Hey friends and fans! Kairomaru is bringing you another chapter of Journey to Raftel! The Straw Hats fly across the desert on Luffy’s somersault clouds, keeping up a good pace all day, despite the desert heat. As the sun sets and cold takes over the desert, they arrive at their destination, the oasis of Yuba. However, what they find there is not the place that Vivi remembers.
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Chapter 27 – The Abandoned Oasis of Yuba
As the sun began to set upon the desert of Alabasta the wind began to pick up, becoming stronger, slowly but steadily as four golden clouds raced above the sands. The travelling adventurers didn’t think much of it at first, too focused on dealing with the frigid cold of the nighttime desert. Chopper was now the one in top form, smiling happily as the cool wind whipped by, the chilly night air in the desert was reminiscent of Drum Island and its climate.
Strangely enough, Vivi was also energetic now, unlike when she’d been clearly overheating during their daytime travel. The princess was absolutely unbothered by the chill of the desert night, while in her memories she recalled always bundling up a bit while going out after sunset. She was in such a good mood in the cold of the desert that she had started using her Devil Fruit a bit, snow trailing behind the somersault cloud that she was riding as both of her hands were transformed into snow as she held them wide with a smile on her face.
Aside from Chopper and Vivi, everyone else was bundled up in their clothing as munch as possible and Nami was using her Devil Fruit, and a very impressive amount of control, to provide a small fireball to both Sanji and Zoro. The little balls of flame let off pleasant heat that both men were grateful for as they sat on their own clouds.
“So warm~” Carina cooed out as she snuggled up to Nami on the cloud they shared with the original Luffy and Reiju.
Reiju grinned as she cuddled Nami from the opposite side. “You make for quite the lovely, warm hug pillow, Nami.”
Nami, sitting in Luffy’s lap still, playfully rolled her eyes as she enjoyed the cuddles from her lovers. “Yeah, yeah, you’re all lucky that I don’t charge you.” She teased as she leaned back into Luffy’s chest while his arms gently tightened around her waist.
“Is it just me or is the wind getting worse?” Sanji questioned as the wind was still getting faster and stronger as it blew across the desert.
“We should be seeing Yuba shortly!” Vivi raised her voice so that everyone could hear her over the wind as the four somersault clouds flew over the last large—nearly mountain—sand dune.
Nami grimaced as she kept her face covered, at the very least the sand wouldn’t get in her mouth and nose that way. “I hope so! This is almost like a sandstorm already!”
“I think I have sand in my everything now…” Zoro complained over the wind. The swordsman also had his face covered to make it easier to breathe in the ever increasing sandy winds.
“We’re almost to the top of the dune!” Luffy said as he saw the ‘peak’ right before them, the four golden clouds racing up to the top.
The group crested the dune in less than a minute, but what they saw from atop the mountain of sand wasn’t encouraging. It was a rather large village, the architecture was a bit different from Erumalu, but it was most likely the town they were looking for. The buildings consisted of towers and various circular structures built upon square foundations. Posts seemed to stick out of most of the buildings and they all had large square windows or small circular ones. There were palm trees dotted all around the darkened village as well. But the most notable thing was the large swirling storm burying the village in sand.
“SANDSTORM!!!” Vivi cried out in both warning and dismay. “Yuba’s being hit by a sandstorm!”
“Shouldn’t we take cover?!” Carina questioned from her spot against Luffy and Nami.
Sanji had his heart-eye as he looked ready to leap off the somersault cloud that he was on. “I’ll protect you Carina-chwan!”
“I’m really tired of sand…” Luffy grimaced as he gently moved Nami off his lap and freed his arms from Carina and Reiju’s hold. In a blur, he vanished as he leapt powerfully towards the sandstorm howling across Yuba and then nearby area.
The Ruyi Jingu Bang was in his hand the next instant at normal size and Luffy began to spin it rapidly while tapping into the power of his Devil Fruit as he entered his half-beast form and fur began to grow on various parts of his body and his face looked a bit more monkey-like. The wind swirled around the spinning staff as Luffy grinned wildly, able to use the ‘Wind’ power of his Devil Fruit to a much greater degree than normal as he fought the sandstorm.
“What the hell is he doing?!” Sanji questioned loudly to be heard over the howling winds.
