The Despicable Crocodile!

The Storm gradually approached the desert, with rain falling from it, soaking the sandy ground.

The enormous black rain clouds slowly enveloped the city.

Similarly, the massive Black Ship docked at the shore after the Storm had completely covered the city.

Mute Miote held a rain umbrella that was about three meters tall, standing behind Sage to shield him from the rain, while his subordinates had already gathered behind him.

As the gangway was lowered, Sage addressed the subordinates gathered on the deck: "Leave half of you on the ship to guard it, rotate shifts, and the rest take the injured to find a doctor, then... enjoy some long-awaited relaxation!"

Having been sailing at sea for over half a month, with each day spent either looking at the ocean or the Storm, relaxation was certainly needed.

Pirates are rarely the type to save money; each of these men had an average of a million Belly in their hands, so of course, they would spend it.

However, the vessel still needed to be guarded, so a rotation system was implemented, with each person taking a day at a time and returning the next day to switch.

"Ah, in the desert area, there should be good ingredients, right?" Marika said with a smile, stroking her face.

"I need to buy some materials," Renetia remembered Sage's modification needs.

Lily stood beside Sage, also sheltered under the umbrella, her left hand resting on the hilt of her sword as she gazed toward the city ahead, rarely showing a smile: "Shopping? Are we going to buy some things?"

"Exactly! Why keep a straight face every day? Girls should go out and enjoy shopping. If you run out of money, just come to me; your Captain is quite generous!"

Sage laughed heartily and then stepped down the gangway, heading toward the city.

The city was still a bit of a distance from the shore; it wasn't built right on the coast.

As he approached, the Storm that enveloped the city seemed to intensify a bit.

The remaining subordinates watched Sage leave, glancing at the Storm above that seemed to have weakened slightly, and one curiously asked a companion nearby:

"Do you think the Storm is following the Captain? We've never encountered so many Storms while sailing before, have we?"

A companion nearby stroked his chin in thought and replied, "Lord Sage is a 'Natural Disaster,' so isn't it normal to have Storms?"

"That makes sense." The subordinate nodded.

In just about ten minutes, Sage arrived at Naruhara.

"What's going on here?" Renetia asked curiously.

At this moment, the residents were holding up containers to collect water, cheering and jumping. Even the busy vendors stopped selling their goods, pulling out various containers from their homes to collect water.

Even the Commoners who came to shop were pulling out money to buy some clay pots, joining the ranks of those collecting water.

As a port city, it was also a trading city, naturally attracting nearby residents to come and shop.

"The desert country is very short on water; with such a rare opportunity, of course, they would collect water. Captain, it seems you have an unexpected effect here," Marika smiled.

"I want to emphasize again, this is the Climate of the Sea, not mine, and..."

Sage looked up at the storm and heavy rain swirling around him, clicking his tongue: "I'm really not happy about this."

Who enjoys a Storm for no reason?

Once inside the city, people dispersed; those looking for doctors went to find them, and those looking for taverns went to the taverns. Lily and the others also took a few subordinates to go shopping.

As for Sage, he wanted to enjoy the lively atmosphere; after sailing at sea for so long, he felt quite bored. Since he was going to spend money, he naturally wanted to find the best places.

"Hey, you guys..."

He instructed the few subordinates following him, "Go find a good entertainment venue, pick a good spot, get good wine, and women; we need dancers too. Since we're in the desert, there must be desert dancers, right? Choose a good location and inform the others; I want to hold a banquet here for two days."

"Understood!"

The few subordinates excitedly dispersed, even Miote, who was holding the umbrella, was making a fuss.

For such errands, Sage certainly didn't need to do it himself; he was planning to take a look around the street. However, as soon as he turned his head, he was taken aback.

"Where did everyone go?!" Sage's forehead twitched with a vein.

The entire street suddenly became very clean; the people who had just been cheering and collecting rainwater had vanished, with only a few shops still open, while the rest had closed their doors, some even boarding them up.

It wasn't that they recognized Sage; it was purely because of the Storm, which brought not only rain but also strong winds.

These were all outdoor stalls; whether it was a sandstorm or strong winds, they needed to take cover.

"The rain is getting heavier."

Inside a wall, Usopp held his hands over his head and said, "I hope Sanji brings back some umbrellas. By the way, do places like this even have umbrellas?"

Vivi thought for a moment and said, "They have sunshades."

She stared at the increasingly heavy Storm, her confusion not diminishing but rather intensifying.

"Why is there a Storm? Alabasta has never had Storms; is this Crocodile's new scheme?" she murmured.

A new type of Dancing Powder? "This amount of rainfall could very well attract rain from across the country."

A shadow crossed her eyes as she bit her lip, "Damn Crocodile!"

