Rain Dinners

Gato did not rent a camel. He could walk far faster than a "ship of the desert," so all along the way, he had been carrying his guide as he ran.

The guide had never experienced anything like this. Half his soul had practically been scared out of him along the way, and he was terrified that Gato would leave him behind in the desert and run off on his own.

He was on the verge of tears. If he had known, he never would have taken this job. After paying him, Gato had completely ignored his suggestion to buy a camel and simply picked him up and left.

Naturally, this poor guide had no ability to resist Gato. He could only grit his teeth and follow him all the way to the bitter end.

What he had not expected was that whirlwinds gathered around them throughout the journey, easing the dehydration crisis caused by the unbearable heat.

At Gato's speed, after stopping for supplies only a few times, they quickly reached the royal capital of the Alabasta Kingdom.

Even the royal capital was not much wealthier than the other places, showing just how terminally ill this country had become.

Upon reaching their destination, the guide felt as if he had been pardoned. He hurriedly fled from Gato, that bringer of disaster.

Gato did not bother with him any further and headed straight for the royal palace.

Though it was not particularly prosperous either, it was still the royal capital. At the very least, its scale was unmatched. After several twists and turns, Gato finally arrived outside the palace.

He did not have the patience to wait for the soldiers to report through layer after layer before granting him an audience with King Cobra, so he directly infiltrated the palace. With his abilities, toying with these soldiers was child's play.

Gato used False Tsukuyomi to invade a soldier's mind. Due to Cobra's inaction, these royal guards were not especially loyal to begin with. After a mixture of threats and inducements, the soldier quickly yielded.

He led Gato to King Cobra, then promptly ran for his life.

Gato appeared before Cobra with swift, decisive efficiency.

As a king, anyone would have been afraid if a mysterious man had silently approached them so closely. However, Cobra had occupied a high position for so long that maintaining a calm facade was no problem for him.

He knew that, under the current circumstances, it might already be too late to call for the guards. He could only save himself.

After a stretch of silence, Gato handed the token to Cobra, allowing him to finally set down the worry that had weighed on his heart for so long.

"What is your relationship with Vivi? I don't remember her ever having a friend like you."

Cobra might not have been a good king, but he was undoubtedly a good father. He paid close attention to his daughter's life.

He knew more or less which children Vivi spent time with, and he was certain that Gato was an unfamiliar face.

"I'm her future captain. She is still investigating the true identity of the mastermind behind Baroque Works. She told you to be prepared—the owner of that organization is very likely Crocodile."

As expected of a doting father, upon hearing such explosive news, Cobra's first concern was still Vivi.

"What? Captain? Is Vivi going to join a pirate crew? I will never allow it!"

Gato could not help complaining, "Your Majesty, is this really the time for that? Forget it, I've delivered the message. As for whether Vivi will join my ship, I hope you can respect her choice."

Before Cobra could say anything, he vanished from the palace, preparing to head for his next destination, Rainbase.

Cobra opened his mouth, but seeing that Gato had not given him any chance to speak, anger surged within him.

Gato wanted to "abduct" his daughter, so it was impossible for Cobra to have any favorable impression of him. Moreover, Vivi had entrusted her most important token to him, proving that she trusted Gato deeply. That only made Cobra worry even more.

However, Cobra did indeed have more important matters to attend to. If Crocodile was the mastermind, then many things suddenly made sense. He had to consider where this country should go from here and shoulder his responsibilities as king.

Gato did not care what King Cobra thought. In this vast country, there were only two people who truly mattered to him: Crocodile and Princess Vivi.

Even those who shared close ties with the two of them meant little to Gato. At most, he would not bear them any ill will.

Of course, Crocodile might not accept his recruitment. No one knew what would happen then, so Gato decided to meet him first.

Rainbase was the wealthiest and most vibrant place in the entire Alabasta Kingdom. It was also Crocodile's headquarters, which he had been running for who knew how long. Compared to it, Arlong Park was nothing more than child's play.

Nearly everyone in this kingdom longed for this place. Under the protection of the "hero" Crocodile, Rainbase was not only the most prosperous place, but also the safest.

A few days later, Gato arrived in Rainbase without incident.

Rainbase truly lived up to its reputation. Its urban development left the other cities of Alabasta far behind.

There were no scenes of yellow dust swirling through the air like elsewhere. Only an atmosphere called happiness enveloped this place.

Even the royal capital paled in comparison. Arriving in the city of Rainbase only strengthened Gato's determination to recruit Crocodile.

He had already decided on the plan: when they met, he would beat Crocodile up first.

For a formidable figure like Crocodile, if Gato tried to recruit him right away, he would definitely think something was wrong with Gato's head.

First, beat him down, then recruit him. If he refused, let him recover and beat him down again. Repeat that as many times as necessary, and eventually he would agree. That was Gato's strategy.

At that moment, Crocodile suddenly felt a chill run through his heart, as though some terrifying existence was looking for him.

The feeling vanished in an instant, and he did not think much of it. He was one of the famous Shichibukai of the seas. What danger could there possibly be in his own base?

Having figured out his strategy, Gato soon found Rainbase's most central building—the Rain Dinners casino, where Crocodile was located.

"Hehe, it's been a long time since I gambled. I'll play a few rounds first."

Gato had quite a serious gambling habit. After all, in his previous life, he had made so much money that he barely knew how to spend it, so naturally he had to find some amusement.

Entertainment in the Naruto world was scarce. The most popular pastime was gambling. It seemed that no matter the world, gambling was always a widely enjoyed form of entertainment.

"I'll let these locals witness the might of the Pirate King of Gambling."

Filled with ambition, Gato strode into the Rain Dinners casino.

Having arrived in a new world and a new casino, he seemed to have forgotten the painful lessons of the past and began getting carried away.

In truth, his gambling luck was about the same as Tsunade's. If he were not so absurdly rich, he would have long since gambled himself into poverty.

The Rain Dinners casino truly deserved its reputation as the most luxurious place in Alabasta. Even resplendent and magnificent was not enough to describe its extravagance, but Gato had seen plenty of the world and was not overly impressed.

"A casino at last. Walking into a casino feels like coming home. Everyone inside is so talented, and they speak so nicely. I just love being in here..."