C189

A banquet was held for Kain in the Arubana Palace, but only three people attended: Kain, Cobra, and Vivi.

Given Cobra's character, after Vivi declared that Kain was her friend, even if Kain failed to uncover the mastermind behind Alabasta's crisis, Cobra would still treat him well as a guest.

The meat in the One Piece world was indeed more delicious—its texture and unique preparation gave Kain a different taste experience.

 Perhaps he could bring some local delicacies back for Betty or Kushina to try.

At the banquet, Cobra tentatively asked, "Mr. Pent, the method of rainfall you just mentioned—are you referring to using dancing powder? If that's the case, then I must refuse. In Alabasta, the use of dancing powder is strictly prohibited."

Recently, Cobra had tried many methods to bring rain, but most had proven to be scams. 

Dancing powder was the only known way to make it rain, but its use caused droughts in neighboring countries, leading to war—an outcome far worse than enduring Alabasta's drought. 

Because of this, Cobra absolutely forbade its use.

"That kind of thing is pure trickery. The rain I'm talking about doesn't rely on anything like that. But words alone won't convince you—let me show you, Your Majesty."

After speaking, Kain put down his knife and fork and created a Shadow Clone. The sight of this ability caught the attention of everyone in the palace; it seemed they had never seen a Devil Fruit power like this before.

The Shadow Clone transformed into a puff of smoke and flew out of the palace gates.

Kain smiled as he took out a parchment and said to Cobra, "King Cobra, it will rain soon. Once you believe it, take a look at my pricing—it's quite reasonable."

At first, the parchment was blank, but as Cobra took it, a list of services and fees appeared:

One rainfall: 20 million berries One ton of rice: 600,000 berries Other staple foods were priced similarly to rice, with fluctuations per ton not exceeding 100,000 berries 

Alabasta's biggest shortages were water, staple foods, and vegetables. When merchants transported these goods, prices were about 10% higher than Kain's offer.

The list also included a fee for dealing with pirates—Alabasta only needed to pay half of the bounty amount. Reporting them to the Marines was still an option, but Marines often didn't arrive in time.

Additionally, Kain offered recovery potions, which he claimed were top-tier even in the world of pirates. However, he had yet to test their effectiveness. 

He planned to experiment on a few pirates later—if the potions weren't as potent as in the Marvel world, he would simply tell Cobra they were out of stock.

As for the Super Soldier Serum, Kain chose not to offer it. The people of the Pirate world were built differently—practically everyone had a base HP of 1 with a defense of 100,000. 

Flintlock guns could break through their defenses, but they'd still bleed for hours and keep fighting.

Kain took out a large number of firearms. When he arrived in Alabasta, he had found a few flintlock guns and tested them out. Their power was that of a real flintlock gun.

However, these weapons had both an upper and lower limit. The most powerful flintlock in the Pirate World was likely the "Don't Move" model, a one-of-a-kind gun owned by Benn Beckman. 

With it, he had once forced a Logia-class Admiral to raise his hands in surrender.

Aside from special models like that, the standard reference for firearms in this world was the typical flintlock guns used by the major kingdoms and the Marines.

And frankly? They were weak.

A Gatling gun would be far better—after all, even common soldiers in the Pirate World had the physical constitution to handle it after just a little training.

However, modern firearms were more expensive:

AK-47 – 10,000 berries Gatling gun – 50,000 berries Rocket launchers and other ammunition – Prices varied

Cobra was stunned as he read through the list. Many of these weapons were unfamiliar to him, but the descriptions helped him understand their effects. 

However, the prices... just thinking about them made his heart ache.

Then, he reached the final commission:

"Solve the true crisis in Alabasta. [Note: This involves the secret that the Nefertari family has guarded for over 800 years.] Price: 300 million berries ."

Vivi, who had been curiously peeking at the list, gasped when she saw the number.

Her black pupils widened in shock, and the next moment, she jumped up from her chair, slamming the table.

"Mr. Pent, this is way too expensive! Aren't we friends?!"

Kain simply shrugged. "Princess Vivi, this price is already discounted because we're friends. You can ask King Cobra—aren't my rice prices lower than Alabasta's? As for everything else, I can guarantee your safety."

Just as he finished speaking, dark clouds gathered over Alabasta, the capital of Alabasta. Moments later, a torrential downpour began.

The rain poured down violently, as if a river in the sky had overturned, threatening to flood the entire city. 

However, once puddles began to form on the ground, the storm gradually weakened. Within ten minutes, the sky had returned to clear blue with white clouds.

Kain smiled. "This one's free, King Cobra."

Cobra was momentarily speechless. Then, he turned to Bell, the royal guard beside him.

Bell shook his head. If dancing powder had been used, the sky would have turned green before the rain began. But just now, there had been no sign of dancing powder at all.

Cobra took a deep breath, then looked back at Kain. "Mr. Pent, I now fully believe in your abilities. Some of the items on this list are indeed cheaper than what Alabasta can obtain. But there are things I still don't understand—such as these firearms, the recovery potions, and the real crisis mentioned at the end."