"Vivi, don't worry; we will help you."

Nami patted Vivi's shoulder, looking at the gradually emptying street and said, "At least it's advantageous for us now; with fewer people, no one will notice us. Once we finish buying supplies, we'll head to Yuba!"

Vivi turned to see everyone nodding with smiles, feeling touched: "Everyone…"

"Hey, look, that guy is huge!"

Usopp exclaimed as he peered over the wall.

The group looked ahead and saw a giant man about three meters tall carefully walking down the street, holding an umbrella, his steps cautious as if he were following someone rather than walking freely.

As their gaze shifted, they saw a white-haired man in front of the umbrella.

He wore a ruffled white shirt, loose pants, and fitted black boots that covered the cuffs of his pants, with a furry cloak swaying slightly behind him as he moved.

In the heavy rain, such a person's sudden appearance was indeed eye-catching.

"So much money!"

Nami's eyes lit up with dollar signs as she noticed the man's fingers adorned with gold rings and jewelry, a red gem necklace around his neck, and even the buttons of his shirt sparkling with the light of gems.

From her perspective, these items were definitely not cheap knockoffs; they were of high purity and considerable value! Looking again, "He looks so familiar," Usopp murmured.

Nami also recognized that face, momentarily stunned, "This guy…"

"Do you know him?" Vivi asked curiously.

"No."

Zoro shook his head, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, staring at Sage on the street ahead, and said in a deep voice:

"He's a pirate from the East Sea; we've seen his bounty notice. Has he also come to the Grand Line? Norton Sage."

"The one with a bounty of seventy million Belly?!" Usopp exclaimed.

"Seventy million? That's only ten million less than Crocodile!" Vivi was also taken aback.

"I'm back! This Storm is getting heavier; luckily, I bought the supplies early, and many people have started to seek shelter."

At that moment, Sanji returned, carrying a mountain of supplies on his back. After putting them down, he twisted his body and approached Nami and Vivi.

"Ah! Miss Nami, Miss Vivi, even this fierce Storm cannot extinguish the flames of my passion for you two. The fire of love can evaporate the Storm, and I have successfully brought back the things we need!"

"Idiot." Zoro scoffed.

"Do you have a problem with that, green algae head?!"

Sanji shouted angrily, then suddenly looked around in surprise, "Where's Chopper? Didn't he come back with you?"

"Wasn't he with you?" Nami asked.

"We got separated halfway. Strange, where could he have gone? Did he get lost?"

...

"Can't be cured?"

In a clinic in Naruhara, Akin grabbed the doctor by the collar, glaring fiercely, "We provided the medicine; all you need to do is treat the injuries. You say you can't cure them?"

"N-no, there's nothing I can do."

The doctor trembled in fear at the fierce face, stammering, "Their injuries are too severe; in my eyes, it's a miracle they've survived this long. Although we have medicine, I'm just an ordinary doctor; I don't have such advanced medical skills to save them."

"Quack!"

Akin forcefully pushed the doctor down, casually tossing his cane, the iron ball smashing a hole in the wall. He snorted coldly and walked out of the clinic.

Outside, there were injured men being supported by their subordinates, waiting there.

Paru approached and asked, "Captain, what should we do?"

"Find another clinic; this city is so big, I don't believe there's no one who can cure them! If they still can't be cured, we'll go to the royal capital; Captain Sage will agree!" Akin said in a deep voice.

"Then, um... do we need a doctor?"

Suddenly, a weak voice sounded from the side.

Akin looked over with a dark expression and was taken aback.

It seemed to be an animal wearing a pink top hat, standing upright in a strange manner, like a "raccoon?" Paru said instinctively.

"It's a reindeer, you idiot!" Chopper shouted angrily.

"A talking raccoon!" Paru stepped back in fright, "Is it a monster?!"

"You jerk!" Chopper gritted his teeth in anger, turning to leave.

"Paru!"

Akin shot him a glare and said, "We're already in the Grand Line; don't you have any common sense? Captain Sage said that anything unexplained is an Ability User."

He looked at Chopper, "You're an Ability User too, right? Raccoon reindeer, do you know where there's a doctor?"

"Hmph!"

Chopper turned his head proudly but glanced at the injured people, blinking his eyes, "I'm a doctor; these people are severely injured and need immediate treatment; we can't delay."

"You can treat them?!" Akin's eyes lit up, bowing to Chopper, "Please, I beg you to save them!"

Paru also bowed along with Akin, "Please, Mr. Raccoon!"

"I'm a reindeer!"

Chopper rolled his eyes and shouted, "And I have a name; I'm called Chopper!"

He took a deep breath, shot Paru a glare, and trotted over to an injured person, peeling off the bandage to reveal a wound deep enough to see the bone.

