49: Chapter 49: The Battle Inside the Casino, Encountering Old Sha"Yes, I understand."
Upon receiving the order, Mr.2 stood up and skipped off to investigate whether Mr.3 and Goldenweek were with the Straw Hat crew.If they were, he was to kill the traitor at all costs; if not, he was to find a way to delay the Straw Hat crew, giving them enough time to prepare their trap.Mr.3 quickly arrived at the Straw Hat crew's location, where they were resting.Chopper, being sensitive to heat, had been dragged along by Zoro.To make Chopper more comfortable on the journey, the thoughtful Luffy even created a large block of ice for him to lie on.Chopper was comfortable, but Zoro was suffering.So now Luffy had to act as a portable air conditioner to cool everyone down."Luffy, your superpowers aren't just for fighting, they can also cool us down!Alright, I've decided, from now on, Luffy, you're not only the captain, but also the ship's mobile cooling system!" Usopp became a little carried away, and as soon as he finished speaking, he felt Luffy's gaze radiating cold air.Usopp, who was about to beg for mercy, was immediately chased into the sun by Luffy.The considerate Luffy even dressed him in his old training clothes, and under the gentle lightning bolts, they trained while staring at the sun.Uta watched Usopp with amusement; this guy had been tricked by Luffy so many times because of his mouth.Feeling it wasn't cool enough, Uta snuggled closer to Luffy.Seeing this, the other two girls, especially Nami, unconsciously moved closer to Luffy.Damn it, Sanji bit his finger and glared at Luffy resentfully, then gulped down a mouthful of ice water and moved closer to Luffy.Zoro and Kuina, while complaining about everyone's lack of willpower, sat down next to Luffy.They had originally planned to enter the training space, but Luffy advised them to balance work and rest.Zoro and Kuina also felt that they wouldn't be able to break through to the next level if they continued training, so they simply lay around next to Luffy, planning to wait until it got dark and cooler before leaving.Looking at the crowd surrounding him, Luffy shook his head helplessly.What could he do?He had to spoil his own crew.Just as everyone was resting, the three main fighters on the ship suddenly opened their eyes.Luffy immediately conjured a fireball and fired it at a rock, hiding behind the rock and envying the Straw Hat crew's MR.Mr.3 was startled by the fireball so close at hand and quickly scrambled to the scorching ground to avoid it.The fireball grazed past and struck the ground not far from him.Thankful he had escaped, Mr.3 realized his face was about to be cooked.He yelled and jumped up, but before he could cool himself down, the heat from the fireball hitting the ground hit his back completely.Now, Mr.3 couldn't protect himself from both sides.Looking up, he saw the large block of ice Luffy had left behind while making shaved ice for everyone.He recklessly pounced on it, rolling around in it.After a moment, feeling himself come back to life, Mr.3 remembered his mission.Looking up, he saw the group glaring at him."So, Mr.2, right?What are you doing hiding there so suspiciously?"
