On one of Baroque Works' ships, Rainer stood in the hold, staring at a cargo bay crammed full of Dance Powder.
A substance banned by the World Government—yet Crocodile somehow had so much stockpiled.
Rainer immediately ordered his undead to haul it away, looting the place while they were at it. Unfortunately, their financial system seemed well-organized, and there wasn't much treasure left behind.
"One hundred million berries… not bad," he muttered.
Once the undead finished loading up the Dance Powder, Rainer led them out of the warehouse. He disembarked and reunited with Nami and the others.
"All done—got the Dance Powder."
"Nice work, Rainer!" Nami laughed, leaping forward to throw her arms around him. "Vivi's going to be so happy about this."
Vivi might be happy—but I'm double happy, Rainer thought, savoring the warmth of her embrace, the soft press of her body, and the faint fragrance clinging to her. Clearly, Nami wasn't wearing much under that cloak…
Pure bliss.
Duang!
"You pervert! Where do you think your hands are going!?"
"Cough, cough… no time to waste, let's move," Rainer said quickly, sporting a giant bump on his head. Still, he wrapped an arm around Nami's slim waist and helped her down before leading the group back toward the Going Merry.
When they arrived, Luffy's group was already waiting.
"Looks like you had quite the haul," Sanji said, noticing the line of fishman undead behind Rainer, each shouldering heavy sacks.
As expected, their loud entrance into town earlier had drawn plenty of Baroque Works assassins. After thrashing them and prying out intel, they learned that ships anchored on the coast carried Dance Powder.
No one doubted Rainer could handle it.
"Alright—next stop, Katorea. Time to burn the Dance Powder."
Standing at the bow, Nami spread her arms, letting the desert wind brush against her skin. "Southwest of Katorea. That's the upwind spot. The humidity's high enough—if we cut straight across the desert, we'll reach it by sunset."
"Ooooh! Desert adventure!"
"Desert adventure!!"
Luffy and Usopp cheered excitedly. The crew bundled themselves up against the scorching sun, packed enough food and water, and set out. Rainer, Zoro, and Sanji trailed at the rear, walking at a steady pace.
Lowering his head, a small flame flickered at the edge of Rainer's blue shirt as he lit a cigarette.
"What about the ones who knew we were after Dance Powder?"
"Already cut down."
"Yeah, don't worry. Cleaned up. At least for the next couple of days, no one should bother us."
It was afternoon—the sun at its fiercest. The endless desert baked the land, the horizon a shimmering mirage.
Dunes stretched forever in every direction. Each gust of wind whipped up clouds of sand as the group trudged slowly onward.
Behind them, fishman undead hauled sack after sack of Dance Powder, while hawks circled above. From high up, their small caravan looked like ants crawling across the wasteland.
"Ughhh, I can't take it anymore…"
Luffy's voice was weak as he slouched over, leaning on a stick he'd picked up who-knows-where. His tongue lolled, his eyelids drooping.
"Water… I need water…"
"No way. You've already drunk too much. The rest is for Rainer. We barely have enough left as it is," Sanji snapped, refusing him. "Idiot, who told you to sprint around the moment we hit the desert? Now suffer."
Luffy's strength hadn't waned—it was just the heat and thirst wearing him down. In contrast, Rainer truly was struggling.
The undead carried heavy loads, but every ounce of that burden drew from his stamina.
"You holding up, Rainer? There's a rocky outcrop ahead. We can rest a bit," Vivi offered.
"Yeah… the desert drains stamina faster than I expected." He accepted her water bottle and drank slowly.
He could force himself to push through, but he needed to conserve energy in case of battle.
"Should've prepped some desert-adapted templates… Good thing I've been focusing on endurance."
By the time they reached the outcrop, two-thirds of the journey was behind them—and half of Rainer's stamina gone.
The fishmen undead set down their loads. Rainer dismissed them, then leaned against the shaded stone wall to rest.
"Thanks for the hard work, Rainer."
"Appreciate it," he said, taking a cigarette from Sanji. Tilting his head back, he relaxed at last.
The sun sank low, the sky dimming. A strong wind had slowed their pace, but now the temperature plummeted rapidly.
"Everyone, desert nights are freezing. Get your warm gear ready," Vivi warned, reorganizing supplies.
They weren't planning to enter Katorea. Instead, they'd ignite the Dance Powder upwind in the desert itself.
After eating to recover some strength, the group pushed onward.
Meanwhile, at a small bar called Spider Café...
Behind the counter stood a blue-haired woman with an afro, sliding a cup of coffee across to the bald man opposite her.
"News from Erumalu—the Straw Hats have appeared."
Mr. 1, Daz Bones, took a sip before answering calmly. "After slaughtering many of our men, their trail vanished again."
"Could they be heading to Alubarna?" asked Ms. Doublefinger, recalling what Unluckies had reported from Whiskey Peak. "Their mission is to guard the princess, isn't it?"
"It's possible. But since earlier… I've sent Billions to check, yet no word. I've got a bad feeling," Daz muttered.
"Fuhahaha!"
Loud laughter burst from another table. Mr. 4 and Ms. Merry Christmas sat there, the old woman cackling.
"Either way, they'll end up at the palace eventually," she said. "If we can't find them, why not just wait in Alubarna?"
"That works. Let's regroup at the capital." Daz drained his cup and stood.
"I happen to have a secret mission in the royal city, too," Ms. Merry Christmas crooned. "We can keep each other company."
"Shut it, hag. One more creepy line and I'll kill you."
"Oooh how scary Come on then, Mr. 1, if you dare."
"Enough, you two," Ms. Doublefinger cut in sharply. "The boss isn't someone to disappoint."
The four left Spider Café, mounted their camels, and set out toward the capital.
Back in the desert, Rainer's group stopped once more.
"This is the spot," Nami declared. "Start burning the Dance Powder. I'll boost it with my Clima-Tact. It won't add much, but it'll help."
"Got it."
The undead dropped their loads and spread out, gathering firewood under Rainer's command.
The Clima-Tact was a weapon Nami had asked Usopp to craft for her—back when he first joined Rainer and Zoro in their weight training sessions.
Rainer had also commissioned a special modification: a recessed socket.
He drew his Bone Chain Sword, forged from Arlong's template. Its snarling skull tip had a groove that now held a seastone bullet, half protruding.
"And with Blue Oni and Red Oni both trained in Haki…" Rainer's hand brushed the custom revolver at his hip, its chamber loaded full. His lips curved into a cold grin.
Sumimasen, Croco-chan…
I've already built your coffin.