Night 14- His Name is Sinbad

Magi © Shinobu Ohtaka

Shahra © Me

Alozza © Darkdarling98

"Haa…haa…bro! I'm starving!"

"And I'm hot…"

"Don't complain, my brothers. Balbadd's not too far away. We'll be able to make a fresh start, there."

In a desert oasis, filled with flourishing palm trees and greenery, the SML Nando Brothers are seen walking along the sand. Ever since the fortress bandits were thwarted by the efforts of Morgiana and Aladdin, they had found themselves wandering the desert, having disbanded their gang. Now, it was just them.

In spite of all that happened, the bandit brothers still stuck together, knowing that they were all they had left for the time being.

"I heard some thieves are fighting the monarchy," said S Nando. "We can use that to our advantage."

"But first, we need to get some money," said M Nando.

"Ooh!" L Nando cried. "Look! Up ahead!"

The brothers looked to see a man in his late 20s with long purple hair tied up in a ponytail. He wears a turban, as well as some sort of headpiece that look like peacock feathers, as well as white and purple robes. Also, he is wearing a bunch of gold and silver jewelry, and even had a jewel-encrusted sword.

Right now, it seemed he was in a deep sleep. He didn't even notice the tiny squirrels and birds, sitting around him in curiosity.

"It's some guy," said L Nando.

"Ugh…he stinks of liquor," M Nando groaned, covering his mouth. "Is he drunk?"

At that moment, S Nando spotted all the accessories the man was wearing, and he smirked.

"Looks like our luck is still with us," he said, eyeing the treasures while the man kept snoring away.

XXX

Meanwhile, not too far away, our heroes Aladdin, Morgiana, Shahra, and the newest addition to their group, Alozza the "Bandit Queen" are walking along the trail. It had been about a day now since they met, and now, they are continuing their journey to Balbadd with Alozza as their guide.

"Thanks again for taking us all this way, Alozza," Aladdin said, sitting upon Shahra's back. "We really appreciate it."

"Well, you did help save a town that was in my turf," said Alozza. "It's the least I could do. Besides, I'm probably not gonna stick around for too long, anyway. I'll probably stay and have a drink in Balbadd for a few days before I head back to my part of the desert."

"I see," Aladdin said. "Still, it'd be nice if you got to stay a little while."

Morgiana just remained quiet.

"Oh, that's right!" Aladdin exclaimed. "When we get to Balbadd, you'll be taking a boat back to the Dark Continent, won't you, Morg?"

"That's right," Morgiana answered. "I also wanted to see you and Alibaba again…to thank you."

"Eh?" Aladdin muttered. "Thank us? Oh! You mean for freeing you, right?"

"Mm," Morgiana nodded. "If it weren't for you two, I would've never have set out for my home to keep my promise to Goltas. Before, I had never even considered…doing what I wanted."

Alozza stared at Morgiana sadly, having been told about her life as a slave by Aladdin.

"But now…I have the freedom to make my own choices, again," Morgiana said with a small but grateful smile. "I am truly grateful to you, Aladdin, for giving me my freedom back."

She then got down on her hands and knees, bowing her head.

"H-hey!" Aladdin stuttered. "Come on, Morg! You don't need to do that!"

"He's right," Alozza smiled. "You shouldn't have to keep bowing to someone, whenever you're thankful."

"That's right!" Aladdin agreed. "And I bet if Alibaba, he'd say the same!"

"You really hold this Alibaba guy in high regard, don't ya~?" Alozza asked in a small singing tone.

"Mm!" Aladdin nodded. "He's a really great guy, you know! I wanna go and see him, real soon!"

"I feel the same," Morgiana agreed, standing up.

Shahra, on the other hand, didn't seem very eager as the children.

"Well, you don't have to wait much longer," Alozza said before she pointed ahead. "Balbadd is just up this road. If we keep following it, we'll be there in no time, flat!"

Aladdin smiled joyfully before he looked ahead…and for a moment, he could've sworn he saw Alibaba walking up to the group with a smiling face and open arms…but then, as the boy blinked, he soon saw it was not Alibaba, at all. Rather…it was a tall man in his late 20s with long purple hair tied up in a ponytail in the back and the top of his hair styled in a long ahoge. He had two golden loop earrings…and he was wearing nothing but a fig leaf over his privates.

