Chapter 44 Dangerous Woman Nico Robin.
Alabasta kingdom is on a huge Island, in the first half of the Grand Line. It is a very large super-island, almost like a continent.
Because of this, Alabasta has a vast land area, but its geography and climate are not very good. Most of the island is desert and very dry, making it hard for humans to survive.
Despite this, it has a large population, and the armed forces under the Nefertari family number at least 600,000.
These are all full-time professional soldiers. A country that can support 600,000 professional soldiers has a larger number than many countries in the world. Furthermore, Alabasta has faced constant rebellions over the years, and there are still hundreds of thousands of rebels throughout the country. It's truly frightening.
No wonder Alabasta is seen as a top military power in the world today.
In recent years, because of national chaos and ongoing drought, many oasis cities have vanished. The overall situation in Alabasta is very bad, and the economy has greatly declined.
Amid this, a new city called Rainbase has emerged in Alabasta.
During the drought affecting Alabasta, only the capital, Alubarna, and Rainbase receive occasional rain. This has caused most of the country's population to move to these two areas, quickly making Rainbase prosperous.
Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, lives in Rainbase and has opened a luxurious casino there, attracting rich people from around the world. Since Alubarna often faces rebel attacks, the noble families of Alabasta also relocate to Rainland.
The reason for this is simple. Crocodile is powerful enough to protect Rainbase. The rebels have tried to attack there several times but failed, so they stopped coming.
For many nobles, this place is safer than the capital.
On the high slope of the endless desert, a camel caravan has stopped to rest.
In the caravan, there is a completely snow-white camel that is stronger than the others. But right now, it looks a bit tired because this camel is carrying Bane on its back.
By the way, Bane's height stopped growing at about two meters and three centimeters, but his weight continues to increase as he gets stronger.
A height of two meters and three centimeters might sound impressive, but in this world full of monsters, it is not that remarkable.
"Along the way, we saw many empty cities and a lot of sand bandits. It was only when we got close to the Rainbase that we finally noticed the wealth of the ancient country. " Bane was riding a camel and looking at a new city about three or four kilometers down the sandy slope.
That is the rainy land. A continuous stream of camel caravans moves in and out of this city like ants. Everywhere you look, this seems to be the only greenery in the endless desert.
"The tradition of Alabasta is migration. Besides the capital, there aren't many cities here with a long history because the yellow sand eventually covers everything. The people always leave their homes to find new oases, and the Rainbase is just one of many in this long story. " Robin rode a camel and approached Bane to say.
Having lived in Alabasta for many years, she seems used to the intense sun. Her sun-kissed skin proves this. While Nami is bundled up, Robin is still wearing her white windbreaker and a stylish cowboy hat.
Bane and Zoro didn't mind, of course. Bane's tough body is immune to sunburn. He wore a pair of brown overalls and a black vest on top. It fit snugly and made him look very strong and fierce.
After arriving in Alabasta, they met Robin waiting at the Nanohana port. Bane then told his crew to split up and explore Nanohana freely. He would call them back when it was time to set sail.
He then took Nami, Zoro, and Robin and headed towards the Rainbase.
"I'm here, but Crocodile didn't even come to say hi," Bane said with a frown.
"He said he will wait for you at the Casino," Robin replied, smiling.
"But if we fight there, I'll feel bad if anything gets damaged," Bane said helplessly. He now thought of everything belonging to Crocodile as his own. Who would pick a fight in their own home?
What? You mean the Navy Headquarters? Forget I said that.
After a short pause, Bane turned to Robin, who had a mature charm, and asked, "My beautiful lady, is there a way to get Crocodile to come out? Can we take him down in this desert? "
Robin seemed pleased by Bane's compliment. With a smile, she shook her head and said, "That's unlikely. He is already very cautious of you."
"Shouldn't it be better in the desert? The desert is his home ground! " Bane grumbled.
"The entire Alabasta is his home ground," Robin replied seriously.
Then, before Ben could say anything, Robin quickly changed the topic. She asked, "Do you know who designed the Rain Dinners Casino? "
"Who? " Bane was surprised for a moment and didn't understand why Robin asked this.
"It's me," Robin said, her eyes gleaming dangerously. "When I started working with Crocodile, there was no Rain Dinners, and his power in Alabasta and the Grand Line was not very big yet. Later, he chose Rainbase and wanted to build a fancy casino here as his base. "
"And you helped him design the Rain Dinners? " Bane asked, rubbing his chin.
"No, it was a designer recommended by Gild Tesoro. Crocodile accepted Tesoro's help gladly, but I changed the final design. The Rain Dinners was built based on my design. " Robin smiled charmingly and dangerously as she asked, "Do you know why I did this? "
"Have you been planning how to kill him since then? " Bane thought for a moment and answered.
"Yes, the top three floors of Rain Dinnera were designed as a high-end casino and entertainment area, but the lower two floors are Crocodile's hideout. To match his evil taste, I made some changes there and built a large crocodile-themed pool that could completely flood the lower two floors," Robin said softly.
At that moment, Bane realized some details he had missed before. Crocodile's weakness is water. If he gets wet, he can't turn into an element. In the original story, Robin planned to use this weakness to surprise attack him.
But it didn't happen.
So what is Crocodile's real weakness? Actually, the weakness of anyone with special abilities is sea water. But this guy has crocodiles in his own hideout, which is on the second underground floor. If something unexpected happens and sea water comes in, he would die instantly.
Bane hadn't really paid attention to such a clever plan before. He thought it was just natural based on the story he had read. But after hearing Robin's explanation, he realized this was a trap she set for Crocodile, a deadly move against him.
It's just that it wasn't used in the original story for different reasons.
Just as Bane was surprised and shocked, Robin still wore that dangerous smile and said, "There is an easy way to kill Crocodile. He will definitely meet you on the second underground floor of the Rain Dinners. If you are willing to take the risk, I will come out and activate a small device that has never been used, so seawater can flow back in. This will end everything, and you won't have to worry about damaging the Rain Dinners too much. "
When Bane heard this, he first laughed loudly, then raised his eyebrows and looked at Robin with a meaningful gaze and said, "You know I also have special abilities, and you are still giving me this kind of advice? "
"Are you afraid I will drown you there with me? " Robin asked softly, still smiling.
After a short silence, Bane waved his hand and said, "No, I trust you, so let's go with your plan! "
His quick agreement surprised Robin, who had expected him to reject it.
For some reason, she felt a warm feeling in her heart. Is this trust?
*****
30+advance chapters at patreon.com/Eatinpieces