"The basic treatment is good, but just basic treatment won't help; over time, it will worsen. Let's go to the clinic; can you buy medicine?"

"We have medicine!"

The subordinates opened the cloth bags they were carrying, revealing them filled with medicine. Then, they watched as a standing reindeer busily worked, skillfully unwrapping bandages from the injured, mixing various medicines for internal and external use, and expertly rewrapping the bandages.

About a hundred people who were on the verge of fainting began to stabilize one by one.

"Alright, just follow my recipe, and here's what I made with your medicine; change it once a day, and the bandages need to be replaced with new ones. After a period of rest, they will be cured."

Chopper wiped the sweat from his forehead, pointing at the ground filled with prepared medicine, "This medicine is very effective for treating external injuries; if you have such injuries in the future, you can use this medicine."

"Too, too amazing! Doctor Chopper, your medical skills are extraordinary!"

Akin's eyes widened as he squatted down to hold Chopper's hoof, "Compared to those quacks who give up at the first sign of difficulty, you are a doctor of character!"

Chopper's face turned red, his body twisting like a wave, "I'm not happy at all with your praise, you jerk!"

Isn't that being happy? "Doctor Chopper, please come with me to see the Captain; if the Captain knows about this, he will definitely be very happy!" Akin said earnestly.

"No way, my companions are still waiting for me; I have to go back."

Chopper pulled his hoof away from Akin's grip, thought for a moment, struck a cool pose, and grinned, "I'm a doctor; saving people is my duty, no need to thank me too much."

"Oh! What a noble statement!"

Akin said excitedly, "Then let your companions come along; the Captain is going to hold a banquet, and you will definitely be approved to join. I'll go with you to find your companions and personally invite them!"

...

In a shop, Sage opened a bottle of wine, sniffed it, and nodded, "Not bad; as expected from the desert area, the quality of the wine is excellent."

He waved his hand, and Miote took out a bag of gold coins and placed it on the counter, making the shopkeeper's eyes widen in shock.

"I'll take all the wine from this shop; this is a deposit, and someone will come later to inform you where to deliver it."

"Y-yes! Customer, I will definitely deliver it on time!" The shopkeeper hurriedly flattered.

Sage walked out of the shop, glanced at the still windy and rainy dark clouds above, shook his head, and was about to continue forward with Miote.

"My glasses, my glasses, the rain is too heavy; my glasses blew away!"

In front of him, a woman was kneeling on the ground, her hands groping forward, and right in front of her was a pair of glasses.

"Just a meter ahead." Sage casually said.

The woman reached out and found the glasses, wiped them, and put them on, revealing a smile as she bowed slightly:

"Thank you very much; my eyesight isn't very good; I can't see Norton Sage from far away!"

As her vision was restored, her pupils suddenly constricted, and she instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword, drawing it out in an instant, and with both hands, she slashed forward fiercely.

Bang! A massive blade struck against the sword, sending the woman's body flying backward, crashing to the ground.

"Ugh!!"

Miote held the umbrella with one hand and drew a sword from behind with the other, positioning himself protectively in front of Sage, baring his teeth at the woman.

"Do you know me…"

Sage looked over with interest, "A bounty hunter? Or…"

"Capture the Straw Hat Kid!!"

A squad of Navy soldiers rushed out from the front, heading straight for Sage, and beside him, a figure resembling a monkey suddenly darted past.

"Daz Bonez, Straw Hat."

Behind the group of Navy, a tall man suddenly stopped, staring intently at Sage under the umbrella.

He had two cigars in his mouth, silver short hair, and a towering figure of two meters tall, wearing only a Navy coat, with a large weapon slung over his back.

"Daz Bonez," the man said in a deep voice.

Daz Bonez got up from the ground, gripping the hilt of his sword, aiming it at Sage.

"You take the men to chase the Straw Hat Kid; leave this to me."

"Understood!"

Daz Bonez took a deep look at Sage and chased after the Navy soldiers.

The man exhaled a puff of smoke and slowly said, "Today is really great; not only did I find the Straw Hat Kid, but I also discovered you. I've always wondered when you would come to the Grand Line; I didn't expect to run into you now."

"Norton Sage!" he suddenly shouted.

Boom!! A thunderclap erupted from the dark clouds above, illuminating the shadowy face under the umbrella in the darkened city caused by the Storm.

The dark clouds gradually dissipated, and the falling rain diminished until it completely stopped, revealing the bright sun in the sky, gradually raising the temperature in the area.

The dry wind rolling in from the desert blew through the streets, fluttering Sage's furry cloak and his white hair, revealing his increasingly sinister smile.

"So it's the Navy."

Two chapters combined make nine thousand, counting as three chapters; yesterday's overdue update is complete.