"Will there be water there?"
After hearing the explanation, Chopper stuck out his tongue and asked wearily. While he wasn't particularly affected by the heat, going so long without water had left him feeling drained.
As for Leo's water—no one dared touch it unless absolutely necessary. It was agreed by all that they couldn't keep relying on him forever.
"Yes. The Rain Banquet is in Rainbase, a peaceful gambling city that wasn't affected by the riots," Vivi explained.
"Wow—gambling!" Nami's eyes sparkled with interest upon hearing that.
"Alright, alright, let's go. We'll worry about all that after we deal with Crocodile," Leo said as he took the lead, heading north with confident strides. He was in high spirits, especially after seeing Velis's recent progress.
As for Crocodile? Leo didn't take him seriously at all. How strong could a guy be if he couldn't even use Haki and lost to someone like Velis?
The sun slowly dipped below the horizon, only to rise again the next day.
After nearly a full day's journey, with about an hour remaining before their planned operation, something finally broke the endless stretch of desert in front of them—a hint of green.
It was the first time since arriving in Alabasta that Luffy and the crew had seen any sign of vegetation.
"Look! That's Rainbase!" Vivi pointed ahead excitedly.
"Alright! Let's go defeat that crocodile!" Luffy shouted, suddenly bursting with energy.
Behind him, Chopper and Usopp cried out in unison, "Water! We need water!!"
Zoro, walking calmly as always, asked, "By the way, wouldn't Baroque Works already know we're coming?"
"They probably do. We were exposed the moment we ran into Mr. 2," Vivi replied after thinking for a moment.
"So what?" Luffy crossed his arms and puffed out his chest confidently.
Usopp looked frustrated. "Now that they know what we look like, we can't move around freely. If they find us, Crocodile will definitely send everything he's got after us."
"And don't forget, assassinations are their specialty," Zoro added with a raised eyebrow.
"Okay! Beat the crocodile!" Luffy shouted again, completely unconcerned with the warnings.
In the end, after some discussion, the group decided to charge straight into Rainbase and confront Crocodile head-on.
But things didn't go as planned.
After entering the city and finding a place to lie low, Luffy and Usopp ran off by themselves to get water.
"If we let those two go unsupervised, they're bound to cause a scene," Zoro said, leaning against a step as he playfully teased the lecherous camel with a branch.
"There's nothing we can do. They just ran off," Nami said with a helpless sigh, throwing up her hands. "Let's just hope they don't get into trouble."
But Zoro's prediction came true almost instantly.
Luffy and Usopp ran into Smoker and Tashigi at a nearby restaurant. A massive commotion broke out, and the two fled with a whole battalion of Marines hot on their heels—right toward the rest of the group.
The chaos forced Nami and the others out of hiding.
Because of the Marines' presence, Leo and the crew were quickly spotted by Baroque Works agents hiding throughout the city.
After a few well-placed curses, the group had no choice but to run.
They couldn't afford to get caught up in a battle with Marines and Baroque agents before even reaching Crocodile.
While they ran, Leo unhooked the revolver at his waist and tossed it to Vivi. "Here—keep this. For self-defense."
"You guys go ahead!" Zoro said, unsheathing his swords. "I'll hold off the Baroque agents!"
A large number of Marines and Baroque Works members peeled off to pursue Zoro. Tashigi, in particular, had tunnel vision when it came to him.
"No way. I've gotta go ahead too!"
Luffy glanced behind him at the growing number of enemies and quickly asked Vivi, "Where's Crocodile?!"
"See that big building with the crocodile statue on the roof? That's the casino he runs—Rain Banquet!" she replied, pointing straight ahead.
"Alright! I'll go first! Meet you inside!"
"Come on, old chain-smoker! Try and catch me!!" Luffy shouted back at Smoker before sprinting off.
Already annoyed, Smoker lost all patience and transformed into white smoke, chasing Luffy through the city.
The battle lines scattered. Everyone ended up separated.
When they regrouped, Vivi was nowhere to be found.
"Where's Vivi?!"
Luffy ducked beneath one of Smoker's White Fist attacks and retreated toward Leo.
"She ran off in the other direction," Leo answered quickly. "But it's fine. I gave her something to protect herself."
With a swift kick, Leo sent Smoker flying backward, then turned and added, "Let's go in. We'll wait for her inside."
Without wasting another second, the group pushed through the crowd and charged into the Rain Banquet casino.
"CROCODILE!!" Luffy bellowed. "Come out here! I'm gonna knock you into next week!!"
The casino was packed with gamblers who froze in place at Luffy's shouting.
"He's not going to just show up if you scream like that," Nami scolded, grabbing Luffy by the arm.
She looked longingly at all the games and gambling equipment around them. "I was hoping to play a bit. You ruined everything."
"Nami's right. Crocodile's a national hero. We can't just fight everyone in here," Usopp chimed in nervously.
"So what should we do, then?!" Luffy was nearly shaking with frustration, clenching his fists. They were finally here, yet Crocodile was nowhere in sight.
"I've caught up to you, Straw Hat boy," came a gruff voice. "There's water all around us. Let's see how you escape this time."
"It's the chain-smoking old man again! Everyone scatter!!" Leo shouted in a dramatic voice before dashing into the crowd of onlookers.
Nami's eyes gleamed as she followed right behind Leo. She was now carrying a bundle of wallets and a thick stack of Baileys, her smile wide with satisfaction.
Meanwhile, Crocodile had been informed of the commotion outside.
He chuckled darkly. "Robin, go lure them into the VIP room."
The room had already been fitted with a trap.
Robin descended the stairs calmly. Seeing someone offering to lead them, Luffy didn't hesitate and bolted after her.
Leo narrowed his eyes, suspicious—but still followed.
Nami, in high spirits from her successful pickpocketing spree, skipped along behind them.
Only Chopper and Vivi remained outside.
The rest of the crew, without realizing it, had walked straight into a trap.
In the next moment, a massive sea stone cage dropped from above and clanged shut around them.
"Hahahaha! So this is the Straw Hat crew that's been causing me so much trouble?" Crocodile laughed from a plush leather sofa nearby. He wore a long coat, a permanent sneer stitched across his face. "This is hilarious."
He looked at the cage full of prisoners—Luffy, Leo, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, and even Smoker.
"I wasn't expecting a Marine colonel too. What a pleasant surprise," he said mockingly.
He had been waiting a long time for this moment. Everything had gone exactly according to plan.
And now... the real show would begin.
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