Reiju looked at the two clashing winds as best she could as sand flew everywhere. “I think he’s taking control of the wind!”
Vivi watched in almost disbelief as the massive sandstorm practically had its wind stolen while Luffy continued to spin his staff. The air shifted and the clash of the currents whistled as the sandstorm lost more and more of its force. Soon the sand began to fall to the ground while a massive cyclone of wind was twisting through the air above Luffy’s spinning staff. “Luffy…” She could barely speak as she watched Luffy save Yuba from the destructive sandstorm.
“Get lost!” Luffy laughed brightly as he shifted his grip on his staff to hold one end and then flung the tornado of wind across the sky so high in the air that not even a gentle breeze could be felt from it. All of the Straw Hats watched in amazement as the cyclone of air slowly dispersed under the moonlight until nothing was left of it.
Nami shook her head, a smile on her face. “Sometimes I forget how powerful our dope of a Captain is.”
“That was amazing!” Chopper cheered loudly, his eyes nearly sparkling at what Luffy had done.
Zoro only smirked slightly. “If he couldn’t do that much we’d need a new Captain.”
Carina laughed brightly. “Ushishi! There’s never a dull moment with Luffy around!”
Luffy landed back on the somersault cloud with a huge smile on his face. “That was fun!” His half-beast form transformed back into his human form while he shrunk the Ruyi Jingu Bang and stowed it away again. “But I don’t think this town as people in it.” He pointed out the darkness of all the buildings as Yuba was illuminated by the moon.
Yuba was wind-blown, dry, and barren. Several of the dried out palm trees had snapped in the strong winds of the sandstorm. Vivi felt her heart break even more as she saw the state of the oasis village. It had once been one of the most bountiful in western Alabasta, but now the small river that had once run through it was dry and filled with sand. There were many buildings damaged by the storm and some had been left in complete disrepair.
“This is terrible,” Zoro noted as the group looked around. “It’s almost as bad as Erumalu was.”
Sanji worried as he saw the piles of sand half-burying several buildings. “Is this oasis dead too?”
“The sand is accumulating,” Vivi’s saddened reply pulled at the hearts of her friends. “The desert is swallowing Yuba.”
“Hmm…” Luffy tried to expand his Observation Haki—like Dorry and Broggy had mentioned—but wasn’t very adept at it yet. Still, as the group walked along a single ‘voice’, strong and determined, got Luffy’s attention as he pointed down into the sand-filled riverbed they were walking beside. “Someone’s there.”
“Travelers?” The man that Luffy had pointed out guessed as he dug into the sand with a shovel. “You must be exhausted from your journey.” He dug out another shovelful of sand and tossed it aside. “I’m sorry, but Yuba is all dried up.” The man halted his digging to turn and face the group. He was an older man with a bushy, white mustache; his body was thin and weathered from a harsh life in the desert after three years of drought. “Feel free to stop here and rest. The city has many inns. We’re famous for our hospitality.”
Vivi covered her face a bit with her cloak to prevent the man from recognizing her, just in case. “Um…we heard that the rebels were here?”
“What do you want with the rebels?” The old man’s gaze hardened into a glare. “You don’t want to join them do you?!” The old man roared as he tossed whatever objects he could grab at the group.
“Hey, watch it!” Carina cried out as the various objects flew at them. It was obvious none of them were meant to hit after a moment, the items all falling to the sand around the group.
The old man went back to his digging in the sand. “Those fools have left Yuba.”
“What?! That can’t be!” The group cried out in shock.
“This wasn’t the first sandstorm to hit Yuba.” The old man tossed another shovel of sand aside. “Three years ago, the land began to dry and the sands began to blow. The desert is at war with Yuba! And little by little, the oasis is losing ground.” The man tossed another heap of sand to the side. “When the city ran out of water, the rebels abandoned it. Katorea is their base now.”
Vivi felt her legs shake even as her voice rose in disbelief. “Katorea?!”
“Wait…didn’t you say that was near Nanohana, Vivi?” Luffy questioned the princess. He vaguely remembered her mentioning it back in Erumalu.
“Doesn’t that mean we came all this way for nothing?!” Chopper cried out at the wasted trip through the desert.
“Vivi?” The old man turned to look at the group again. “Did you just say ‘Vivi’?!”
“Oh crap…” Luffy muttered while everyone—except Vivi—stared at him for saying her name so loudly.
