Rainbase City's name had become renowned throughout the first half of the Grand Line, and Alabasta had reaped considerable benefits along with it.
As the territory of "Magician" Kane Penter, one of the Shichibukai, and a source of Sky Island specialties, its reputation in the first half of the route was already close to catching up with the Sabaody Archipelago's.
Greater fame naturally brought more benefits. Hotels, dining, and other industries developed rapidly. Moreover, the Sandora River was closed to pirate ships. If pirates dared to visit Alabasta without getting into a conflict, their only option was to hide their flags and change their clothes.
Ordinarily, no pirates were stupid enough to cause trouble. Even if a few groups failed to recognize the danger, Alabasta's newly reequipped standing army was more than capable of handling them.
Each hundred-man unit was equipped with ten Gatling guns and ten RPGs, while everyone else carried AK assault rifles. After training, the standing army could empty their magazines and all the ammunition they carried within seconds. This was the method Karn had taught them.
It both dealt effectively with pirates and increased how often Alabasta bought ammunition. Of course, Karn claimed that it was all for the soldiers' sake. Firing more ammunition was better than letting soldiers get hurt while fighting pirates. Cobra wholeheartedly agreed when he heard this.
Word of how much Karn, the newly appointed Shichibukai, despised pirates had spread throughout almost the entire first half of the Grand Line. Besides the World Government's publicity in the newspapers, Karn also had a host of Devil Fruit Users working under him, destroying pirates who appeared near Alabasta day and night.
Word was gradually spreading among pirates that anyone hoping to sail out of the first half of the Grand Line had to pass