Behind him stood a man with slicked-back hair, a long horizontal scar across his nasal bone, and an earring in his right ear.
The man's left hand was gone, replaced by a golden hook, and he wore a black fur coat with an orange plaid long-sleeved vest underneath, biting a cigar and looking arrogantly at everyone.
As long as you are a citizen of Alabasta, none would fail to recognize him, the hero of Alabasta, the object of everyone's worship.
"Lord Crocodile!" The surrounding dancers called out in awe.
Marika paused slightly, smiled, and said: "Ah, a big shot indeed."
"I originally heard someone was causing trouble in Nalohara, and thought it was some small pirate..."
Crocodile exhaled smoke, sat down on the chair beside Sage, poured the bottle of liquor in his right hand into the wooden cup, then took the cup with his only intact hand, drank a sip, and said:
"What do you intend in Alabasta, Norton Sage?"
Crunch!
Sage finished eating a whole massive piece of meat with bone, swallowed it down, casually took back the liquor bottle taken by Crocodile, directly pouring it into his mouth, finishing the remaining liquid, and slammed the bottle heavily on the table.
"Bring me more wine, don't just stand there, I've paid for it!"
"Yes, yes!" The dancers hesitated for a moment before quickly retrieving new wine from the nearby crate.
At that moment, Sage turned his gaze to Crocodile, grinned ferociously: "If you're here to join the feast, you're welcome to..."
Crocodile didn't speak, simply stared at Sage for a while, the latter indifferently meeting his gaze, after a long half-eyed stare-off, Crocodile tilted his head back and laughed with varying pitch:
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Are the newcomers nowadays truly this arrogant?"
Sage waited for the wine to be served again, after his cup was filled, lifted it toward Crocodile, and with a smile said: "Weren't you once a newcomer too?"
Upon hearing this, Crocodile's gaze sank, but he still raised his cup, clinked it with Sage's, "Alabasta does not welcome you."
"Which proper country would welcome pirates anyway?" Sage chuckled.
"Well, as long as you don't stir trouble here, I'll let you off lightly."
Crocodile put down the wine cup, glanced at the people, and said: "Alabasta has been in chaos recently, it's better not to wander too much..."
Whoosh!
As soon as he finished speaking, his body transformed into a floating sand, disappearing before everyone's eyes.
"Another Logia-type?" Renedia watched Crocodile's disappearing seat, pouted, "Really annoying, what's he even here for?"
"He is one of the Seven Warlords here, of course, has responsibilities to suppress pirates, what else would he come for but to attack pirates." Sage shrugged.
"Seven Warlords?" Renedia tilted her small head, beside her Lily also showed curiosity.
One is young and hasn't heard much, the other simply doesn't know.
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Marika explained: "They are known alongside the Navy Headquarters and the Four Emperors as the three major powers of the Grand Line. Each individual appointed as a Warlord is incredibly strong, they have the privilege of legal plundering, but correspondingly, they are responsible for eliminating pirates like us."
"Robbery..."
Renedia was a bit dazed, "Really legal?"
"Yes, won't be chased by the Navy." Marika said with a smile.
"Seems formidable, Sage, is that guy named Crocodile scared of you? He didn't strike after coming; if we defeat him, can we also become a Warlord? Then the Navy can't touch you when you rob the King." Renedia's eyes gleamed.
"There should be restrictions."
Lily analyzed: "After all, the king joined the World Government, if there was no limitation, that Crocodile should be Alabasta's king now, but I've heard the king here is named Cobra, not him."
"He is employed by the World Government, why would he rob the Government's member nations, that'd be hitting his own foot?"
Sage rolled his eyes, said: "Don't even think about it, I won't become a Warlord. As for that crocodile, he's not afraid of people, those renowned Logia types, no one's taken seriously..."
Him, a Warlord?
His bounty, coupled with the Wanted Order obtained from the warship involving Nico Robin with him, makes the truth pretty clear, he's already been associated with the O'hara incident, probably already under investigation.
Sage never doubted the intelligence capabilities of the World Government, besides, he was young at that time, had no chance to hide, if one processes it from the start, it's easy to trace the truth.
Once investigated, only if the World Government were foolish would they select him as a Warlord.
Even if Sage couldn't read.
...
Outside Nalohara, in the moonlit desert, a gust of sand quickly swept by, transforming into Crocodile's figure on the spot.
Outside here, two giant crocodiles linger.
Beside one crocodile, a woman in a white hat and white coat, lined with a cool purple vest, remarked in surprise: "I thought they'd start fighting."
"Unnecessary..."
Crocodile, biting a cigar, exhaled smoke, said: "Now isn't the time to clash with that man, our plan is imminent, and we can't afford any changes."
The woman glanced at the city again, saying: "There's news claiming 'Fire Fist' Ace clashed with him here, he's staying here, meaning Fire Fist left, truly a terrifying man, rumors say he likes robbing kings, wonder if Alabasta interests him."
"Wouldn't that be perfect?"
Crocodile's mouth curved, glancing at the sky's bright moon, "Just considered whether the reason Cobra and Rebel Army's disappearance in Albana isn't sufficient, now with another layer, Calamity Sage's robbery in Albana, triggering the bomb, ascending with the soldiers, we become Alabasta's real 'heroes'..."
"It's better if he's interested, but it doesn't hinder us if he's not, Norton Sage is no threat, anyway..."
He opened his hand toward the moon, "Ha, ha, ha, ha! My plan is flawless!"
"Hohohohaha! I've got a perfect plan!"
Sated with food and drink, Sage ignored the lively pirates, accompanied by three women plus Gin, heading to the upstairs room, plopped onto a chair, laughed several times, then said to everyone:
"I don't know if other Warlords are wealthy, but Crocodile surely is, we first rob him, then head to Alabasta's capital Albana, loot the royal palace and leave! This plan is perfect!"
What's perfect about it...
It's just a very crude robbery?
Lily pursed her lips without speaking.
The other two also remained silent.
But Gin clenched his fist, enthusiastic: "Captain Sage! Please give the order, whatever it is, I'll definitely carry it out!"
Lily walked to the window, lifted the curtain corner, looking down from high seeing the desert bathed in moonlit silver light, said: "While strolling, I gathered intelligence, Alabasta is currently in internal chaos, are we taking advantage of the chaos to rob?"
"Exactly!"
Sage revealing a 'you understand me' expression, took out a cigar from his bosom, sniffed it by his nose, bit onto it, casually took out a lighter to light it, after puffing out smoke, said:
"The city Crocodile is in is called 'Rain Land', renowned as 'Land of Dreams', a gambling city, where there's gambling, there's a ton of money, this city deserves a heist!"
"After robbing Rain Land, we'll go to Albana, loot the royal palace!"
The appearance of Straw Hat made him meet that blue-haired woman, coupled with Crocodile's presence, finally brought back some memories.
That blue-haired seemed to be the princess of this country, with the Straw Hat crew's involvement, meaning...
Crocodile's going to lose.
Though Sage finds it quite unbelievable, from his appearance at first sight, he felt that man wasn't easy to deal with, under the Observation's perception, this guy should pose more threats than Ace.
If he recalls correctly, he ate the Sand-Sand Fruit Logia-type, especially in the desert area.
But the fact remains, he failed quite suddenly, once defeated, Rain Land becomes masterless, doesn't even need to wait for him to lose, just proceed and rob.
After robbing Rain Land, then going to Albana, if not mistaken, that was the time of rebellion eruption; no one would even care about them.
Though whether Crocodile or so-called Rebel Army, Sage isn't remotely afraid, the main aim is the heist, less hassle is better.
Just rob!