As Luffy put down Uta from his arms, he questioned her.Princess Vivi had recognized the man in the swan costume with the strangely heavy makeup as Mr.3 from Baroque Works.Upon learning he was there to find a traitor, Luffy slapped his forehead and finally released the two who had been imprisoned in the training space for who knows how long.While feeding and watering them, Luffy and his crew had already become friends with Bon Clay (Luffy's nickname).Bon Clay also demonstrated his Devil Fruit ability to the Straw Hat crew, eliciting gasps of amazement from Usopp and Chopper.When they realized he had transformed into Nami and was about to lift her clothes, Nami gently knocked them all to the ground.After learning it was just a trick on their boss, the usually loyal Bon Clay was in a dilemma—one of them was his newly made friend… One was his friend, and the other was his comrade-in-arms.Feng was unwilling to give up on either.After some thought, Feng decided to report to his superiors that he hadn't found Mr.3 and the other man in the Straw Hat crew's camp.However, Feng also declared that the next time they met, they would be enemies, and he wanted the Straw Hat crew to have a good fight with him.He reminded Baroque Works to lay a trap in Rain Country again.Mr.2 then returned to Rain Country in his vehicle, awaiting the Straw Hat crew's arrival.After Mr.2 left, Luffy casually put Mr.3 and Goldenweek back into their cage, but this time Luffy thoughtfully prepared some water and food for them, planning to deal with the two after defeating Crocodile.The Straw Hat crew safely arrived in Rain Country, a seemingly bustling place.However, beneath the surface of the hustle and bustle lay an undercurrent of tension.The streets were crowded with people, and under the scorching sun, the townspeople thronged, creating a unique atmosphere.Luffy and his crew looked around curiously, taking in the novelty of this unfamiliar place.Guided by passersby, they arrived at the casino.The casino doors were tightly closed, but the noise and flashing lights emanating from within revealed its bustling and exciting atmosphere.Several guards stood at the entrance, vigilantly watching the crowds.Luffy and the others exchanged glances, their eyes gleaming with excitement and anticipation.They decided to enter and see for themselves.Shortly after Luffy went inside, Smoker arrived with Kuina, seemingly also heading to the Rainfield Casino, though in a different direction.The doors slowly opened, and they stepped into this world of allure and challenge.Inside, the casino was filled with smoke and the cacophony of voices.Various people sat at the gambling tables, some flushed, others calm and collected.The clinking of chips and shouts rose and fell, creating an atmosphere of exhilaration.Luffy rubbed his hands excitedly, eager to try his luck.The others, with different feelings, followed him into this unknown place.Unaware of the dangers and secrets lurking behind this casino, the group entered and stood.The guards at the entrance took out a Den Den Mushi, dialed a number, said something, and after receiving a reply, left.Suddenly, an alarm sounded inside the casino.The gamblers at the tables put down their chips, their eyes fixed on Luffy and his crew, secretly pulling weapons from under the tables."Looks like Baroque Works has prepared a huge welcome gift for us.I advise you to surrender quickly; you're surrounded!" Luffy grinned excitedly, preparing for battle.The casino's henchmen burst into laughter upon hearing Luffy's words.The Straw Hat crew also drew their weapons, warily watching the restless enemies.With a gunshot, the battle between the Straw Hat crew and Baroque Works began."Kuruki-Kuruki-O-Gum!Gum-Gum Thunder Flame Machine Gun!"
Luffy charged into the crowd, his hands crackling with lightning and fire, unleashing countless punches that rained down on his enemies.With each punch, someone screamed and fell to the ground.In no time, a large group of enemies lay on the ground.Zoro and Sanji, seeing this, immediately joined the battle.If they didn't hurry, they wouldn't have a chance to fight.The others also displayed their prowess.Nami's Clima-Tact (given to her by Usopp recently, the author is too lazy to write about it) crackled with lightning, leaving scorched earth in its wake.Kuina wielded her twin swords like flowing water, weaving through the enemies, their blades unable to touch her.Usopp transformed into his eagle-man form, continuously firing projectiles at the advancing enemies, creating bursts of sparks.Chopper transformed into his giant deer form, charging headlong, his attacks leaving enemies clutching their waists and howling in pain.To the sound of Uta's song, the enemies lay.Tormented by nightmares, Vivi refused to back down, wielding her peacock daggers and riding Karu, defeating wave after wave of enemies.Soon, only the Straw Hat crew remained in the once-crowded casino; the enemies who had tried to surround them lay unconscious on the ground.After dealing with this wave of enemies, the group headed deeper into the casino.Crocodile calmly watched Smoker and Tashigi struggling in a Seastone cage.Just moments before, the two had sneaked in and overheard his plan.Enraged, Smoker drew his weapon and attacked Crocodile, but Crocodile lured him into the Seastone cage, causing him to lose his powers.Tashigi, who had tried to rescue her superior, was defeated by Robin's Devil Fruit ability and imprisoned as well.Just as Crocodile was preparing to take Robin to the capital, Luffy broke down the gate and stormed in.