“Is it really you?” The old man approached her shakily. “Are you really princess Vivi?”
Vivi didn’t know what this man’s reaction would be to her. “I...um…”
“You’re alive!” The man gently placed his hands on her shoulders. “Thank goodness! Don’t you recognize me?” He asked with tears in the corners of his eyes. “I know I’ve lost a bit of weight since the last time we saw each other.”
In Vivi’s eyes the weathered old man was superimposed with some girth and a rounder face. She felt tears come to her eyes as she recognized the man. “Old Toh-Toh?”
Luffy tilted his head to the side at the unfamiliar name. “Toh-Toh?”
“That’s right!” Toh-Toh nodded to Vivi with a smile. Vivi covered her mouth at the state of the man she knew as a child. “Princess, I still believe in the King! He would never betray his people!” He collapsed to his knees before her and punched his fist into the sand. “The rebellion is idiocy! Those blasted rebels! Please! You must stop them! Only you can save us now!”
“Toh-Toh…” Vivi felt her heart break at the state the once joyful man had been reduced to.
“So it hasn’t rained in three years. What of it?!” Toh-Toh sat back in the sand with a huff. “I have faith in our King! So do most of his subjects!” The man’s tears began to run down his wrinkled cheeks. “So many times…I stopped them so many times. But it was hopeless. No matter what I said, I couldn’t talk them out of this rebellion. But now they’re exhausted as well.”
Vivi felt her stomach drop at Toh-Toh’s words. “No…”
“The next battle will decide everything. They’ve been driven into a corner!” Toh-Toh’s tears flowed heavily now. “They’re ready to die for their cause!” Vivi nearly dropped to her knees at those words. “Please, Princess Vivi…stop those fools.”
“Toh-Toh…” Vivi steeled herself as she handed the old man a handkerchief to dry his eyes. “Please don’t worry…”
Toh-Toh looked up at the princess with hope. “Vivi…”
“I’m going to stop the rebellion!” Vivi declared as she pulled back the hood of her cloak and let her long, blue locks get caught by the passing breeze. She projected as much confidence as she could with her smile to reassure the man that still believed in her father and their kingdom.
The rest of the Straw Hats looked on silently. They knew Vivi was ready to do anything to save her Kingdom. They gave her all of their silent support. The crew’s gazes were unwavering as they watched Vivi pull Toh-Toh to his feet.
“Princess?” Toh-Toh blinked as his hands felt cool suddenly. Looking down, his saw Vivi’s hands turn white and then become snow. “What?!”
Vivi smiled as she let the snow float and flutter through the air in a cloud, a bucket that Toh-Toh had previously tossed at them was picked up and then filled with snow. “It’s a power that I gained while I was away from Alabasta, Toh-Toh.” She told the old man from her childhood. “With it, I’ll bring water to Alabasta and end this drought. The war will stop once the water returns.”
Nami held out her hand, her index finger pointing at the bucket as her eyes glowed a faint yellow like the dancing light of a fire. The bucket heated up and the snow filling it quickly melted into pure, clean water. “Just needs a little heat to melt first.” She grinned as the one thing the desert had was heat.
Toh-Toh took the bucket of clear water when Vivi handed it to him and was amazed. “P-Princess Vivi…” Tears of joy poured from his eyes as he held proof of Vivi’s words, of a way to stop the civil war by bringing water directly to the people. Before he could be stifled by tears, Toh-Toh wiped his eyes and smiled at his princess. “Please, Princess Vivi, stay and rest here before you continue on your way to stop this senseless war.”
In a short amount of time the group was led to an inn. The place had clearly been vacated in a hurry since it was still fully stocked with pillows, linens, and mattresses. While who slept where was being worked out, Luffy went back outside to talk to Toh-Toh. He watched the old man continue to dig for a while, occasionally getting a drink from the bucket of fresh water that Vivi had created with her Yuki Yuki no Mi powers, before he spoke up.
“You think there’s still water here?” Luffy asked Toh-Toh curiously.
“Sure there’s water…” Toh-Toh smiled as he threw aside another shovelful of sand, his thirst quenched by the water his princess had given him. “Yuba oasis is still alive. Yuba will never surrender to the sands.” He tossed more sand out of the hole he was digging. “I’ll dig as long as it takes. The king himself entrusted this place to me!” He dug up another heap of sand and threw it aside.
