Outside the city, Amon stood under a large umbrella with Lily at his side, the rain coming down in steady curtains around them.
The Sand-Sand Clan children were already out in it, shrieking and splashing with joy. Given how long the drought had stretched, half the kingdom was probably doing the same.
"System, check for me. How many more do I need before I get another exclusive Jar?"
With nothing better to do, Amon turned his attention to the numbers.
[Ding! Since leaving Loguetown, the host has sold seven Jars. Three more are required to obtain the exclusive Jar reward.]
Seven.
Amon's eyes brightened. That meant the Kung-Fu Dugong had counted after all. It was significant enough to qualify. The dugong did show up again later in the story, which made it a supporting character by any reasonable measure.
Not bad.
He had read it right.
Seven down meant things were moving along nicely. Three more and the task was finished. After that, he could move on to the next stop. The last three should be easy enough. Once he wrapped up the Alabasta side characters, Rainbase was the obvious next destination. Being this close to Crocodile without paying him a visit would feel like a waste.
Robin would be there too.
He was still turning that over in his mind when a voice cut through the rain.
"Mr. Amon, I'm back!"
Vivi came riding in on Karoo's back, a small group of adults following close behind her.
Amon glanced over. King Cobra, flanked by Igaram and Pell.
"So Vivi's back. And these three are...?"
He asked anyway.
"This is my father, and these are Uncle Igaram and Uncle Pell. After hearing what happened, Father said he had to come thank you in person!"
Vivi had already told them about the Jars on the way over. So this was not purely a courtesy visit. They had come to see the things for themselves and decide whether Vivi's account held up.
While Vivi talked with Amon, Cobra and the others took quiet stock of him. Nothing about his appearance stood out. But the neat row of Jars lined up beneath the umbrella caught their attention.
So these were the ones Vivi had described.
Cobra studied them at length. No matter how he looked at them, they appeared completely ordinary. He had brought a considerable amount of berries, kept it quiet. He planned to test them himself.
When Vivi had mentioned a hidden treasure in the kingdom being targeted, his mind had gone straight to Pluton. The thing the Nefertari line had kept secret for generations. If there was any chance these Jars could produce something actually useful, he wanted it. Something strong enough to help protect that secret.
By the time he finished looking them over, Amon had already stepped forward with a broad smile.
"Your Majesty, it's an honor. I've heard nothing but good things about Alabasta's king everywhere I've been. Meeting you today, the reputation holds up."
Flattery cost nothing, and Amon had never seen a reason to be stingy with it.
Cobra's train of thought broke off. He answered with matching warmth.
"Mr. Amon gives me too much credit. Honestly, we came first to thank you. You cannot imagine what this rainfall means to the people here."
He had no intention of raising his real purpose so soon. Better to start with gratitude, close the distance a little, and bring up the Jars afterward. It would land less like a negotiation that way.
Igaram had no such patience.
He had been sitting on the question since the moment he heard about the Jars, and he let it out the second he had the chance. "Mr. Amon, can these Jars really open treasures?"
That was exactly the opening Amon had been waiting for.
"Of course they can. No empty results, guaranteed. The Rain God record Princess Vivi used came straight out of one of these."
Igaram still looked unconvinced. "Really? They look completely ordinary to me."
He had already circled them twice and found nothing unusual, which made Vivi's story difficult to take at face value.
"Of course it's real," Amon said, keeping his smile easy. "Princess Vivi can confirm that herself. If you're still not sure, buy one and see. They're not expensive."
One sale was all he needed to let the Jars do the talking. After that, the rest would follow on their own.
Pell finally weighed in.
"That Rain God record really came from one of these?"
Amon nodded. "It did. Vivi knows better than anyone."
Pell glanced at Cobra, then looked back. "Can they produce more Rain God records?"
The record could only be used once every ten days. With several of them in rotation, the rainfall problem became far more manageable.
"That should be possible," Amon said. "But even if another Rain God record doesn't come up, there are other items in these Jars that bring rain."
The customers were standing right in front of him. No reason not to keep the pitch moving.
The sooner the task was done, the sooner he could get to Rainbase. See Robin again. Take a look at Crocodile while he was at it.
Igaram caught a small signal from Cobra and turned back to Amon. "All right. I'll buy one and try it."
They wanted to see it with their own eyes. Whether the Jars were everything Vivi had said, or whether something else was going on. It was perhaps a little suspicious, but the matter of Pluton left no room for carelessness.
Amon had no objection.
Doubt was just part of the process. It came with every first purchase. Once they saw what the Jars were capable of, the rest of the conversation would take care of itself.