Sage stared at the woman in front of him. She wore a hat and a coat of the same color as the hat, but underneath, it was rather cool.
But most importantly, it was that face, the face beneath black hair and blue eyes, similar to his own.
Nico Robin...
As Sage turned his head, the woman hesitated for a moment, but soon recovered and showed a smile.
Sage pulled the lever on the slot machine and saw the machine still didn't hit the jackpot, and said, "Have you tampered with your machines? I haven't hit anything yet."
"Just joking..."
Robin chuckled lightly, and with a wave of her hand, the row of machines Sage was at suddenly started spinning, with several machines showing three crocodile symbols, revealing a large amount of gold chips.
"Customer, maybe you'll win if in a different environment."
"Really?"
Sage stared at her for a moment, then shook his head with a smile and said, "Forget it, lead the way."
The two of them seemed like strangers...
In fact, they didn't really know each other well, at least Sage was sure Robin didn't know him.
As for the woman, he'd only heard rumors about her, and it was his first time meeting her.
Lily followed Sage, glancing at the woman several times, and followed her to a passage inside the casino.
At the end of the passage, there were two signs, and Sage glanced at them curiously and said, "What is the Pirate Passage?"
Robin's smile didn't change, "It's a dead end. Go in, and it's a trap."
"Which fool would fall for that? It's quite a nasty joke."
Sage chuckled as he followed Robin toward the so-called VIP room, and upon pushing open the door, the first thing that caught his eye was a massive staircase, and below it was an equally large hall, where a giant aquarium with a swimming giant crocodile could be seen.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha!"
At an office desk in the hall, accompanied by a strange laugh, a chair automatically spun open, revealing Crocodile's sinister face, biting a cigar, he said in a deep voice, "Are you having fun, Norton Sage..."
"What's fun about losing money?"
Sage walked down, sitting on a sofa beside, "Bring me a fine drink, I don't drink anything cheap."
"Miss Sunday." Crocodile called out.
From the liquor cabinet, a hand extended from somewhere, took a bottle, poured a glass, while numerous hands from the cabinet stretched out to the table in front of the sofa, holding up the wine glass to Sage.
"Please enjoy." Robin smiled behind him.
Lily's pupils contracted, "Ability User..."
"I ate the Flower-Flower Fruit, I can grow any body part anywhere..."
Robin nonchalantly extended a hand, from her elbow, three more hands grew, smiling at Lily and said, "Just like blooming flowers."
Sage swirled the wine glass, downed it in one gulp, then leaned back on the sofa, "Weren't you supposed to let me have fun? There's no card game here?"
"Ha, ha, ha, ha..."
Crocodile laughed and said, "To the north of Nalohara is the Royal Capital of Alabana, even from Saint Dorra River, you should go east. Coming to me specifically, just to gamble?"
"Why not?" Sage smiled broadly.
Woosh!
His figure from the chair turned into wind and sand and disappeared, reappearing behind Sage with a hand shrouding his front.
Clang!
Lily just unsheathed White Thunder, but a hand grew from her wrist, pressing the sword hilt back down.
"Don't resort to violence recklessly, it's dangerous." Robin smiled gently.
Lily's gaze turned cold, but she looked at Sage and said nothing.
Crocodile's hand held a cigar, handing it to Sage.
Sage took it, and he returned to sit on the opposite sofa, saying, "Rumor has it you like to rob kings, but now it seems not only kings, even I, a Warlord of the Sea, you want to rob..."
Sage took the lighter from the table, lit the cigar, puffed once, and slowly exhaled the smoke. His grinning mouth gradually turned sinister, "Want to fight?"
Whether discovered or not, it's completely unimportant.
He wasn't one to sneakily rob, just more convenient with no cost it would be better.
But now that his intentions are discovered, he won't shy away, isn't it just a fight?
Whether Crocodile discovers it or not, Rain Land is his for the taking.
"I'm not interested in fighting you."
Crocodile exhaled smoke, "Status, wealth, they're meaningless to me. To me, pirates are just a business. Let's make a deal, Sage."
