The desert stretches out in front of us, the sand flies, carried by the hot wind that not even the sea air can cool. Everyone gets off the boat, covered from head to toe, ready to brave the desert. Ace stands on the shore and checks the condition of his boat before leaving.
"Is everything ready? Do you have all your stuff? Have you forgotten anything? Do you have Whitebeard's Vivre Card? Do you have enough food for the trip? Be careful not to fall asleep in the middle of the sea ! Did you think about..."
"STOP! Stella it's ok, I have everything with me! Stop asking me questions!" Ace looks at me with an irritated look. On the beach, Nami and Usopp have a mocking smile, but when Ace turns to them, they quickly look away.
"Luffy! I'm going!" Luffy runs to his brother and hugs him.
"Ace! It was so good to see you again! I hope you get your problem sorted out soon, so we can go see Sabo together!" Ace smiled at his little brother and ruffled his hair.
"Don't worry, I'll get my problem sorted out soon and I won't be alone." He says as he looks at me. "Once this is over and Sabo contacts us, we'll meet up. Besides, I have something for you." Luffy walks away from Ace, intrigued. Ace pulls out a piece of paper and hands it to his brother.
"Here, for you!" Luffy takes the piece of paper, frowning.
"What is this, a piece of paper?" He looks at it from every angle. "There's nothing written on it, why would I need it?"
"What? You don't want it?"
"Huh? No, I'm keeping it!" Ace chuckles and ruffles his hair again.
"Keep it safe, it will help you find me when Sabo contacts us."
"Really?! That's so cool! I hope it's before I become the king of the pirates!"
"I hope so too, otherwise I'll have to wait until I get white hair! Besides, it's Whitebeard who will become king of the pirates!" He sticks his tongue out at him, and jumps on his boat. "Goodbye Luffy! Take care of him!"
"Hey! I'm the one who will become the next king of the pirates!"
"Then become stronger than me! Stella! I count on you to train him well!" He doesn't even wait for my answer, he's already leaving.
"COUNT ON ME! I'M GOING TO GIVE THEM A HARD TIME!" Probably amused, Ace waves his hat in response before disappearing into the horizon. The group of cowards (Nami, Usopp and Chopper) look at me with a pale expression.
"What... What do you mean you're going to give us a hard time?!" The toothy grin they see on my face doesn't help.
"You guys need to get strong. The king of pirates should not have a weak crew." Zoro snorts at my statement, while agreeing with me. He is about to say something, but is stopped by the appearance of a strange animal.
"Kwooo!" We watch as a strange creature emerges from the water. It looks like a cross between a seal and a turtle.
"HAAA! What is that thing?!"
"It's a Kung-fu Dugong! You mustn't go near it!" Said Vivi as she walked away from the beast. The Dugong appeared right next to me and is looking at me, waving its little arms to challenge me to a fight.
"What is he doing, Vivi?" The Dugong throws a punch at me, but it meets only emptiness. He turns his head in all directions, looking for me. I stand over him and watch him search for me until he looks up. His eyes widen in surprise, but he doesn't give up and jumps up, trying to reach me. "What do we do? Should I knock him out?"
"No, don't! Dugongs have a code of honor, the loser of a fight becomes the disciple of the one who defeated him! He will follow his master everywhere!
"Ok... What do we do then?" The solution is found by Chopper who manages to convince him not to fight me now, but to try his luck when we are back at the boat.
Surprisingly, he agrees and even keeps the ship safe. "Thank you very much, you are truly an honorable warrior." My compliment seems to touch him because he begins to chirp.
"He says it is an honor and a privilege to fight someone like you." Translates Chopper.
"Someone like me?"
"Yes! In our ancient legends, they say that white-haired people are the wisest and strongest!"
"He must think you're a grandmother!" Zoro mocks as he puts his bag on his shoulder.
"Shut up Marino! Stella-chan is a real beauty in all her youth! It's this beast that doesn't know the difference!" I roll my eyes, as much at Zoro's comment as Sanji's.
"Thank you Mister Dugong, you will understand that your legend is not usurped." I say with a wink. He jumps for joy and starts punching the air.
"He says he's going to practice until we get back." I chuckle softly, amused by his behavior.
"Okay, now that's settled. We can go. Direction Yuba!" Says Vivi as she leaves to lead the group. Everyone sets off in the direction of the desert. Chopper notices that I'm not following them.
