Deep within the luxurious, gold-plated casino of Rainbase, the air was cold despite the desert heat outside. Sir Crocodile sat in his leather chair, a thick cigar puffing trails of blue smoke into the dim light. Suddenly, he froze.
The sand in the hourglass on his desk didn't just fall—it vibrated, shifting as if disturbed by a distant tremor.
"Mr. 3 has fallen," Crocodile murmured, his voice like gravel.
Behind him, Miss All Sunday—Nico Robin—raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "Oh? The wax master was defeated in Little Garden? I assumed the giants or the straw-hat crew would be his only concern."
"It wasn't the giants," Crocodile growled, standing up. His massive shadow loomed over the map of Alabasta. "I felt a ripple in the sand... a strange, foreign energy that didn't just break the wax, it consumed the spirit behind it. There is a new player on the board. Someone who deals in things far more dangerous than gold."
Meanwhile, back on the ship, Kai stood at the railing, watching the prehistoric trees of Little Garden fade into the distance. In his hand, he held a glowing vial of [Concentrated Wax Essence], the remains of Mr. 3's power.
[Ding! Soul Balance: 320 Coins.]
[System Update: The 'Starlet' Resonance has been detected.]
[New Feature Unlocked: Merchant's Fame (Level 1) — Your reputation is beginning to spread across the Grand Line.]
"Kai," Vivi approached him, her face pale. "We're heading straight for Alabasta now. But I can feel it... the air is getting drier. Crocodile knows we're coming, doesn't he?"
Kai turned to her, his golden eyes glowing with a calm, terrifying confidence. "Let him know. A merchant doesn't sneak into a market; he arrives with a roar. Crocodile thinks he owns this desert, but he's about to find out that even the sands have a price he can't afford to pay."
Kai looked at the System interface. 'System, prepare the next evolution. If we're going to fight a Warlord, I need to upgrade my Soul Blade into a Soul Scythe.'
[Warning: Evolution requires a 'Royal Sacrifice' or a 'Cursed Spirit'.]
Kai's gaze drifted toward the horizon. "Don't worry, System. We're going to a land full of both."