Do You Want to Be My Comrade?

Chapter 51: Do You Want to Be My Comrade?

Rainbase

Rodney arrived at this still prosperous city, known as the City of Dreams. The environment here was excellent, like an oasis, and there was no shortage of water. Even after nearly two years, there had been no signs of water scarcity.

Although it was daytime, there was a cool breeze that swept away the heat. The date palm trees were laden with ripe fruit, tempting and seemingly ready to be eaten.

Seeing that no one was paying attention, Rodney picked a few dates and stuffed them into his mouth. They were sweet and tasted good.

In Rainbase, there were several pyramids that made him contemplate.

"Yeah, I know this is Egyptian style. Why build pyramids? They are tombs, right? Are they planning a tomb clash? Are you also the The King of Comedy? Hahahaha..."

After coughing a few times to clear his mind of the sudden thoughts of Dio, Rodney focused on the largest pyramid. It had blue and white stripes with golden bricks as borders, and a statue of a crocodile holding a banana adorned its top.

Rain Dinners, the largest casino in all of Alabasta, was owned by Crocodile, but he remained cautious. The surface boss was Nicole Robin, who kept her true identity hidden due to her high bounty.

Controlling the kingdom's largest casino allowed Crocodile to make money every day. He had no financial worries, indulged in his arrogance, raised crocodiles in his leisure time, and occasionally killed a few pirates when he was in the mood. His life was quite comfortable.

However, driven by his ambitions, he gave up this peaceful life. He now wore a pair of Seastone handcuffs and a black and white striped suit, embarking on a journey to fight the Four Emperors. In this game, he aimed to be the top performer.

Entering Rain Dinners, the atmosphere inside was relatively calm, lacking the usual noisy scenes found in most casinos. Occasionally, there were people with red eyes who would go mad after losing and were then promptly thrown out by the staff. Nevertheless, the place remained relatively quiet.

Exchanging 10,000 beliies chips, Rodney approached a gaming table. Instead of immediately placing a bet, he observed the dealer's movements carefully.

"This technique..."

He stroked his chin, squinted his eyes, activated his Sharingan, and recorded the dealer's movements. The dealer's gambling technique was quite fast, but it was still a bit slow for people like Rodney. However, it would suffice to deceive ordinary people.

Having seen enough, Rodney joined the game. With the copied gambling skills from the Sharingan and lightning-fast movements, he successfully won a large sum of chips.

The banker tried to deal a winning hand against Rodney but ended up losing all their chips. The banker instantly realized that they were up against a master and hurriedly called the boss.

Appearing before him was a graceful and intelligent woman. Due to her extended stay in Alabasta, her skin had darkened a bit, but it didn't matter. A few years of care would make it white again.

Seeing Rodney's surprised gaze, Nicole Robin immediately knew that he recognized her. However, she wondered how he could know her when her wanted poster depicted a much younger version of herself. 

With a strange glint in his eyes, Rodney instinctively averted his gaze from her, which seemed to possess a peculiar magic. He maintained a polite smile and asked, "Hello, Mr. Rodney. Have we met before?"

"I've seen your... uh, I don't know," Rodney chuckled and coughed, recalling the 18th+ images in his mind, then asked, "Miss All Sunday?"

Robin remained silent for a moment, then smiled and said, "So you already know. Come with me. The VIP room is waiting for you."

"Sure, let's go."

Following Robin to the luxurious VIP room, Rodney sunk into the soft sofa. He asked, "So, why did you bring me here? Is there something you want to discuss?"

"Not much, Mr. Rodney. The conflict between Baroque Works and you is quite significant."

"Of course, I didn't do anything. Yet, you actually hunted me down?" 

Rodney roared angrily, "I was just here for a trip. And you sent people to chase after me? Well, the bridge is burnt now. With you, Baroque Works have no future, and only one of us can survive."

Robin: "..."

Weren't you the one who started the fight from the beginning? 

Whiskey Peak, Mr. 5, Mr. 1, didn't you attack them the hardest? 

Our Baroque Works is a legitimate assassin group. We were severely injured by your attacks, and you dare to bite back? 

Did Robin overestimate this man's limits?

Alright, what about the dignity of a strong individual? Who taught him to be so shameless?

"If you want compensation, tell us your conditions. We will consider if we can offer something," Robin said, using it as a delaying tactic to buy time for Crocodile, who was approaching.

She didn't care much about Rodney; he was just a pirate hunter. If her true identity was revealed, he would probably have drawn his sword already. After all, her bounty was quite high.

After Ohara's destruction, she lived amid betrayals and conspiracies, feeling tired until now. However, to interpret the poneglyph and uncover the history of the Void Century, she made a deal with Crocodile, risking her life.

Her dream was solely to learn about the unknown history, but a massive monster stood between that hidden history and her.

"Conditions?" Rodney pondered for a while, then smiled and said, "Then how about you give yourself to me? After all, you're not the mastermind behind Baroque Works."

Robin was taken aback and continued to maintain her smile, but her eyes turned cold. "This joke isn't funny, Mr. Rodney."

"Not funny? Then let's change it to Crocodile's head," he said casually, propping his head with one hand, showing no fear, as he prepared something. However, the actors had not yet gathered.

Ah, why hasn't Mr. 0 (Crocodile) arrived yet?

"Crocodile is a Shichibukai, and Baroque Works can't match him," Robin said. "You want to kill him?"

"Of course, who wouldn't want to kill him? But it's a pity that his bounty won't increase after becoming a Shichibukai. Otherwise, with his strength, two to three hundred million bellies would be nothing to worry about."

Shichibukai were pirates recognized by the World Government. Their bounties remained the same, and they were not targeted by the Marines. However, if they lost the title, their bounties would skyrocket, and the Navy would hunt them down continuously.

Mr. 0 (Crocodile) was no mere Buggy, who relied on luck to maintain his Shichibukai status. He was firmly seated in that position due to his powers, and even his position among the future Four Emperors was secured. Of course, he had to escape from prison first.

Glancing back and forth at Robin's alluring figure, Rodney's gaze remained clear. "Let me calculate... the bounty on 'Devil Child' seems to be a bit higher than Crocodile's."

Robin stepped back slightly, maintaining her smile but with a cold gaze. "My role is not just to exchange my life for a bounty."

"I know. You're a historian. I'm also interested in history. How about it, Nico Robin? Do you want to be my... uh, join me? Compared to Crocodile, your future will be much brighter. Seeking skins from tigers will only lead to a bitter end(1)."

Robin remained silent, realizing that this man was just like those others or even greedier. However, she misunderstood Rodney. He was indeed interested in that history. After all, the Void Century was intriguing, right?

Unfortunately, he couldn't understand it. Otherwise, with his knowledge of the Poneglyph's location, he could quickly find and decipher it.

He could only say that he had been transported at the wrong time. If he came a few years later, he would have finished reading the plot.

Most likely, by the time he finished reading, the Grim Reaper would still be in elementary school(2).

So what exactly happened during that time? His curiosity was hard to suppress. He tried to maintain a friendly smile and said, "Miss Robin, consider it. I will treat you well. If you join me, I'll promote you to vice-captain."

Isn't it just you alone? No, wait, don't you even have a ship?

Ratoon's Note:

Seeking skins from tigers will only lead to a bitter end- an idiom that means attempting to exploit or take advantage of a powerful or dangerous person or situation will ultimately result in negative consequences or a bad outcome.

Most likely, by the time he finished reading, the Grim Reaper would still be in elementary school- is a figurative expression suggesting that the time it would take for the person to finish reading something is so long that even a mythical and timeless figure like the Grim Reaper would still be in elementary school when they're done.