After a while, everyone finally arrived at Rainbase. It looked like a casino, but it was actually the headquarters of the Baroque Works.
Having learned from their past experiences, the crew was more cautious this time, with Luffy doing his best to stay in line.
"Let's go in!" Sanji said, taking a drag from his cigarette.
As soon as they entered Rainbase, they were bombarded with the sounds of excitement and chaos. The casino was packed with people shouting and cheering at various gambling tables.
"Where's Crocodile?" Usopp asked Vivi quietly.
"I'm not sure!" Vivi shook her head. "This is my first time here too."
Meanwhile, in a corner of the casino, a woman wearing a hat was speaking to a group of middle-aged men.
"See that group? Invite them to the VIP room!"
"But..."
"This is the boss's order!" The woman's tone left no room for argument, silencing the middle-aged man.
He might have questioned the store manager, but he couldn't defy their boss.
"I understand!" The man said, heading towards Luffy and the others.
Robin, the woman in question, glanced at Luffy and his crew. She breathed a sigh of relief upon realizing that the person she had feared was not with them.
"Seems like Aokiji really did catch him," Robin murmured to herself.
Word of the intense battle in the Desert of the Rapeseed Flowers had spread quickly throughout Alabasta.
Even Crocodile had broken into a cold sweat upon learning that Aokiji was in the area. He didn't feel at ease until he heard that Aokiji had left by boat soon after.
Crocodile had visited the Rapeseed Flowers and seen the destruction left behind—ice everywhere, barely melted even after a day in the sun.
The sheer strength of a Marine Admiral was evident. He knew he was no match for that power.
At the same time, Crocodile became curious about Kai, who had fought Aokiji. When he learned that Kai was a Straw Hat and had been defeated, Crocodile almost felt grateful to Aokiji.
With the Straw Hats now known to be a threat to his plans, Crocodile saw Aokiji's intervention as a relief. Maybe he'd mention Aokiji in a more favorable light at future meetings...
...
Back in the present, Luffy and the others were still wondering where Crocodile was when the middle-aged man approached them.
"Our boss is expecting you in the VIP room over there!" he said, pointing to a door framed in gold with "VIP" emblazoned on it.
Welcoming gestures were set up at the door to usher them in.
"Wow, how arrogant! It's like they're daring us to come in," Zoro remarked, raising an eyebrow.
"Crocodile, here we come!" Luffy shouted, charging toward the door.
"Idiot!" Sanji groaned, facepalming.
"Let's go! Follow Luffy!" Zoro said, running after him.
The crew followed, entering through the door. They found themselves in a long corridor, with two signs at the end: one labeled "VIP" and the other "Pirates."
"Should we take the VIP path or the Pirate path?" Usopp asked, puzzled.
"We're pirates, so we should definitely take the pirate path!" Luffy declared without hesitation.
"Are you kidding? This looks like a trap!" Sanji snapped.
"Nope, I'm going the pirate route!" Luffy said, and headed straight for the "Pirates" sign.
Usopp and Zoro followed.
"Why is it a dead end?" Luffy asked, scratching his head in confusion.
Before they could react, the floor beneath them opened, and they fell through.
Sanji and the others, who had been slower to enter, stayed above.
"Luffy, catch me!" Sanji shouted.
"Oh!" Luffy, having just realized the situation, reached out his left hand to grab Zoro and Usopp, while extending his right hand upward toward Sanji.
"Hahaha... That was close!" Luffy laughed as he pulled them up. Little did he know, Nami was already behind him, ready to deliver a punch.
"Bang!"
Luffy took a hit from Nami.
"I told you to be cautious! Choosing the pirate path was just asking for trouble!"
"Alright, let's head down the other path. Just because this one's clearly a trap doesn't mean the other is safe!" Nami advised.
"Got it, we'll be careful!"
Nami looked at Luffy and said, "You go ahead and lead the way!"
"Sure thing!" Luffy replied.
Then a strange scene unfolded: Luffy walked ahead while the rest of the crew trailed behind at least ten meters.
It was a typical Luffy moment—carefree and reckless!
Despite the odds, they navigated through the passage and arrived at a massive underground room.
The room was equipped with a conference table and several chairs.
A gravelly voice spoke from the front. "I didn't expect you to be smart enough not to fall for my trap!"
As the chair in front turned around, Crocodile, dressed in his signature black cloak with a stitched scar across his face, was revealed.
"Crocodile!" Vivi's face contorted with anger.
"Oh? Princess Vivi, why such hostility? Did I do something to offend you?"
"Crocodile! Are you still playing games? I've uncovered everything! The natural disasters, the rebellions, the dancing fan incidents—all of it was your doing!"
"Why are you doing this to Alabasta? What did we ever do to you?" Vivi shouted, her voice full of hatred.
"Hahaha..." Crocodile laughed heartily.
"What's so funny?" Vivi demanded.
"Isn't it amusing to see you manipulated so easily?" Crocodile said with a grin. "Yes, I was behind it all, including the conflict between the king's army and the rebels. It's no wonder your people have lost faith in your father, the king of Alabasta!"
"And why, you ask?"
"Hahaha..."
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Power Stones would be appreciated if you liked the story.