“Mmm…alright then!” Luffy nodded with a grin before picking up a shovel that was leaning against a nearby building. “I’ll help you out!” With that the Sun Wukong Fruit user started digging. The monstrous strength that toppled enemies and let Luffy perform ridiculous feats of power also moved sand like a machine! In a very short time the hole Luffy was digging was already a few meters deep and still growing as shovelfuls of sand were continuously tossed out.
Toh-Toh could only smile at the young man’s help as he continued digging as well, feeling invigorated by the young man’s enthusiasm.
Luffy’s shovel bounced off a solid layer deep beneath the sand a little while later. “Rock?” He tapped the point of his shovel against the stone twice.
“Hmm?” Toh-Toh’s head leaned over the edge of Luffy’s deep hole, only just being able to see the bottom and identify what the younger man had hit. “That’s sandstone, Luffy, it’s a good sign.”
Luffy looked up at the old man in confusion. “It is?”
“Sandstone forms when sand is compacted together with water.” Toh-Toh explained to the adventurer. “If you’ve hit sandstone, then that means that water exists in the area!” Or that it had existed at some point for long enough to form sandstone, but Toh-Toh was optimistic and believed that Yuba still possessed plenty of water.
“So the water is below here, huh?” Luffy grinned at the sandstone beneath his feet. He set his shovel against the wall of his hole and cracked his knuckles. With a powerful punch—a product of his wild lifestyle as a child and growing up under his grandpa’s training—the sandstone shattered like spun glass and was reduced back to fine sand. The ground rumbled slightly from the impact and Toh-Toh’s eyes couldn’t be any wider if he tried. “Back to digging!” Luffy declared and took up his shovel again. With help from Toh-Toh and a bucket tied to a rope, dozens of buckets of sand were removed from the deep hole before Luffy felt his sandal-clad feet become wet.
“Luffy?!” Toh-Toh balked as the young man leapt straight upward out of the well he’d dug and landed on the sand beside him. The ridiculous vertical jump had looked as easy as taking a step to Toh-Toh and he was certain that Luffy could’ve jumped far higher, if he’d wanted to.
“Look!” Luffy’s wide grin made Toh-Toh curious as the Captain raised his foot, showing that both his foot and sandal were dripping with water.
Toh-Toh’s eyes widened and a bright smile spread across his face. “You struck water!”
“Shishishishi!” Luffy laughed as he looked over the edge of his hole. “It started bubbling up from the sand and forming a pool at the bottom, so I jumped out.”
“A pool?” Toh-Toh looked like he couldn’t believe it. The old man dumped out the bucket on a rope they’d been using to move sand from Luffy’s deep hole. He quickly tossed the empty bucket down the hole and listened. Tears fell from his eyes when he heard a splash as the bucket reached the bottom. “You must have struck the top of the aquifer that feeds Yuba!” Toh-Toh quickly reeled the bucket back up, noting the weight, and cried out in joy when he saw the water within.
Luffy cocked his head to the side. “What’re you crying for?”
“This isn’t a mere hole anymore, Luffy.” Toh-Toh smiled up at the pirate. “It’s a well! One full of water! This proves that Yuba is alive to anyone that doubts it!”
The two men were quick to scoop out some of the cold water from the bucket and take a long, refreshing drink. Both sighed happily, the water clear and their hard work rewarded. The two spent some time just looking up at the moon together before Luffy stood up.
“Don’t stay up too late, old man.” Luffy said as he gave Toh-Toh a backwards wave before he headed for the inn that his crew was staying in for the night.
“We were about to go to sleep,” Nami told Luffy as her lover walked back into the abandoned inn. “Were you helping Toh-Toh dig?”
“Yep,” Luffy grinned happily. “We struck water and my hole became a new well.”
Vivi gasped in pleasant shock. “You dug a new well?!”
“Uh huh, Toh-Toh said we must’ve struck the top of the aquifer.” Luffy repeated what the old man had told him. “He says that Yuba is still alive.” He wasn’t expecting to suddenly be hugged by Vivi, but he returned the hug all the same.
“Thank you, Luffy.” Vivi buried her face into his chest as happy tears fell from her eyes. “Yuba means so much to Toh-Toh, to me, and to Alabasta…I can’t thank you enough!” Not only had he saved the oasis village from the sandstorm, now he’d even secured a well for it to revive itself.