"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" I offer him a soft smile, shaking my head.
"No, it's okay. It's your adventure and your own choice. I'm just going to do a little sightseeing and visit a few people." Nami turns around as she hears me.
"Who are you planning to visit? I hope it's not Crocodile." I shrug.
"It might be. But you don't have to worry about that. It's not going to connect me to you. This is your fight. So I wouldn't help either of you." The redhead gives me a flat look.
"Why do I even ask... I guess if you just happen to appear alongside Crocodile, we don't have to worry about that..." She looks at my big smile with even more annoyance.
"Exactly! I have no intention of fighting. So please don't call for help." She rolls her eyes and walks off into the desert past Vivi.
"There's no point in arguing with you. Come on, everyone, let's go!" The others hesitate before following Nami and saying goodbye to me. I wave my hand until they are just a small dot on the horizon.
I prepare my trip to cross the desert, I take Aoi and Maru, leave Hisui at the boat and head to Rainbase. The snails have small caps and a dark mosquito net to protect themselves from the sun. As for me, I have wrapped myself in an off-white cloth that covers me completely.
"Are you both okay? Are you going to be okay?" Aoi and Maru nod to reassure me, but I know they'll start to suffer from the heat soon. "Then let's go!" Leaping into the sky, I run towards our destination, my walking speed enough to produce a pleasant breeze that keeps us at an acceptable temperature. Below us, only sand and dunes are visible, no oasis or plants are visible.
"Strange... In two hours of travel, I should have come across an oasis long ago." The snails start sticking their tongues out and asking me for water. In desperation, I land on the warm sand. I grab my canteen and give my snails water, but the quiet of the desert is disturbed by an earthquake. Without waiting, I jump. Below me, three giant scorpions have just emerged from the sand and nearly caught me.
"The sand and the sun don't seem to be enough. Bugs want to kill me too..." Aoi looks at me as if raising an eyebrow and says: Are you serious? That's not going to end your life.
I roll my eyes at his silent comment. The scorpions return to the sand when they see their prey is no longer there. I let out a sigh and look at the endless sand.
"Why the hell don't I have Ace's power? That way I wouldn't have to worry about the sun and heat." Maru squints his eyes: stop complaining and move!
"I sometimes wonder: Why am I taking you with me..." Only their big smiles answer me. I roll my eyes once more and continue my journey. The trip is quiet but fucking hard. It is only at sunset that I see lights in the distance, a sign of civilization.
"Finally! I won't have to sleep in the sand!" Maru and Aoi nod, happy to escape this torture. The closer I get to the lights, the more I'm dazzled by the buildings, even though it's dark, the city is bustling. I land at the entrance of the city and am immediately stopped by a guard.
"Good evening! What is the reason for your visit?" The guard wears a beige takakat that covers his entire body and holds a spear in his hand. He doesn't seem particularly hostile, but is surprised to see me land in front of him.
"Good evening! I've come to do some sightseeing! Do you have any inns or hotels to recommend? The desert crossing was a bit hot. "He blinks, turns to his colleague who shrugs, then turns back to me.
"Are you telling us that you came here alone? " I look at Aoi, then at Maru.
"Technically, I'm not alone. But yes, I walked here." They look at my snails warily.
"Okay... so you're here to sightsee?"
"Yes!"
"Do you know anyone here?"
"Yes."
"Can we know who?" The guard's questions start to get more and more intrusive. I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow.
"You ask all these questions to every person you meet?" The guard starts to frown.
"Are you an outlaw or a pirate?" He meets only my flat gaze and a roll of my eyes.
"I'm an explorer. Can I go back into the city now? It's getting cold." He was about to say something else but luckily for me, his colleague intervened.
"It's okay, let her through. She doesn't look dangerous and at worst Sir Crocodile will protect us." The guard continues to look at me and finally lets out a sigh.
"I suggest you go to the Cactus Inn, it's cheap and comfortable. Otherwise, there are many luxury hotels throughout the city. The city is quiet so you can walk around at night, but be careful. There may be thieves hanging around. "
"Thanks for the tip! Where's the inn?" He points to the left side of town.
"It's in that direction, about 200 yards away. If you're lost, ask the other guards or a passerby."
