Grand Line, Alabasta Kingdom.
"Your Majesty, the nationwide precipitation data for the past year has been compiled!"
Captain Igaram of the Royal Guard approached King Cobra, his expression grave.
"What are the results?"
Cobra turned to face Igaram, a sense of foreboding creeping into his heart at the sight of the captain's serious demeanor.
"Your Majesty, over the past year, rainfall in the inland cities has decreased by more than half compared to previous years!"
Cobra's expression darkened as Igaram continued, "However... rainfall in Alubarna has increased by nearly sixty percent!"
"Looking at the data from previous years, precipitation in the inland cities has been steadily declining, while Alubarna's has consistently risen!"
"At this rate, it's highly likely that by next year, the inland cities will receive no rain at all, while Alubarna's rainfall may even double!"
Cold sweat dripped from Igaram's forehead. "This is..."
"This is exactly what Vice Admiral Wright predicted..." Cobra muttered.
Before the last Reverie, Wright had warned of three signs that would indicate if Warlord of the Sea Sir Crocodile harbored sinister intentions. This was the first!
"What is the current status of water resources for inland city residents?"
Though Cobra had already followed Wright's advice and urged citizens to store water in advance, he still felt a heavy weight pressing on his heart.
"For now, there are no major issues. Your Majesty's prior call for water conservation has raised awareness among the people, and at least for now, rainfall hasn't completely ceased."
"However, if this situation continues, it will eventually lead to disaster!"
Igaram wiped the growing sweat from his brow, recalling the second sign Wright had mentioned.
"Your Majesty, Crocodile's so-called 'heroic deeds' have even been featured in the World Economy News for several years now. His reputation within the kingdom has nearly equaled that of the royal family!"
"Among the people, he is even being referred to as the 'National Hero'! This..."
"The second sign has come to pass as well..." Cobra clenched his fists. "What about Baroque Works?"
Igaram pulled out a small notebook. "Your Majesty, according to Pell's reports, multiple suspicious individuals, likely Baroque Works agents, have been spotted in Rainbase!"
"They operate in secrecy. While we can trace some 'Billionaires' and 'Millionaires' under their ranks, we can only confirm the identities of a handful of high-ranking agents with code names!"
"What we do know is that they are ranked by numbers—the smaller the number, the stronger the agent. However, no one knows the true identities of those ranked below Number Five!"
Cobra fell into a moment of silence. "And this is with us investigating in advance. I can hardly imagine the level of damage this criminal syndicate could have caused if we had remained ignorant!"
"Your Majesty, aside from this, Chaka's investigative team has uncovered unusual activity among the populace!"
"Could it be..." Cobra's heart sank. "The third sign..."
"That's right!" Igaram said grimly. "The third sign—a growing undercurrent of unrest, with Baroque Works agents appearing frequently among the people!"
"Rumors of the royal family controlling the rainfall have begun to surface among the common folk. While the spread is still limited and most citizens remain skeptical, if left unchecked, the consequences will be disastrous!"
Cobra slammed his fist against a nearby pillar. "All three signs have come true! Damn it... Crocodile, that bastard, he really dares to go this far!"
"Your Majesty... what should we do? Right now, our enemy lurks in the shadows. Though we understand the core of his scheme, we have no concrete evidence!"
Igaram couldn't help but add, "The Warlords of the Sea are, after all, directly sanctioned by the World Government!"
Cobra clasped his hands behind his back, pacing back and forth before his expression hardened with determination.
"Without evidence, even if we summoned Vice Admiral Wright, we wouldn't be able to lay a finger on Crocodile!"
"I will not allow my people to suffer under Crocodile's scheme!"
"If we wait for his plan to reach completion, it will be too late!"
"We must act now—force Crocodile to act before he is fully prepared!"
"Only then will we have a chance to expose his crimes!"
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
One month later.
Rainbase, the underground headquarters beneath the Rain Dinners Casino.
A figure clad in a fur-lined trench coat and a wide-brimmed fedora stepped into the office.
"Miss All Sunday, what's the latest news?"
Seated in a grand chair, Crocodile exhaled a puff of cigar smoke. "How is our plan progressing?"
"Mr. 0, I bring bad news this time."
Nico Robin smiled enigmatically as she sat across from Crocodile.
"Cobra seems to have caught on to something… Otherwise, our plans wouldn't be proceeding so slowly."
"Cobra had previously urged inland citizens to store water, using the pretext of 'new oasis development'…"
"Furthermore, he cut royal expenditures to ensure the people's livelihood. Looking back, it seems his wariness began even then."
"Hmph… Should I commend the Nefertari family for their eight-hundred-year reign?"
Crocodile gazed at the crocodiles swimming outside the window.
"That old man has never shown any hostility toward me, the so-called 'Desert King,' nor has he reacted negatively to my growing influence."
"It's unclear whether his water storage efforts stem from suspicion, but it hardly matters now…"
"By next year, the inland cities of Alabasta will see not a single drop of rain! Even if they've stored water, they'll only last a little longer before chaos erupts!"
"However… the Royal Army has been making moves."
Nico Robin chuckled softly.
"Royal Guard Vice-Captain 'Jackal' Chaka has been leading forces to maintain public order, coordinate water transport between cities, and protect oases."
"It seems the royal family has been monitoring rainfall patterns all along—a blind spot in our intelligence."
Crocodile tilted his head slightly. "Oh? I've never heard of the royal family monitoring precipitation before."
"Alabasta has never faced droughts or severe rainfall shortages before. Why would Cobra suddenly think to track it?"
"Meanwhile, the other Royal Guard Vice-Captain, 'Falcon' Pell, has been investigating us."
Nico Robin placed a list on the table. "The 'Millionaires' and 'Billionaires' on this list have all been arrested for various reasons, and they're even trying to uncover our senior agents' identities."
"It's unclear whether the royal family is taking action because they already know our plans, or if it's simply due to their distrust of Baroque Works."
"They've come this far…"
Crocodile sneered. "Originally, I planned to let public resentment develop on its own."
"But it seems we'll need to apply some additional pressure."
"Regardless of Cobra's motives, this means we must accelerate our plans!"
Crocodile turned around, his eyes gleaming with cold determination.
"In one month, gather all top agents—we'll begin the prelude to 'Utopia' ahead of schedule!"
"And within this month, not a single drop of rain will fall in Alabasta's inland cities!"
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