Nami had suppressed the bratty kid Luffy with one punch, and everyone could finally sit down and talk formally.
Yeah... Straw Hat ship tyrant, how terrifying!
Vivi had stood out first, saying all of the information that Drake had already known, including the current situation in Alabasta, and that Crocodile, who she had investigated, had been the culprit behind everything.
Drake had endured the impolite action of yawning, opening his mouth, saying, "So what exactly do you want to do by telling me all of this?"
Vivi had looked straight at Drake, saying, "We already know that Crocodile fled Rainbase after having a short battle with you, and I want to know what exactly happened!
Please, this matter is really important to me!"
Drake had coughed, saying, "It's not anything big! That guy Crocodile wanted to snatch my things, so I came to find him to settle the score, it's as simple as that."
Vivi had pondered for a bit, saying, "So this matter was also outside of Crocodile's plans, and we still have time!"
Vivi had then raised her head, looking at Drake, saying, "Mr. Drake, I have a request!"
Drake didn't even need to guess to know what she was going to say, saying directly, "You want to ask me to help you beat down Crocodile, right! Sure, I had been planning to do that anyway.
But since you're the one who's bringing it up, that means that this is a request, right?"
"A request?"
Question marks had appeared above everyone else's heads, and they hadn't understood what Drake had been saying.
Drake had said with a smile, "I haven't formally introduced myself yet, I'm a member of the mage guild Fairy Tail, and my job is to accept all kinds of requests from guests.
So is this also you issuing a request to our Fairy Tail?"
"A mage?"
"A guild?"
"Fairy Tail?"
They had had too many things that they had been curious about regarding the things that Drake had said, but they had roughly understood what he had meant.
Ace had suddenly opened his mouth, saying, "So a guild is a place where you accept requests and earn rewards!"
Drake had revealed a nostalgic smile, saying, "It wouldn't be wrong to say that either, but Fairy Tail is my home!"
Hearing this sentence, Ace's expression had couldn't help but change, wasn't this the same as the Whitebeard Pirates? Thinking this, he had even become less wary of Drake.
But after hearing the word reward, one person had been unable to sit still.
Nami had smiled, approaching directly, saying, "You're going to find trouble with Crocodile anyway, so can you do it as a favor? Can you not take any money!"
Although he had known long ago that Nami was a money grubber, he hadn't expected that she could be this daring, and those two soft things had directly wrapped around Drake's arm.
Drake hadn't had any mood to enjoy it, subconsciously dodging out, saying, "Just talk when you're talking, don't get too close! What am I going to do if Stella misunderstands?
This matter isn't up for discussion, and you have to issue a formal request if you want me to help you deal with Crocodile!"
Vivi hadn't hesitated, saying firmly, "Then let's decide on it like that, it's worth it to pay any price as long as we can save this country."
Drake had suddenly felt that he had become a despicable villain who had been forcing a young girl, saying with a wry smile, "Don't worry, I won't make it too hard for you!
As for the reward for the request... just let me make a copy of the books and information that you have!"
Vivi had been somewhat surprised, and she hadn't expected that the reward that Drake had spoken of would be this. To be enemies with a Shichibukai just for some books, and speaking of which... that seemed quite normal as well.
Crocodile was a strong enemy to the Straw Hat Pirates, but he had heard before this that Drake had made Crocodile flee in disarray in a devastating way.
Beating down Crocodile might really not be a difficult thing to Drake.
But no matter what, Vivi had already remembered this favor in her heart.
Just as the two sides had been reaching a consensus, someone had been unwilling!
Luffy had also ignored being curious about Fel, saying loudly, "Wait for me, I'm the one who's going to beat down that guy Crocodile!"
Even Nami's iron fist suppression hadn't changed the resolve on Luffy's face this time.
Drake had sighed, turning his head, looking at Ace, who had been maintaining silence all along, saying, "Are you just going to watch from the side?"
Ace had revealed a smile, saying, "I won't stop Luffy from doing what he's resolved to do."