"Thank you very much. Have a nice evening." I head straight for the hostel. I'll see later if I want to do something in this early evening. Finding the inn was not easy, it is hidden in a small alley far from the city center. I had to make a dozen mistakes and ask six people for directions. The worst was when I passed by the door of the hostel and a girl pointed at me with a wary look. Aoi and Maru burst out laughing and continued until I was in my room. I don't even talk about the receptionist's face, I really don't want to talk about it...
The room is simple: a bed, a table with a wooden chair and a small bathroom. The bare minimum, but it's clean and cheap. Because of my two colleagues, I didn't have the courage to ask the receptionist what activities you can do in the evening.
"Seriously... You couldn't have held back?" Only their big smiles answer me. A sigh passes my lips. I look out the window and admire the partially visible starry sky. To the right, beams of light dance across the sky.
"Um... There must be a nightclub nearby." Aoi jumps on my shoulder, obviously wanting to go there. He turns to me and makes eyes at me. "Are you serious? We just drove through the desert and you made fun of me. Do you really think I want to go dancing?" He continues to look at me with a sadistic smile. A smile that is reflected on my face.
"You know me too well. Of course we're going!" My bag is thrown on the bed and the money in my pockets. I jump out the window, not wanting to face the receptionist's stare.
Finding the origin of the light beams is much easier than finding the hostel. In front of me is a huge golden and green pyramid, with the head of a Bananas Croco at the top giving a Sphinx effect to the pyramid. Luxury is visible all around me, the sandy floor has been replaced by white marble slabs, many fountains feed the river that surrounds the building. The vegetation is lush. At the top of the entrance, the word Casino can be read.
"Hooo! A Casino! That's even better than a nightclub. Right?" Aoi and Maru nod, eager to get in and have fun. I head towards the entrance but am stopped by a guard.
"Sorry, but you can't come in." I raise an eyebrow.
"Why?"
"Your outfit is not regulation, this is the largest Casino in Alabasta, not a common market." Looking at my outfit, I realize that I am still wearing my canvas garment which is covered in sand and dirt.
"Ha ! Indeed, hold on, I'll be right back." The guards watch as this strange woman walks towards the low wall that borders the water. She places her two snails on the wall and begins to remove her clothes.
"Huh?! What are you doing!" Ignoring the interpellation, the girl removes the dirty garment completely. The guards' eyes are bulging, their mouths open and their faces red. Under the garment is one of the most beautiful women they have ever seen in their lives. Her white hair catches the rays of the moon, her black and red dress shows off her slim and sexy figure, her light blue eyes are hypnotic and shine under the hat she just put back on her head. Everything about this woman exudes confidence and power, even more so when she approaches the front door again. Even the presence of two snails on her shoulders does not detract from this picture, it even makes her more dangerous, especially since these snails are not inexpressive like the ones they use.
"So? Does this outfit suit you?" Even her voice seems to have changed, it's more gravelly and seductive.
"Uh... I... Gulp... Uh... Yes. Yes, it's okay, you can go, miss." A soft smile answers her and she enters the casino without any trouble.
"Dude..." He turns to the voice of another guard. "I think I've fallen in love."
"Don't talk nonsense, she will never love a guy like you, she needs someone powerful!" Said a third guard.
"Shut up! Who would want a bunch of muscles like you?"
"Are you looking for me twig? "
"Guys... Stop it. We're on duty. If we make a fuss, Sir Crocodile will yell at us." The warning from a fourth guard at least had the merit of cutting the discussion short.
"Yes! Chief!" But it was short-lived.
"I'm right, though..."
"What?!" The guard sighed, while the second and third guards were once again reprimanded.
The interior of the Casino is even more luxurious, everything shines with a thousand lights. Gold, silver, marble, velvet, etc. Everything blends together in harmony. The machines make noise with the falling coins, the poker and roulette tables are full. The bar is bustling, many cocktails are prepared in front of the customer, the bartenders are very agile and put on a real show for the customer.
"Hooooo! I feel like we're going to have fun!" I walk through the huge rooms, one after another, up and down the floors, looking for something that catches my eye. Arriving at the fourth floor, there is a closed door with two guards on either side.
"Good evening! What's on the other side?" The guards look at me with a flat, bored expression, the exact opposite of the ones at the entrance.
"This is the casino's auction room, but you have to be a VIP to enter."
