Chapter 16. I know you

"Why is it sooo hot??? Captain why did you choose this please!" Yennow complained as the Demon Ace Pirates walked through the desert.

"SHADDUP SHADDUP SHADDUP! We're going to fight someone strong!" Bonney lost her temper. she hadn't eaten for a few hours so she was starting to get easily annoyed.

"SOMEONE STRONG?" Apoo voiced his concern.

"Captain, let me have the first go!" Urouge said in excitement.

"No, that's my fight." Ace said with fighting spirit. He couldn't help it, every strand of his DNA longs for fighting.

"I don't like to admit this but he might be above our level." Bonney admitted. She knew who to fight and who to not fight.

"Never mind that, who is this person?" Nami asked.

"Crocodile."

"Crocodile, who is that?" Nami was unfamiliar with the name.

"He's one of the seven warlords of the sea... and he has eaten the Sand Logia devil fruit." Bonney told her.

"Seven warlords and sand Logia?" All of them halted.

Apoo was looking around in fright, and the more he looked around, the more he felt his legs shake.

"Sand Logia.... there's sand everywhere." Apoo said, feeling like they were standing in the mouth of a sand human.

"Don't worry too much, it'll be fun." Ace said, trying to relieve them of their worries.

"Fun... yes it sure will be fun... I always wondered how it would feel to get killed by sand." Nami said sarcastically.

"But captain might be able to fight him equally." Bonney said, finally the others relaxed slightly. Only Urouge looked disappointed.

'Didn't the princess of this kingdom go out and secretly try to get help? When was that? AHH I can't remember anything...' Ace thought and tried to remember. But in the end he gave up as he felt that it was unnecessarily, he didn't care about the kingdom's state, and just wanted to beat up a warlord and understand their strength.

"Wait, I think I need more to drink, I started seeing things in the horizon again, it looks like a city." Yennow said.

"Give me some water as well. I'm also seeing Yennow's illusion." Spikewards said.

"Yennow, stop doing that, I don't like mind tricks!" Urouge said as he also saw the city.

*BOINK BOINK BOINK* Nami hit them all on the head.

"That's a real city, please refrain from using your mouths when there is no brain to back it up!" She said in a huff.

"Wahahaha she said you're brainless!" Ace laughed at them.

*WOSH* Nami hit him as well, sadly, her staff went right through him.

"YOU'RE THE WORST OF ALL." She said pointing at him.

"Ah, no way, I ate the flame flame no mi, so my brain is made of flames!" Ace retorted, using his finest logic.

"That doesn't even... ahhh... fine you have a brain." She gave up.

"Wahaha see, you three brainless fools." Ace laughed at the three even harder.

'Sigh maybe if I didn't join Ace, I could have joined a smarter crew in the future and I probably would have had a smart captain...' Nami thought to herself, yet she didn't regret joining Ace.

Looking at her captain, although she felt exaperation, a smile still crept to her lips.

When they finally reached the city, Ace assigned them into teams of 2's.

Bonney and Nami, Urouge and Ronaldo Ronaldino, Apoo and Spikewards, Gaga and Yennow.

"If you're in trouble, just shoot this firework and we'll regroup." Ace said.

Then they all went their way, Ace was the only one who didn't partner up.

"Excuse me, I'm a bit lost, could you tell me which city this is?" Ace asked a passerby.

The person looked at him weirdly.

"Damn drunks, it's Rainbase and you don't know even that? Haaa this city has gone downhill since all these casino's opened up!" The passerby got angry and walked off.

Ace shrugged his shoulder and continued walking as he took in the architecture and culture of Arabasta.

"No wonder so many people sail the seas for adventure, just arriving in new places and experiencing new cultures is so exciting!" Ace said to himself as he looked around at the novel place.

"Newly grilled shrababa fish here!"

"SHRABABA FISH??! I WANT THAT!" Ace shouted as he ran towards the stall.

A few hours went by and Ace had gotten a bit fatter, he had eaten everything he had found and now he was barely left with anything.

'Maybe I should try to win some money?' Ace said as he looked at his remaining money, then he looked up and found a casino that seemed popular.

'Lets make some money' Ace thought with a grin as he was about to cheat using his haki.

Just when he was about to step inside, a woman with a white cowboy hat stepped outside.

"Mr. Flame Emperor Ace, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance..." The woman was about to continue speaking but as she saw Ace's reaction so she stopped herself.

Ace's eyes widened in recognition as he recognized the woman before him, Nico Robin. Black haired, blue eyed, tall and slim, about 25-26 years old.

"Y-YOU'RE, Y-Y-OU'RE...." Ace couldn't finish is words as he pointed his finger at her slightly shakinlgy.

Nico Robin didn't show it but she got ready to flee in case Ace recognized herself as the devil child Nico Robin.

"YOU'RE HOT!" Ace finally finished his words.

Nico almost fell down, she sighed in relief that the man before her didn't recognize her.

"I'm not hot, I'm Miss All Sunday, the secretary of the owner of this casino, he's inviting you for a meeting in his office." She said, relieved that Ace seemed to be a simpleton.

"No you're definitely hot, and that's impressive coming from me." He said resolutely while his pointing finger turned into flames.

Miss All Sunday chuckled.

"If you insist so... would you like to meet the owner of this casino?" She tried changing the subject.

"Ahh.... sure..." Ace said rejectedly, he really wanted to cheat... win some money, but meeting Nico Robin's boss, which should be crocodile, is a priority.

As they walked inside, Ace looked around feeling restless. He felt like he could make big money here, yet he still followed Nico Robin into an elevator that took them to the highest floor.

As they reached the floor, Ace couldn't help but to feel impressed by the lifeforce he felt from Crocodile, even before meeting him.

Everyone has lifeforce that can be felt with haki, and the stronger someone is, the stronger their life force will be.

Although those that can control their haki can somewhat stop others from sensing the quality of their haki, just the same way as they can release it to make others pressured by their life force or aura, it's impossible to completely hide their lifeforce.