Once upon a time, when Trapla was still divided into four lands,
evil soldiers from beyond the sea came to conquer the island.
They stole food and preyed on the people, leaving our peaceful island in ruins.
But then, a mage appeared alongside a young boy with a message...
"This boy is the true king of Trapla.
If you wish to save the island, choose thirteen knights from each of the four lands
and fight by his side."
In the end, an army of 52 knights was formed from the four lands to save the island,
and the mage gifted each of them a mysterious card.
As a token of their fealty to the boy, the knights swore a blood oath.
They fought with all their might for the island and their families,
yet every one perished on the battlefield, unable to fulfill their mission.
But that did not stop their purpose from living on.
Their love for the land was transferred to their cards via the mage's power.
Thus the boy gained mysterious powers from all 52 cards,
and went on to defeat the evil soldiers and protect the island.
That was how he united the four lands and became the first king of Fourland.
This famous legend, "The King and the 52 Knights," is not just a fairy tale.
It is historical fact that Trapla Island faced the grave danger of invasion.
The 52 cards created as symbols of the king's reign over the four lands
are also real!
And one such traditional masterpiece that has watched over the history of Fourland
will grace us aboard this luxury cruise ship, the Queen Black Lady!
Now, let us raise the curtain on this exquisite dinner party and auction
for all you sophisticated ladies and gentlemen!
Dear guests, we hope you're enjoying your time aboard our dinner cruise ship.
Next up, we'll interview Norman Kingstat,
the CEO of the up-and-coming car manufacturer Who's Who.
Hello, Norman.
It's "King."
Huh?
I'd like for you to call me King. So please address me as such, hmm?
Er, certainly... K-King it is, then.
S-So, King, what inspired you to attend today's auction—
Do you think I could have resisted,
knowing that a treasure of Fourland would be on display?!
Um, well...
The answer is no!
Absolutely not!
There is no one else who loves and is loved by this country like me!
I-I see.
We expect a fierce competition over the featured treasure.
How confident are you—
What a ridiculous question!
You shall see!
That card 100 percent belongs to me, King!
So this guy's after the card too?
Yup, he is.
How come?
Beats me.
You don't know?
It might have something to do with the fact that he sees our president as an enemy.
The whole lot of them are tricky.
Especially Norman's secretaries, Blist Blitz Broadhurst and Brandy Blumenthal.
These two are players, so we need to be cautious...
Hey, are you listening?
I am.
Are you okay?
For today's mission,
we're supposed to outwit everybody on board and swap the real card with this fake.
Who would've thought you'd get seasick?
Shut up...
Whoa there!
Hey! Knock it off!
Here you are, Finn.
Thanks.
Anyway, this mission is essentially a heist, right?
And that's all fine and dandy?
It's fine.
The Pinochles have secretly protected the cards throughout Fourland's history.
All without putting ourselves in the spotlight.
Besides, fighting for it in an auction with no bidding limit wouldn't be ideal.
The cards belong to the royal family.
We're just returning them to their rightful owner.
In other words, there's nothing wrong with what we're doing in principle.
Before you joined us, the card being auctioned today was already secured,
and housed at Trapla Palace.
Yeah, I heard.
But the Klondikes raided the palace,
and the cards were scattered all over Fourland. Just like that.
We're still investigating how they ended up like that, but...
You don't look too well.
It's nothing, really—
Looks like we'll have to change the plan.
Hold on!
I can do this!
This mission requires bold yet delicate execution.
The smallest blunder could ruin it all.
In the worst-case scenario, we'll all wind up with criminal charges.
We can't have your vomitus soiling Pinochle's reputation—
C'mon, Finn says he can do it.
Why don't we trust him?
You want me to trust this guy?
A capable boss should be able to manage even the most troublesome subordinate,
don't you agree?
Fine.
And if worse comes to worst, I'll take responsibility as his mentor.
Boil me! Burn me! Hang me! Filet me! Whatever you'd like!
But you're immortal.
Very well.
We will now begin the mission.
Fifteen thousand!
Twenty!
Twenty-three thousand!
We're at twenty-three thousand.
The item is lot number 20, a ceremonial sword owned by a knight of Spada.
Do I hear any other bids?
Twenty-four thousand!
Twenty-six thousand!
I hope you don't mind me taking the card.
Twenty-nine thousand!
Suit yourself.
Thirty-three thousand!
We're at 33,000!
Any other takers?
Fifty thousand.
Fifty thousand!
We have 50,000!
Do I hear any other bids?
This is just a warmup.
Anyone?
Lot 20 is sold! To the gentleman with number one!
Let's go over the plan one more time.
Finn's up first.
You'll steal the key from the supervisor.
Hurry up. We need to prepare lots 23 and 24 simultaneously.
Do you read me, transport team?
Hey, what gives?
I'm sorry... I got seasick.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry...
May I take this?
Certainly.
Next up is Wendy.
She'll get security into a cabin with a staged accident.
I'm so sorry!
Oh, don't worry about it.
Are you hurt, miss?
I really am sorry.
Please use the shower in my cabin.
There's no way you can go back to work like this.
