"Why couldn't we help them further?" Gion finally asked only after the man had left with his daughter.
Raleigh looked at Gion.
She had matured considerably, with her greatest improvement being that she no longer immediately questioned Raleigh's decisions in public.
Instead, she would wait until they were alone before voicing her doubts.
"Our warship has plenty of fresh water, but that water is reserved for our Navy soldiers," Raleigh answered. "While we do have some surplus, it's definitely not enough for all the people of Alabasta to drink. We could have given that father and daughter more water, but they lack the strength to protect it."
Raleigh stopped there, as Gion had already understood the surface meaning.
The deeper implications were darker.
If they made an exception for those two, endless streams of Alabasta citizens would come begging the Navy for water.
Whether they gave water or refused would create problems—it was better not to start at all.
Besides, if they simply wanted to make it rain in Alabasta, both Raleigh and Enel were capable of that.
Their abilities already allowed them to control storm clouds.
While they couldn't create rain from nothing, they could certainly make it pour heavily over Alabasta.
However, the root of this matter lay with Crocodile. If he weren't stirring up trouble behind the scenes with Dance Powder, Alabasta would soon return to its normal climate.
"Where do we go next?" Gion linked arms with Raleigh.
"Next, we are heading to Rainbase to assess Crocodile's task completion over these past few years," Raleigh said calmly. "The Seven Warlords of the Sea can't just sit around doing nothing. If they are useless, it'd be better to replace them with someone else."
This time, they didn't have any special mission, so they chose not to bring any Navy soldiers and instead traveled to Rainbase alone.
After a day of travel, the two finally arrived at the oasis known as Rainbase.
It was indeed different from the rest of Alabasta—the air was noticeably more humid here.
"The people here seem happier," Gion remarked. "Where do we go next?"
Raleigh pointed at the magnificent, golden building not far away.
"Since we are in Rainbase, we must visit this Rain Dinners."
"A casino?" Gion frowned; she had never set foot in a casino before.
"Something like that. Let's experience the local culture," Raleigh said casually.
Then, the two walked over.
"Hello, do you two have a reservation?" A Baroque Works security guard in a black suit stepped forward.
Since Raleigh and Gion had changed into local Alabastan clothing, he only found Raleigh somewhat familiar but couldn't quite place who he was.
"We don't have a reservation. We just wanted to take a look. Is that not allowed?"
Although Raleigh's attitude was casual, having served as a Vice-Admiral for several years, his words carried an undeniable air of authority.
The security guard broke into a cold sweat and quickly replied, "No, sir. It's just that guests with reservations can play in private rooms, while those without can only play in the main hall. Since you don't have a reservation, I'll take you to the main hall."
Secretly wiping the sweat from his brow, the security guard led the way for Raleigh and Gion.
The moment the door opened, a cacophony of sounds flooded their ears—the clinking of glasses, the clatter of chips on tables, and the cheers of gamblers.
Bunny girls in revealing outfits weaved through the crowd, carrying trays of drinks.
Raleigh, having seen grander scenes in his past life, naturally wasn't distracted.
As for Gion, though she felt a bit shy, having Raleigh by her side gave her the courage to take in all the novel sights.
Raleigh mentally gave Rain Dinners an 85 out of 100.
If Crocodile didn't care about his status, he could still become a man of high standing just by running this casino.
"Tsk, what a shame."
"What's a shame?" Gion turned her head curiously.
"Nothing. I'll go exchange some chips so we can play."
Raleigh went to the front desk to exchange chips worth five million Berries.
"What should we play first?" Gion asked excitedly, holding the chips. There were so many options to choose from that she was overwhelmed.
"Let's play dice. It's simple."
Raleigh led Gion to a large table.
The rules here were no different from those in his previous life—three dice, guessing whether the total would be high or low.
"Ladies and gentlemen, place your bets! Fortune smiles upon you today!" the dealer called out.
Gamblers eagerly placed their chips on the table. Gion set down chips worth five hundred thousand Berries on the "Big" area.
"Bets are closed! Bets are closed!"
Gion watched the dice in the dealer's hand nervously.
"Open, open, open!!" The surrounding gamblers stared with bloodshot eyes at the dice cup in the dealer's hand.
"Open! Three, five, five. Big!"
"Congratulations on your fortune, madam!" The dealer grinned as he collected the losing chips, then placed a portion of the winnings in front of the victorious guests.
Gion excitedly shook Raleigh's arm. "Raleigh, look! I won!"
Raleigh clapped along. "You're amazing, Gion."
Gion puffed up with pride. "Of course! I am the Gambling Goddess!"
Gion didn't really understand what "Gambling Goddess" meant—she had just overheard others saying it a few times and remembered it.
Excitedly, she continued to place her chips on "Big."
However, she didn't notice the flicker of excitement in the dealer's eyes.
This was the signal of a fat sheep entering the fold!
Naive and rich, a first-time visitor to the casino—the dealer was confident he could make her lose so much she wouldn't be able to leave the hall.
Gion didn't notice, but Raleigh did, and he felt a bit speechless.
Indeed, casinos everywhere were places that devoured people without spitting out the bones.
If Raleigh and Gion were truly ordinary people today, they might have been completely drained by the casino.
Unfortunately for Baroque Works, Raleigh had the ability to flip the table—he just didn't feel like doing it now.
It was rare to take Gion out for fun, so of course, they should enjoy themselves to the fullest.
Moreover, he was curious about what kind of expression Crocodile would make if he were lured out by causing trouble here.
...
At that moment, Crocodile felt a chill down his back in his office below, but he paid it no mind.
Instead, he continued plotting his own affairs.
The Devil Child Robin was someone he absolutely had to obtain.
The Ancient Weapon Pluton must be firmly in his grasp. As for the King of Alabasta, if there was a chance to bring him down, he would replace him himself.
Although Alabasta was already in dire straits, the king's authority still held sway, so he couldn't rush things.
Crocodile had already purchased a large quantity of Dance Powder through underground channels, planning to frame the king.
He would incite the people of the country to rebel and fight against the king's royal guard.