"Oh... And how does one become a VIP?" He sighs.
"You must have some capital... Or be invited by Sir Crocodile." I cross my arms and tilt my head to the side. I could ask Crocodile, but there's no guarantee he'll accept. And I don't think I have enough money on me to buy the VIP pass now and be able to buy anything in this room. So I have to earn some money.
"Thanks for your information, see you soon!" The guards don't see my smirk as I head to the game room. "Are you ready to start making lots of money?" Aoi and Maru smile, ready to rob the casino.
My steps lead me to a packed poker table.
"Excuse me? May I try?" My voice is soft and innocent, making me sound weak and shy. Everyone turns their heads toward me and a fat, greasy man with jewelry everywhere opens his mouth first
"Hey pretty girl! Are you new? This is the first time I've seen you. Come here, I'll teach you how to play." I barely hold back a grimace of disgust, but obviously Aoi and Maru couldn't hold back. The fat man looks at my two little companions and scowls at their disgusted faces. "What's with the disgusted face, you mollusks? Are you kidding me?!" He stands up and extends his hand towards Aoi. I take a step back to keep my distance.
"Excuse them, they have no manners."
"Why does a girl like you have these confusing things on her? You need to get rid of them." My hands go behind my back and I clench my fists so I don't hit him and get into trouble.
"I'm sorry, if the sight of them bothers you, I'll go to another table. Goodbye and good night." A wave of protest rises from the table, obviously they don't want me to leave.
"Don't listen to this loser! And come with me, I don't mind your snails." A rather handsome young man, but surrounded by women, beckons me.
"What?! A loser? You don't know who I am, kid! I can ruin your life with a snap of my fingers!"
"Hooo... Still, you'll lose all your money. If I take it all from you. How will you ruin my life before I ruin yours?" The fat man is red with anger and moves dangerously towards the youngster. But he is stopped by security.
"Sir! Please don't make a fuss, all violence is forbidden."
"What?! Do you know who I am?! I can have you all fired! You hear me ! I'll tell Sir Crocodile!"
"You will tell me what?" There is silence in the room, everyone is looking at Crocodile, the Boss, the hero, the Casino patron, who doesn't look very happy. "Can I ask what's going on here?" I shift slightly so I can hide Aoi and Maru in my dress.
"Sir Crocodile! This man started to get angry and wanted to hit another customer. Then he threatened me if I ever kicked him out." Crocodile looks around the table without looking at me particularly.
"I see... A simple settlement of accounts." His gaze settles on the fat man. "Losing to someone else is normal in poker, there will always be a winner and a loser. I'd appreciate it if you didn't make any more trouble. If you don't, I will ban you from the casino for life. Am I clear?" The fat man doesn't know where to put himself, a moment ago he was all powerful and now he feels like a nobody. And he hates it.
"I'm a VIP in this casino! You don't want to do this to me!" The boss looks at him like a bug.
"A VIP? Can I see your membership card?" The VIP reaches into his red velvet jacket and pulls out a gold card with a Bananas Croco logo.
"Here is my membership card, you see I'm not lying!" Crocodile takes the card and examines it from every angle.
"This is definitely one of our cards." The fat man smiles triumphantly and turns to the rest of the table.
"You see, you poor people! I'm a VIP in this casino! So respect me!"
"However..." Crocodile has the card in his hand and easily crushes it. "Due to your deplorable behavior, I have decided to revoke your privilege." He hands the card pieces to a guard. "Tell the VIP department that we just lost a customer, and they cannot apply for a new card."
"Yes sir!" The guard walks up the stairs carrying the card pieces. The former VIP is shaking so badly and is so red he might explode.
"Wha... WHAT?! You can't do that! I'm one of your biggest customers! I'm the one who supplies you with fruit! Without me, you will have nothing!" Crocodile's gaze turns cruel and an evil smile forms on his lips.
"Ho. It's you. I was just about to send you a letter to tell you that we've found someone better than you and I'm breaking our contracts." The red face instantly turns pale.
"Huh? What? You... You can't do this! You can't break that contract like that!" Crocodile towers over him, casting a shadow over him.
"And who's going to stop me? You maybe?" The poor man takes a step back, intimidated by this man more powerful than himself.