Cobra wiped away nonexistent sweat from his face. Deep down, he had a suspicion about the secret that had been guarded for over eight hundred years—but even Vivi didn't know about it. 

He couldn't be sure that what Kain was referring to was the same thing he had in mind.

"That's it, King Cobra—someone is after Pluton."

Kain glanced around the palace. There were only six people present—Cobra, Vivi, and three of the kingdom's most loyal chief guards and adjutants. 

Since they were all trustworthy, Kain spoke without hesitation.

He himself had no interest in Ancient Weapons like Pluton, Uranus, or Poseidon. After all, he could create weapons that could wipe out an island with ease. 

The most powerful railgun mounted on an aircraft carrier, combined with a few energy ships, could obliterate a small satellite hundreds of kilometers away. 

With enough firepower, he could even destroy a living planet.

In comparison, Pluton was nothing special. If he had to plan something, he'd rather aim for the Ten Tails.

Cobra's face paled. "So it's that... I understand. I understand."

He wiped his brow again, this time from genuine anxiety. If news about Pluton got out, not just he and Vivi, but all of Alabasta could be wiped out. 

A superweapon capable of destroying an island was the ultimate prize for the world's most dangerous pirates.

This secret must never be leaked.

Vivi, however, tilted her head in curiosity. "What's Pluton?"

Cobra immediately turned to her, his expression more serious than she had ever seen before. "Vivi, you must never speak of Pluton. If you do, Alabasta will be destroyed."

Startled by her father's grave tone, Vivi quickly nodded in agreement.

Kain chuckled. "Don't worry, King Cobra. Pluton may be powerful, but I have no interest in it. However, someone knows that your Nefertari family holds the key to Pluton's whereabouts. The recent chaos in Alabasta? It's all his doing. If you don't hire me—"

Before Kain could finish, Cobra cut him off, visibly anxious.

"We need you. Three hundred million berries —Alabasta will find a way to pay."

Spending 300 million berries to save the kingdom? It was a small price to pay.

However, Igaram, who had been listening silently, hesitated before speaking. "Your Majesty… the royal treasury might not have that much money available."

Cobra's brows furrowed, but before he could respond, Kain waved a hand dismissively. "That's fine. You can offer other forms of collateral—manpower for my construction projects, or valuable treasures in place of berries ."

Kain then smirked. "Actually, those guns I mentioned earlier could also be an option. They'd greatly improve your palace guards' strength—far better than the flintlock guns and swords you're using now."

Cobra let out a tired sigh. "We'll discuss that later. Alabasta will give it serious consideration."

It wasn't that he was unwilling to pay, but the kingdom's financial situation was dire. For over a year, no rain had fallen, leading to widespread famine and rising crime. 

Cobra had been spending the treasury's reserves to help his people, but even that had its limits.

Cobra needed to find a way to make up for the 300 million berries he had promised to Kain.

In this world, berries were still very useful—they could be used to purchase information or even Devil Fruits. 

While the most important or well-documented Devil Fruits were nearly impossible to obtain, lesser-known or unrecorded ones occasionally appeared at auctions.

But if all Cobra could offer were common goods, Kain wouldn't bother accepting berries , which might as well be worthless paper to him.

Kain nodded. "Alright then, let's take care of this first."

He stretched slightly before continuing, "Once the mastermind is eliminated, Alabasta's climate should naturally recover. You'll likely see rain a few times a year again."

Then, as if remembering something, he turned to Cobra. "By the way, King Cobra, I'll need you to prepare a pair of Seastone handcuffs for me. Otherwise, capturing him will be difficult."

Cobra blinked in surprise. "Seastone handcuffs? They're rare, but we do have them in Alabasta…"

Then, his eyes widened as he processed Kain's words. "Wait—Mr. Pent, are you asking for Seastone handcuffs to deal with the person behind Alabasta's drought and recent crimes?"

At that moment, Bell and Gaka, who had been listening silently, exchanged glances. They, too, realized the significance of Seastone handcuffs.

Such restraints were specially designed to neutralize Devil Fruit users. And in all of Alabasta, besides themselves, there was only one person known to possess Devil Fruit powers—

Alabasta's supposed 'protector'… the Sand Crocodile, Crocodile.

Cobra's breath hitched as he asked in disbelief, "Mr. Pent… are you saying that one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea is behind this?"

Kain smirked. "Of course. But I don't blame you for not realizing it sooner. When a strong person wants to deceive you, they always have a convincing reason for you to believe them. But don't worry—once I take care of him, you'll understand everything."

He spoke with complete confidence. The Sand-Sand Fruit? A Logia Devil Fruit user who didn't even know Haki?

Kain had more than enough ways to deal with Crocodile.

Once he captured the Warlord alive, he planned to conduct some personal research on the nature of Devil Fruit abilities—starting with Crocodile himself.