Chapter 260: Crocodile’s Little Darlings

In Alabasta, Crocodile sat in the underground chamber of the Rain Dinners Casino, the grand establishment he had built in the city of Rain.

The facility was lavishly constructed, featuring an enormous underground aquarium. However, instead of housing typical marine life, the tank contained a group of colossal Banana Gators.

These creatures were vicious, massive and extremely aggressive. While they weren't Sea Kings, they were even more ferocious than those deep-sea behemoths. In fact, Banana Gators were known to hunt Sea Kings in coordinated packs, making them apex predators in their own right.

Crocodile had a particular fondness for these creatures. He had personally domesticated them in Rain, treating them as his little pets.

Many of the pirates he captured ended up as snacks for these Banana Gators. Now, as he lounged in his chair, he watched with amusement as the massive creatures tore into a gigantic sea beast within the aquarium.

The Baroque Works organization, which Crocodile had established in the first half of the Grand Line, wasn't particularly strong in terms of individual combat power. However, it was vast in numbers and comprised a considerable force of bounty hunters.

After all, Alabasta could be considered a "beginner's island" for many pirates entering the first half of the Grand Line. Every year, countless rookies poured into these waters. Even though Crocodile was powerful enough to dominate the region, he had no interest in personally dealing with every upstart that showed up.

Thus, he formed Baroque Works, gathering a large network of bounty hunters to serve under him. Their primary role was to cull the weaklings among the fresh pirates. Only those who survived this initial trial would be deemed worthy of facing his higher-ranking subordinates.

And as for the few who managed to slip through all those cracks? That was when Crocodile himself would step in.

By employing this method, he had significantly reduced his workload. Meanwhile, his reputation as the heroic "protector" of Alabasta only grew.

But this was just the beginning.

The grassroots bounty hunter network of Baroque Works was gradually being integrated into Alabasta itself. His agents had already begun stirring the pot, sowing discord between the common people and the nobility, undermining the authority of the Nefertari royal family, and carrying out all manner of covert operations.

Sitting in front of the massive aquarium, Crocodile observed his "little darlings" squabbling over their meal when Mr. 3 entered the chamber, holding a stack of documents in his hands.

Upon seeing Crocodile's broad back, a chill ran down Mr. 3's spine.

He had always feared his boss. He knew all too well how powerful and how cruel Crocodile could be.

Forcing himself to remain steady, Mr. 3 quickly reported, "Boss, our casino's revenue in Rain has dropped significantly this quarter."

Crocodile remained in his chair, still facing the aquarium, his gaze never leaving his beloved pets. He didn't even turn his head as he asked casually, "What's the reason?"

Mr. 3 quickly explained, "First, the domestic situation is deteriorating. Many influential families and major businessmen are transferring their assets and leaving Alabasta. Second, we have a powerful new competitor. I don't know if you've heard of Gild Tesoro?"

Though Crocodile didn't turn around, his brow arched slightly. "A gambler?"

"Yes," Mr. 3 confirmed. "A very big one. He owns a colossal gambling ship, the size of an entire island.

"They've been sailing around the first half of the Grand Line, drawing in hordes of high-stakes gamblers. Until now, Rain Dinners was the most renowned casino in these waters.

"But with Alabasta's unstable political climate, many wealthy foreign gamblers are choosing to avoid us. And unlike our fixed-location casino, Tesoro's roaming gambling ship has the advantage of mobility. According to our analysis, that's the primary reason for our decline in revenue."

After delivering his report, Mr. 3 felt his heart tighten.

He knew his boss wasn't a man of patience, and he had seen plenty of people thrown to the Banana Gators for much less. Regardless of how valid the reasoning was, Crocodile did not tolerate failure.

However, to Mr. 3's surprise, Crocodile's response was indifferent.

"Oh? That's hardly a concern," Crocodile said flatly. "Just focus on your own duties."

Mr. 3 was momentarily stunned.

He didn't understand the significance of Gild Tesoro. But Crocodile, as one of the key figures in Claudius' faction, was well aware of what Tesoro truly represented.

After all, wasn't that floating casino Tesoro's creation?

Soon enough, it would evolve into the financial hub of CP-X. Word had it that even larger gambling ships were already in construction, vessels that would become the world's premier entertainment metropolis.

Since this was internal business within his own camp, Crocodile saw no reason to concern himself with it.

After all, he didn't rely on the casino for his wealth.

Without Claudius' financial backing, how could he have built such a large operation in Alabasta? Every year, he received vast sums of funding, allowing him to develop his power while secretly tightening his grip on the kingdom.

After a moment of thought, Crocodile asked, "What's the situation with the rest?"

Although Mr. 3 didn't understand why his boss was so unconcerned about Rain Dinners' declining revenue, he was relieved. At the very least, it meant he wouldn't be turned into crocodile food today.

Calming himself, he quickly reported, "The military factory is nearly complete, so there are no major issues on that front. However, within Alabasta, some local guerrilla factions have transformed into full-fledged rebels. It seems they're preparing for an uprising."

Crocodile suddenly burst into laughter.

"AHAHAHAHAHA… So it's finally beginning?" he said, grinning.

"The emergence of rebels means that the Nefertari family's reputation has hit rock bottom. As long as the rebel forces continue to grow, war will inevitably break out.

"And war…" Crocodile smirked. "War brings opportunity."

After a brief pause, he continued, "Mr. 3, quietly organize our forces to support the rebels. Ensure they reach a certain scale. Use the press to control the narrative, make them seem like an army of the oppressed, bravely rising up against tyranny. Do you understand?"

Mr. 3 nodded immediately. "Understood, boss."

"This is our chance to plant our people within their ranks," Crocodile said. "Make sure our agents infiltrate their leadership. When the time comes, I want to be able to manipulate this rebel army however I see fit."

"Yes, boss," Mr. 3 responded without hesitation.

Having issued his orders, Crocodile lost interest in the conversation.

Even though he hadn't once turned around during the entire exchange, Mr. 3's respect and fear for him only deepened. Without another word, he left to carry out his instructions.

Once he was alone, Crocodile finally turned around in his chair, biting down on a cigar. A smirk played at the corners of his mouth as he murmured to himself,

"When the rebels grow strong enough, I wonder… will Cobra finally beg the World Government for help?"

He pondered the thought for a moment before chuckling again.

"Not that it matters. Even if they do, the World Government won't lift a finger.

"This kind of problem… I'll let Claudius deal with the headache.

"As for me? I'll just focus on my own plans."

What Crocodile didn't know was that CP-X had already begun taking action, working behind the scenes to further destabilize Alabasta.

If anything, the World Government was more likely to make things worse than to offer aid.

Snuffing out his cigar, Crocodile shifted his gaze to the map of Alabasta spread out on his desk. A cold grin curled his lips as he muttered,

"Five years… At most, five more years, and Alabasta will be mine.

"And once that happens, the final stage of the plan can begin.

"Let's see, Claudius… just what kind of storm are you planning to unleash upon this world."