.

"C-Chef Sanji, we're already punished! We didn't get to go to the casino!"

"Neither did I! But I won't tolerate a dirty kitchen! Every day we need to make sure this place is spotless and EVERY utensil has to be washed." Sanji opened the fridge to look the rations over. "Any chance we can install a lock on this thing? Luffy likes to pick in the middle of the night and I'm running out of mouse traps to trap him."

"F-Fresh out, Chef…."

"Tch." Sanji looked at the staff scrubbing the floors. "Answer me this. That poll thing, Splithead really did that before you joined this crew?"
"S-Sure, it's fun figuring how who's gonna be the most popular. But the old Boss wasn't cruel about it. If you placed low, he encouraged you to keep trying!"

Ridiculous…. "So then, why was Robin so low? You idiots don't know a beautiful woman when you see one?"

The cooks stopped and looked at each other. "W-Well, there's a reason why Itomimizu didn't mention specifics with her….it's a bit…personal?"

"Personal?" Sanji glared. "How dare you….! You were all shellshocked over the bounty she had! I thought that was a badge of honor for you dumbasses!"

"It wasn't the bounty! See….we heard the story. Captain Luffy fought that Admiral off but he only came there because of….."
"Huh?"

"W-W-Well none of us had even SEEN one before! We get her as a crewmate and IMMEDIATELY one shows up? We've heard horror stories about them all…..Akainu the Red Dog….Kizaru the Yellow Monkey….and Aokiji, the Blue Pheasant."

"Robin doesn't need to justify herself to you dolts!"

The cooks all gulped. "If the Captain wants her along, we have to honor his wishes. I mean if we abandon ship, where would we go? The Grand Line will chew us up and spit us out!"

Tch…..these bastards. Luffy fought Aokiji, but…..he really could've killed him and Robin. Would we be so lucky if he showed up tomorrow? Or if another one ran into us? Why do they want HER so badly?

"C-Chef, we're really sorry…."

"Don't be." Sanji blew out some smoke. "You were just being honest. And if it's a poll the whole crew did….then it's not just you guys that feel this way. I can't change your mind. ….only she can."

"W-We still think she's kinda cool cuz of the bounty….but…..an Admiral is something else…."

If Luffy couldn't beat him, me and Mosshead wouldn't have a chance. Damn it….

XXXX

He needed a break to clear his head. Stepping out on the deck he was greeted with the strange sight of many crewmates sitting in front of a slumbering Zoro.

"What the hell…?"

"Ssssh!" hissed one pirate. "First Mate Zoro is teaching us the way of the sword! It's vital meditation time!"

Yeah, right. "Don't worry, I won't get in your way of….listening to a cactus."

He jumped to the Merry's deck, while Usopp was still working. Chopper was helping.

"You realize we have a whole bunch of carpenters, right?"
"Yeah so? They're busy with Nami's safe thing," Usopp waved him off. "Now Chopper, remember. Don't hammer her too hard. She's a gal that's been through a lot."

"Yes sir!"

Everyone sane left the ships, huh…. But suddenly, a frantic Itomimizu ran over to their side. "What's with you?"

"C-C-Chef Sanji! I don't know how but….Forzo's missing! I left him be while I went to the bathroom!"

"What?! He wants those bodyguards to get him?!"

"UH, WE HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM, CHEF!" shouted the lookout on duty, Capote the Fishman. "Enemy ship approaching us! And they don't look like they're here to try your recipes!"

You've got to be kidding!

"Oh…..my stomach….."

Forzo was watching the scene unfold from the small vessel nearby. Ragu was rowing them back to the shore while Pomodoro looked on.

"You hungry? We can give you some scraps from the garbage."

"N-No, I…..t-those pirates…"

"You agreed to the deal, remember? Every pirate you bring to this island, the boss takes a bit more away from your debt. Don't tell me you feel guilty."

"No! It's just….what if things don't go as planned?"

"Idiot. That's rule numba 4. Don't question the boss."

To be continued...

There's no shortage of the Straw Hats in a casino (Alabasta and that one movie...?) but I've always enjoyed the setting. This is also a chance for me to try using characters of my own creation (sorry if they're bad! :(), and yes, you're not seeing things, we had two Supernova appear. I'd think it'd be cool if Luffy encounters them all before Sabaody.

Sorry for the long wait...stuff happened...but I'm back in an One Piece mood to write. Hopefully next chapter doesn't take nearly three months :)