Coco: Hey, guys, it's been a while. I'm sorry for the wait. I meant to work on all my stories last week while I was on vacation, but...I was super lazy and did nothing. I'm sorry. I was just enjoying not having to worry about anything and sleeping in for once and all that other stuff. But I hope you will forgive me~

Anyway, not much to say today and I'm kind of in a hurry because I need to get ready for work. So...enjoy!


Wren walked near the back of the group as they started their trek into the dessert. She was looking over the map that Vivi had been showing them on the ship earlier.

'It would seem as if Yuba in halfway to Rainbase from here.' She thought to herself. 'Perhaps I will travel to Yuba with them, but break off from there. Though if I can manage a flight spell of some kind, I might break off sooner. I am quite good and levitating myself upwards, but an actual flight? I am not so sure…'

She hummed in thought as she continued to study the map. Though she glanced up when Nami fell back into step with her.

"Something wrong, Wren?" Nami asked. "Still thinking about the information, you received about the rebels possibly having moved on from Yuba?"

Wren's brow quirked at how Nami quickly put together her concerns. Though the girl has already proven to be quite sharp, and it was the logical deduction.

"Yes," Wren answered honestly. "This trek to Yuba seems pointless, and I am not fond of pointless effort."

Nami didn't reply at first as she tilted her head at Wren as if to study her for a moment.

"I can understand where you're coming from." Nami said. "But Vivi's just worried about her people. She doesn't want anyone hurt."

"I am aware," Wren said though not unkindly. "However, it's naïve to think no one will spill any blood on this crusade. Whether it be ours, our opponents', or even her people's blood. If she wants to save any entire country, she has to take risks, and not just risks that only put her in the line of fire."

Nami couldn't disagree with that. She's noticed how all of Vivi's choices are the safe ones. The ones that don't involve anyone getting hurt, and if anyone does get hurt…she wants it too only be herself.

"Carrying all the burden herself will be her downfall." Wren continued. "It's pointless to form alliances if you aren't even going to use them to their full extent. Though out of respect for her feelings, I am trying not to push too much."

Vivi was just a child in Wren's eyes. She's got a strong will that's for sure. However, she hasn't been exposed to any real darkness. Not yet, which is why she makes just safe decisions and actions when it isn't the time for them. Sometimes to achieve goals, sacrifices have to be made. Even if only small ones, like letting the rebels begin their war, so they could focus on the source of the problem—Crocodile.

"Wren, I can tell defeating Crocodile is important to you." Nami spoke up. "And all we really know is that you're trying to stop him from getting his hands on some kind of weapon…but it's more than that, isn't it?"

Wren sighed knowing the crew was curious and wanted to know more behind Wren's reasoning. She didn't want to share more than she had to. After taking care of Crocodile, she will probably never see these rookies ever again, and Wren wanted to keep things that way. The less they were involved with her the better…for their own sakes.

"If Crocodile falls into power here in Alabasta, I know for a fact a much scarier and more powerful person is waiting to swoop in from the shadows to take that power for themselves." Wren said. "And if they get their hands on the weapon Crocodile is after…I will never be able to fulfill my promise."

She left things at that with Nami giving her a look of concern. Though Nami didn't pry as she looked forward and noticed the others had stopped on the sand dune in front of them. She and Wren joined the others while looking into the abandoned city that was mostly buried in sand.

"What's this?" Sanji asked.

"Are we in Yuba already?" Luffy asked.

"No…this is Erumalu." Vivi said. "It was known far and wide as the city of green."

Wren looked around guessing all the green dried and shriveled up a long time ago. It was nothing more than sand and ruins now.

"It was green?" Luffy asked.

Vivi turned to face her companions as they continued to look at the city of ruins in front of them.

"Take a good look around, everyone." Vivi said. "This is what Baroque Works has been doing to my country. The people of Alabasta…this is what they have had to go through."

Wren's indifferent expression didn't change as she continued to look around. Though the others looked awed yet bothered as they looked at the landscape. Wren wasn't completely unsympathetic. It was just that she's seen places like this so many times, and has dealt with men like Crocodile nearly her entire life that she doesn't blink at such sights like this anymore. She has become numb to such things.

"Whoa, there's nothing here at all anymore, huh?" Luffy asked as the group started moving again.

"No, it's nothing but a ghost town now." Vivi said. "Up until a few short years ago it was a thriving city full of gardens, palm trees, and lush greenery."