"What…the hell?" Alozza asked while Shahra's jaw dropped in shock.

"Hello, there," the man greeted, casually. "Nice day isn't it?"

A pause.

"WHAT THE HELL'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" Alozza questioned as she covered Morgiana's eyes and Shahra covered Aladdin's. "PUT SOME DAMN CLOTHES ON, YOU MORON!"

"AAAAH!" Aladdin screamed. "MORG, ALOZZA! BE CAREFUL! HE COULD BE A DESERT MONSTER!"

"I understand! Leave it to me!" Morgiana exclaimed.

"Whoa, whoa! Hold it!" the man cried. "Hear me out!"

XXX

Later, Aladdin, Morgiana, Shahra, Alozza, and the mysterious man, who is now wearing some very tight and small clothes, sat around a small campfire. After that little mix-up, they had just gotten through introducing themselves.

"Thanks for lending me these clothes, Aladdin," said the man.

"It's okay," Aladdin said. "I'm just sorry that not very big."

"What did you say your name was again?" Alozza asked.

"It's Sin," the man answered. "I'm a traveler on my way to Balbadd."

"Well then, Sin," Alozza began, "what in Solomon's name were you doing, standing in the middle of nowhere, naked as the day you were born?!"

"I was robbed blind by some bandits, earlier," Sin answered.

"Sorry about the way I reacted," Aladdin answered. "You see, ever since I started crossing the desert, I've been more wary about dangerous things, you know?"

"Ah, I see," Sin mused. "So you've crossed the desert, did you? How old are you, Aladdin?"

"I'm only 10 years old," Aladdin answered. "I used to live in a small town called Utan, but then I crossed from the Northern Tenzan Plateau to the Central Desert, and I saw so many amazing plants and animals during the trip! And of course, I made some new friends, too! Right, Alozza?"

Alozza smiled and nodded her head.

"I see," Sin smiled as he stoked the fire. "Adventure truly is an amazing thing, isn't it, my boy? The euphoria you feel when you encounter unknown lands and discover things you never knew. Opening new paths provides confidence, experience, and crucial bonds between your treasured friends…"

Shahra approached Sin, who reached over and gently scratched under her chin, causing her to purr softly.

"…And the result…is your own grand story! Adventures truly are remarkable!"

Aladdin smiled and vigorously nodded his head, his eyes sparkling with wonder. Sin chuckled as he reached over and ruffled his hair, causing him to giggle.

"Um…I don't mean to be rude," Morgiana said, "but don't you think we should hurry?"

"She's right," Alozza agreed. "If we don't leave now-"

"Oh, that's right!" Aladdin exclaimed. "We have to get Balbadd soon!"

"Sorry about that," Sin said before they all put out the fire and proceeded to walk down the path. "It's just whenever I talk about adventures like that, I tend to start rambling on about it."

"I know the feeling," Aladdin agreed.

"Also," Sin began as he glanced at Alozza and Morgiana, "another pleasure of traveling…is meeting pretty young ladies, such as yourselves."

Morgiana blushed at this while Alozza scoffed.

"You trying to flirt with me, you naked creep?" the former Bandit Queen asked.

"Um, excuse me," Aladdin interjected. "Are we almost there."

"Yes, we are," Sin answered.

"He's right," Alozza agreed. "Balbadd should be just over the hill."

As she said this, the wind blew softly, and Morgiana's nose twitched.

"I can smell…the ocean," the Fanalis girl said before she and Aladdin broke into a run. Soon, they made it out of the oasis…and when they reached the top of the hill, they saw it: a vast city, overflowing with people, and small islands dotting the coast. The sea flowed into various canals, which housed little boats and piers.

"No way…!" Aladdin whispered in awe.

"Could it be…?" Morgiana asked.

"That's right," Alozza answered with a smile. "Welcome to Balbadd!"