Drake had had to admire Ace's big heart, and having returned from the New World, he should have understood what a Logia ability user and Crocodile meant.
Drake had had a God's-eye view, and he had known that Luffy would win, but he didn't even know what haki was right now, and even if he had had confidence in his brother, it shouldn't have been to this extent, right!
But this kind of trust that hadn't had any reason might not have been a manifestation of the so-called "romance of men."
In the eyes of outsiders, Luffy challenging Crocodile had purely been because a newborn calf didn't fear a tiger, and he had had this kind of courage because he hadn't known the gap between the two.
But Drake had understood that it was because Crocodile had brought pain to the comrades that he had acknowledged, so he had had to beat down Crocodile no matter what.
Drake had said with a smile, "Then we can compete, seeing who can blast Crocodile away first!"
Luffy had revealed a big smile, saying, "I'll definitely be the one who wins!"
Drake had revealed an expression of "whatever makes you happy," and the simple-minded Luffy had felt a feeling of being looked down on, displaying it even more agitatedly.
Vivi had furrowed her brow, opening her mouth, saying, "Then the only problem left is where to find Crocodile. He lost to Mr. Drake before this, so he's probably not going to appear easily."
Drake had waved his hand, saying, "You can rest assured about this, he'll definitely come back."
While speaking, the door to the room had opened, and Stella had then walked in, carrying a shopping bag.
"So it's you guys, you've also come to Alabasta."
Stella and the Straw Hat Pirates could be considered acquaintances, and she had opened her mouth, greeting them.
But the other members of the Straw Hat Pirates had become wary, because they had seen Robin, who had been following behind Stella.
At Whiskey Peak, Robin had appeared as an executive of Baroque Works, and had also given Luffy an Eternal Pose.
They had also learned from Vivi that Robin had been Crocodile's most important subordinate, and they had immediately prepared to battle after seeing her at this time.
Robin hadn't cared about the hostility that had been targeting her, and had instead greeted them with a smile, saying, "Long time no see!"
Drake had said, "Robin, you guys have met her before, she's the reason why Crocodile will definitely come back."
Everyone had looked at Drake with curiosity, so Drake had told them what Crocodile's true goal had been.
The Straw Hat Pirates' weak trio had revealed the same shocked expression of "he's actually planning this kind of scheme."
But Ace, Luffy, and Zoro had had a nonchalant expression. Luffy had even stretched out his finger, digging around in his nose.
Drake could roughly understand what they had been thinking, and actions like Crocodile, who had been relying on external things, had been simply too boring.
Drake felt that according to Luffy's views, Crocodile hadn't been a qualified pirate in his cognition at all.
Of course, Luffy might not have been thinking that much. No matter what Crocodile had been planning to do, what Luffy had had to do had just been to beat him down.
And after Drake's account, everyone had also understood why Crocodile would definitely come back.
Just as Drake and the Straw Hat Pirates had been waiting for Crocodile to show himself, the situation in Alabasta had also been becoming more and more severe.
After leaving Rainbase, Crocodile had immediately summoned the members of Baroque Works, including all of the senior agents and the members who hadn't been able to get a number.
It was a pity that most of the low-level combat power, the Millions, had been blasted away by Ace with a Fire Fist at the port because they had wanted to take action against Luffy.
But the senior agents, plus their direct subordinates, the Billions, had also been enough to make Alabasta turn upside down.
If it had really been as Crocodile had told all of the members of Baroque Works, and his goal had just been to build an ideal country, he would have had everyone launch their operation long ago.
It was a pity that Crocodile had had other plans, and the most critical chess piece to achieve his goal, Robin, had instead been held back by Drake.
So King Cobra, who had been far away in the Alabasta royal capital, had been surprised to discover that Baroque Works, with Crocodile at the lead, hadn't been heading towards the royal capital, but had instead been moving towards Rainbase after receiving the letter from Vivi that had explained everything.
And Smoker, who had also been in Rainbase, had also received the news, and had gathered the marines that he had brought with him after noticing the abnormality.
A chaotic battle had looked like it was about to begin!
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