Will followed the slender arm of his companion, his gaze lifting to the most prominent and towering structure in the city.
Its distinctive pyramid design stood out, crowned with a massive crocodile statue as its decoration.
"That guy sure loves crocodiles..." Will couldn't help but muse to himself.
Noticing where Will's eyes lingered, Robin's gaze flickered briefly before she spoke up:
"That's the largest casino in Rainbase, called 'Rain Dinners.'"
"And the one running it behind the scenes is none other than the man you're looking for—Crocodile."
At her words, a spark of anticipation flashed in Will's eyes:
"So, chances are, he's in there, right?"
"Exactly," Robin nodded with a smile. "Under normal circumstances, that man spends most of his time there."
At that moment, Will's Observation Haki picked up on the presence within the casino, Rain Dinners.
With confirmation in hand, Will immediately started walking toward it.
He sensed a presence that shared certain similarities with Robin's aura.
"Is that you, Crocodile?"
"Just wait. I'm coming!"
As Will and Robin stepped into the city, they immediately drew the attention of several watchful eyes.
However, most of those gazes shifted away the moment they recognized Robin.
"Looks like a lot of people here know you, Robin," Will remarked casually, having noticed the same thing as he trailed behind her.
"Most of those people are from Baroque Works," Robin replied with a faint smile, before adding:
"If they spot anyone suspicious entering the city, they report it to their superiors."
She maintained her smile, then pointed at herself:
"And I'm the one responsible for receiving those reports."
"I see," Will nodded, understanding dawning on him.
As they chatted, their path remained unobstructed, and they soon arrived at the grand entrance of Rain Dinners, the city's largest casino.
Once inside, Will's eyes were met with a sprawling array of gambling tables, each offering a different game.
A colorful crowd of people gathered here, their expressions shifting with the fortunes of the tables.
But Will paid no mind to these hopeless gamblers.
Under Robin's surprised gaze, he strode forward without hesitation, heading straight for a passageway leading underground.
"How does he know the passage is there?" Robin wondered, momentarily puzzled.
But recalling what lay below, she quickly shook off her thoughts and hurried to catch up:
"You might not know, but the meeting room down there is always guarded. Let me lead—"
Before she could finish, Will raised a hand to stop her, his tone carrying a deeper meaning:
"No need. Bringing me this far is already enough."
"If I can't handle him, it's better if you don't go down there. That way, you still have a way out, don't you?"
At those words, Robin froze in place.
Will didn't linger on her reaction, continuing toward the staircase on his own.
Fortunately, Crocodile himself was a tall man, so the staircase was wide enough for Will to walk comfortably.
"A way out..." Robin hadn't expected him to consider that for her.
A wry smile tugged at her lips:
"What way out? The moment I brought you into Rainbase, I already had no way back..."
If Will were to lose, she—who had already been spotted by the Baroque Works agents in Rainbase—could never hope to stay hidden.
With that thought, Robin took a deep breath and hurriedly followed toward the staircase.
Hearing the crisp sound of footsteps behind him, Will, now at the bottom of the stairs, paid them no mind. Hands in his pockets, he continued toward the large door ahead.
As his aura surged, the two guards stationed by the door felt their hair stand on end.
The words they were about to shout in reprimand caught in their throats.
Will walked slowly to the door, ignoring the guards who were now rolling their eyes back and collapsing to the ground. With a single push, he flung open the double doors before him.
Boom!
The loud crash of the doors reverberated through the room.
Seated at the head of the meeting room, a man with a cigar in his mouth and a fur coat draped over his shoulders turned his cold gaze toward the entrance.
The doors had been fully thrown open, now embedded into the walls on either side.
A tall figure stepped unhurriedly through the doorway.
Meeting the icy stare of the slicked-back-haired man still seated with his cigar, Will's eyes lit up, a thrilled grin spreading across his face:
"Crocodile, have you ever lost?"
Just moments earlier, in a smaller casino within the gambling city of Rainbase, a tall man with short black hair sat quietly at a gaming table.
A ring of stubble framed his mouth, and two prominent scars ran from his eyes upward, intersecting on the left side of his forehead.
He wore a light purple kimono, a purple scarf wrapped around his neck, and a black-and-purple belt tied at his waist. White gauntlets adorned his hands, his forearms wrapped in bandages, and he stood in wooden geta sandals, holding a blind man's cane.
His distinctive attire clearly marked him as someone not native to the desert—a recent traveler.
"Lost again, huh?"
The man, his eyes closed, let a trace of disappointment show on his face as the dealer announced the results.
Just as he prepared to place another bet, his hand froze mid-motion.
His previously shut eyes cracked open slightly, revealing a glimpse of white—his eyes were blind.
"Conqueror's Haki! Who's that?!"
He had come here for two reasons: to discreetly observe the actions of Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and to indulge in the city's unique array of casinos.
But he hadn't expected to sense a burst of Conqueror's Haki here.
Though the user had tried to suppress it, keeping it from spreading, he had still picked it up through his constant use of Observation Haki.
Yet, based on the intelligence he had, Crocodile shouldn't be capable of using Haki.
Without placing another bet, the middle-aged man gathered his remaining coins, stood, and left the small casino.
Once outside, he used his cane to feel his way forward, heading directly toward the city's largest casino—Rain Dinners!
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