He looked at Sage and said, "The treasure of Rain Land can be yours. In exchange, I want you to rob Albana."
"Giving me money and letting me rob, is there such a good deal? What do you want?" Sage asked.
Crocodile extended his right hand and clenched it tightly, "This country!"
Sage was stunned for a moment and then laughed, "You want to be like Doflamingo?"
Crocodile's face turned cold, "Seems like you know what that guy did... but I'm not like him. In any case, this deal doesn't harm you; our goals don't conflict."
With a bounty of 270 million, what he has done, and having defeated the Captain of Whitebeard's Second Division, even if Crocodile doesn't care, he doesn't treat Sage like a small pirate.
There's no need to clash with such a person.
Their goals do not align.
Hidden beneath his desire for this country is that weapon. Once he obtains it, he doesn't care what happens to the country.
And what Sage wants is just money.
"Judging by your style, you're already planning to go to Albana. I can't think of any reason for you to refuse, or are you one of those strange pirates who act impulsively? Coming here to settle some score over a mysterious bond?"
Crocodile raised his head, the corners of his mouth gradually curving up, "Aiming for the head of a Seven Warlords of the Sea, is it?"
"I'm not interested in your 80 million head. It won't do anything for me even if I get it."
Sage waved Lily over and said, "Tell the men downstairs to start robbing once they're done playing."
Saying this, he looked at Crocodile and smiled, "Deal."
At this, Crocodile's eyebrows relaxed slightly, "Superfluous."
"I'm a pirate. Of course, I'll go robbing for what I want. Your wealth is wealth, and these gamblers' wealth is also wealth. I want it all."
Sage clenched his fist and grinned, "Even as a King, you need money. If you really want to be a King..."
"What do you mean?" Crocodile's gaze darkened.
Even Robin, who was beside him, had her eyes slightly narrowed.
"I just feel that a guy like you wouldn't be so simple, but it doesn't concern me. I want treasure, as long as you don't interfere." Sage said.
Crocodile stared at him for a while, then extinguished his cigar in the ashtray, "I'll give you the same words back. The contract is established. If you go back on it, I'll show you just how formidable an 80 million pirate can be in the desert."
"Hahaha, save such bravado for others," Sage laughed, "Don't worry, being a pirate means having a sense of fairness."
Sage only wanted to rob, not clash with such people. He probably knows what Crocodile wants to do, it's just to pass the blame, not even passing per se, since indeed he planned to rob Albana.
Now he can rob Rain Land effortlessly, whether proactively or passively, as long as the result is achieved.
His plan is unfolding systematically.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Robin seemed to notice something, made a listening gesture and smiled, "A bunch of interesting folks has arrived, Mr. 0. The Straw Hat Gang has broken into Rain Land."
"Annoying little pirates..."
Crocodile clicked his tongue, "Alright, invite them to the VIP room. I'll deal with them personally."
"Understood." Robin nodded her head, glanced at Sage, and then turned to leave.
"Speaking of which..."
Crocodile watched Robin leave, and then glanced at Sage, who was helping himself to another glass of wine, his gaze swirling around the room, "The sea is really amazing, you are quite alike with her..."
"You said the sea is amazing, isn't it normal to resemble each other?" Sage said indifferently.
"True..."
He didn't suspect much because he knows a lot, that currently the surviving scholar of O'hara, it should only be that one individual.
As for Sage...
The overwhelming reckless aura was almost suffocating; definitely not something a scholar should have.
One started from the East Sea, the other came from the West Sea; it's impossible for them to be connected.
Besides, this guy...
Crocodile exhaled a cloud of smoke and glanced at Sage again.
Confirmed, in some aspect, they seem to be of the same kind.
"Do you need so much money to complete some plan?" Crocodile suddenly asked.
"Just going to the New World to be a big landowner, the money robbed will be used for enjoying life as a landlord later." Sage didn't hold back and answered directly.
"The New World, huh..."
Crocodile exhibited a peculiar expression, paused for a moment, then laughed, "Ha, ha, ha, ha! Every pirate's inevitable path, the New World isn't so easy to venture into. But..."
"Sage, are you interested in a deeper cooperation?"