The matters concerning the rise of the Super Nova and the security of Alabasta's empty throne had finally come to a close. Some Marines were dispatched off to other islands they were previously assigned before this even became an issue, but Lu Dahn and those in G-6 were given one final assignment on Sandy Island. Upon first glance at the mission statement, he sighed in a disappointed fashion. It was true that he originally was the one who decided to take it upon himself to come to Sandy Island and stick his nose in matters that didn't initially concern him, but now he had gotten his fill of the heat plagued land mass.

Mission Statement wrote:
Voyage Name: Rush Hour [Flashback]
Location: Rainbase
Participant(s): Victoria, Lu Dahn, & Hannibal
Description: Rainbase has always been a hotspot for those who are green hearted and looking to get their hands on some Beli, but some are more green hearted than others. Lu Dahn, Hannibal, and one other Marine unaffiliated with G-6 (Victoria) have been dispatched to investigate recent abnormalities linked to the casino. Due to a large jump in the number of disappearing persons in Rainbase, the World Government suspects there's an underground ring of human trafficking that is operating with Rainbase being the heart of the illegal enterprise. These three Marines are tasked with bringing the truth to light and reestablishing soundness to Rainbase.

"Human trafficking?" It sounded like this was rearing to be more than a quick visit, but it would require some actual brainpower and work to be put into it. He had no issue with working hard, he'd rather be put to the test than given mundane work, but it didn't change the fact he'd have experienced enough of Sandy Island for at least a good year. Nonetheless, duty called and the Commodore would answer as he always would.

Black dress shirt, white tie, black blazer with a checkered pattern cutting down and across it diagonally, black slacks, and black dress shoes. With a light mist of his favorite cologne kissing his neck and his families pendant dangling angelically from around his neck, Lu Dahn stepped out of his quarters and gave a signal for his Unit to assemble itself. Currently on the Enforcer was Lu Dahn's five Petty Officers, Mica, Orson, Forde, Hyde, and Lawson, then Captain Uchis. All six operative would be joining him for this task on Rainbase whether they'd like to or not.

@Hannibal @Victoria

He hadn't been briefed on their new assignment. He was currently lost in thought as he pondered on the events that had recently transpired. Everything had come to a head and everyone was now just dealing with what was left. Sandy Island no longer was under the control of a legitimate ruler; rather they had placed a known Pirate at the top. This new system making that said pirate seem to supposedly work with rather than against the World Government. It was a bad idea in Hannibal's mind. He would though not contest or protest it in anyway, as that wasn't his place. As long as those Shichibukai didn't make things worse he was actually glad for the extra help. One of them even at this time were good in his book. They had helped in the fight against Revolutionary General Juego Patron. Ending the fight in fact due to the terrorists last ditch effort to take lives. The pains of not saving his ensigns though stuck with him. The other thing finding a place in his mind was the fact Juego Patron knew the ability of Hannibal. He didn't have this Devil Fruit mastered. He had just got it to a point where he could fight with it and was immediately sent to Sandy right after. Those terrorists had weaseled their way into Marineford, that was a fact. Hannibal had to deal with it. And at some point today he would want to share this information with Commodore Ricchi.

Hannibal would stop his thoughts and pop a small pill into his mouth, sucking on it for a few seconds before swallowing it whole. It was getting hard to take these new pills he was given. The benefits outweighed though cons however, so he wouldn't fuss to Birdal. After taking his medicine he'd stand upright, as he was previously leaning forward on the Enforcer's railing. Even though he had a assignment today he didn't have on a suit. Nor was the heat a problem for him. He opted to wearing a pair of tan cargo shorts and a white collared button down shirt, it did have the marine ensigns in the back. He kept it bright to reflect as much of the beaming sunlight he could. To keep the breeze going on as much as he couldn’t he had on a pair of sandals. He liked to dress like would before he became so cold. As he was the type to believe the rumors that swirled around Devil Fruits. That you would slowly turn into a Monster the more you strayed away from your humanity.

"So when do we head out?" Hannibal would say once he got himself in front of Ricchi. Keeping a respectful distance from the Commodore. Though Hannibal was in Ricchi's group he felt he didn't need to respond to him as a superior superior. As both did hold the same rank now. He would hover speak with respect and if Ricchi wanted to be addressed by his rank Hannibal would do so.

Hannibal was already on the deck, as was Mica who would watch as the two equal ranked Marines interacted. Lu Dahn was happy for and proud of Hannibal for joining him as a Commodore, but he was upset that he was no longer technically his superior officer, but now only the head of his Unit. Now neck and neck, if Lu Dahn slacked, he'd be surpassed and he wouldn't swallow that pill easily.

"We'll be heading out right now Uchis." Lu Dahn had taken a moment to analyzed Hannibal's garbs while the man was approaching him. He had nothing to say about them, but he knew they weren't his own style. Hannibal still wore his clothes well however.