"I... uh... I..." He doesn't know what to say, then his gaze falls on me. "You... You are the reason I'm in this mess! YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR IT!" He lunges at me pulling out a dagger, wanting to kill me. But Crocodile appears before him and grabs his arm, crushing it like a twig. "HAAAAA! The fat man screams as if his throat is being slit, his arm broken in his hands and his face bathed in tears. Crocodile clicks his tongue in annoyance.
"I'm asking you one last time, get out of here and never come back. You are banned from the casino." The man stands up and gives me one last hateful look.
"You will pay for this." But icy blue eyes freeze him in terror, the sweet, innocent girl is gone, replaced by a demon. His legs give way and the smell of pee fills the air. Crocodile's face scowls at the smell.
"Get this man out immediately and call the cleaning crew."
"Yes sir!" The terrified man is thrown out and quickly the cleaners remove the marks and the smell of pee. Crocodile turns to the silent customers.
"I'm sorry you had to witness this sorry sight. To make it up to you, the second floor buffet is free for the next two hours." The customers easily smile back and head to the second floor. Seeing that everything seems to be better, Crocodile turns to me. "Is everything okay, miss? That rude man didn't scare you too much?" His voice is soft and polite, which is a huge contrast to the one he had five minutes ago.
"Yes, everything is fine, Sir Crocodile. Thank you for stepping in." My hat hides my hair and face, preventing Crocodile from recognizing me.
"It's nothing. I'm just making this casino as fun as possible for all our customers." I smile at him and turn to the poker table.
"Well... Thanks to you, I'm going to be able to play for my own account, without having to ask someone else to give up their seat."
"Um... Are you by any chance the reason for this commotion?"
"You're not going to say that it's all the pretty women's fault that men decide to behave like animals? "Surprisingly, Crocodile laughs at my comment.
"It's true that this is not the first time this has happened, but it is the first time it has resulted in the loss of a VIP client and business partner. The damage cost is quite high." He approaches me, intending to intimidate me. "How do you plan to pay them back?" I look up and flash a smirk.
"By ruining the casino, of course." My blue eyes stare into the brown eyes of the Shichibukai, we stare at each other for a long time, I'm even afraid he'll recognize me.
"Ruining my casino... Well, you don't lack confidence. I'd like to see that." He points to the poker table. "Show me how you play. " Without waiting for another invitation, I sit down in a vacant chair. With Crocodile's announcement, there are fewer people, but there's always the dredger.
"Are you finally playing by yourself? I thought you didn't know how to play poker?" I pick up the cards dealt by the dealer. I have a five of hearts and a jack of clubs.
"I played a few times with my brother, but we were betting candy. I always lost..." My voice is sulky and sad.
"Ha ha ha! Candy?! Seriously! Here we bet astronomical amounts, do you even have enough for the base amount? It's 10,000 Berrys." I pull out a wad of one million Berrys from my pocket.
"Is that enough?" I keep my innocent air even though I have the urge to laugh at him. A glint shines in his eyes. He leans back in his chair nonchalantly.
"From the looks of it, I'd say that's enough." A chuckle escapes Crocodile's throat.
"Did you come to rob the casino?" A small smile slips between my lips.
"I came here to have some fun. Robbing the casino with your own weapons is just a bonus." My eyes shine with a playful glint, far from innocent.
"In that case." He pulls out a chair and sits down across from me. "It is my duty to defend my casino from people who want to rob it." A toothy grin answers my playful smile.
I forgot that I was in a casino, with dozens of people watching us. My voice becomes defiant and mocking.
"Am I to understand that you feel threatened?" He reaches out and grabs his cards.
"For that to happen, you would have to win just one game." My eyes dart to the dealer before returning to him.
"I hope you won't ask your employees to make you win?" He chuckles and nods to the dealer, who shuffles the cards again.
"Where would be the challenge in that? Besides, it will be much more fun to find out who you really are with the way you play. Right?" My smile is toothy and I lift my head a little.
"Indeed, it will make things more exciting. Let me find out who is hiding under that long coat." The girls around the dredger are green with envy, they too wish they could talk as freely to Sir Crocodile, but the Shichibukai and I ignore them all, focused on our game.
"I don't think anyone will join the party anymore. Dealer, you may begin." Says Crocodile as he leans back in his chair. Around the table, six people are present. Crocodile, the dredger, me, and three random men who have the courage to stay and face the casino boss.
"Well... Let the games begin."