One Piece: Starting with Sign-in Naruto Character Cards

Hearing Marco's words, Edward Newgate's face instantly darkened.

Truth be told, back in the day, he and Douglas Bullet were absolute mortal enemies.

Before the rise of the Roger Pirates, there was once an extremely fearsome pirate crew that ruled the seas—the Rocks Pirates, the very crew Edward Newgate had once been a part of.

Over forty years ago, the captain of the Rocks Pirates, Rocks D. Xebec, had already conquered the seas.

And his crew? Each of them had an infamous background.

Of the current Four Emperors, apart from Shanks, Kaido, Charlotte Linlin, and Edward Newgate (Whitebeard) were all once members of the Rocks Pirates.

Even the only person in history, aside from Rikuya Kazama, to break out of Impel Down—the Golden Lion, Shiki—was also one of their crew.

With such overwhelming strength gathered, the Rocks Pirates were once unmatched and invincible across the globe.

But precisely because they were too powerful, the Marine Hero Garp had to team up with the Roger Pirates to take them down.

This led to the ultimate collapse of the crew, and the surviving members scattered across the world—each eventually becoming a dominant force in their own right.

So if anything, Edward Newgate should still deeply resent Douglas Bullet.

"Heh, it's been over twenty years. We're all just a bunch of old men now.

Now that you mention it… I'm suddenly looking forward to seeing him again," Whitebeard said with a smirk.

"Pops, you mean… we're going to track them down?" Marco asked.

"No need. I don't believe those two would stay cooped up in a small place like the East Blue forever.

If they ever set foot in the New World… I won't hesitate to crush them myself."

As Edward Newgate finished speaking, he grabbed the mighty Murakumogiri, his trademark bisento, and slammed it into the deck.

The impact caused the entire ship to shake violently, and many of the weaker pirates stumbled and fell instantly!

Meanwhile, back on Rikuya Kazama's side, while the whole world assumed he was headed for Fish-Man Island, he and Douglas Bullet actually set course for the waters of the Alabasta Kingdom.

Sakazuki had reasoned that the only logical path for Rikuya Kazama's ship was toward Fish-Man Island.

In the world of pirates, the Red Line splits the Grand Line in two—with the second half known as the New World.

There are only two routes to reach the New World:

Petition the World Government for permission to cross the Red Line by traveling through Mary Geoise, the Holy Land at the top. But that means abandoning your ship. It's expensive, slow to process, but safe.

Coat your ship in Yarukiman Mangrove resin, dive 10,000 meters under the sea, and pass through an undersea tunnel that leads to Fish-Man Island—a much more dangerous option.

As internationally wanted pirates, Rikuya Kazama and Douglas Bullet obviously had no chance of taking the Mary Geoise route.

So the only option left for them was the undersea tunnel through Fish-Man Island.

However, when Sakazuki's "Justice Fleet" patrolled all the known routes toward Fish-Man Island, they found nothing. No suspicious ships.

In reality, Rikuya Kazama and Douglas Bullet had, after several days adrift at sea, landed at the city of Rainbase in the Alabasta Kingdom!

Although Alabasta had many cities, Rainbase was known as the "City of Dreams."

It was also the stronghold of Crocodile.

Upon arriving, Rikuya Kazama immediately had the two crew members stay on the ship, while he and Bullet made their way into the heart of the city.

Alabasta, as a major kingdom in the first half of the Grand Line, should have boasted formidable strength.

However, the kingdom had already begun to decline. Apart from the capital Alubarna, many of its major cities hadn't seen rain for years.

Under the manipulations of Baroque Works, the people believed the drought was caused by the king's use of "Dance Powder," a rain-inducing chemical—sparking a massive civil war.

The result: a devastated nation, countless casualties, and widespread economic collapse.

Yet Rainbase stood in stark contrast to the rest of the country—peaceful and prosperous.

People there lived far better than in other cities, and Rainbase also housed the kingdom's largest casino, known as Rain Dinners.

Naturally, the casino was one of Crocodile's wealth engines.

As soon as Rikuya Kazama stepped foot in Rainbase, he immediately set his sights on Rain Dinners.

The casino was so well known that he found its location with no effort at all.

When the two arrived at the casino entrance, Douglas Bullet shot Rikuya Kazama a puzzled look.

"What are we doing here?"

"What else? We're here to gamble. Let's go!"

Rikuya Kazama stretched, then took the lead and strode inside the massive casino.

As they entered, two stunning bunny girl attendants in skimpy outfits approached them.

"Gentlemen, care to try your luck?"

"Haha, since we're in Rainbase, of course we've gotta test our fortune! Lead the way!" Rikuya Kazama chuckled.

"Right this way, sirs!"

The two bunny girls led them to a large roulette table.

The game was simple: a giant spinning wheel marked with various numbers and a pointer.

Players could bet on specific numbers, odd or even, or high or low—standard roulette rules.

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