Shortly after the four other Petty Officers came upon the deck, each of them ready and outfitted for the task at hand. "Catch." Orson had tossed Mica his sheathed katana and Mica caught it with a disgruntled look about him. "Thanks . . . but you really shouldn't be throwing stuff like this." Orson rolled his eyes and when both the petty officers checked in with Lu Dahn with their gaze they saw they were holding him up. With a small chuckle as it wasn't that serious, Lu Dahn proceeded with commanding the Unit. "Our destination is Rainbase, I'll brief you all on the way." Approaching Lu Dahn was Lawson with both the Commodore's pistol and rifle on his person. "Thank you Lawson." Lu Dahn fixed the pistol to his right hip with a holster around his waist, but hidden by the length of his blazer. His rifle was also taken and equipped by the leather sling it came with. The actual rifle resting on his back in plain sight.

"This should be our last assignment on Sandy Island, so lets make sure we see it done correctly." With that they'd move out to Rainbase and on the way Lu Dahn would brief them all. Where they were headed first was a small Marine outpost. Lu Dahn was informed he'd be meeting up with a few other Marines that'd act in conglomerate with his Unit on the investigation and he had no qualms with such a thing.

---

Once they arrived Lu Dahn would see three Marines atop of camels, one of them being Victoria and this Marine being the one he approached and spoke to first. "Commodore Ricchi. Are you three the detachment that is supposed to meet up with G-6?"@Hannibal @Victoria

That Casino was a curse and he felt pity for those in Rainbase. There was always something that went down there no matter what was done; and in many ways it irritated Hannibal to his very core. He couldn't keep them safe as he wanted. Bazil was the first who was allowed to even wound royalty in the casino, with Hannibal present. He wasn't able to stop that man sadly. Not even the second time after they met. That was the mark on Hannibal's record that he blamed himself for. As he had two chances to stop that Monster. And since he didn't he allowed that Monster to rise even to the status of Supernova.

Now there was human trafficking going on. Another Monster mostly has begun to grown in the bosom of greed. Without saying a word Hannibal did vow to make sure this was put to a stop, no matter what. He let one Monster grow but he would not let another. Adding to that he did not want but needed to save those that were made victims of this horrible act. And with Commodore Ricchi leading him and others into this he felt confident that they would prevail.

They had arrived up the river that bisected the Island and put her in two parts. They sailed up it in the middle and coasted closer to the side that Rainbase lied. They couldn't get right to the city this way, as walking or another form of transportation had to be done. Hannibal knew this very well as he had spent most of his time here in and around Rainbase. His status as a "Hero" had been achieved mainly here and with the defeat of Patron. The people knew him and he would hopefully rely on that to make this entire affair easier. He first goal was to garner information they didn't get when issued their assignment. As the vessel was pulled to a stop Hannibal would notice the other Marines that had waited for them. They rode on camels and were dressed for the weather. Hannibal himself wouldn't speak as Ricchi had already done so.

Lu Dahn gave a smile to Victoria for confirming her groups belonging in Rainbase. It wasn't often that he worked alongside other Marine Units and given the childish acts of the two who weren't Victoria he was happy it wasn't an everyday thing. While normally what one whispered to the other wasn't heard, with eyes and ears as refined as Lu Dahn's their lips could be read and their words could be heard. While he couldn't make out the whole sentence, he did decipher enough to know he was the center of the joke. "Hey! Show some respect in front of the Commodore!" Forde had called out to the two Ensigns as he stepped forward, but Lu Dahn held a hand up and shook his head in response. "No need to entertain children Forde, we're not here for that."

While it was true Lu Dahn wasn't dressed for the weather, he didn't care nor was he really too hot. He'd dressed this way his entire life and for his entire stay on Sandy Island. He'd grown accustomed to being hot and receiving looks from bystanders and catching tidbits of remarks about his attire. Did this mean he wasn't irritated with what had been said, no, he was irritated, but he made note on his mental agenda to ensure Ensign Denthead and Marco would have to revisit this occurrence and address it properly. For now though, there was work to do and as Lu Dahn had expressed, this was no time to be entertaining children.

