Chapter 328: Your Padding Fell Out
After another two days, Ian finally approached the outskirts of Alubarna.
By this point, the endless vista of man tian huang sha (blowing yellow sand) was no longer visible, replaced instead by a gradually bustling scene.
Although Alabasta had been suffering from continuous drought, the area around the capital, Alubarna, had always had ample rainfall. The city was originally built on an oasis, so it still brimmed with greenery. Even before entering the city, one could often see lush trees and jungles. For Ian, this was a huge relief, as he had grown tired of looking at the endless sand over the past few days.
"B! B!"
The camel, BB, also seemed excited. As Ian rode it forward, he could feel the animal's steps becoming much lighter.
Ian let the creature run ahead on its own while he shaded his eyes with his hand and looked into the distance.
The city was already visible in the distance. From this position, he could see it, but he felt he was still in the outskirts, as there were very few people around.
Just then, Ian was startled. He noticed a small building not far ahead, complete with a sign, looking like some kind of shop.
Opening a shop in this remote suburb—was the owner's head kicked by a camel? How could they possibly get any business?
"Buddy, let's go check it out!" Ian patted BB's hump.
BB nodded happily and dashed straight toward the building.
Speaking of which, Ian had noticed that many animals on Sand Island seemed quite intelligent. The camel he bought was no exception. A couple of days ago in the desert, Ian had encountered a group of moving crabs scuttling sideways across the sand. As Ian watched them in astonishment, racing past him, one of the crabs actually grinned at him!
Ian swore to the heavens—that crab was really smiling! He was absolutely certain he hadn't misseen it!
Moreover, throughout Alabasta, one could see statues of three types of animals everywhere. One was the sea cat, which looked adorable. This creature was considered sacred in Alabasta, often seen in the waters near Sand Island. The people of Alabasta regarded the sea cat as a guardian deity.
The other two guardian deities were the jackal and the falcon. Along with the sea cat, these three animals were the most common animal statues in Alabasta.
When people think of deserts, many imagine barren desolation. Ian used to think the same, but after setting foot on Sand Island, he realized it was completely different from his imagination. The desert was full of strange and wonderful animals, most of which were highly spirited and intelligent. This made Ian wonder if the animals on this island had mutated.
As he was thinking this, Ian arrived in front of the building.
This so-called building was actually a fairly large house. Around it, besides sparse patches of grass, there was a wooden frame with a water tank on top.
Water tanks were common water storage devices in desert areas, so Ian wasn't surprised. What truly surprised him was that this house was a beautifully decorated, stylish coffee shop!
At the front of the house were four X-shaped pillars, behind which were a row of brown-tinted glass windows. The entire roof of the coffee bar was a long sign.
"Spider Coffee?" Ian looked up and read the name, feeling a sense of familiarity.
Finding a coffee shop in the middle of nowhere was quite novel, so Ian decided to stop outside.
He dismounted from BB's back and faintly heard a melodious tune coming from inside the coffee bar. Intrigued, he grabbed BB's reins and walked over.
"Buddy, stay outside. Don't run off!" Ian instructed BB.
BB seemed to understand Ian's words and actually nodded.
But the moment Ian pushed open the coffee bar's door, BB bolted away in a flash!
"What the hell!" Ian turned around, watching BB run off happily, utterly dumbfounded.
"Giggle!" A laugh came from inside the coffee bar. "Don't worry, that little one has probably run off to the city. The animals in this country are all so independent. If you're lucky, you might run into it again in Alubarna City."
Ian looked in the direction BB had gone. Sure enough, it was heading straight for Alubarna—was it too impatient to wait for him and wanted to find fun in the city first?!
Unable to complain, Ian turned his attention to the coffee shop. The spacious café was empty of customers, but every table was spotless. Behind the counter, a fashionable woman with a floral headscarf, black-rimmed glasses, and a wavy lock of hair hanging over her forehead was sitting with her legs crossed, reading a newspaper. Beside her, an old gramophone played soft music, and a kettle was boiling on the stove nearby.
The one who had laughed was this fashionable woman reading the newspaper. When she saw Ian walk in, she put down the paper, pushed up her glasses, and said to him, "Customer, would you like to order something?"
"Of course!" Ian nodded. Since he was the only customer, he didn't feel right taking a separate table. He sat down at the counter and said, "I'd like an iced coffee, please."
The fashionable woman nodded without a word, stood up, took out a cup, added a few ice cubes, poured in the coffee, and brought it to Ian.
After placing the coffee in front of him, she leaned on the counter, rested her chin on her hand, and looked at Ian. "I'm the owner here, Bora. Are you traveling alone? Heading to Alubarna?"
Bora?! Ian was startled by the name. Then he recalled the coffee shop's name and suddenly remembered!
This... this Spider Coffee Bar was a base for Baroque Works!
Ian carefully studied the sexy woman in front of him. He hadn't expected to run into a senior officer of Baroque Works here.
Bora, partner of Baroque Works' Mr. 1, codename "Miss Doublefinger"! Actually, the meaning here should be January 1st, New Year's Day, because using fingers to represent that date gives two fingers, hence the nickname. This lady's real codename should be "Miss New Year's Day."
This was the unique naming system of Crocodile's Baroque Works. As a secret criminal organization, Baroque Works outwardly operated as bounty hunters, like a bounty hunter guild, but the true mastermind behind the company was unknown to anyone. The senior officers addressed each other by codenames, usually in male-female pairs. The men used Mr. + a number, while the women used Miss + a holiday. The lower the number, the stronger the individual.
In fact, looking at Baroque Works' organizational structure, Crocodile was quite a talent. This structure was very tight, and although these senior officers didn't even know who their boss was, they remained fiercely loyal to the organization.
But as the saying goes... "Transmigrators are cheaters!" That described Ian perfectly.
Even Miss New Year's Day didn't know who her boss was, but Ian did!
Ian had originally planned to go directly to Alubarna and find the Rain Base area. As he recalled, Crocodile's casino was there. Nico Robin, as his deputy, served as the vice president of Baroque Works. If he found Crocodile, he could find Nico Robin.
However, after coincidentally meeting Miss New Year's Day, Ian realized that Baroque Works was currently active in Alabasta.
Bora had opened this coffee bar here, likely as a contact point. This meant that other senior officers of Baroque Works might appear here too.
"Little brother, why aren't you talking?" Bora noticed Ian staring at her, slightly distracted. She smiled seductively, reached out a finger, and gently lifted Ian's chin. She breathed softly and giggled, "Or is it that little brother is captivated by me?"
Bora was indeed quite beautiful. If she were just a coffee shop owner, Ian wouldn't mind having a light chat with her. But knowing her true identity changed things.
So Ian leaned back slightly, pulling away from her finger, and pointed at her chest. "Beautiful lady, your padding fell out!"