Journey to One Piece

119. Crocodile

"Hahaha... I didn't know I was this sugeee... Hahaha... I am awesome."

Nami and Usopp gave a threatening glare to Luffy. Though he was overpowered by this point, they also believed that the government would come after them since Luffy had eaten a devil fruit so precious for the government.

"If his Devil fruit was so precious, then why isn't yours too in that blacklist?" Robin asked. Ken didn't expect that question but answered.

"Maybe because my Devil fruit was never found nor eaten by them over the years."

Of course this was a lie but he had to say something.

"I thought Ken would have an answer to this too." Vivi laughed.

"I don't know everything, contrary to what you expect." Ken argued back with humor.

Though Luffy was showing his little narcissistic behavior to others after getting to know that his Devil fruit was also so powerful, he himself understood the fact that he had a long way to go. He could already feel that progressing on his character was slow and now there was something more added. He would have to work really hard in order to go further.

The carriage still continued on its path for a few more hours until the group was finally able to see the huge town of Rainbase. The town of Rainbase was completely different from other places. As they entered the town, they could already see that the people here had everything and there seemed to be abundant water around.

Unlike the other cities and towns of Alabasta, here the people had everything sorted out. In fact, Ken couldn't understand why the people of Alabasta were so dumb. For some reason, Ken found the people of Alabasta a little dumb. Everything was fine in Rainbase and all the other cities and towns suffered. Wasn't this kind of a red flag to the people?

But then again Ken forgot that the people living in One Piece world were less connected and less informed. The only news source they had was the newspapers being to them via birds. This was really ridiculous.

Vivi was visibly shaking looking from the carriage. She was happy after seeing the prosperity but was in anger thinking that every other city suffered due to the machinations of just one person. She wanted nothing but revenge.

Soon they reached the casino where Crocodile was supposed to be. The casino was really huge and Ken could easily compare the casino here to the one in Las Vegas. The similarity between his previous world and the current world was really uncanny.

"He isn't here." Zoro said as they got down from the carriage. Zoro could sense no strong breath from the casino. There were many people around but he knew that he wasn't around.

"But there is someone else." Ken said. Unlike others his Observation haki was very powerful and he could tell that though Crocodile was absent, there was someone else here.

"Let's go in. I want to beat the shit out of Crocodile." Luffy had already started shouting. Usopp and Nami came forward to stop him but he had already run inside with no regards to the words of Ken or Zoro.

"This idiot." Sanji exclaimed.

"The Captain seems to be as energetic as always." Robin gave a smile.

"We can wait inside. He might have gone for some reason." Ken said. Though his Haki didn't catch a whiff of Crocodile, he was sure that Crocodile would show up after sometime. Nobody would let go of their cash cow just out of nowhere.

Nami went to the gambling tables to 'steal' money while others just came to the main room of the casino where the boss was supposed to be and waited. The manager of the casino was very accommodating because Robin had always been beside Crocodile for a long time so the manager of the casino thought Crocodile just got himself some old friends.

Luffy was really angry when he couldn't find Crocodile all over the casino but he did find an interesting guy in the underground.

It was Smoker.

Smoker had been caught by Crocodile using the Sea stone cuffs which he managed to put him in. Smoker had tried to investigate Crocodile and this led to the current situation.

"Oye minna.. I found an interesting person underground." Luffy came running in.

"Who?" Sanji asked as he puffed the cigarette.

"Ken, Smoker is in the underground and behind a prison." Luffy was animated as he seemed to be having fun seeing a marine behind the bars. Everyone was surprised except for Ken, Zoro and Sanji. They could already guess that some guy was in the underground but didn't know who. Of course, Ken had already guessed it with his Haki before.

"Then we need to give him a welcome." Ken said.

With Luffy leading everyone went underground to see Smoker who had been caught. Smoker looked nonchalant and with no emotions when he saw Luffy and his crew.

"Yo. We meet again." Ken said while Luffy gave a foolish smile. For the first time Smoker looked at the Straw crew together. It was always either Luffy and Ken before but this time everyone was together.

"I would prefer never meeting you again." Smoker said.

"C'mon Smoker, we have been friends for quite some time now. Don't be so rude." Ken put up his most innocent smile when he said that. Zoro and others almost laughed out loud hearing the words of Ken.

"Are you here to mock me, Punisher?" Smoker asked in a somber tone while smoking away his cigar.

"No, we are here to laugh at you and beat Crocodile." Luffy said as he was still waiting for his enemy to come back.

"Why do you want to beat Crocodile. He is a pirate, just like you. You should be friends."

"Not all pirates are friends just like all marines aren't." Ken said.

While Ken and others talked with Smoker and having a laugh at him, Crocodile had returned and he went straight to the underground.