When Marco handed Lu Dahn the paperwork in reference to the missing persons, Lu Dahn took hold of the papers and began to shuffle through them. He'd then hand the papers to Hannibal as they were of no real use beyond logging the faces of the individuals. It was highly unlikely they'd find one of these people on the streets, but nothing was impossible. Opening his mouth to speak, he'd be interrupted as one of the Ensigns that were mounted on a camel began to speak again. At his remark, Lu Dahn noticeably showed his irritation. His gun hand reflexively twitched, but he kept his composure and just laughed it off. "Good one haha. Anyways I think it'd be best if I brief you guys en route to the Casino; as that'll be the starting point of the investigation." His mind was a bit clouded with agitation at the moment so concocting a plan was a bit of a hassle, but he knew he'd eventually craft one as they made way to Rain Diners and he briefed the three Ensigns.
@Hannibal @Victoria

The utter disrespect was something Hannibal didn't tolerate. Not because of the the Rank. It was because it was directed at Ricchi himself. As if this was anyone else Hannibal wouldn't care, but Ricchi was his leader. Forde spoke the words that ran through Hannibal's mind. And the response he was given by Ricchi kept Hannibal quiet. This when he spoke to Forde and also when he spoke to them directly about their insults. Brushing them off as just jokes. Poor jokes Hannibal would add. As he was dressed for the Weather and everyone else was just in normal Marine attire outside of Ricchi. So in truth these Ensigns just tried to disrespect the Commodore.

"I recommend we leave the others to guard the ship as we make our way to Rains dinner. " Hannibal would say once he was giving the thick packet of paper work. Saying this and then walking away from where he was. Moving himself out of the sight of the three new Marines. So many had been taken, and it was sad. As this couldn't just have started. It had to be going on for a very long time. It more than likely spiking due to two things. The first being when Sandy Island had lost all control and was lawless. And the second being when the new transition of Power was done by the Warlord Diana. She was a Pirate. And maybe that was the reason those that did this felt they could do this at a increased rate. When Hannibal had spoke to Lu Dahn he had already begun to make his way through the papers as well. Name by name he memorized them. Their age and the location they were last seen also being listed. Many of them, from what he was reading, had been taken from their home. The sheer amount would make others just assume all of them took place at the victim's residence. But in this mess there were a few common places. Before he would bring anything up though he wanted to make sure he could consumed as much information as he could. His third eye aided in his swift movements through the papers. Moving away due to not knowing how the three ensigns would react to it.

He didn't mind be picked on. But, if things went south he didn't want there to be a reason they decided not to accept his help or not help him. If they showed maturity and he knew a bit more about them then maybe he could divulge his race to them.

"That's a fine suggestion Uchis." Before the group would have began traveling to Rain Diners, Lu Dahn would have had all his petty officers save for Mica dispatched to stay back and guard the Enforcer. From there, they'd proceed to the casino.

"The Casino for an array of reasons, but more specifically because following Bazil Styx' assault, there was a change in the head of security. Following this change, the number of disappearances in the area began to spike. I think it'd be safe to put our chips down on the casino being our best lead." He laughed lightly at his integration of chips into his short monologue.

The place seemed too obvious to be the hub of a market of human trafficking, but Lu Dahn couldn't think of a place any better suited for it. There were many restricted areas not even some employees could enter without the right identification and badges.

Who came into to take the previous head of security's spot was a former pirate previously known as "Blue Jam" Jenson. He had an "off the book" style of handling security matters and even hired some pirates here and there to beef up the security. Even should, Blue Jam not be their man, perhaps someone added to the roster after he came to be head of security was.


Before they even reached the mouth of Rain Diners, Lu Dahn would step off to the side of the road letting the rest of the foot traffic behind them continue onward towards the Casino. Now was time to formulate a game plan as to how they'd go about getting what information they needed. "Right now our objective is to get information on the disappearances or find any evidence that leads to Rain Diners being the center piece of the trafficking." Lu Dahn looked at the Marines he had reign over and tried to figure who'd be best suited for what. "You two . . ." He pointed with both his index and middle finger to point at both the Ensigns who weren't Victoria. "Go on ahead into the Casino and just keep your eyes peeled for any suspicious activity and heads low. Don't draw attention to yourselves. I permit you to gamble if it helps you keep a more low profile cover." Deep down Lu Dahn didn't see them as pieces that were valuable to the operation and hoped they fall victim to the kidnapping if anything, so they'd have people on the inside.

"Hannibal, if my memory serves correctly you're familiar with this area and some of the people. See to gathering reliable information from the locals with Mica." That would leave Victoria and himself with no assignment. "Using my rank, you and I will conduct an inspection. We don't have a warrant, but I have a trick or two up my sleeve that can get us behind some doors they'd rather not have us behind. Anyone have issues?"

@Hannibal @Victoria

On their journey there he would continue to flip through the papers. When they finally reached the area his mind was crammed with all the information that he had needed to assist the fellow Commodore on their joint and vital mission. Time was sadly not on their side right now. And with his orders of taking Mica given he would salute and speak. Though he was the same rank now as Ricchi he couldn't help himself. So he would try to play it off as a playful salute, even though he was sierouse when giving it at first. He was glad he was with someone. They broke out in groups of two. He did however wish he was within the group with Lu Dahn but that wasn't something he planned on bringing up.  

"Roger."

