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In the endless desert, Noir, disguised as Crocodile, made his way to his destination.
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Noir had a map of Alabasta in the shop and found the way to the city of Rain Dinners.
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The luxurious Rain Dinners Casino, built with a massive investment by Crocodile under his Shichibukai status, was also located there.
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Transforming into sand, Noir undoubtedly had the environmental buff of the desert.
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Merging his body with the ground, it took Noir little effort to find Rain Dinners.
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The city of Rain Dinners, known as the City of Dreams, was the wealthiest place in Alabasta next to the capital.
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From afar, Rain Dinners'' greenery and water sources stood out against the surrounding yellow desert.
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After tidying up his clothes, Noir walked into Rain Dinners with his head held high.
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He hadn''t taken more than a few steps into the town when a crowd of citizens looked at him with admiring eyes.
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"Sir Crocodile!"
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"Sir Shichibukai is such a strong man!"
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"Ah! I love you, Sir Crocodile!"
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It seemed that Crocodile had played his role as the country''s hero quite well.
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Noir thought to himself in amazement.
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The popularity of this guy in the city was far beyond Noir''s imagination.
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Almost all the citizens sincerely admired and worshipped this foreign pirate.
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Even some young girls looked at Noir with eyes that were both shy and inviting.
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Unfortunately, Sandman was just an unromantic brute...
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In order to maintain this persona, Noir kept a cold expression on his face, completely ignoring the citizens who considered him a hero.
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The citizens were also used to it.
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Lord Shichibukai was always like this, silently driving away enemies and never craving the people''s adoration!
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A true hero!
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At the Rain Dinners, wherever Noir went, there were cheers and passionate looks.
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Basking in this enthusiasm, Noir found his "own" establishment, the Rain Dinners Casino.
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If Rain Dinners seemed out of place in the desert, the scale of this casino was even more striking compared to the city.
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The massive casino had both a front hall and a back yard.
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Expensive jade tiles covered the floor, and water resources were abundant.
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There were even some fish playing happily in the front yard.
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The design of the casino was quite interesting. Noir crossed a stone bridge over the water before he saw the main entrance of the Rain Dinner Casino.
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When Noir pushed open the door, the guards at the entrance were surprised, but quickly opened the door respectfully for him.
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After Noir entered, the guards wondered, "Didn''t Sir Crocodile just go out? How did he get back so fast?"
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"Yes, and his clothes have changed, and even his golden hook is gone."
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They didn''t discuss it any further when the patrol captain came over and said sternly, "Less talk! Do you think you can gossip about the Lord?"
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The guards immediately shut up and stood at attention.
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Inside the casino, Noir was dazzled by the lavish decorations.
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The term "opulent" was no exaggeration here.
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Luxurious items such as gold carvings and gems were commonplace.
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Many well-dressed men and women were absorbed in the gambling tables, shouting enthusiastically.
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The scene was lively and orderly, more like a sophisticated club for the upper class than an ordinary casino.
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After taking a look inside the casino, a plump man in a black suit with a mustache rushed over with a submissive smile on his quivering cheeks, "Boss, you said you were going out for business? Done already?"
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Noir glanced at him, guessing that he must be the manager Crocodile had appointed to run the casino.
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Using Crocodile''s seductive voice, Noir nodded, "Just a few little things, done quickly."
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Noir, pretending to care about his subordinate, patted the manager''s shoulder.
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"Hey, fatty... I have a question."
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The manager, swaying under the force, gritted his teeth against the pain and smiled, "Boss, you''re too kind. What do you need?"
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Noir smiled like an old fox, pulled the manager into a corner and asked directly, "Where are the casino''s profits kept?"
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"Huh?"
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The manager looked at Noir suspiciously. How could the boss not know?
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Seeing his expression, Noir knew he was getting suspicious, so he said sternly,
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"What are you looking at? I deal with countless things every day; isn''t it normal to forget such small details?"
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"But..." The manager tried to say something, but Noir grabbed his chubby shoulder with such force that he almost gasped for breath.
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Then Noir held out his hand, and a small sandstorm formed in his palm, making the manager close his eyes against the blowing sand.
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Then the cold voice of his boss reached his ears.
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"Boy, do you think someone could impersonate me, the Shichibukai?"
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The manager trembled with fear.
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That''s right!
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Controlling sand was a unique ability of the boss; how could it be copied?
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The manager struggled to open his sand-filled eyes and tearfully apologized, "Spare me, boss! I mistook you for someone else!"
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Noir finally withdrew his ability, satisfied, and patted the promising fatty, saying, "That''s better!"
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"Come on, take me there."
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The manager nodded hastily, bowing and scraping as he led Noir to "his" office.
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Descending the stairs, Noir quickly entered Crocodile''s private domain.
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The walls were glass, containing water and crocodiles, arranged with simple elegance, very much in Crocodile''s style.
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The manager led Noir to a corner of the room where a large safe was set into the wall.
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With an obsequious smile, the manager said, "Boss, here it is."
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"You know the password, right?"
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Noir waved his hand nonchalantly, "Of course, you may go now."
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"Yes, sir." The manager replied and left the office.
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On his way out, the more he thought about it, the more uneasy he felt, but he quickly shook off these thoughts.
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Same appearance, same skills, how could there be such a coincidence?
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After sending the curious manager away, Noir, who had maintained his demeanor, couldn''t hold back anymore.
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He pressed Crocodile''s face against the wall, his eyes shining with dollar signs, and giggled foolishly,
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"Mine, mine... hehehe, all of his wealth is mine..."