In just over a day, the wood dragon flew from Kuja Island to the seas near Alabasta.
Vivi stood at the head of the wood dragon, guiding the way.
She pursed her lips and asked, "Can we go to Rainbase first? Rainbase is Crocodile's old lair. If he has returned to Alabasta, he will definitely be there."
Luo Chen nodded, piloting the wood dragon straight for Rainbase.
Nami, Kalifa, and Robin also walked out of the villa, standing beside him and looking down.
Luo Chen's gaze swept over them, and he said:
"To avoid alerting Crocodile, we'll land outside Rainbase later."
"Then we'll walk over together."
"Kalifa, don't you need to report that you're safe to your friends? Nami, you go with her to find a public Den Den Mushi."
"Vivi and Robin, you'll come with me to see the Sand-Crocodile."
The women nodded.
Nami looked at Luo Chen, seeming to want to say something but ultimately holding back in public.
Kalifa was wearing a black OL uniform, her rounded, long legs wrapped in fishnet stockings. Her figure was tall and very sexy.
Seeing Luo Chen look over, she gave a gentle smile.
Luo Chen glanced at the fishnet stockings twice, muttering inwardly: 'Looks like she's planning to use a honey trap.'
Nami expressionlessly moved to stand between Luo Chen and Kalifa, staring at the desert ground.
Seeing this, Luo Chen averted his gaze.
'Ever since she saw me and Hancock 'communicating' that day, Nami hasn't said much to me. Luo Chen wasn't in a hurry about it. After dealing with the Crocodile matter, he would take Nami on a private trip down memory lane. That should resolve it.'
The wood dragon landed in the desert some distance from Rainbase.
Luo Chen used Wood Style to create a sand-gliding vehicle, transporting everyone to the outskirts of the city, Rainbase.
The five of them either wore sunglasses, hats, or scarves, each concealing their face.
They then split into two groups and entered Rainbase.
Luo Chen watched Nami and Kalifa's departing figures, not worried.
He had left a Flying Thunder God mark on Nami.
If there was any danger, he could arrive in an instant.
"Let's go. We're going to Rain-Dinners. I've sensed the Sand-Crocodile's aura," Luo Chen smiled.
His Observation Haki now had a very wide range, enough to cover the entire city.
Joy appeared on Vivi's face.
A smile also graced Robin's deep blue, beautiful eyes.
'It's time to get revenge on Crocodile.'
Back then, Crocodile had pinned all of Baroque Works' crimes on her, causing her name to be cursed by many of Alabasta's citizens.
Then, he wanted to kill her to silence her.
If Luo Chen hadn't appeared in time, she would already be dead.
Today, with Luo Chen coming to his door, Crocodile's expression was bound to be spectacular.
As the three passed an abandoned house, Robin said, "I hid the two-billion-plus Beri in here."
Luo Chen walked straight in.
Following Robin's directions, he lifted a floor tile and found the deeply hidden money.
He stored the wealth in his Kamui dimension.
"This money will be essential for establishing our faction later."
'When we enter the New World, whether it's seizing Big Mom's territory or receiving Whitebeard's, there will definitely be many countries and residents within our sphere of influence. Luo Chen planned to build his territory based on some of the legal systems and infrastructure of his previous life. Compared to the corrupt political systems of the pirate world, the systems of his past life were clearly more advanced. The people in his territory would be able to live more stable and happy lives.'
'I can't just copy it verbatim, I have to adapt it to local conditions. I'll discuss it with Robin when the time comes,' Luo Chen thought.
He only had a general idea. The specific implementation would have to be adjusted based on the actual situation in the pirate world.
...
The three arrived outside the Rain-Dinners casino.
Luo Chen used his Observation Haki to confirm Crocodile's location, then activated Kamui.
He, Robin, and Vivi were sucked into the Kamui dimension.
When they reappeared, they were already in a dim, underground meeting room.
The room was luxuriously furnished, with many chairs arranged around a long table over ten meters long.
Crocodile was sitting alone at the head of the table, resting with his eyes closed.
He seemed to sense an intrusion and his eyes snapped open.
His gaze met that of Luo Chen and the other two.
In an instant, the expression on Crocodile's face froze completely.
His pupils contracted rapidly, and he shot up from his chair, his entire body turning to sand, rushing toward the door.
"Kaka..."
A large number of wooden vines grew on the meeting room door and spread quickly.
In a flash, the door, the four walls, the ceiling, and the floor were covered in vines.
Black Armament Haki enveloped all the trees.
The entire meeting room transformed into a black, wooden cage.
Crocodile's body solidified, his expression extremely ugly as he looked over.
"Luo Chen, what the hell do you want?!"
Luo Chen smiled faintly. "We still have some scores to settle, don't we?"
"The first time we met in Alabasta, you helped the Marines and attacked me several times."
"A few days ago, at Marineford, you tried to kill me again."
"I'll give you two choices."
"One, submit."
"Two, be beaten to death by me."
The smile on Luo Chen's face gradually faded, his expression turning icy.
Crocodile's face was ashen.
'Submit? Or be beaten to death?'
He didn't want to choose either.
But at this moment, he was sealed in by Luo Chen's Haki-infused trees.
There was no escape.
His gaze fell on Vivi and Robin behind Luo Chen.
A sandstorm suddenly whipped up in the room.
The view instantly became dim and yellow, vision obstructed, as if inside a dust storm.
A cold sneer appeared on Luo Chen's lips.
'Does Crocodile think my Observation Haki is just for show? Before future-sight Observation, whatever the enemy wants to do is clear at a glance.'
Without even looking, Luo Chen plunged his hand into the dust storm in front of Vivi, then swung his arm forcefully.
A figure was flung out, slamming heavily onto the floor.
Crocodile coughed up blood, his expression pained.
He tried to resist, but wooden vines immediately grew from the floor, wrapped in Armament Haki, and bound him.
As the vines tightened, the sound of Crocodile's bones cracking under the strain could be heard.
He let out a pained roar, and his fruit ability dissipated.
The sand in the meeting room quickly scattered, and the room became clear again.
Vivi looked at the bound Crocodile on the floor, blinking her large, confused eyes.
In the blink of an eye, the Warlord of the Sea, Sir Crocodile, had been defeated.
Just now, her vision was filled with yellow sand, and she couldn't see anything.
Suddenly, a dark shadow rushed over, but it immediately disappeared, and then she heard a crash on the floor.
Now, Vivi understood.
Crocodile must have tried to use the sand to block their vision and grab her as a hostage.
He had failed, easily defeated by Luo Chen.
"Crocodile, my time is precious.
Ten seconds. If you don't make a choice, I'll choose the second option for you," Luo Chen said indifferently.
He truly didn't care which one Crocodile chose.
Because whether alive or dead, he would become his subordinate.
On the floor, Crocodile's face was full of rage.
Clearly, the threat and contempt in Luo Chen's words made him feel deeply humiliated.
"You damn brat, you want me to submit to you? Keep dreaming!" Crocodile's expression was ferocious.
Luo Chen wasted no more words.
A black, Haki-wrapped wooden vine, like a spear, stabbed straight into Crocodile's heart.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]