Zoro paused by a palm tree to lightly kick the bottom of its drunk, and it instantly crumbled at the light touch.

"This place?" He asked disbelieving.

"Rain was always scarce here, but by saving every last drop of water and using it wisely, the city was able to make the foliage flourish." Vivi explained. "Unfortunately, that stopped when the rain did. Not a single drop of water has fallen in any part of this country for three years now."

"Three years?" Sanji asked in surprise.

"Wow, that long?" Chopper asked.

Of course, rain didn't really fall that much in Drum King either, but snow was plentiful, and it was just frozen rain.

"But wait, even without rain, there was still the river as another water source." Zoro pointed out.

"And it's close." Usopp added. "Why couldn't they just pipe the water in from over there?"

"The answer to that is just up ahead." Vivi replied.

Some of the others gave her slightly confused looks though followed after her as she kept walking.

"Even though it's a desert kingdom, never in the thousands of years of Alabasta's history has the rain ever just stopped completely." Vivi kept speaking. "However, there was one place in the country where the rain fell more than usual. Most more in fact. Alabarna the capital. The city where the king's palace was located."

Wren had heard of this by listening into the conversations of the royals she has met in her life. It wasn't hard to considering that she accompanied Doflamingo to Levely before. It had been a good way to gather information about the other kingdoms, so of course she stored as much information as she could during that time. She also heard about something else that happened a few years back. It was a big scandal that all the kingdoms heard about even the ones in the New World, so Dressrosa was not an exception.

"The people of the land called it the king's miracle." Vivi said. "At least they did until one particular day."

"You're talking about the day that dance powder was brought to this kingdom on a ship." Wren said.

Vivi's eyes widened as she looked towards Wren. Even though Vivi was surprised she did nod her head.

"Dance powder?" Nami asked.

"Oh, you know about it?" Luffy asked.

"I sure have." Nami said. "It summons rain."

"It also happens to be highly illegal to own said powder." Wren added.

Usopp and Chopper blinked curiously as they wondered why powder that could summon rain would be illegal. It was honestly a bit baffling that it could summon rain in the first place.

"How can powder summon rain?" Chopper asked.

Nami took a moment to explain how dance powder works as the group continued walking. Nami explained that to use the powder it must be burned into the atmosphere, and after some chemical reaction that it caused the clouds to rain.

"Oh, I know what you're talking about." Luffy said. "I've seen that stuff before. I ate some awhile back. It tasted pretty gross though. Yuck."

Wren shook her head as she wondered if Luffy would just shove anything into his mouth. Beside her, Ace chuckled because that sounded like his brother.

"You ate dance powder?" Nami asked sounding disbelieving as she walked by Luffy.

"It's not even food." Zoro added as he walked by as well. "It's for making rain."

Luffy started throwing a tantrum when he realized his crewmates didn't believe him. However, they didn't listen to him as they kept walking.

"Hang on, I don't get it." Usopp said. "Wouldn't that stuff be perfect for a desert country like this?"

"Well, technically yes." Wren answered. "However, I did mention it was illegal to own, which also means illegal to use. Of course, there is a very good reason for that. To put it in simple terms, dance powder doesn't just create rain. It steals it from other countries by maturing rain clouds that were hanging thin over a country such as this to make it rain, which means the cloud that would have matured into a rain cloud for another country to have fresh rain water won't since it had been forced into use for that dry country. So, in the end, while you supply water to one country, another will suffer from drought."

Usopp made an "ah" sound of understanding, and could now understand why dance powder would be illegal.

"That must have caused some major problems." Usopp said.

"Oh, it did." Nami said. "A war broke out between the neighboring countries. Ever since then the World Government has instituted a worldwide ban on the production and possession of dance powder."

Wren was sure that if the Tenryuubito took a liking to it though that the ban would be revoked, or a special rule would be added to allow the Tenryuubito to get what they want.

"Even so, some of it managed to show up here, huh?" Usopp asked.

"When it happened, the country had been experiencing strange weather." Vivi said. "There had been no rain. Not a single drop had fallen anywhere except one place. And that was the capital."

Yes, Wren had heard all about it. How the people became angered, and how they all blamed their king for the lack of rain in other parts of the country.

"Vivi, that means your dad is the bad guy here!" Luffy exclaimed as he pointed at Vivi.

His accusation got him a kick on the head from Sanji. Actually, multiple kicks on the head as Sanji berated him for accusing Vivi's father.

