As Crocodile began to act, every intelligence organization throughout Alabasta sprang into motion.
At this moment, Crocodile was regarded as a national hero across all of Alabasta.
Thus, aside from the massive forces he already possessed, the other officials and factions were also willing to do Crocodile a favor.
A simple gamble had now escalated into the mobilization of forces across the entire country.
Yet Roy and Spandam did not care about any of this.
Because just as those forces began gathering intelligence, Roy and Spandam had already fled into Alabasta's vast desert.
It could be said that it was precisely because Roy and Spandam had withdrawn so decisively.
That the intelligence related to them around Rain Country was now pitifully scarce.
Crocodile's large-scale mobilization naturally caught the attention of the Alabasta royal family.
But because the country had suffered from drought for years, with uprisings breaking out across vast stretches of land.
Although Cobra had noticed something, he had no time to deal with matters related to Crocodile.
As far as the Alabasta royal family was concerned, the situation within the country was simple.
As long as Crocodile did not raise an army in rebellion and everything remained as it was, that was good enough.
A benevolent king was a blessing for his people.
But that benevolence had to be backed by great strength. Otherwise, kindness without the corresponding power often ended in tragedy.
Crocodile was a thoroughly greedy crocodile.
If the Alabasta royal family had not been so naive back then.
It would not have allowed the situation within the kingdom to grow so uncontrollable.
The World Government's secret agencies had their own unique operating logic throughout the Pirate World.
Although Crocodile had mobilized more than half of Alabasta's intelligence forces to search for information related to Spandam.
The intelligence that was ultimately gathered only led to one conclusion: it was connected to the Revolutionary Army.
After three days of searching without finding Roy or Spandam, Crocodile relaxed somewhat upon receiving this news.
As long as CP9's arrival in Alabasta did not interfere with his plans, Crocodile would not care about any of their actions.
And just as Crocodile was reviewing the documents in his hand.
"We're finally here! Damn desert, I hate sand."
Looking at the port city of Nanohana just ahead, Spandam and Bon Clay embraced and wept.
It was not because Spandam had lowered his standards.
It was because the journey through the desert over the past three days had simply been too difficult.
After all, no one could have expected the vast desert to be scorching and calm one moment, only for a sandstorm to fill the sky the next.
In such terrible weather, there was no such thing as merely being unlucky—only worse luck, because Roy's group had lost their means of transportation.
This journey had given Roy and Spandam a thorough taste of the desert's brutality.
Since Spandam was the weakest of the three in terms of stamina, Bon Clay had taken care of him for most of the journey.
Hardship could sometimes change how one viewed another person, especially when life and death were on the line.
That was why the two of them embraced and cried after reaching the port city.
Of course, this had also been part of Roy's plan: to have Bon Clay get close to Spandam and gain a clearer understanding of him.
After all, the Mane Mane no Mi's power only copied outward appearances; what lay within had to be learned.
Although Spandam and Roy were currently close partners, Roy knew all too well how vile Spandam's personality was.
If anything happened to Roy, Spandam would absolutely sell him out without hesitation.
Therefore, Roy needed an insurance policy. If Spandam ever entertained any crooked thoughts in the future, Bon Clay would replace everything he had built.
Roy glanced sideways at the two loudly wailing men.
He had long since grown accustomed to the Pirate World's penchant for loud commotion.
Waving at them, Roy took the lead toward the city just ahead.
Port cities often represented wealth.
Since Nanohana was one of Alabasta's few excellent port cities, it was especially prosperous compared to the other impoverished areas.
Walking amid the bustling crowds.
The sensitive Roy sensed malicious eyes watching him the instant he entered the city.
Roy was not surprised by this.
On the contrary, everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected.
Because most of those malicious gazes were fixed on Spandam, and Roy, who had long altered his appearance through Life Return, could guess with his ass whose subordinates those hostile eyes belonged to.
Roy turned to look at Spandam, who seemed to think there was no longer any danger.
Sure enough, that arrogant nature of his was not so easily changed.
They were still within Alabasta's borders, after all.
Roy did not say anything about Spandam's exposure. Instead, he considered it a good thing.
Because after two days of walking through the desert, perhaps because the money in his hands had come too easily, Roy increasingly felt that he had been shortchanged.
Recalling the prosperity of Rain Country and the sandstorms they had encountered along the way.
A bold plan unconsciously formed in Roy's mind.
The memories in his mind gave Roy the ability to foresee things.
And his status as a member of a World Government agency gave him even greater confidence.
Since Crocodile had now become Alabasta's hero.
Thinking of Alabasta's unique location on the Grand Line and its enormous population.
Roy looked once more at the money he had won from the casino and immediately felt that it was far too little.
Since he knew Crocodile's weakness and scheme, why could he not extort something even bigger from Crocodile?
Watching the crowds flowing through the streets.
Roy felt that this port city was quite good.
Although he did not yet know who it belonged to, Roy believed that Crocodile had the means to settle everything.
Once Roy decided to extort Crocodile, he immediately set things into motion.
As Roy's group arrived at the harbor and met up with the Turkey Pirates, who had been waiting there.
Just as news of Spandam's appearance was sent to Baroque Works' headquarters in Rain Country.
An anonymous letter was spat out from the printing Den Den Mushi held by Bon Clay.
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