Chapter 57: Take The Money, Crocodile!

(Please add it to your Library! Please send Power Stones! Thank you!)

After her tears subsided, Vivi calmed down and pulled out a map of Alabasta.

"This is Rainbase, where Crocodile is."

She pointed to the location on the map, her tone serious.

"It's not close," Ace noted, glancing at the distance.

"Yeah, which is why we need to get there as soon as possible," Vivi nodded, feeling the weight of the situation. The sooner they reached Crocodile, the fewer lives would be lost.

"Don't worry, we'll get there fast. But first, we need to make some preparations," Ace said.

"Preparations?" Vivi, Nami, and the other girls looked at him in surprise.

Outside the port city, in the desert, Ace revealed a large desert boat that could carry a dozen people.

"This was something I put together using my skills after buying the materials," Ace smiled as he looked at the craft proudly.

The girls stared at the desert boat in confusion.

The next moment, a strange light emanated from Ace's hand, enveloping the boat.

"Whoosh! Bang!"

Just as the girls were puzzled, something darted out of the sand nearby, bursting from the ground.

"What…?"

A huge crab appeared in front of them, its eyes fixed on the desert boat.

"The boat attracted the desert creature with the realm of comprehension I gave it," Ace explained with a grin.

"A Running Crab?!" Vivi exclaimed in surprise.

"A Running Crab?" Nami, Kaya, Nojiko, and Tashigi asked, confused.

"Yes! It's a type of crab native to the Alabasta desert. They're incredibly fast. Ace, are you planning to use it to get us to Rainbase quickly?" Vivi asked, her eyes sparkling with admiration. It seemed that with Ace around, nothing was impossible.

"Exactly. It's the best way to travel through the desert," Ace replied with a smile.

He then turned his attention to the Running Crab. Luckily, this one wasn't like the mischievous crab from the original story—otherwise, they might have had crab for dinner.

"How about it? Take us to Rainbase, and I'll give you this boat," Ace said to the crab, pointing to the boat now imbued with his unique energy.

The crab nodded its massive head in agreement.

"Perfect! Let's go," Ace said as he tied the desert boat to the crab and helped the girls onboard.

"Ready? It might be a bit bumpy," Ace said with a mischievous smile as he glanced at the excited group.

"Why?" the girls asked, puzzled.

Ace laughed. "You'll see!"

With that, Ace unleashed more of his power, surrounding the crab with the energy of comprehension.

"Kame!"

The crab's eyes turned red, and it let out a cry before dashing forward at breakneck speed.

"Whoosh! Boom!"

The girls shrieked in surprise as the desert boat shot forward, all clinging to Ace.

"How is it? Fun, right?" Ace laughed, enjoying the speed.

At this pace, the boat wouldn't fall apart thanks to the extra protection from Ace's haki. Without it, a normal ride would've broken into pieces by now.

"I can't believe the Running Crab is this fast! Wow!" Vivi exclaimed, struggling to keep her eyes open against the rushing wind.

"How about now, Vivi? Think we'll reach Rainbase quickly enough?" Ace teased, smiling as Vivi held onto his arm.

Vivi blushed, pursing her lips before leaning in and kissing Ace on the cheek.

"Thank you, Ace…" she whispered, her face bright red.

"Oh, how bold, Vivi!" Nami teased, holding onto Ace's leg, laughing at Vivi's move.

Nojiko and Kaya, both holding onto Ace's other limbs, exchanged amused glances.

Tashigi lay across Ace's back, gripping him tightly.

"It's just a thank-you! That's all!" Vivi stammered, her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Alright then, hold on tight. Let's kick it up a notch," Ace grinned as he increased the energy field around the crab.

"Kame!"

The crab let out another cry, speeding up even more.

"Ahhh!" The girls shrieked again, tightening their grip on Ace, holding on as if they wanted to melt into him.

With Ace's laughter echoing around them, the Entei Pirates raced toward Rainbase at lightning speed.

