Arabasta Kingdom — Rainbase.
Since he was already here, Karl decided to swing by and pay a visit to his old friend, the Sand Crocodile, to see whether he could trigger another of those "Seven Warlords" missions.
His last private meeting with Bartholomew Kuma hadn't triggered anything—likely because Kuma never showed hostility toward him and was currently cooperating with the Revolutionary Army. That meant any mission tied to him was probably off the table.
So now Karl's hopes rested on Crocodile… or later, Donquixote Doflamingo.
Flying above the city, Karl scanned the area with his Observation Haki and quickly picked out the strongest presence—no doubt Crocodile himself.
He leapt off Raven mid-air and dove toward the building in the middle of the artificial lake. About twenty meters above the ground, he kicked off the air with Geppo and crashed straight through a window.
Crash!
FBI—
Wrong show.
Karl dusted himself off and looked around.
"Well, well. I wondered why such a strong aura was here in Arabasta. Turns out it's the great Warlord himself. What's a big shot like you doing holed up in a little place like this?"
Crocodile froze for a second, clearly not expecting Karl to show up so quickly. The last report said Karl was still in the city!
"Y–You… how did you…?"
Karl smirked. "What, not happy to see me?"
Crocodile's eye twitched.
Happy? Yeah, sure.
But on the surface, he forced a grin.
"Guhahaha! How could I not be? The arrival of a Marine Hero brings light to this humble establishment."
Karl glanced around. "Not bad. A city in the middle of the desert that doesn't lack water—no wonder they call this place Rainbase."
Crocodile's grin widened. "So you've done your homework on Arabasta. But tell me, Marine Hero—what brings you here? You didn't come just to sightsee, did you?"
Karl's smile faded a little.
"You've been laying low these past few years. Aside from handing over a few pirate heads now and then, there's barely been any news about you. Makes me wonder… are you planning something?"
Crocodile laughed.
"What could I possibly be plotting? I just like the climate here. Relaxing in a desert oasis—is that a crime now? Or do I need Marine approval for how I spend my time?"
Karl shrugged. "Not really. I'm just curious."
Crocodile narrowed his eyes. "Curiosity killed the cat, you know. Learned that the hard way myself."
Karl didn't bite. He wasn't here to fight anyway—it'd be pointless. Someone else would deal with Crocodile eventually. No need for him to get involved personally.
He was about to speak again—
Brrruu… Brrruu…
His Den Den Mushi rang. Karl's expression instantly shifted. This wasn't just any call—it was the direct line to the Five Elders.
"Sorry. Need to take this."
In a blink, Karl vanished.
Crocodile stood there, confused—but with a sinking feeling that something was about to go very wrong.
Meanwhile…
"Mr. 0, we just received intel—"
Before she could finish, Crocodile's hand shot out and clamped over the mouth of Nico Robin.
"Quiet. The Marine Hero is here. If he sees your face, we're finished."
Robin's pupils shrank, but she nodded.
"Hide. Don't show yourself until I tell you. If you get caught, I'll kill you myself and cut all ties."
Robin said nothing. She only stared at him for a second before silently leaving.
Back in the Desert
Karl answered the call.
"Have you finished talking to Cobra? What did he say?"
"He refused. The Nefertari family will stay in Arabasta. They won't move to Mary Geoise."
"…Is that so? Troublesome indeed."
Click.
The line went dead.
Karl rolled his eyes. Idiots.
He'd planned to mess around with Crocodile a bit, but now his mood was gone. Just as he was about to head back—
Brrruu… Brrruu…
Another call. A few seconds later…
"…Fine. Fine!"
He cursed under his breath, turned back, and shot straight through another window.
Crash!
"Sorry about that. You don't mind, right?"
Crocodile's smile was tight.
Walk through a door like a normal person, you psycho!
Karl leaned back. "Now… where were we? Oh right. All these incidents in Arabasta… that's your doing, isn't it?"
"I don't know what you—huh? What did you say?"
Karl stood, his tone sharp.
"I said—everything happening in Arabasta is your handiwork, isn't it?"
Crocodile's face darkened.
"What nonsense are you spouting? I just run a casino. This country's problems have nothing to do with me. Don't accuse me without proof."
Karl laughed.
"Stop pretending. You think you've covered your tracks? Dance Powder is a banned substance. You really expect me to believe King Cobra imported that much of it himself? You're not fooling anyone. We just haven't bothered dealing with you yet."
Crocodile's expression shifted. Killing intent began to leak from his eyes.
Ding!
Hostility from Crocodile detected.
New Series Mission Triggered: "Allies Don't Fight Allies (5/7)"
Objective: Avoid fighting Crocodile.
Reward:Desert Affinity — All stats +5% when in desert environments.
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