"Of course, my father didn't have anything to do with it…he was innocent." Vivi said. "Unfortunately, a large amount of dance powder was discovered in his palace shortly thereafter."

"Hmm, it seems as if Crocodile planned well." Wren commented as she kept walking. "First, he plants a seed of distrust amongst the citizens of Alabasta by bringing dance powder to this kingdom. Of course, he had to have started his plan long before then to get someone into the palace to plant even more dance powder within the palace walls. Not only that, but he did this as well."

The others looked at Wren curiously as she stopped walking. She crouched down on what looked like a road as the others stropped behind her. She then touched the ground that was bone dry with an unreadable expression on her face.

"What are you talking about, Wren?" Zoro asked.

"This looks to be a dried-up canal." Wren said as she stood. "Also, Vivi did mention earlier that the answer as to why the citizens didn't have a canal from here to the river would be answered up ahead. I am assuming this is what she meant."

"Yes, you're right." Vivi said nodding. "This once had been a canal until someone destroyed it."

Crocodile really was making it difficult on these people just to make them distrust their king. And making their suffering last three years seemed cruel, but he wasn't the first man to ever do such a thing. If he just wanted the throne, why make himself wait so long to obtain it? Wren had a feeling that if he had tried to make a move for it a bit sooner that the people would have happily tried to make him king.

'Though it may be because he hasn't found his prize yet,' Wren thought. 'Which is good. It means I have more time to find the weapon before he does.'

Wren was brought out of her thoughts when a wind howled through the ruined city. She and the others looked around while noticing that the howling wind almost sounded like a voice.

"What is that?" Nami asked.

Wren narrowed her eyes not sensing any living beings around beside themselves. However, this wind even put her slightly on edge.

"Is it the rebels?" Chopper asked.

"Or more of those freaks from Baroque Works?" Usopp asked. "Oh, no."

Wren just continued to stand there as the howling wind continued to dance around the ruins.

"No, it's just wind." Ace said.

"It sounds like a voice, right?" Luffy asked

"It does, but it's still just the wind." Wren said. "There's nothing to worry about."

Usopp was still nervous, and looked around as if expecting some kind of enemy to jump out at them at any moment.

"It's as Wren said." Ace said. "There's no danger. It's just the wind blowing around the town. Echoing off the old buildings."

Wren then sensed as if something was coming though not human, which had her frowning lightly. She started walking forward with her hand resting against the hilt of her sword.

"Wren-chan, what is it?" Sanji asked.

Wren didn't reply at first as she continued looking forward. Something was definitely coming…yet it wasn't human yet she felt as if there was something human about it.

"It's nothing serious." Wren said. "However, there is something I wish to check out. I will meet you at the edge of the city."

She then jogged forward while ignoring how Usopp and Nami yelled at her to come back. She made it rather far from the group while not exactly sure what she was looking for. What she did know though was that it was getting closer. Wren finally came to a stop when a small sand twister was heading right towards her, and whatever she was sensing seemed to come from it.

She stood still letting the twister hit her. It didn't hurt her at all, but she felt as if something about it was odd. She opened her visible eye, and as she did, she could have sworn she saw some kind of hand and arm outlined in the sand. It went on by her as she stood there with slightly wide eyes.

"What was that?" She asked as she looked back to watch it go. "…Crocodile?"


Wren walked silently with the others as they traveled across the desert. She was deep in thought while thinking back to that small sand tornado. That shape she saw in the sand…it was definitely a human outline, and there's only one person she knows who controls sand. Wren came out of her thoughts when she heard Chopper, who was in his heavy point, and Usopp's raised voices. She looked back at them while wondering what was wrong with them. Zoro then got involved while forcing Chopper to shrink back down.

"You all need to stop the fussing and conserve your energy." Wren chided as she gave them a stern look. "We still have a lot of desert to cross, and over exerting yourselves isn't going to help any of us."

"Yes, ma'am, we're sorry." Chopper and Usopp said in unison.

Wren nodded her head once she saw that they understood. She then started walking again while pulling her hood farther down her face, so to protect it from the sun.

"The desert doesn't seem to bother you much, Vivi-san." Sanji commented.

"Well, I was born and raised in this country, so I guess you could say I'm used to it." Vivi said. "It all kind of depends on what kind of climate you grow in. Like how Tony-kun and Wren-san are better in colder, cloudier climates."

Wren looked at Vivi with a quirked brow as she wondered how Vivi came to the conclusion that Wren did better in colder weather.