“It’s fine,” Luffy smiled as he rubbed her back. “The old man’s dream is to save Yuba. I just wanted to help him.”
Carina giggled as she walked over to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Ushishi! What’s it with you and helping people with their dreams?”
Luffy smiled as Vivi slowly left his arms. “Shishishishi!”
“Time for bed!” Reiju called out to everyone as she and Nami wrapped their arms around Luffy’s and dragged him to a room separate from the large one that Sanji, Zoro, and Chopper were going to sleep in.
Vivi almost wanted to follow them, but she took her own room as well with pink cheeks, her mind filled with a naughty image—or three—as she nearly hid under the line blankets.
The Straw Hats were asleep in short order, knowing that tomorrow they had to find a way to stop the war from reaching a disastrous final battle.
-Rainbase ~ Beneath the Rain Dinners Casino-
The Officer Agents sat around a resplendent table in a fancily decorated room. They were waiting for the Boss to finally show himself and explain the operation to all of them. There was more than a bit of back and forth between them, given that they didn’t exactly get along. But there was some polite conversation as well.
“It’s been a while, partner!” Mr. 2 greeted Miss Obon with a wide grin. “You’re kept so cooped up in here with the Boss! It’s lucky that I can handle all of the assignments by myself!”
Miss Obon rolled her eyes—even the hidden third one—at her ‘partner’. “Not by choice, I assure you, Mr. 2.”
Mr. 2 waved that off with a laugh. “Now, now, Miss Obon! I’m certain that you’d love to come on assignment with me and observe my graceful, swan-like moves…but we can’t go against the Boss, can we?”
“Yes, yes, graceful swan.” Miss Obon’s exasperated tone was almost teasing as she raised her hand and it briefly turned into paper before moving and folding itself into a miniature white swan. The detail of the layers of paper and subtle folds and splits managed to mimic the feathers of the bird quite well. With but a thought, the paper construct flew around the large room once before landing in front of Mr. 2, much to the okama’s joy.
“Splendid! Simply amazing, as always, Miss Obon!” Mr. 2 clapped before petting the paper swan. “Ack! Papercut!” He cried out and sucked on his left index finger.
“Hahahahaha!” Miss Merry Christmas laughed at Mr. 2’s minor injury, slapping the table repeatedly.
Mr. 2 glared at the old woman. “Shut up, old bat!”
While the Agents began to bicker among each other again, Miss All Sunday slipped into the room unnoticed. The first to notice her approaching the table was the ever serious Mr. 1.
“I guess it was too much to expect you all to get along.” Miss All Sunday shook her head with a grin. “But that’s fine, you don’t really need to, I suppose.”
“Where’s the Boss, Miss All Sunday?” Mr. 1 questioned the second-in-command of Baroque Works.
“Allow me to introduce him to you,” Miss All Sunday smiled at the assembled Agents. “Up until now I’ve acted as both his face and his mouthpiece to you all, barring Miss Obon, of course.” She shot a small glance towards the young woman. “But that is no longer necessary. The time has come…”
The chair at the head of the table (which had been facing away from them since they got here) made a sound as if someone had just dropped their full weight into it. Naturally all of the Officer Agents’ heads whipped around at the sudden noise. None of them had seen anyone else enter the room. There had been no footsteps at all on the marble floor. Whoever had sat down had done so without alerting anyone to their presence until they’d wanted to.
“Operation…Utopia,” Crocodile turned the ornate chair around to face the Agents. “This is Baroque Works ultimate plan.”
“Sir Crocodile?!” All of the gathered Agents meeting ‘Mr. Zero’ for the first time jerked back from the Warlord of the Sea in shock. Not a single one of them had ever expected their Boss to be one of the Seven!
Miss All Sunday had an easy-going smile on her face, clearly amused by their collective reaction. “I see you recognize him.”
“Recognize him?!” Paula, aka Miss Doublefinger, burst out. “He’s one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!”
Miss Merry Christmas gawked at the infamous pirate. “That’s a big name that just showed up!”
“Don’t tell me we were henchmen to a pirate!” Mr. 2 exclaimed with a look of confusion on his face.
“You’re our Boss?” Mr. 1 questioned the Warlord flatly.
