Luffy and the others could not refuse Ace's invitation.
Nor could they refuse it.
When Mr. 1's wax ship docked at Rapeseed Flower City, a coastal port city of the Alabasta Kingdom, it was clear that this place had once enjoyed a brilliant and prosperous past. But no amount of sunlight could grow rapeseed flowers without water.
That was the Alabasta Kingdom's current predicament.
On top of that, all kinds of outside forces were watching them with ill intent.
The fate of this nation had been so fraught that every citizen felt uneasy.
As they came ashore, Rapeseed Flower City slowly unfolded before them. The port was packed with merchant ships, and some were even anxiously lined up outside the harbor, waiting to unload their goods and make one last round of profiteering before the decisive battle.
Part of the Alabasta Revolutionary Army's funding came from Crocodile—ironically, this had originally been money meant to sustain Baroque Works. But in his eyes, whether it was Baroque Works or the Alabasta Revolutionary Army, both were merely parts of his plan. There was no difference between them.
They were not his subordinates. As long as they could help him accomplish his plan, that was enough.
As a result, the Revolutionary Army Headquarters returned the favor and brought over another portion of funding, completely resolving the Alabasta Revolutionary Army's financial problems.
No one understood or guarded against the power of capital better than the Revolutionary Army, and when it came to wielding that power, they stood above the rest of the world. Merchants praised them endlessly, calling the Revolutionary Army a friend of capital, an inseparable partner of merchants, and the dream client of every businessman. They never stalled, never owed money, and settled payments on the spot—never waiting until the next quarter or