The Kingdom of Balbadd. Occupying the smallest area of any nation on the continent, Balbadd is more like a city than a county. However, that only includes the actual mainland, where its capital sits, but the nation occupies several hundred islands, both large and small. It is a sizable maritime nation. For generations, Balbadd has flourished through trade with the oasis cities to the north, the small nations to the northeast, and the central lands of the Parthevia to the west. It is a city of many people, cultures, and holds a unique atmosphere.

The group walked through the city streets, Aladdin eagerly running ahead as he looked around.

"I've seen a place so big!" he exclaimed. "It's even bigger than my hometown!"

"For generations, the Saluja Royal Family has ruled this country," said Sin…who suddenly put on a grim expression, "but ever since the king died…the country has started falling apart."

"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked.

"Just look over there," Alozza answered, pointing to a nearby street, where a bunch of lowly beggars are seen walking around. On the wall, there is graffiti that says "Down with the monarchy".

"This is one of the many reasons why I left," Alozza said. "It's like Sin said: ever since the old king kicked the bucket, this place went to hell in a hand-basket."

As she spoke, a woman is seen, holding her young son, who laughed as he held her hand while holding a stuffed animal in the other. Alozza chewed her lip before she placed her hand on her stomach.

"Alozza!"

Alozza looked to see Aladdin and others walking away.

"Aren't you coming?" Aladdin asked.

"Uh…yeah," Alozza answered as she followed.

'Damn this place,' she thought. 'Has way too many bad memories.'

Soon, the group arrived at large hotel.

"Here we are!" Sin exclaimed. "We'll be nice and safe, here! I always stay at the finest luxury hotel in Balbadd!"

"But how can we stay?" Morgiana asked. "I do have some money saved from when I worked at the caravan, but it's not very much."

"I don't have much, either," Aladdin added.

"Don't look at me," Alozza added.

"Don't worry about that," Sin reassured. "As long as you're in my company, I'll handle the bill for your lodgings. Think of it as a way of repaying for helping me, earlier! My two vassals arrived earlier, so they will help pay as well. You're all free to stay as long as you wish."

"What about Shahra?" Aladdin asked as he hugged the tigress' neck. "She's staying, too, right? I don't want the people to get scared and throw her out."

"Of course!" Sin answered. "Shahra is also welcome!"

"Yay!" Aladdin cheered while Shahra roared. "Thanks a lot, Mr. Sin!"

"Anytime," Sin answered as he prepared to enter the hotel…only to be stopped by the guards.

"Hold it, you weirdo!"

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Who, me?"

"Yes, you! What the are you doing, walking in, half-naked like that?!"

"There are kids in this hotel, you creep!"

As Sin struggled against the guards, two figures appeared behind them.

"There he is."

"Oh, good grief…what is he doing, now? That's enough! Let him pass."

The guards turned to see a young man in his mid-20s with white hair, drabs, and freckles on his face, while the other is a taller, more muscular man with red hair, pink eyes, a lip piercing on his bottom lip, and wearing golden armor, as well as a sword tied to his waist with a white sash. His face was…blank, almost unfriendly.

"Lord Sin!" the freckled man exclaimed. "Where have you been?!"

"Oh! Hey, Ja'Far!" Sin greeted.

"Don't you 'Hey, Ja'Far' me!" the man, known as Ja'Far said. "What were you thinking, walking in here like that?!"

"Okay…" Alozza muttered before she glanced at the armored man, and soon after, her eyes went wide.

'Oh, boy…!' she thought. 'Handsome man alert!'

"Um…excuse me," Aladdin said.

"Hmm?" Ja'Far hummed inquisitively as he finally noticed the Magi and his entourage. "Who are they?"

XXX

After a while, Sin explained everything to Ja'Far.

"I see…it seems our master has inconvenienced you," Ja'Far said. "Nonetheless, please leave the bill to your lodgings to us."

"Thanks, Mister Vassals!" Aladdin exclaimed.

"And as for you, Sin," said Ja'Far as he bodily turned Sin around and pushed him forward, "PLEASE do something about those unseemly clothes of yours."

"Goodbye for now, Aladdin, Morgiana, Shahra, and Alozza!" Sinbad called. "Let's have lunch tomorrow!"