——

Meanwhile, in the royal palace of Alabasta…

"Cobra-sama! Karoo has returned, and he brought a letter from Princess Vivi!" exclaimed Chaka, the commander of the Alabasta Guards, known for his Dog-Dog Fruit powers.

"What?!" Cobra's eyes widened as he quickly took the letter from Chaka's hands, beads of sweat forming on his forehead as he read.

"It's Crocodile…" Cobra muttered in disbelief.

The letter detailed Vivi's encounter with Ace and his crew, as well as Crocodile's twisted plan for Alabasta, known as the "Operation Utopia".

As Cobra read on, his shock deepened. Crocodile, considered a national hero by the people, was actually the mastermind behind the kingdom's turmoil.

"Your Majesty, I'll gather the troops and head to Rainbase immediately to crush Crocodile's plot!" Chaka declared, filled with righteous anger.

"Wait, Chaka," Cobra interrupted.

"What? Your Majesty, shouldn't we move quickly to capture Crocodile and stop his scheme?" Chaka asked in confusion.

"We're dealing with a Warlord of the Sea. Are you sure we can catch him so easily? More importantly, we need to focus on preventing the war and saving the people from unnecessary suffering," Cobra said gravely. "Remember, Chaka, Alabasta belongs to its people."

"Your Majesty…" Chaka replied, torn but understanding.

"Go ahead and prepare," Cobra said firmly.

After Chaka left, Cobra looked down at the letter again, a soft, fatherly smile crossing his face.

"If my daughter trusts you this much, Ace… I'll leave it in your hands."

——

A day later, in Rainbase, within the Rain Dinners casino:

Crocodile, the wielder of the Suna Suna no Mi (Sand-Sand Fruit), stood alongside his elite Baroque Works agents. Mr. 1, the user of the Supa Supa no Mi (Dice-Dice Fruit), Miss Doublefinger, who wielded the Toge Toge no Mi (Spike-Spike Fruit), Mr. 2 Bon Clay, the Clone-Clone Fruit user, Mr. 4 with his canine gun, Lassoo, who had eaten the Inu Inu no Mi (Dog-Dog Fruit), and Miss Merry Christmas, the Mole-Mole Zoan user, were all present.

"All the millions of agents from Baroque Works have done their part, stirring up the public perfectly. Now, it's your turn," Crocodile said, his laughter dark and menacing. "Let's create the perfect utopia together! Hahaha!"

Suddenly, the sound of a phone hanging up cut through the air.

"Mr. 0, the Billion agent overseeing the Entei Pirates just reported—they've vanished," Robin informed as she approached.

Crocodile's face darkened instantly. "Vanished? Disappeared right under our noses?"

His fist clenched, and his eyes twitched with fury.

"Hmph, it's just a rookie pirate crew. No need to worry about them," Crocodile replied, still irritated but trying to brush it off.

"Yes, Mr. 0," Robin responded with a slight smile.

"Alright, get going. Complete your missions," Crocodile ordered, his tone cold. "And if you see anyone who looks like this—kill them." He pointed at sketches of Ace and his crew, a sinister grin on his face.

After the agents departed, Crocodile turned to Robin, his expression still grim. "Why did they disappear under the watch of so many agents?"

"The agents monitoring them in the port lost contact suddenly, and then... nothing," Robin replied calmly.

"Princess Vivi is with them. If she reaches the rebel leader, our plan might face complications. You understand, Miss All-Sunday?" Crocodile said, his eyes narrowing.

"I understand, Mr. 0," Robin nodded.

"Find them. I want news as soon as possible," Crocodile commanded.

Just then, his personal phone began to ring. "Bru buru buru!"

"Hmm?" Crocodile frowned and answered.

"Boss! Something's wrong at the casino! There's a terrifying guy here, and he's... he's—" the voice on the other end stammered.

"What? Someone causing trouble in my casino?" Crocodile's face grew even darker. The casino was critical—it funded Baroque Works, and without its income, the entire organization would be in jeopardy.