"Ensign Mica, just follow me. I know the first five areas will we begin in. Hopefully we can get some information from at least one of them. Commodore Ricchi you are in charge of this group. So is it fine if I am given a three hour window to find this information? And if I get some before that allotted time where do you want to meet? As I don't have a den den mushi to get into contact with you."

Hannibal would just need his question answered and he could move out. The time limit was something he put on himself as to get all his lazy bones into action. A sense of more urgency to get him to accomplish his goal. How he would keep track of time is the watch he had on his left wrist.

"We'll meet back here in this spot, but rather than three hours, we'll meet in two." The situation was pretty serious, so if there was no progress being made in a whole three hours, let alone two, they'd need to reassess their approach and come with something more effective. After saying that, everyone would presumably go on to handle their respective assignments. Joining Lu Dahn would be Ensign Victoria and after Denthead and Marco proceeded into Rain Diners, Lu Dahn would after a minute's worth of time had passed. Stepping passed security into the casino was done with no issues as to be expected, but going forward is where the duo could expect to see road bumps. Getting into restricted areas wouldn't be too easy of a feat and would require smooth and efficient talking and perhaps even stealth as opposed to brute force like many in this day and age were accustomed to using.

This is where Lu Dahn succeeded though. Where he was now, while his combat abilities were enough to get him through the thick of most encounters, he shined more where combat wasn't necessary. Infiltration, information gathering, deception, basically anything but fighting to get his way is what he excelled at.

The interior was gold themed with warm accents. Reds, oranges, and browns. There were a large amount of people inside gambling so it would make it easier for Lu Dahn and Victoria to blend with the crowd and be monitored by less security. Speaking of which, Lu Dahn had noticed a few members of security didn't look like your average security guard. While they wore the standard black suit, white dress shirt, black tie, etc, some of them had scars on their faces, tattoos on their necks and heads, and had scowls on their faces.

The duo would do some roving about the casino. Not throughout the entirety of the space that was open to the general public, but looking for a security guard Lu Dahn felt he was supposed to approach. It was how the Commodore went about most of his missions and of course he used his intellect and judgement to make calls, but when things came down to random choice, it was all about feeling. He liked to believe it was fate guiding his hand to make the correct decisions.

"Stick close and play along."  Lu Dahn would have began to approach a guard who was standing in front of a door a few tenders carrying suitcases had went through. The Commodore suspected this was to do cash drops, so in the event of a robbery less money was lost, but it wasn't the reason he picked this door. As opposed to picking a guard he felt he could more easily get over on, he picked one he thought had more to them than what initially met the eye.


When the 7`8 suited guard noticed Lu Dahn and company making their approach, he'd shift his body to face them, fix his stance to seem a bit more present in the moment, and raise a brow in curiosity as to what it was they were approaching him for. "Hello. How can I help you?" He spoke coherently, but he spoke with an accent that implied the common tongue wasn't his first language. "I'm Commodore Ricchi here on behalf of the newly appointed Queen of Alabasta to conduct a government sanctioned inspection of reported earnings in light of suspicions of tax evasion." The man's raised brow dropped his brows scrunched downwards instead as he scratched his head. "I don't understand . . . Who is this woman?" He looked down at Victoria with the same puzzled expression and Lu Dahn would allow her to explain her reasoning for being here with him. While he could have explained for her to ensure their story held together and was sealed tight, he would entrust her with a bit of responsibility and allow her to get some experience and hopefully she'd do well.
@Hannibal @Victoria

Hannibal would head out with the new deadline he was given. He moved with haste and some pep in his step; as he was determined to get this done in a timely manner. The streets were packed and filled to the brim. Traffic ranged from foot to carts pulled by animals. As camels, horses, and other creatures were used instead of there being one set type. The area Hannibal needed to get over to was even more condensed than the way to the casino. The distance wasn't that much different. It would take around ten minutes if there was no ground if you took the main road. Cuts and alleyways would though allow for quicker passage through the area. Hannibal was familiar with them but wouldn't take them right now. He was looking for something. A certain type of person that was usually taken.

Combing through the crow with the ensign without saying a word. He had grabbed a hat and placed it onto of his head before leaving the ship, doing his best to conceal who he was. As he was a known face here in Rainbase. Not a super celebrity but many knew he was a Marine. And that could be discouraging for criminals to act when he was around.

The amount of time that had already passed was twenty minutes. And he hasn't found anyone that fit the description that he was looking for. He was not looking for criminals but rather those that would be potential victims. Even with how crowded the area he was in was. The food stands, performers, and whatever was used to get beli was the perfect setting. The only crooks you'd expect were pickpockets. You'd never think anyone would be bold nor skilled enough to kidnap anyone in broad daylight. But with this comfort came mental slip ups that could cost you your life. Losing a friend and not thinking too much of it due to there just being a large crowd was one a lot made.