"Sounds good to me!" Aladdin exclaimed. "See you later!"

As they left, the armored man turned to look at Morgiana, who gasped quietly before she looked away.

XXX

Later, in Sin's room, he had been properly dressed in some white and purple robes and red shoes.

"You noticed…didn't you, Masrur?" he asked. "That girl is a Fanalis, like you."

"Yes, I've noticed," Masrur said in an almost monotone voice. "It is rather unusual."

"To think, there were others like you, out there," said Ja'Far. "Oh, by the way, Sin! Those bandits you mentioned, earlier…they didn't steal everything, did they?"

"Yep!" Sin answered, nonchalantly. "Every last thing!"

Ja'Far's expression quickly turned to one of surprise and disbelief. He growled before he walked up in front of him.

"Are you serious?" he asked. "Not just your clothing, but your equipment, too?!"

"They took it all," Sin answered, sheepishly scratching the back of his head.

"Ugh…!" Ja'Far groaned in exasperation before he grabbed Sin by the neck and started shaking him back and forth. "Are you insane?! Do you have any idea what those things were?!"

Sin only chuckled in reply.

"Oh, calm down," he said.

"Calm down?!" Ja'Far questioned.

"I'll handle it, somehow," Sin said. "This is me, we're talking about."

Ja'Far sighed in irritation.

"Honestly," he started, "when are you going to start acting more mature?! You're a king, for Solomon's sake! Founder of our great nation, Sindria, the Great King Sinbad of the Seven Seas!"

Sin, or rather, Sinbad just glared at Ja'Far…before he punched him in the arm.

"Don't give it away, like that!" Sinbad barked.

"AGH!" Ja'Far cried as he rubbed his arm. "Ugh…if your sister ever found out about this, she'd have my head on a silver platter!"

"Don't give her away, either!" Sinbad shouted.

"What?!" Ja'Far questioned. "What are you talking about?!"

XXX

Meanwhile, Aladdin and his group had been brought to their room by a hotel maid.

"Here you are," the maid said. "Enjoy your stay."

The group all gasped at the luxurious room. There was even an upstairs loft where two more beds are located.

"WOW!" Aladdin exclaimed as he ran up to one of the beds and jumped on it. "IT'S GORGEOUS!"

"Okay," Alozza smirked. "I could get used to this."

Shahra yawned as she headed upstairs and curled up on one of the beds for a nap.

"If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask," said the maid.

"Actually, I do have one question!" Aladdin said. "Those ships that are headed to the Dark Continent…do you happen to know where one can board them?"

"Huh?" the maid muttered. "Oh! You must mean the ships headed to the south, am I right? I'm sorry, but I'm afraid that's impossible for the time being."

"Huh?" Aladdin asked.

"It's because of this bandit business going on, right?" asked Alozza.

"Yes," the maid answered, worriedly. "I'm afraid so."

Morgiana looked down to the floor, worriedly.

XXX

Concurrently, at the palace of Balbadd, Sinbad is in the reception room with Masrur and Ja'Far. Also with him is the current King of Balbadd, Abhmad, a rather short, fat man wearing a crown, regal clothing and holding a gold staff, and Sabhmad, his brother, a taller, more timid-looking man with the same style of clothing.

"Ah, Sinbad!" Abhmad spoke, albeit a bit nervously. He appeared to have a slight speech impediment, for his Ss were pronounced as "th". "Long time, no see!"

"Spare me the greetings," Sinbad said. "I only came to ask one question: why did you stop trade with my country of Sindria? And you better have a clear-cut answer."

Both Abhmad and Sabhmad gulped at this.

"Sindria is an island nation," Sinbad said. "Trade with Balbadd is crucial to our survival, otherwise, it will fall into ruin. Besides, it was your father, the previous king, who helped me, and I value our relationship with our two nations."

"F-forgive me, Sinbad," Abhmad started, "but I'm afraid that reopening trade with Sindria is simply impossible! Balbadd is suffering from internal strife, you see!"

"What internal strife?" asked Sinbad.

XXX

"The Fog Troop?" Aladdin asked. "Who are they?"