"No, it's not like that! He's... winning all the casino's chips!" the manager's voice trembled.

"What?!" Crocodile's eye twitched.

Rain Dinners, the heart of Rainbase and the grandest casino in Alabasta, was a luxurious fortress of gambling. But now, it was in chaos.

"Ding! Ding! Ding!" A slot machine rang out with a jackpot.

"Clatter!" Countless chips poured from the machine as gamblers watched in awe.

"Didn't you rig the machines?" the manager whispered frantically to the technician beside him.

"We did! We even made him switch machines several times, but it's no use!" The technician was on the verge of tears.

"Hurry up! Exchange these chips for beli! This is Crocodile's casino, right? Surely you won't refuse to cash out my winnings!" the man who had won a fortune shouted confidently.

"O-Of course not," the manager stammered, trying to maintain his composure. "But you've won so much, we need to fetch the money from the bank."

"Go get it then! This is the casino of one of the Seven Warlords, right? You don't want to cheat me out of my winnings!" the man demanded, a smirk playing on his lips.

The casino staff's faces twitched. This man had already won nearly a billion beli!

At that moment, the inner doors of the casino opened, and Crocodile, with a dark scowl, stepped out.

The manager rushed to Crocodile's side. "Boss, that's the guy. We've tried everything, but he keeps winning."

"Hurry up and bring me my billion beli, Crocodile! You're not going to stiff me, are you?" The man called out arrogantly, his back still turned to Crocodile.

"That voice..." Robin's brow furrowed. It seemed oddly familiar.

With a scowl, Crocodile walked up behind the man and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Why don't you come inside, and we'll talk? I'll give you your money," Crocodile said through clenched teeth, struggling to control his rage in public. Reputation was everything for a casino, and losing it would be catastrophic—even for a Warlord.

"Huh? It's only a billion beli, Crocodile. Don't tell me you can't pay up?" the man chuckled.

As he turned around, Crocodile's eyes widened in shock, and Robin gasped.

"Portgas D. Ace!" Crocodile snarled, his teeth grinding in fury.

Ace leaned back in his chair with a smirk, casually tossing chips in the air. "What's the matter? Don't tell me you're short on funds?"

Crocodile's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Why? How could Ace be here? Just a short while ago, he had received information that Ace had disappeared—yet here he was, winning a billion beli at his casino!

"It's just a billion beli," Crocodile growled, his voice thick with restrained anger. "But where are your crewmates?"

Ace's grin widened. "Who knows?"

——

Elsewhere, in the desert:

A desert vehicle sped toward the capital, carrying Baroque Works agents.

"It's just a small mission. Little 0's so worked up over nothing," Mr. 2 Bon Clay laughed loudly.

"Shut up, you idiot!" Miss Merry Christmas snapped, her hands on her hips.

"Mr. 1, you don't look so good," Miss Doublefinger observed.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Mr. 1 muttered.

"You're overthinking it. With Mr. 0 backing us, there's nothing to worry about!" Miss Doublefinger smiled confidently.

Suddenly, a gunshot rang out.

"Bang!" Blood spurted from Mr. 4's chest as he fell.

"Bang!" Mr. 1 instantly transformed, his body becoming a blade as he sliced the carriage in half and leapt into the desert. The others quickly followed, jumping to the ground.

"Who's there?!" Mr. 1 growled, scanning the surroundings.

They had been ambushed. But how? Their route was supposed to be a well-kept secret.

In front of them, the desert distorted, and several figures appeared. Among them, a woman bore the tattoo of the Entei Pirates on her arm, holding a gun that still smoked from her shot.

Without a word, it was clear she had killed Mr. 4.

Miss Merry Christmas clenched her fists in anger, knowing her abilities would be severely weakened without Mr. 4.

"This road is closed," Nami said with a smile, her Clima-Tact in hand.

"Mirage Tempo~"