Rainbase, the "City of Dreams," in the historically renowned ancient kingdom of Alabasta, located in the first half of the Grand Line, was as bustling as ever.
Since Noir's grand spectacle at Crocodile's casino, the mindset of Rainbase's citizens had subtly shifted.
That day, that rain of countless beli… it was like a dream come true for anyone who loved money.
Driven by some inexplicable urge, countless fortune-seekers flocked to Rainbase, seemingly hoping to witness a repeat of that miraculous event.
Some of the more audacious ones even went directly to Crocodile's casino, brazenly begging him for handouts.
Initially, Crocodile ignored them, forcefully evicting the beggars. But as their numbers grew, he started giving out small sums to get rid of them.
This act, unfortunately, backfired. Word spread like wildfire, and soon, countless people believed Crocodile to be a generous "philanthropist."
Whenever they were short on cash, they'd show up at the casino's doorstep, begging for money.
The once-luxurious casino had devolved into a soup kitchen for the destitute…
Ironically, Crocodile's reputation as a national hero soared due to these actions. Having tasted the sweetness of public adoration, he felt compelled to continue the charade.
Noir was completely unaware that his impulsive act had created such a headache for Crocodile.
....
These days, the casino's revenue was dwindling, and after being thoroughly ransacked by a certain someone, Crocodile was operating at a significant loss.
In the depths of his Rainbase casino, Crocodile sat in his chair, his face dark with rage. He violently overturned a nearby table.
While his current predicament was beneficial to his reputation, the fact remained…
He was losing money!
If this continued, he'd have to dip into Baroque Works' operational funds to cover the losses!
Crocodile, gritting his teeth, slammed his golden hook into the wall, piercing two wanted posters.
"Devil" Noir and "Devil Child" Nico Robin – the two individuals Crocodile loathed the most these days!
Robin had betrayed him despite knowing the location of Pluton.
And Noir… that devil had ransacked his casino, crushed Baroque Works, and left his reputation in this awkward, precarious state!
That's why, after Noir left Alabasta, Crocodile had placed a bounty on their heads in the Underworld.
But so much time had passed, and not only had they failed to eliminate Noir, they hadn't even found a trace of him!
Later, Crocodile learned that Noir and Robin had formed the Underworld Pirates and had even become Warlords, just like him!
Moreover, they had somehow managed to seize territory from the World Government and establish their own kingdom.
This string of news infuriated Crocodile even further. He'd increased the bounty in the Underworld yet again, even managing to enlist the infamous Germa 66.
But alas… even those denizens of the Underworld were useless. They couldn't even touch Noir!
Crocodile's perception of Noir was still stuck in their confrontation in Alabasta.
Although he had been at a disadvantage during that fight, he had noticed some weaknesses.
For instance, despite Noir's mastery of swordsmanship and Haki, and his powerful Copy Fruit, the copied abilities were a mixed bag.
While versatile, each individual ability lacked significant destructive power.
In Crocodile's mind, as long as he could find someone proficient in Haki and assassination, and use Seastone or other techniques to suppress Noir's Devil Fruit, taking his life should be a simple task.
He simply couldn't understand why those professional assassins couldn't take down a rookie.
Was Noir the illegitimate child of Lady Luck herself…?
....
As Crocodile vented his frustration in his office, his Rainbase casino was once again graced by the presence of old "friends."
The familiar spatial distortion appeared, and an Air Door materialized. Noir stepped out, looking as dashing as ever.
Blueno, on the other hand, collapsed as soon as he exited the portal, completely spent.
Noir looked at him with exasperation. "Blueno, you really need to work on your stamina. You're exhausted after such a short trip?"
Blueno, lying face down on the ground, could only manage a weak groan, too tired to even speak.
They had traveled from the New World to the first half of the Grand Line, almost to the entrance of the Grand Line itself, to reach Alabasta. The toll on Blueno's Doa Doa no Mi was immense, to say the least.
The distance a Door could travel was limited. Over the past few days, Blueno had been constantly opening and closing Air Doors, a grueling process that had finally brought them to their destination.
Seeing Blueno's exhausted and resentful state, Noir could only chuckle.
Just as they were about to enter the casino, Noir felt a sudden chill on his neck.
Without even turning his head, he casually reached back and grabbed something. A sharp clang of metal on metal echoed, and sparks flew.
Behind him, the bald Mr. 1, the Daz Bones, stared at Noir's hand in shock.
"Black Hand!"
Noir ducked his head, then slammed his iron fist into Mr. 1's jaw, sending him flying.
"It's called Busoshoku Haki…" Noir muttered, flexing his fingers.
"You bastard!"
Before Noir could continue, a shrill female voice screamed from nearby. A sharp spike shot towards his head.
This time, Noir didn't even move. Blueno, who had recovered slightly, stepped in front of him, shouting,
"Tekkai!"
Noir felt a pang of anxiety at the familiar cry.
But unexpectedly, it wasn't Blueno who fell to the ground.
It seemed the infamous "Tekkai Death Flag" depended on the opponent…
Noir looked down at the fallen Miss Doublefinger, her revealing outfit doing little to cushion her fall, and grinned. "Yo, long time no see. You're, uh…"
"Big Sis Boobs!"
Miss Doublefinger erupted in fury. "It's Paula!"
"You bastard! You stripped me naked and then just left without doing anything! Are you even human?!"
Her words were… loaded, to say the least. Noir was at a loss for words.
Blueno stared at Noir, his expression unreadable. "I don't recall you mentioning this part."
Noir adopted the air of a righteous gentleman. "It was all for the mission. You wouldn't understand."
Blueno blinked. 'Really??'
Then, in a hushed tone, he asked, "Does our crew… have any more missions like that?"
"...."