Scholar of Strawhat Pirates

The Strawhats began executing the operation plan that Douglas had devised to undermine Crocodile's control over Alabasta. Zoro and Sanji would accompany Vivi on a separate route. Their mission was to reduce the Baroque Works' numbers, neutralizing any agents who might threaten civilians during the conflict. Meanwhile, Luffy, accompanied by Nami and Usopp, would serve as a decoy to draw Crocodile's attention directly. Douglas, moving alone and undercover, would follow them discreetly to document Crocodile's actions—evidence they hoped could expose him and stop the rebellion, while Chopper and the Camel would stay on the Sand-Sailer to make sure that if something went wrong, they could make sure that their vehicle is not missing.

Since Douglas's identity hadn't been copied by Mr. 2, he remained unknown to the Baroque Works. This anonymity allowed him to blend into the crowd freely. He advised the others to arrive in Rainbase separately, to avoid drawing attention by traveling as a group.

Douglas arrived first. Posing as a tourist, he wandered the markets, browsed through shops, made several casual purchases, and ultimately made his way into Rain Dinners—Crocodile's casino. Once inside, he played the part of a regular customer, blending in while discreetly observing the surroundings.

About thirty minutes later, Zoro, Sanji, and Vivi arrived and began reconnaissance around the city. They quietly subdued scattered Baroque Works agents and relayed updates to Douglas through Den Den Mushi. Once Douglas confirmed the outer area was secure enough, he gave the signal word to Nami and Usopp, authorizing them and Luffy to enter Rainbase.

However, as soon as they arrived, Luffy went rogue. Claiming he was starving, he ran off to find food before even thinking about Crocodile. Nami and Usopp followed quickly, knowing full well that letting Luffy wander would throw their entire plan off track.

Fate, however, had other ideas.

Inside the restaurant they chose, they encountered two people they least expected—or wanted—to see: Smoker and Tashigi. All three Strawhats froze, their jaws dropping in silent horror. Without a word, Nami bolted out of the restaurant, with Usopp and Luffy close behind.

"Oi! Get back here, Strawhat Luffy!" Smoker shouted, erupting from his seat and giving chase. Tashigi, surprised by their presence, also stood up suddenly, her thoughts jumping to Zoro. If Luffy's here… then that swordsman must be nearby too!

The ensuing chase caused chaos in the streets—exactly the kind of commotion they had been trying to avoid. Crocodile's guards took notice immediately.

"Hmph… It seems the rats have arrived to play," Crocodile said, watching the reports come in. His officers, still present in Rain Dinners, laughed along with him. Even Robin—still going by Miss All Sunday—smiled lightly, though her thoughts remained unreadable.

"Agents," Crocodile ordered, "postpone your movements. Eliminate these pirate nuisances first. Mr. 1, Bon Clay, Miss Doublefinger, Mr. 4, Miss Merry Christmas—find me Miss Wednesday and her two companions as I seem to recall that there's five members of Strawhat ."

At his command, the Baroque Works agents dispersed immediately, fanning out across Rainbase. Only Crocodile and Robin remained behind in his private office atop the casino.

"What a wonderful day," Crocodile said with a grin. "Everything is going according to plan."

Robin smiled politely back at him, concealing her thoughts. Not everything, Crocodile.

Suddenly, there was a disturbance at the entrance.

Luffy, Nami, and Usopp had stumbled into the front of Rain Dinners while fleeing from Smoker. Crocodile quickly gestured to Robin.

"Miss All Sunday—escort them to the VIP room," he said coolly. Robin nodded and sprouted a mouth from the floor manager's shoulder to relay the command.

The floor manager then approached the trio, attempting to lead them toward the trap Crocodile had prepared—the infamous VIP room labeled clearly on both the right and left passageways. Just as they started moving, Smoker burst into the casino after them.

"Surrender now, Strawhat Pirates!" Smoker bellowed, drawing his jitte and causing a panic among the other guests.

Luffy and his crew bolted once more, causing even more chaos. In the confusion, just like in the original timeline, they were funneled into the trap Crocodile had set—a hallway leading to the underground prison, where more dangerous surprises awaited.

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Meanwhile, as Luffy, Usopp, and Nami ran down the corridor with Smoker hot on their heels, Douglas watched the entire scene unfold from a distance. He acted like a bystander—wearing a confused expression as if he had nothing to do with the commotion. In reality, however, Douglas had already begun his mission.

Earlier, the moment he entered the casino, Douglas had discreetly started planting recording devices across the building. He carefully embedded them into the floor, simultaneously reassembling small mechanical bugs to roam through the rooms, mapping and recording all available areas. These devices would gather both audio and visual data, transmitting back to Douglas in real time.

His Observation Haki had been fully active since he stepped inside Rain Dinners. With it, he quickly detected the presence of strong individuals and accurately identified their locations—Crocodile and his top agents included. The moment he sensed the agents beginning to leave, Douglas immediately relayed a warning to Zoro, Sanji, and Vivi through his communicator.

"Zoro, Sanji, Vivi—be alert. The top Baroque Works agents just left the casino. Luffy's already causing a commotion, and it's clear they've noticed you're missing. They'll be hunting you down now. Good luck."

"Could you maybe say that in a more caring tone?" Vivi complained, her voice laced with sarcasm.

Zoro just chuckled. "That is his caring tone. The more serious he sounds, the more he actually gives a damn. You should know that by now."

Douglas didn't reply. Instead, he quietly turned off the communicator, realizing that he was attracting too much attention by moving his mouth for too long without talking to anyone physically present.

Without hesitation, Douglas pulled a small smoke bomb from his pocket and rolled it away from his table. Moments later, it triggered a harmless cloud of smoke, designed to attract the attention of the Civilians, it was a diversion method.

Using the distraction, Douglas slipped through the staff corridor, making his way toward the kitchen. From there, he found a quiet, hidden spot and tapped into the wiretapping network he had already set up. He tuned in to the live feed from the room where Luffy, Nami, Usopp, Smoker, Crocodile, and Robin were now gathered. The device doubled as a recorder, ensuring every word and movement was captured and saved for the eventual exposure of Crocodile's crimes.