~Lets Hit 400 Power Stones for Extra Chapters!
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In the endless desert, Noir, disguised as Crocodile, made his way to his destination.
Noir had a map of Alabasta in the shop and found the way to the city of Rain Dinners.
The luxurious Rain Dinners Casino, built with a massive investment by Crocodile under his Shichibukai status, was also located there.
Transforming into sand, Noir undoubtedly had the environmental buff of the desert.
Merging his body with the ground, it took Noir little effort to find Rain Dinners.
The city of Rain Dinners, known as the City of Dreams, was the wealthiest place in Alabasta next to the capital.
From afar, Rain Dinners' greenery and water sources stood out against the surrounding yellow desert.
After tidying up his clothes, Noir walked into Rain Dinners with his head held high.
He hadn't taken more than a few steps into the town when a crowd of citizens looked at him with admiring eyes.
"Sir Crocodile!"
"Sir Shichibukai is such a strong man!"
"Ah! I love you, Sir Crocodile!"
It seemed that Crocodile had played his role as the country's hero quite well.
Noir thought to himself in amazement.
The popularity of this guy in the city was far beyond Noir's imagination.
Almost all the citizens sincerely admired and worshipped this foreign pirate.
Even some young girls looked at Noir with eyes that were both shy and inviting.
Unfortunately, Sandman was just an unromantic brute...
In order to maintain this persona, Noir kept a cold expression on his face, completely ignoring the citizens who considered him a hero.
The citizens were also used to it.
Lord Shichibukai was always like this, silently driving away enemies and never craving the people's adoration!
A true hero!
At the Rain Dinners, wherever Noir went, there were cheers and passionate looks.
Basking in this enthusiasm, Noir found his "own" establishment, the Rain Dinners Casino.
If Rain Dinners seemed out of place in the desert, the scale of this casino was even more striking compared to the city.
The massive casino had both a front hall and a back yard.
Expensive jade tiles covered the floor, and water resources were abundant.
There were even some fish playing happily in the front yard.
The design of the casino was quite interesting. Noir crossed a stone bridge over the water before he saw the main entrance of the Rain Dinner Casino.
When Noir pushed open the door, the guards at the entrance were surprised, but quickly opened the door respectfully for him.
After Noir entered, the guards wondered, "Didn't Sir Crocodile just go out? How did he get back so fast?"
"Yes, and his clothes have changed, and even his golden hook is gone."
They didn't discuss it any further when the patrol captain came over and said sternly, "Less talk! Do you think you can gossip about the Lord?"
The guards immediately shut up and stood at attention.
Inside the casino, Noir was dazzled by the lavish decorations.
The term "opulent" was no exaggeration here.
Luxurious items such as gold carvings and gems were commonplace.
Many well-dressed men and women were absorbed in the gambling tables, shouting enthusiastically.
The scene was lively and orderly, more like a sophisticated club for the upper class than an ordinary casino.
After taking a look inside the casino, a plump man in a black suit with a mustache rushed over with a submissive smile on his quivering cheeks, "Boss, you said you were going out for business? Done already?"
Noir glanced at him, guessing that he must be the manager Crocodile had appointed to run the casino.
Using Crocodile's seductive voice, Noir nodded, "Just a few little things, done quickly."
Noir, pretending to care about his subordinate, patted the manager's shoulder.
"Hey, fatty... I have a question."
The manager, swaying under the force, gritted his teeth against the pain and smiled, "Boss, you're too kind. What do you need?"
Noir smiled like an old fox, pulled the manager into a corner and asked directly, "Where are the casino's profits kept?"
"Huh?"
The manager looked at Noir suspiciously. How could the boss not know?
Seeing his expression, Noir knew he was getting suspicious, so he said sternly,
"What are you looking at? I deal with countless things every day; isn't it normal to forget such small details?"
"But..." The manager tried to say something, but Noir grabbed his chubby shoulder with such force that he almost gasped for breath.
Then Noir held out his hand, and a small sandstorm formed in his palm, making the manager close his eyes against the blowing sand.
Then the cold voice of his boss reached his ears.
"Boy, do you think someone could impersonate me, the Shichibukai?"
The manager trembled with fear.
That's right!
Controlling sand was a unique ability of the boss; how could it be copied?
The manager struggled to open his sand-filled eyes and tearfully apologized, "Spare me, boss! I mistook you for someone else!"
Noir finally withdrew his ability, satisfied, and patted the promising fatty, saying, "That's better!"
"Come on, take me there."
The manager nodded hastily, bowing and scraping as he led Noir to "his" office.
Descending the stairs, Noir quickly entered Crocodile's private domain.
The walls were glass, containing water and crocodiles, arranged with simple elegance, very much in Crocodile's style.
The manager led Noir to a corner of the room where a large safe was set into the wall.
With an obsequious smile, the manager said, "Boss, here it is."
"You know the password, right?"
Noir waved his hand nonchalantly, "Of course, you may go now."
"Yes, sir." The manager replied and left the office.
On his way out, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, but he quickly shook off these thoughts.
Same appearance, same skills, how could there be such a coincidence?
After sending the curious manager away, Noir, who had maintained his demeanor, couldn't hold back anymore.
He pressed Crocodile's face against the wall, his eyes shining with dollar signs, and giggled foolishly,
"Mine, mine... hehehe, all of his wealth is mine..."
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