16

!

Rainbase is one of the few cities within the country of Arabasta that continued thriving even during the drought orchestrated by Crocodile, mostly due to its gambling industry. Because of this, it has been referred to as the "City of Dreams". Rainbase is located to the northwest of Arabasta, with Yuba to the south and Alubarna and the Sandora River to the east. It takes one day to reach Rainbase from Yuba on feet. Rainbase is a luxurious, booming city with many casinos and restaurants. Some of those include the Golden Slots, the Loose Slots, the Royale, the Fantasia and the Coin Banditts, among several others. There are also stables where steeds like horses and camels can rest.

Rain Dinners is a casino, restaurant, and resort owned by Crocodile in Rainbase. The building is the largest in the city and is in the shape of a pyramid, with a golden crocodile statue at the top. The casino was guarded by the Koala Mercenaries and the manager of the casino is Miss All Sunday, while the assistant manager is Ultraking.

"Vampire is here and the princess hired her to stop me?" Crocodile asked Miss All Sunday.

"Yes the agents have confirmed that and she's traveling along side with the Straw Hat pirates. They're using the river to get to the capital," Miss All Sunday said.

"And no one is even trying to stop them?" Crocodile asked.

"Seeing what Vampire is able to do and her reputation. All the agents are too scared of her. Also your secret is out," Miss All Sunday said.

"What?" Crocodile asked shock.

!

Earlier -

On the Dreadful Whale, using the radio on Bert the den den mushi, Vampire called Garp telling him what's going on Arabasta. She gave Vivi the line so she could explain what she discovered, that Crocodile and Mr. Zero are the same person and that he's trying to take over Arabasta. Vampire also called in Vivi's father Cobra to inform him what's happening as well.

"Crocodile betraying his status as a warlord... I'm going to call all Navy ships in the area to have him and his group arrested. I'll inform Sengoku about this," Garp said over the mushi.

"I'll inform my people as well," Cobra said.

"If we act fast we can keep the war from happening," Vivi said.

"I'll be heading out to take care of Crocodile and the others will be protecting Vivi," Vampire said.

"Hey, I want to take care of Crocodile," Luffy said only to be smack by Vampire on the head.

"Luffy he's a warlord for a reason and with his devil fruit being sand and this place being a desert, gives him the home field advantage. I have fought plenty of Logia-types and you need to either know what's their weakness or have use haki which you haven't learned to use yet," Vampire said.

"I'm learning," Luffy said.

"Still not good enough," Vampire said.

"Vampire's right, Crocodile might be a new world pirate but he is a warlord for a reason," Cobra said.

"Well, I have fought each of the 4 emperors and came out on top. I'm the only one here who can take him," Vampire said.

"I'll see you soon Vivi," Cobra said hanging up.

!

Rainbase -

"That's when the signal was cut off," Miss All Sunday said to Crocodile having played a recording of the call. They have agents working in the royal palace and bug the den den mushi's there.

"Blast it," Crocodile said as years of planning is going up in flames thanks to that bounty hunter.

"Do we continue as plan?" Miss All Sunday asked.

"Might as well. We're too far to just stop now and there is still the royal treasure. I might not be able to take Arabasta but I can still take the treasure," Crocodile said.

"And what of Vampire?" Miss All Sunday ask.

"I have something that I have been hanging onto for years. Seeing how Joke was able to actually hurt Vampire during their battle. I went looking through all the stuff that, I have collected over the years," Crocodile said.

"You have a something that's magical?" Miss All Sunday asked.

"Might be," Crocodile said.

!

Dreadful Wale -

"Alright while I head off to take care of Crocodile. The rest of you keep princess Vivi safe," Vampire said to her crew. "Ace you stay and help out."

"Right," Ace said wanting to go after Blackbeard but knows better than to go against Vampire wishes.

"Great," Luffy said happy to have Ace around again.

"I'll see you all after, I take care of Crocodile," Vampire said as she leaps away from the ship and actually ran on the water.

Off to the side Sanji is talking to Silk after he had talked with Carmen who he was surprised to see. He's been asking questions about Vampire which Carmen pointed him to Silk who is the first crewmate that Vampire had picked up.

"So she's really a lesbian?" Sanji asked Silk.

"Yup and been hitting on just about every female we have come across," Silk sighed.

"And is the reason why she has an all-female crew?" Sanji asked.

"She has slept with everyone on the ship expect for me," Silk said.

"Sounds like a dream come true," Sanji said as his mind raced with hentai thoughts.

"What you leave my captain's brother's crew just so that you be around a bunch of women who have sex all the time with each other?" Silk asked Sanji.

"They have sex all the time?" Sanji asked shocked.

"They usually have an orgy every night," Silk said causing Sanji to faint as his mind was overloaded.

!

Rainbase -

On the outskirts of the city, Vampire stop running as she spotted her target waiting for her. She did make sure that she would be seen coming after all. Which Crocodile's agents had spotted her and called their boss.

"So came out to meet me in person?" Vampire asked standing several feet from Cocodile.

Crocodile didn't response as he just attacked by creating a sandstorm to blind her. Vampire lunged at him, but he had already merged with the sands of the desert leaving her to look for him. Vampire was scanning for him but suddenly felt weak for some reason, her muscles felt weak and her body started to hurt all over. She than felt a sharp pain as a glowing green knife was plunged into her chest and her blood was sucked out of her before it went all dark.

"That was easier than I thought," Crocodile said pulling the knife out of Vampire's chest having sucked her dry of her blood.

The knife he found on the body of a pirate he was after for his bounty, years ago when he was still young. The knife was made from a strange glowing green rock and had been passed around for years before Crocodile got his hands on it. According to rumor it's a magical knife that cursed anyone who is stabbed with it. Crocodile had just figured that with its strange glow was the real trick as he had tried it and the people he stabbed with it, even those with devil fruit powers just acted like it's a normal knife wound. So it's just been sitting inside a chest for years till that video of Vampire fighting the undead pirate Joke appeared. That got him to thinking maybe the trick with the knife is that, it can stab anyone no matter what. And he was proven right. (1)

"Now you been taken care of, I can get back to my plan," Crocodile gloated over the husk of Vampire before taking off.

Leaving her to bake underneath the sun. And not seeing her body twitching as the sun beats down on her.

!

Author's Notes -

1 – A knife made with kryptonite and acts like sea stone to devil fruit users.

!