Sandy Island, the Alabasta Kingdom.
Rainbase, known as the City of Dreams, lately exuded a uniquely serene atmosphere in a nation on the brink of rebellion.
One reason for this might have been the bustling casino, "Rain Dinners."
Because Crocodile managed it, the city was always perceived as safe.
Deep beneath Rain Dinners, there existed a space known only to a select few, even among those involved.
It was a vast room furnished with luxurious decor, a long table, and several chairs.
Seated around it were the top-tier combatants of Baroque Works: the Officer Agents.
These formidable individuals, all gathered, waited calmly for the moment of battle.
To those who knew of them, it would be an overwhelming sight.
However, few were aware of their true identities.
Mr. 1 to Mr. 5, along with their female partners, were all assembled.
This was an unprecedented gathering in the history of Baroque Works, signifying the commencement of a critically important mission.
"Ugh, I'm bored. How much longer do we have to wait? I'm gonna spin. I'm so bored I'm gonna spin."
Mr. 2, who had already arrived in response to the summons, had grown tired of waiting.
He stood on his chair and began twirling.
His voice was loud, causing several people present to change their expressions.
Although they were allies, they rarely met face to face.
They were by no means friendly, and they didn't hesitate to express their irritation.
Miss Merry Christmas slammed her hand on the table.
She was short-tempered and quick to anger.
She and Mr. 2, whom she'd met a few times, did not get along.
Mr. 2's movements seemed to annoy her, and she began to protest, repeatedly banging on the table.
Mr. 4, sitting opposite Miss Merry Christmas, roared with laughter at their exchange.
He held his large belly with both hands, letting out a terribly slow, booming laugh.
"Shut UP, you idiot! 'Idiot'! You 'idiot'! Can't you be quiet for once?! Your voice gives me a headache!"
"What's your problem, old hag?! Wanna fight me?!"
"Foh~ foh~ foh~…!"
"You're loud too, Mr. 4! Your laugh is so slow! Slowpoke! 'Slo'! 'Slo'!"
Miss Merry Christmas continued to pound on the table, still unwearied.
Mr. 2 angrily retorted, and Mr. 4 continued to laugh.
A woman chuckled at this exchange.
Mr. 1's partner, Miss Doublefinger, stood with her arms crossed, smiling gently as she watched them.
"Why don't you calm down a little? There's no need to rush; the work will begin soon enough."
"They have no sense of urgency… Do they really think they're professionals?"
Mr. 1 sighed, muttering in an exasperated tone.
His dismissive remark was drowned out by their commotion, and he took it in stride, falling silent once more.
A man with a distinctive hairstyle elegantly raised a teacup.
Mr. 3, while irritated by the surrounding noise, remained stoic and spoke softly.
The one who replied was the woman, or rather, the girl, who sat opposite him: Miss Goldenweek.
"Still, it's perplexing, gane. It's rare for us to be gathered like this."
"Maybe it's a really big job?"
"Indeed. And it's undoubtedly a large-scale one, gane. Otherwise, this unfriendly bunch wouldn't be here. Could this possibly be the last time?"
"Is Baroque Works going to disappear?"
"I don't know about that, but something is definitely changing. It must be an extremely important mission, gane."
Reacting to Mr. 3's comment after he set his cup down, Mr. 5 spoke.
Across from him sat Miss Valentine, with a cheerful, smiling face.
"Hmph, it's probably nothing special. It'll end like always."
"We've never failed a mission before, after all. Kyahahaha."
"You don't know, kane. We're all gathered because the stakes are higher than before. It's not just us; even the lower agents seem to have been mobilized."
"Mr. 3 is right. The quality of this mission is different from anything before."
A woman entered the room, agreeing with Mr. 3's exasperated tone.
It was the boss's partner, Miss All Sunday.
She approached the table, stood beside it without sitting, and, under everyone's gaze, confirmed that only one seat remained empty.
One person was still missing.
Only Miss All Sunday knew who was meant to sit in that empty seat, beyond Mr. 1's pair.
A little while ago, there had been one more—the boy whose face and name only the Officer Agents knew.
She thought that if he were here, the plan would have started much sooner.
Miss All Sunday smiled gently, her gaze sweeping over their faces.
"Thank you for your long journey. As you've been discussing, what's about to begin is Baroque Works' most critical operation since its inception. It is, in a sense, our culmination."
"So it is."
"Long time no see, Sunny-chan! How have you been recently~?"
"I said shut UP, you queer! 'Queer'! You 'idiot'!"
The commotion started again among some of them.
While they weren't exactly "friends," their bickering almost made them seem like comrades.
Miss All Sunday let out a soft chuckle.
"With such a gathering, it's certainly an impressive sight. Though it doesn't seem like everyone will get along."
"Where are we, Miss All Sunday?"
"Oh, right. You were led in through the back by Bunch, weren't you? You probably recognize the town, but this is 'Dream Town' Rainbase. Specifically, a room in the casino 'Rain Dinners'."
"Rain Dinners? Why a casino…?"
"I have a bad feeling about this, gane. Surely you know who the owner of this casino is."
"That's precisely why this was the best place for us to gather, so I could explain that."
Mr. 1 looked grim, while Mr. 3 seemed to have already sensed something amiss.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared everyone understood the inherent danger of this location, concerned about the hero of the desert kingdom.
They wondered if they would leave alive if the owner of Rain Dinners discovered them.
Observing their trapped thoughts, Miss All Sunday casually stated:
"Shall I begin the explanation now?"
"That's right, forget the preamble. Just start. Get on with it."
"Ufufu, don't rush, Miss Merry Christmas. Before that, there's someone I'd like to introduce."
Everyone's tension visibly heightened at Miss All Sunday's murmur.
"Up until now, I've been interacting with you all as his 'hidden face,' but that's no longer necessary. I think it's time you met your President and Boss."
"Don't tell me…"
"He's right there. Though you might not have noticed."
Miss All Sunday looked at the one remaining empty seat, and everyone followed her gaze.
When the chair slowly spun around, his figure came into view.
Every single person showed an expression of astonishment, and the atmosphere in the room changed completely.
"With your efforts, all preparations are complete."
When the chair stopped, what met their eyes was the hero of the Alabasta Kingdom, Sir Crocodile.
A hero, and at the same time, a pirate sanctioned by the government.
The appearance of someone they never imagined left everyone gasping, unable to stop themselves from leaning forward.
He was such a significant figure, such a formidable power, that they couldn't help but be captivated.
The man who appeared unnoticed was undoubtedly stronger than they could have possibly imagined.
The atmosphere was completely different from mere seconds ago.
The agents' faces changed color as they recognized Crocodile.
"…Well, well, quite a big shot has appeared."
"Why a Shichibukai pirate?! He's with the government, isn't he?!"
"So we've been working for a pirate all this time?!"
"This is truly unexpected, gane… To think the hero of the desert would engage in such villainy."
"You're our boss?"
Amidst their various exclamations, Crocodile's expression shifted for a brief instant.
"Are you dissatisfied?"
A terrifying surge of Haki made everyone fall silent simultaneously.
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