“Disappointed?” Crocodile questioned with his eyes slightly shadowed. His gaze was colder than the desert at night. Every Agent felt a chill go up their spines at that single look from the man.
“Not disappointed…” Miss Doublefinger spoke up for the group after a moment. “Just confused. Why would one of the Seven Warlords create an organization like this?”
“I’m not interested in money or status,” Crocodile lit up a cigar with a golden lighter inlaid with jewels. “What I want is military might.”
Mr. 1 raised an eyebrow at the pirate. “Military might?”
“I will now reveal to you my true aim…” Crocodile exhaled smoke into the air. “The ultimate goal of Baroque Works.” The Warlord then proceeded to tell them of his goal to seize the Ancient Weapon known as Pluton for himself, much to the shock and near disbelief of many of the Agents. “The operation begins at seven in the morning, the day after tomorrow.”
“Right!” The Agents acknowledged in unison. It was far better to be on the side of the power that, according to legend, could wipe out an island in a single shot, rather than oppose it.
“You have your orders. Complete your tasks without fail.” Crocodile stared all of them down. “I pray for you success.” The underlying threat in those words was not lost on anyone in the room. Failure would mean death by Crocodile’s hand if the Agent was lucky enough to escape their failed assignment in the first place.
-Yuba ~ Morning-
“Vivi, I hope you’ll forgive me for the disgraceful state that Yuba is in right now.” Toh-Toh apologized to the princess.
“Don’t apologize,” Vivi shook her head and gave the old man a smile. “I know you’ll bring Yuba back to life! I believe in you, Toh-Toh!” To demonstrate that faith, Vivi had spent the time right after breakfast packing every single vessel capable of holding water with snow and sealing them tightly so that no water could escape as the heat of the day melted the snow into pure water. Yuba, even as dried out as it was, currently had more stored water than almost any other village or town in western Alabasta.
“Princess,” Toh-Toh looked on the verge of tears again at Vivi’s kind words and encouragement. “Please, I’ve prepared water for your continued trip!” He motioned towards the barrels that the Straw Hats had brought with them to carry their supply of water across the desert to get to Yuba in the first place. “All filled to the brim with genuine Yuba water from the new well!”
“Alright!” Carina, Chopper, and Luffy cheered at having their water refilled.
Vivi shared another smile with the man, even as she acutely felt the rising heat of the day starting to get to her. “We’ll be going now, Toh-Toh.”
Toh-Toh waved as the Straw Hats climbed on top of the golden clouds that Luffy had made along with three copies of himself. It had certainly been a shock to see it for Toh-Toh, but after a brief explanation, the old man had simply accepted it as ‘Devil Fruit magic’ in his own mind. “I know you’ll stop this senseless rebellion, Princess Vivi.”
“Yes, I will, I promise!” Vivi waved as Luffy and his copies directly the somersault clouds forward forward and the group traveled away from Yuba.
“We’re heading north to this Rainbase place, right?” Luffy questioned as Yuba became a smaller and smaller dot on the horizon.
“Yes,” Vivi explained their route that they’d decided on over breakfast. “With the rebels on the other side of the Sandora River in Katorea, it would take too long to reach them before outright war breaks out according to Toh-Toh.” She clenched her fists at the thought of her people senselessly killing each other for Crocodile’s schemes. “So, instead of trying to get to Katorea, we’ll head straight for Crocodile at his casino in Rainbase!”
Reiju nodded and looked at Vivi. “It’s called Rain Dinners, right?”
“Yes, the largest casino in the city.” Vivi confirmed as the desert passed by while they flew along on the golden clouds. “Crocodile set it up shortly after he landed here in Alabasta.”
“Then we have our target.” Nami nodded sharply. “We’ll have to fight the rest of these Agents…maybe even all of Baroque works that’s left.”
“Scared?” Carina teased Nami with a grin, only to get a playful flick to the forehead from the navigator. “Ushishi! Guess not.”
“How long did you say this trip was going to take?” Zoro questioned as they continued to ride through the desert atop Luffy’s magic clouds.
“From here to Rainbase is almost a full day, if traveling on foot.” Vivi replied to the swordsman before looking at Luffy with a smile. “But we should get there by late afternoon if we keep up our pace.” She couldn’t thank Luffy enough for his help and the ability to travel so quickly across the desert that came with it. Her cheeks—already pink from the heat—grew a closer to red for reasons that had nothing to do with the heat.
