Sage tugged at the corner of his mouth, uncertainly pointing at himself.
"Sage..."
Lily thought for a moment and decided to be honest, saying, "Strictly speaking, it's your tradition."
"Yeah, every time we enter a storm, it's like another kind of calm. At least it won't be one of those annoying entanglements." Renedia said.
"Let me emphasize once again, the storm has nothing to do with me; it's just a coincidence."
Sage replied irritably, "Besides, fighting or not fighting has nothing to do with it. Superstition is unacceptable, and not everything inexplicable can be explained away with a Devil Fruit! I haven't eaten one, so what the hell does it have to do with me?"
He's just unlucky, not some kind of witch doctor.
Increasing peace by praying for rain, is that it?
The three women merely nodded, but whether they took it in...
An Observation Haki user with mind reading abilities might know, right?
"Sage, in such a large desert, if you keep making it rain here, there's no need to resort to robbery, is there? Why not talk to the King and get him to pay you?" Renedia suddenly asked.
"This kind of rainwater can't be consumed directly. After all, it's from the sea around the island."
As a navigator, Lily had a say in this, "Over in Nalohara, the civilians there also need to filter the water before drinking."
"If you don't drink it, can't it be used to irrigate the land?" Renedia asked again, "It's a desert here, isn't it? With a lot of water, it could form many oases..."
"Have you ever seen an oasis appear on a beach? A desert is a desert because of its terrain and the sky above..."
Sage pointed upward and said, "Even if we weren't robbing today, Cobra would have to be crazy to seek me out. If it rains nonstop in one place for too long, the groundwater level will drop, the salt in the soil will evaporate and rise, salinizing the surface into a 'white desert,' and it'll become lifeless... No! The storm has nothing to do with me; you almost led me astray!"
"Sage..."
"Hmm?"
"Aren't you illiterate?" Renedia wondered.
"I can't read!"
Sage's forehead bulged with a vein, "Doesn't mean I lack common sense. You looking for a beating, Reni?"
Renedia stuck out her tongue and hid behind Marika.
"Now that you mention it..."
After giving Renedia a sideways glance, Sage suddenly thought of something and looked at Lily, "How did you suddenly acquire Haki? Who did you have a deadly duel with?"
Except for life-and-death battles, it takes quite a while to master Haki through sheer willpower.
From what Sage could see, Lily was still far from mastering Haki; she hadn't even managed a Soaring Slash yet. Although there's no particular order, the Soaring Slash is generally easier to master than Haki.
"Roronoa Zoro."
Lily said, "The Three-Sword Style Swordsman of the Straw Hat Pirates; a strong and resilient foe. He was going to the Royal Palace, and I stopped him. During the battle, I realized how to use Haki, though we couldn't determine a winner in the end..."
In battle, Lily had launched an unstoppable charge. As the three swords approached her, in the face of imminent danger, she grasped Haki, which increased her sword's power. Had there not been a massive cannonball explosion to stop the fight, the outcome...
She subconsciously gripped her sword's handle, determinedly saying, "In the end, I will win!"
"As a swordsman, you need that kind of confidence. Keep it up, Lily."
Sage chuckled and turned to Marika.
Marika laughed, saying, "'Black Threshold' Tina is a formidable opponent; an Ability User is indeed a miracle of the sea."
Their battle was relatively 'temperate.' Marika attempted to bind Tina with her hair and then smash her with oversized structures, but the former was phased through by Tina's ability, and the latter was caught by a giant fence she summoned, before being countered with a Black Spear tossed at Marika.
Marika caught the Black Spear and threw it back while looking for an opportunity for close combat.
The strength brought by Hair Binding Techniques during Life Return allowed her to face such an ability without fear, but as her opponent deliberately avoided her, she couldn't get close, resulting in a more subdued back-and-forth.
When the bomb exploded, they were buried in the rubble, causing a temporary ceasefire.
Sage nodded and then looked at Renedia.
Renedia peeked out from behind Marika, raising her hand, "Lost."
"Who did you run into?" Sage was surprised.
Reni wasn't weak, even though she was still young, her ability was pretty well mastered. Not many people in Alabasta should be able to defeat her...
"It wasn't me; I didn't get the chance to act."
Renedia shook her head, "It was that blockhead Pearl, played around with by two people and a raccoon dog, then struck by lightning."
Pearl's Iron Shield was crushed by Chopper. After using Tekkai to block attacks, he felt proud of himself. His mastery of Tekkai was quite advanced; Chopper's Wrist Strength Enhancement was useless. Only continuous use took its toll on him.
But in the end, he still lost...
Because while Chopper relentlessly attacked Pearl, Nami created rain clouds, and Usopp continuously constructed obstacles, finally using smoke to blind Pearl, allowing the storm cloud to form and strike with lightning.
Tekkai, strong as it was, was still flesh, and could not resist the power of nature, getting charred by the lightning.
Renedia was just about to make her move when the bomb exploded, burying her.
"By the way, how about Gin..."
She pondered for a moment, "Seems like he encountered that Sanji guy. He said it ended in a draw, but Gin didn't seem unscathed... Sage, did you win?"
"Of course!"
Sage's lips curled into a grin, "Those two weaklings can't compare to me!"
A person with such a strategic mindset, if he battled just two fragile chickens indefinitely without result, he'd still be wandering in East Sea, never making it to the Grand Line.
Though his subordinates might be quite okay in the first half of the Grand Line, they are only considered okay. If that were his level too, he'd face inevitable destruction sooner or later.
It's precisely his unmatched strength that allows him to trample misfortune and crush obstacles with his fists!
As night fell, riding on the rubber crocodile, they arrived at the Death Star of the Saint Dorra River. Sage instructed his men to carry the Poneglyph to the second floor, changed his clothes, had a casual meal cooked by the kitchen crew, and then left with his selected men.
Earlier, those subordinates had awoken, but many were injured due to the collapsing buildings and remained aboard for recovery. However, Sage wouldn't skimp on their share of the loot.
Those who didn't participate in the heist receive half a share, and those who put in the effort but achieved nothing can have a full share.
On matters of treatment, Sage never skimps on anyone.
He loves treasure but values the dominion treasure brings even more. After all, the goal of making money is to become a landowner.
During this heist, Lily and Marika did not participate, Gin and Pearl were injured or zapped, but Renedia was antsy to try as she had lost money in the casino, so she tagged along with Sage.
Riding the crocodile and with fifty men, they reached the Rain Land at daylight.
Despite the blanket of storm clouds making it dim, night and day were distinguishable.
Under the torrential rain, Sage showed no mercy, pointing at the city of Rain Land, "Rob all the casinos, leave the shops alone. By noon, I want the looting done!"
"Charge!"
Renedia excitedly stood on the crocodile's back, transforming the Mechanical Hammer into a long hammer shape, opening a large hole in the hammer face, and firing a cannonball that accurately blasted the golden crocodile symbol atop the pyramid-like structure of the 'Rain Banquet.'
Boom!!
With a loud explosion, the head of the crocodile symbol was blown apart, and fifty pirates stormed into the Rain Land brandishing their swords.
The first target was, of course, the immense Rain Banquet.
Even at dawn, the place teemed with gamblers!
Gambling addicts don't care about time, only riches.
Giving to others or giving to him makes no difference; gambling is exciting; robbery too is exciting; both provide thrills, no difference.
For such people, Sage never worried about identifying who was desperate...
All who frequent casinos turn desperate in time; there's no difference.
Start looting!