Vivi's Detective Mode
"There's a way for Salted Fish to be Salted Fish, and there's a way for transvestites to be transvestites!"
"We follow our hearts and forge a friendship that will last forever!"
Pleasant times always seem to pass too quickly.
Tahm Kench licked the whiskey off Miss Doublefinger's body until she questioned the meaning of life. Then, Ma Qiao and Bon Clay tearfully waved goodbye in the sunset.
Bon Clay boarded his flagship, the "Fast Swan, " and headed towards the East Blue in search of the whereabouts of Roronoa Zoro, the Moss Head."
Meanwhile, Ma Qiao and his group sailed their small, dilapidated boat across the Sandora River, an inland waterway of Alabasta, towards Rainbase.
In the original storyline, when King Luffy arrived here two years later, the Sandora River was no longer navigable due to years of drought.
Although the water level of this mother river of Alabasta has dropped significantly, Ma Qiao's small, dilapidated boat can still navigate.
This saved a lot of time and also relieved Vivi.
Because if one were to travel overland to the Rainbase, one would inevitably pass through the oasis city of Yuba.
That's the city where Vivi's childhood friend, Koza, lives.
It is said that this guy has gathered a lot of people who are dissatisfied with the royal family, Yuba has become a de facto independent kingdom.
Vivi didn't know how to face the uninformed crowd, and she was also afraid that her identity would be exposed by Koza.
Subconsciously, Vivi was deliberately avoiding that highly probable fact.
Therefore, Uncle Ma Qiao, who is the hidden boss of Baroque Works, is very likely one of the masterminds behind the plot to overthrow the Alabasta Kingdom.
Vivi didn't know how she should face it if all of this really happened in front of her.
She was afraid she would go crazy.
Two days later, the small, dilapidated boat docked at a luxurious pier.
This is Rainbase, a so-called "dream city".
As soon as she stepped off the ship, Nami couldn't help but exclaim, "That Crocodile guy is really something!"
Compared to the dilapidated villages along the way, Rainbase seemed like a city from another planet.
Bustling streets, luxury cars, well-dressed tycoons and heavily made-up women—by all accounts, this is a metropolis of extravagance and decadence.
Why does the president want to see us here?
Vivi instinctively gripped Ma Qiao's arm tightly. "Where are we supposed to find him?"
"No rush, no rush. Do you think such a mysterious big boss is so easy to meet?"
Ma Qiao's words made Vivi's heart tighten.
Sure enough, even in the Rainbase, the cunning 0 wouldn't reveal himself so easily, would he?
He chose such a metropolis to use its prosperity as cover to issue orders without anyone noticing!
Vivi made up her mind that from now on, she would pay close attention to any suspicious men who came into contact with the older man.
Mr. 0 must be hiding somewhere, appearing in an unexpected guise.
Little did Ma Qiao know that a casual remark he made would bring Detective Vivi back into the spotlight.
He pointed to a landmark building in the Rainbase, a large casino called "Rain Dinners," and said, "Don't you know that all expenses incurred during special missions are reimbursable?"
Ma Qiao, familiar with the place, led two young girls, a toad, and a barely noticeable young man to the casino's front desk:
"Four luxury suites, plus a ship maintenance service, and remember to get an invoice!"
"That gentleman..."
The waiter pointed to a small, dilapidated boat in the distance at the harbor. "Are you sure you want to have that boat serviced? Our maintenance fees are all standardized!"
"Are you new here?"
Ma Qiao frowned and said in a low voice, "It's not really a maintenance service, but please still issue the invoice. It's a small gift..."
With lightning speed, Ma Qiao slipped a few tips into the waiter's sleeve.
Ma Qiao had initially hoped that the waiter would understand and say something like, "I'm sorry, we don't have enough rooms available. Sir, you'll probably have to share a double room with these two ladies."
Unfortunately, this newcomer has absolutely no sense of propriety. He even needs Ma Qiao's guidance on something as trivial as issuing fake invoices, let alone the unspoken understanding between men regarding hotel rooms.
So, apart from Tahm Kench being assigned to share a room with Ma Qiao as a pet and bodyguard, everyone else was given a suite.
Out of caution, Ma Qiao checked each room beforehand and gave each of them a Lucky Gingerbread.
Vision Ward skin - Lucky Gingerbread.
With their cute shapes, delicious taste, and easy portability, they are essential snacks for home and travel.
Of course, Ma Qiao isn't wealthy enough to squander his Vision Ward, so he tells Vivi and Nami that they are magical fortune cookies, not meant to be eaten.
Vivi seemed relatively normal, putting the gingerbread in her small bag.
Nami then stuffed the gingerbread into her nascent Four-Dimensional Pocket.
That little pocket is too much trouble to stuff with something like a Den Den Mushi or Clima-Tact, but it's just right for a small cookie.
Ma Qiao wiped the blood from his nose and gave the Cat Burglar a thumbs up, leaving both of them puzzled.
Having just settled in, Nami suggested going to check out the Rain Dinners.
Even Tahm Kench Barry spat out a gold coin, Kog'Maw as he declared he was going to gamble.
Ma Qiao had no choice but to urge the group to take a shower first. They were covered in dust and dirt from the journey, and it wouldn't be too late to play after they finished showering.
The only one who wasn't in the mood to play was Vivi.
From the moment she arrived in the Rainbase, she kept observing her surroundings, trying to find a suspicious person who resembled Mr. 0.
Even now, Vivi hasn't connected Crocodile with the mastermind she's looking for.
Detective Vivi still doesn't understand the ironclad rule that the first suspect eliminated is the ultimate murderer.
With a heavy heart, Vivi unusually finished her shower in just half an hour.
The hotel maid brought her a beautifully made, high-waisted dress.
Needless to say, this is another project that can be invoiced.
As a secret agent, buying clothes that are practical for carrying out missions isn't unreasonable, is it?
Now that Ma Qiao has finally landed a special mission directly issued by Mr. 0, he's naturally going to make full use of the relevant policies to secure his own interests.
After Nami finished showering, the group reunited.
After the two girls changed their clothes, Ma Qiao got a real treat for his eyes.
However, Tahm Kench is even more eye-catching.
He was wearing a white suit, a white top hat, and a Civilization stick; he also wore a monocle over his left eye.
Thank goodness this is the world of One Piece, otherwise it would be really hard to find a suit that fits Tahm Kench's physique.
This guy is dressed like a respectable person, but he looks exactly like a fat, bloated capitalist.
Upon arriving at the casino lobby, Tahm Kench unsurprisingly received a high-level reception, allowing Ma Qiao, Vivi, Nami to take the opportunity to reduce their profile.
As for Jhin, he's long since disappeared into some unknown corner.