Phoenix Reborn In One Piece

As the banquet went on, Ryuen made his move! 

He staggered over to Crocodile, sat down heavily beside him, and casually threw an arm around his shoulders. 

"I have to say, Crocodile, this place is amazing. Running such a successful casino in a desert country? That's something else," Ryuen said with a drunken flush on his face, his eyes hazy. His tone was filled with genuine-sounding admiration and envy. 

Meanwhile, Crocodile sat there with a look of helplessness. 

He didn't expect this guy to be so straightforward, but seeing him completely off guard made him feel a bit suspicious. 

Meanwhile, the other members of the Dream Exploration Team seemed just as drunk as Satoshi. 

Some were drinking with the top leaders of Baroque Works, while others were singing and dancing nearby. The whole banquet hall was filled with the smell of alcohol and a lively atmosphere. 

"Hehehe~~~" 

"Well, of course. After all, I'm a hero in Alabasta. This place has plenty of water, so naturally, a lot of people come here," Crocodile said with a forced smile, his face twitching slightly. 

"Hmm~~~" 

"That makes sense, but hey, that woman Nico Robin~~~ hic~~~ she's a high-value target of the World Government. 

And yet, you're keeping her here. Hic~~~ something's... off about you~~~" Ryuen, his face flushed red, hiccupped as he stared at Crocodile. 

Hearing this, Crocodile's expression turned cold. Not far away, Nico Robin began to feel that something wasn't right. 

This young guy had been calling her "Miss Robin" sweetly earlier… 

"Ryuen, you're drunk," Crocodile said coldly with a dark expression. 

"Hahaha~~" 

"Looks like~~~ hic~~~ I really did have a bit too much~~~" Ryuen laughed loudly as he stood up. 

At that moment, Mr. 1, Daz Bones, looked just as grim as Crocodile. He had lost to Hog earlier, and now Hog was dragging him into a drinking contest! 

As a serious assassin, Daz Bones never drank alcohol, but Hog wouldn't let him leave. He was beyond frustrated. 

"Cough, cough~~~" 

"Miss Robin, how come you're only drinking juice? Care to join us for a drink?" Ryuen asked shamelessly, grinning as he leaned toward Robin. 

As he got closer, a faint, elegant fragrance unique to mature women filled Ryuen's nose. He felt even more intoxicated. 

"Hehehe~~~" 

"Ryuen, I don't drink. In my position, I need to keep a clear head at all times. 

I hope you understand," Robin said with a light smile. 

"Well, that's a real shame~~~" Ryuen moved away from Robin and walked over to Nami. 

That crazy girl had already started gambling and drinking heavily. 

She had won quite a bit of Beli, and as long as money was involved, she became unbeatable when it came to drinking! 

Not far away, Robin quietly observed everything. 

The whole night, she had been watching the Dream Exploration Team, but she found her conclusions strange. 

Each of the eight members didn't seem to have any hidden motives at first glance, but after watching them for a while, she felt as though they were all pretending. 

She couldn't figure out what the Dream Exploration Team's true purpose was, which left her feeling conflicted. 

Because of this, she was hesitant to interact with Ryuen too much, even though she was quite curious about him. 

The banquet went on until late at night, and in the end, the Dream Exploration Team spent the night at Rainbase Casino under Crocodile's arrangement. 

After the team left, Crocodile gathered his top commanders. 

"Hmm~~" 

"Boss Crocodile, what's going on this time?" Before Crocodile could speak, Bon Clay eagerly asked. 

The other commanders also looked at him with puzzled expressions. 

"I sense danger approaching. The events in Alabasta may have been leaked. Stay on high alert for the next few days and watch out for any action from the World Government," Crocodile said in a low voice as he scanned the room. 

"The World Government? Could this have something to do with the Dream Exploration Team?" Miss Double Finger glanced in the direction of the guest rooms and asked. 

"I can't tell yet. Anyway, starting tomorrow, keep a close watch on this survey team. Help them finish mapping this place quickly so they can leave," Crocodile said in a low voice.

"In that case, let me handle it. I'm quite interested in their leader," Robin suddenly offered to take on the task.

Crocodile gave Robin a deep look before slowly saying, "Alright, Miss All Sunday, you'll be in charge of this for the next few days."

"Understood!" Robin replied seriously.

---

Meanwhile, in the large room where Ryuen and his group were, all eight of them no longer showed any signs of being drunk. Nami was grinning non-stop, having just won millions of Berries from members of Baroque Works.

"Crocodile called back all his top agents. Looks like he's figured something out," Nojiko said thoughtfully.

"Hmm..."

"Or maybe he's wary of us, so he recalled those agents," Hog said after thinking for a moment.

Earlier, he had been sitting near Daz Bonez and noticed how extremely alert the man was. He seemed to be constantly keeping an eye on the entire Dream Team.

"Ryuen, who do you think Crocodile will send with us tomorrow?" Daisy asked, turning her gaze to Ryuen.

"Hmm..."

"I think it'll probably be Nico Robin. She was the one who welcomed us today, so it makes sense she'd accompany us tomorrow," Ryuen said after a brief pause.

"Nico Robin is a strange person. She seems distrustful of everyone at Baroque Works," Nojiko said, puzzled.

During the banquet earlier, Nojiko had a brief chat with Nico Robin and felt that Robin was constantly on guard. Not only was she cautious around the Dream Team, but she also seemed suspicious of her own colleagues in Baroque Works.

Hearing this surprised the others. If Nico Robin wasn't loyal to Baroque Works, then why was she staying with them? This was the question everyone—except Ryuen—wanted to figure out.

"Alright—"

"Let's stop worrying about this for now. Get some rest; we're heading out tomorrow. Oh, Nami, how long until the Log Pose finishes storing Alabasta's record?" Ryuen asked, looking at Nami.

"Hmm..."

"About four more days," Nami said, glancing at the Log Pose and estimating.

"Then we've got plenty of time."

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