“You’re holding up better than yesterday, Chopper.” Sanji praised the reindeer as they flew across the desert with the sun beating down on them.
“I’m toughing it out.” Chopper replied as he sat on the golden cloud. “I’m going to help Vivi!”
“Thank you, Chopper!” Vivi beamed at him. “I think this might help you with the heat.” A large amount of snow formed in Vivi’s hand before overflowing into a large snowball and she floated it over to Chopper. If Chopper hadn’t been riding the fast-moving golden cloud he’d have started doing his happy dance as he eagerly accepted the snow and stuffed it under his loose desert clothing.
Chopper’s face went from ‘toughing it out’ to a sigh of relief as the cold snow cooled him down. “Ah~ Thank you, Vivi…”
“This water is good.” Luffy slurped up some of the Yuba water that Toh-Toh had given them from the personal barrel he carried at his waist with a strap over his shoulder.
“Luffy…” Vivi called over to the man making their speedy travel through the desert possible. “I owe you more than I can say. I’m not sure how I can possibly repay you for all of this.”
Luffy looked over his shoulder with a smile. “Feed me.”
Vivi blinked at the Captain. “What?”
“After we crush Crocodile and his stupid plan, feed me until I explode!” Luffy grinned widely at the princess.
“It’s a deal.” Vivi beamed at him with genuine happiness. “You have my word!”
-Alubarna Palace-
“Silence! I said no!” Nefertari Cobra declared from his throne, the king practically radiating the aura of a wise ruler. He stood at 182cm in height and had a few wrinkles on his face, a tied-off beard, and long, curly, black hair. He normally wore a green robe with yellow edging, an orange and beige sash around his waist, and a purple coat. Like most people of Alabasta he also wore sandals on his feet and there was a necklace around his neck at almost all times. Everything he wore was made from the finest materials that Alabasta Kingdom produced, as was befitting of its king. “They hit us, so you want to hit them back?! This isn’t some squabble between children!”
“But, your Majesty, the Kingdom is in peril!” Chaka, the acting Head of the Royal Guard, spoke up. Chaka was a tall, imposing, dark-skinned man with medium length black hair and a long broad nose resembling that of a jackal. He wore a long, light-green tunic, revealing his muscular chest, and had two belts around his waist. Around his neck he had a necklace consisting of large golden beads, and he wore a dark-green coat draped on his shoulders like a cape. On his left hip he carried a massive sword with a blue hilt and scabbard.
“What of it?!” Cobra denied the man. “Are you suggesting we attack our own subjects without even knowing the cause of the unrest?!” He spread his arms wide as he spoke. “Then Alabasta would truly be lost! The people are the Kingdom!” Both of the Royal Guards standing before him bowed their heads at his words. “Ever since that Dance Powder incident, someone has been stirring the people towards rebellion. That is who we must fight!”
“But we have no idea who this person is!” Chaka responded to his King. “They hide in the shadows! We will be overthrown by them if we do not take the offensive! Sire!”
“No…” Cobra shook his head. “I cannot…” He would not attack his subjects. He wouldn’t be swayed in his desire to protect the people.
In the outer balcony off the throne room, Chaka and Pell spoke after being dismissed by the King.
“His Majesty refuses to allow us to attack. We can only fight defensively.” Pell spoke with a tone of worry. He was a tall man with a purple line under each eye that ran down the sides of his face, making him resemble a falcon. He wore a long white robe with brown star-like motifs on it and a matching hat. Underneath these robes, he was fairly muscular, and had two large, star-shaped scars on his torso. He wore a fairly large orange necklace around his neck, and also had striped socks under a pair of normal shoes. He carried his sword on his right hip, implying that he might be left-handed. “We can’t do anything…our soldiers grow restless.” The man sighed heavily. “If only Igaram was here.”
“Let it go, Pell.” Chaka turned to look over Alubarna from the balcony. “He would never betray the Kingdom. He has a plan…as does Princess Vivi.” He thought back to the simple note that had been left behind by the Head of the Royal Guard and the Princess almost three years ago.
“Well, he could’ve told us about it! Doesn’t he trust us?!” Pell questioned from his seat on the railing.