"A group of bandits who started causing trouble recently," the maid answered. "You see, at night, when the city is covered with a thick fog, this band of thieves known as the Fog Troop appears, using it as a cover to commit their crimes."

"…" Alozza sat on her bed with a glare in her eyes.

XXX

"They were once a bunch of petty thieves from the slums," Abhmad said, explaining to Sinbad who the Fog Troop is. "However, after they broke into the royal treasury, two years ago, their numbers increased. Also, they have recently required a mysterious power that has made them so powerful, not even the military can touch them!"

XXX

"They also attack noblemen and government trade ships," the maid continued. "Since they distribute their spoils to the masses, some people actually view them as heroes."

"So you're saying they're chivalrous?" asked Morgiana.

"They sound a bit like you, Alozza," Aladdin added.

"Not exactly," Alozza said. "You don't see me attacking government officials."

XXX

"The people are nothing but fools," Abhmad said as he picked his nose. "Stealing from the royal treasury only raises taxes."

"…Your reputation is horrible," Sinbad spoke.

"Don't blame me!" Abhmad barked. "Besides, the Fog Troop has recruited a new troublemaker as their new leader!"

XXX

"A new leader?" Aladdin repeated.

"That's right," the maid answered, "and ever since he appeared, the turmoil increases with every passing day."

"And just what is this man's name?" Alozza asked.

"His name," the maid began, "is Alibaba."

Hearing that caused Aladdin and Morgiana to gasp.

"W…wait, what?!" Aladdin questioned.

"Alibaba…?!" Morgiana whispered in shock.

"…Well…ain't this awkward?" Alozza asked, sweat-dropping.

"He is also known as 'Alibaba the Wondrous'," said the maid.

XXX

"Just my like that he should happen to show up!" Abhmad shouted, angrily. "And at a time like this! If I ever see his face, I swear-"

"Stop, brother!" Sabhmad cried. "Don't bring him up, now!"

Abhmad gasped as he covered his mouth.

"A-anyway," he started, "the Fog Troop's antics has made trade impossible. If you want us to reopen trade again, you'll just to do something about it, yourself!"

He then stuck his tongue out at Sinbad, who stood up and glared at the fat king.

"Then maybe I will," he said as he stabbed a dagger into the table, causing Abhmad and Sabhmad to back away in fear.

"I'll get rid of this 'Fog Troop'," declared Sinbad, "and I'll do it without the help of the military."

Hearing this caused the royal brothers to gasp.

"But that's impossible! Even for you!" Abhmad cried.

"We'll see about that," Sinbad said before he, Ja'Far, and Masrur left.

XXX

The maid had left the room, leaving Aladdin and Morgiana to think about what she had said.

"Alibaba the Wondrous," Morgiana said. "Aladdin…you don't think-"

"No, I'm pretty sure that maid got our Alibaba confused with someone else," Aladdin said.

Alozza and Shahra both stared at Aladdin.

"Aladdin," Alozza said with a serious expression, "I hate to burst your bubble…but I think you might be giving this Alibaba guy way too much credit."

"What do you mean?" Aladdin asked.

"You said you haven't seen him in sixth months, am I right?" Alozza inquired. "A lot can happen in such a short time…if you see him again, he may not be the same Alibaba you know."

Aladdin stared at Alozza before he got up and went to look out the window.

"…Even if he has changed," he began, "I still want to see him again. After all, we made a promise."

"…Aladdin," Alozza muttered, concerned. Shahra only made a worried groan while Morgiana pet her head, gently.

XXX

Back at the palace…

"Are you sure about this, Abhmad?" asked Sabhmad.

"Of course," Abhmad answered. "Trade with Sindria will never reopen. If Sinbad gets rid of the Fog Troop for us, it will only be to our benefit."

As he said this, he looked down at a piece of parchment on the table, written in odd characters…and it was signed "the Kou Empire".

Until Next Night…

Sorry for it being so short, but once again, I like to keep it a little suspenseful (even if people know what happens).

And for those wondering, One Piece Unlimited World Red will be updated tomorrow, that is as long as I don't procrastinate.

Review, please!