B-But...
I can't just turn a blind eye.
N-No, thank you—
Please, do come in.
Vijay is up next.
Your "Green Green" will come in handy.
Hey, are you done yet?
Not yet.
I need you to buy me some more time.
Much obliged.
Wait... Seriously?!
Thank you very much!
Is something the matter?
Would you like a drink?
While we wait for your clothes to dry, I mean.
No, I couldn't possibly—
O-Oh, don't be shy!
So, how about it?
Well, I really shouldn't—
I've obtained the security card.
Good.
You're up last, Chris.
Grab the 5 of diamonds from the vault.
Now show me your security card.
What's the matter?
Where's your card?
Psych! Did I fool you?
Stop messing around and get moving already!
Okay.
Now, everyone!
This next item is the last of our collection of artifacts from the folklore of Fourland.
It's our grand finale!
A prestigious treasure should be handled with all the brilliant grace it deserves.
And that is why I shall win this bid, fair and square!
What's the status?
Not too bad.
You're doing it again.
Sitting idly by is harder than I expected.
Excuse me, King.
I realize this is a sudden request, but why don't we take a little break here?
What? But we're about to unveil the legendary card—
Why don't you just zip it?
King requires a bathroom break.
I guess he couldn't hold it in.
Now you've done it, Blist!
Switching the genuine article with a fake?
What a cheap trick.
What's happening with the sneaky thieving rats?
Blist will dispose of them momentarily.
Very good!
I'll take them on straight-up, head-on, all-out.
Our skills and expertise will make those brats cry!
Everyone, please calm down and stay seated!
What's going on?
Your "Million Volt" is pretty electrifying.
Hey, what's going on?!
Answer me!
Chris, what's the situation?!
Wendy, Finn! What's happening?!
Wendy!
It's dark in here!
Th-This is Finn...
I'll go check out what's happening.
Finn!
Are you sure you're okay?
Probably...
Oh, do calm down!
Thank you for waiting, everyone.
Let's resume the auction, shall we?
P-Pardon, but because of the situation, the final item has not yet arrived—
No problem!
My eyes can clearly see the brilliant X-Playing...
I mean, extremely brilliant card!
I'm starting the bid at 500 thousand!
Is there anyone here with the backbone to outbid me?
If so, come forward! Come! Come now!
Excuse me, sir—
Six hundred thousand.
L-Leo, we shouldn't do anything reckless until we know more.
A cheap provocation, as expected from Who's Who.
This one is going to cost you!
Give up.
This card will be transported to the auction hall as scheduled.
That's what King wishes.
We're definitely taking that card.
Yeah, as members of High Card!
Finn?! What are you doing here?!
I came to help you, of course.
Now get away from Chris—
Pinochle's rookie, huh?
You don't look so good.
Now, we're through playing cops and robbers!
I bid 1.5 million.
I bid 1.6 million.
I bid 1.8 million!
I bid 1.85 million!
I bid 1.9 million!
Leo, let's stay calm. Leo!
Two million... No, 2.1 million!
In that case, I bid 2.4 million!
Three million!
Th-Three million?!
We have three million!
Well, look at you.
"Losing" isn't part of the Pinochle vocabulary!
Come on. Hurry it up.
Okay, Blist. I lose.
Don't do it, Chris—
However, our boss isn't gonna lose to your "King"...
and that's a fact!
Hold up!
Ten million!
But wait!
As if in response to King's summon, today's final item has arrived at last.
Behold one of the legendary cards spoken of in the mythos of Fourland!
The bid now stands at ten million!
Do I hear any other takers?
M-Me! I'll—
Sold for ten million!
The legendary artifact goes to...
Tonight's card belongs to me, King!
As they say... money is power!
Hmm?
What?!
Power is power.
The strong prevail.
That's how this world works.
What the...
What the hell was that?!
This is a follow-up report on the incident aboard the luxury liner Queen Black Lady.
Regarding the auction being held on the ship,
we interviewed the CEO of Who's Who, Mr. Norman Kingstat, who was in attendance.
I wish they'd let this go.
Everyone's talking about it.
We also revealed some of his suspicious conduct...
I never expected them to take such a daring, unabashed measure.
That was a lack of foresight on my part.
Do you mean Norman, or...
Or could you mean the real culprit was...
Nine outta ten, it was the Klondikes.
They can be so pushy, you know?
This is no laughing matter.
The card was stolen.
My bad!
Just who do you think is responsible for the failure of this mission?
Was that heated bidding war part of the plan?
Ban! How dare he ruin my elegant victory in such a vile manner?!
But the fact remains that I outbid that Pinochle brat!
So how come no one is talking about it?! There's no mention of it anywhere!
Blist! Get me an exclusive interview!
Tell the press to do an in-depth report on King's victory!
Wait, where did Blist go?
He's on a paid leave today.
Paid leave?
Oh, as I recall, today is parents' day at his kid's school.
Even King cannot take away the rights granted to his workers.
Now, I can't afford to dwell on the past.
Next time, I will meet the enemy head-on and beat him thoroughly!
Next time: "LOVE & FAKE."