“Lord Chaka! Lord Pell!” A soldier ran up to the two men frantically. “Karoo has returned!”
“What?!” Both members of the Royal Guard exclaimed before rushing after the man as he beckoned them to follow.
A short time later and both of the Royal Guards were staring at a letter from Vivi in shock. Cobra had his head in one of his hands as he thought of the implications of what he’d read. How could this be happening?
Pell finally got his wits together after the shock of what the letter revealed. “Sire, this is…”
“Yes, that’s Vivi’s handwriting, I’d never mistake it.” Cobra had some sweat running down his forehead and face. “This…is a terrible shock. Crocodile’s treated as a Government Official because of his place among the Seven Warlords. I’d never have suspected that he was behind all of this.”
“You did well to bring us this information, Karoo.” Chaka praised the Super Sonic Duck. “Your wing is bandaged, are you injured?” He moved to inspect the wrapping but Karoo waved him away with the opposite wing and a few quacks. He would not allow anyone to remove the sign of his fellowship with the Straw Hats.
“Chaka…at last we know our enemy.” Cobra looked out the window as he spoke. His voice was firm and strong. “Ready our armies to march at once! Vivi and Igaram’s three years of sacrifice will not be in vain! March onto Rainbase! Crocodile must be stopped!”
“Sire, Rainbase is too far away!” Pell tried to reason with his King. “The enemy may not even have any intention to fight us at all!”
“The hearts of the people are with Crocodile; forgive me Sire, but perhaps even more than they are with you.” Chaka explained to his King.
“If we march on Crocodile that could incite the rebels to action.” Pell brought up another point. “If the army is marching to Rainbase then Alubarna will be completely unprotected!”
“I don’t care if this palace is taken!” Cobra stated powerfully and both Royal Guards straightened up instinctively. “The people are the Kingdom! Until Crocodile is dealt with they will never be safe! If we fight the rebels we’ll be playing into Crocodile’s hands!”
“Your Majesty…” Pell was at a loss for words from the sheer dedication in Cobra’s words.
Chaka felt his heart beating in his chest. “You’re serious…”
“Even if there is only a small chance, we must take it! Crocodile must die!” Cobra had a thunderous expression on his face. It was the look of a king ready to go to war. “Chaka! Summon my officers and devise a plan of attack! Pell, go on ahead and scout the enemy’s position!”
“But Sire,” Chaka worried for his King. “Your condition…you shouldn’t join this campaign!”
“While I can still move, I will fight for my people!” Cobra wouldn’t hear of any complaints. His sickness may have robbed him of the strength he’d had in his youth, but he was still the king! “We march at dawn! Send every last soldier to Rainbase!”
“Yes, Sire!” Chaka and Pell both kneeled and bowed their heads. Truly Nefertari Cobra was a king worth following. A leader worth risking one’s very life for!
‘I pray that these friends that Vivi has brought to aid us can make a difference.’ Cobra thought to himself as Pell and Chaka left to fulfill their orders. His eyes once more reading over the letter that describe this group of ‘Adventurers’ that Vivi had made friends with…and of the incredible powers they possessed.
-End Chapter-
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Yuba was being wrecked by a powerful sandstorm, but Luffy was tired of sand. In true Sun Wukong fashion, if he doesn’t like something, he makes it go away with his ridiculous magical power! So, Luffy took the wind from the sandstorm and then threw it across the sky! Kek!
Toh-Toh informs the group that the rebels relocated to Katorea…WAY back in the opposite direction from where they started! But the old man still believes in the king! Yuba will survive! It will never give into the sand! His belief further strengthens Vivi’s resolve and she shows off a bit of her Devil Fruit power.
Luffy helps Toh-Toh dig a new well, reaching the top of the aquifer beneath Yuba in only a couple of hours! The new well is hope for Yuba to revive. Vivi then fills up all of Yuba’s water vessels with heavily packed snow, giving the sand-covered oasis more stored water than practically anywhere else in western Alabasta!
Me thinks that power could very well play a role in this upcoming conflict!
With Luffy’s somersault clouds carrying the Straw Hats across the desert so swiftly, they’ll arrive in Rainbase the same day, rather than the next morning! Will the moved-up timetable affect Baroque Works plans to complete Operation Utopia?
Keep reading to find out!
Until next time, later!