It was just that the Rain Dinners... Why did it look a bit broken, and that black part... looked like it was burned?
Sensing something, Ian turned his head. When he saw the figure appearing in front of him, a warm smile immediately appeared on his face. "Yo, Crocodile, long time no see."
"Hmph."
However, Crocodile did not seem very enthusiastic about his arrival, and there was even a hint of disdain on his face.
After snorting coldly, he took the cigar from the corner of his mouth, swept a glance over the people beside Ian and the two children at Ian's feet, and said with a trace of mockery: "Looks like you've been living pretty well these past two years. You even have two kids now?"
He flicked the ash from his cigar. "Dragging your whole family along, are you here at my place for a vacation?"
"Huh, how did you know? Come, come, say hello. This is your uncle Crocodile."
Ian smiled as he pulled his two children over and said cheerfully, "Your uncle Crocodile is a big shot on the seas; he's one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. There are only seven of them in the entire sea!"
"Uncle Crocodile."
"Uncle Crocodile."
Crocodile: "..."
Was this guy deliberately here to mock him?
Hearing Ian's words, Crocodile's face immediately darkened. But seeing the two little brats, he still nodded, then continued to look at Ian with mockery. "Looks like you're still immersed in that boring playhouse game. How disappointing."
Seeing Ian about to say something, Crocodile did not give him the chance to speak and continued: "Let's go. Just right, I still have a score to settle with you."
After saying that, he did not pay Ian any more attention. He turned around directly and walked toward Rain Dinners.
Ian did not mind either. He waved his hand, letting the already impatient Penguin and the others go play on their own, then held the children's hands and followed Crocodile with his wife.
Before long, they entered Rain Dinners, and under Crocodile's lead, they went directly to the top floor, which was also Crocodile's private, exclusive level.
Crocodile sat down directly.
Ian did not stand on ceremony either and brought his wife and children to sit down together. He poured himself a cup of tea, then, with a smile, got straight to the point. "Where's Ace? Didn't you say he was playing here? Why haven't I seen him?"
"He... Heh."
As soon as the words fell, Crocodile let out a cold chuckle, then clapped his hands and said flatly: "Bring him in."
"Yes!"
As Crocodile's order fell, a subordinate who had been waiting respectfully at the side, dressed in a black suit, immediately responded respectfully, then turned around and went out toward the back.
Seeing this scene, Ian did not say anything. Instead, he looked at Crocodile's subordinate with interest.
Back then, due to various reasons, the guys who should have become agents of Baroque Works had all been poached away by that Gini and had long since become members of the Grado security company, responsible for intelligence work in the West Blue.
Later, after some things happened, although Crocodile still stayed here, he was no longer obsessed with Ancient Weapons. Therefore, Crocodile did not form the Baroque Works, and those he recruited were all ordinary people. Perhaps their strength was decent, but compared to Daz Bonez and the others, they were still far inferior.
Before long, the subordinate who had gone down came back up, and behind him was a gaunt and pale-looking guy.
That was Ace.
However, Ace in this state... Made Ian frown.
Was Crocodile really giving him so little face?
He even abused his people?
But before the dissatisfied-looking Ian could speak, Ace, who had just walked in and seen him, immediately perked up from his pale state and said in an excited tone: "Mr. Ian, you're finally here. You have to avenge me!"
Immediately after, before the frowning Ian could ask what had happened, Ace angrily glared at Crocodile behind him, who was leisurely smoking. "This guy actually had people pee where I sleep!"
Ian: "...?"
Just that?
Wait, was Crocodile really that ruthless?
"I didn't tell anyone to piss where you sleep."
Facing Ace's accusation, Crocodile showed no panic at all, still leisurely smoking his cigar, with a ferocious grin appearing on his face. "I just told people to piss into my pool, that's all, and..."
He flicked the cigar in his hand, a trace of cold light flashing in his eyes. "I still haven't settled accounts with you over what happened before!"
As soon as these words fell, the originally furious Ace immediately showed an awkward smile, scratched his head, and said embarrassedly: "That was Princess Vivi's own choice, Mr. Crocodile. You should choose to respect Princess Vivi's decision."
"Is that what I'm talking about?"
Hearing Ace's words, Crocodile raised his eyelids and directly slammed a palm onto the table.
"If that kid wants to be a pirate, then let her be a pirate. What the hell does that have to do with me? Instead, you... You damn bastard actually dared to set my Rain Dinners on fire! If I hadn't discovered it in time, the entire Rain Dinners would have been burned to the ground."
"Ahahaha."
Ace awkwardly averted his gaze, not daring to meet Crocodile's eyes, and said with an embarrassed smile: "I didn't mean to!"
Ian: "..."
Hearing this, Ian roughly guessed what had happened.
The princess of the Kingdom of Alabasta, Princess Vivi, suddenly wanted to become a pirate, but due to various reasons, Ace ended up setting Crocodile's Rain Dinners on fire.
In the end, Princess Vivi successfully became a member of the Straw Hat crew and went out to sea.
No wonder Crocodile had people piss on Ace.
Just having people piss into the pool, Crocodile was actually being quite considerate to him.
"Two hundred million belly!"
At this moment, Crocodile flicked the cigar in his hand and looked at Ace expressionlessly. "This is my loss. As long as you can take it out, you can get the hell out!"
"Well, um, my money already went to buying a Devil Fruit."
"Then get it from your boss!"
Ian: "..."
So this is where you were waiting for me!