"You weren't all that affected by the cold on Drum Island. Even after you lost your coat it didn't seem to bother you." Vivi explained when seeing Wren's curious look. "I'm guessing it's because of your upbringing in the North Blue. Vladimir-san mentioned that is where the two of you originate from."

Wren hummed in acknowledgement to Vivi's claim, but the others weren't sure if that was Wren confirming what Vivi said or not, so they looked curiously at Wren. Wren sighed lightly when feeling their curious looks.

"It did snow quite a bit on my home island." Wren confirmed. "Of course, many islands in the North Blue experience colder temperatures and longer winters."

Nami nodded knowing that was true. North Blue had islands that were usually cooler in climate while the South Blue islands were the exact opposite.

"Wren, what's your home like?" Usopp asked. "Besides, the cold weather, I mean?"

"I haven't been there in so long; I wouldn't be able to tell you." Wren said. "I left…when I was still a child."

"And you never went back to visit?" Usopp questioned.

Wren frowned looking down at the ground. Her hands clutched the straps of her bag tightly. By her silence the crew could see that she didn't wish to answer that question. Usopp bit his lip while trying to think of a conversation change.

"So, uh, what's with all these hills?" Usopp asked. "I was expecting a desert to be more flat!"

"This is a very old desert." Vivi said. "Some of the sand dunes here are over 900 feet high."

Which is impressive, but Wren didn't like having to climb up them. It was certainly tiring.

"900 feet?" Usopp asked. "Oh my god…no…that's—huh—that's…a mountain."

"So hot." Luffy whined from near the head of the group. "Water."

"Just one drink, Luffy." Nami said. "Just one mouthful."

Luffy put the straw to the barrel in his mouth, and as he drank some his mouthful was definitely bigger than Nami meant since his rubber cheeks puffed out quite a bit. Wren shook her head while seeing that Nami and Usopp were going to hit Luffy in the back of the head.

She moved to the front quickly while holding Luffy's mouth closed like holding closed a water balloon, so when he was knocked in the back of the head, the water didn't spew out. He swallowed it down as Usopp and Nami snapped at him for drinking so much.

"Wren, why'd you let him drink that?!" Usopp asked.

"It was already in his mouth." Wren said as she let go of Luffy's mouth. "And it would have been a waste if he happened to spit it out after you both hit him in the back of the head. Now all of you calm down."

She glared at them while she said this, which had them shrinking away from her. She could be really scary at times. Wren then sighed when seeing that they calmed down a bit.

"I know this heat is getting to all of us, but we can't be acting so childishly." Wren said. "Crossing this desert is dangerous enough as it is, we don't need all of you wearing yourselves out and collapsing halfway through just because you all were fighting amongst yourselves."

Wren said no more than that as she turned around to start walking again. The group watched her for a minute then walked after her. Wren mentally sighed. This is why she preferred to work alone most of the time.

'This is worse than the time I had to take Baby5 and Gladius with me to collect money from a business partner of Doflamingo,' Wren thought.

—FLASHBACK—

"Gladius, why did you do that?!" Baby5 demanded. "He needed me!"

She gestured to the old man on the floor who currently had a huge hole in his chest where Gladius made his vest explode.

"You know you're aren't allowed to get married, Baby5!" Gladius retorted heatedly. "The Young Master has told you that before!"

As the two argued Wren sat off to the side trying to ignore her twitching eyebrow as she was counting up the money. At her feet were other bodies. Including the man that they were meant to do business with. Apparently, he got the idea to double cross them, and well, it didn't end well in his favor. Now, there were bodies to get rid of, which is what her two companions were meant to be doing.

However, they decided to have a screaming match instead over the fact Gladius killed one of the men under their business partner's rule because the man asked for Baby5's hand in marriage. He was going to die anyway due to his boss's betrayal, but Baby5 wasn't accepting that. As Wren finally finished counting the money, she put it away in the briefcase then stood up after she closed it.

"You two," She cut off their argument.

Both turned to look at her and both turned slightly pale when seeing the dark aura around her.

"Enough of your childish squabbling." She practically hissed. "Baby5, get rid of the evidence of us being here. Gladius, empty out their safes. It isn't as if they will need the wealth any longer. As you are working, I expect to not hear anymore fighting between the two of you, understood?"

Both nodded their heads in unison, so Wren dropped her scary aura as she picked up the briefcase.

"Good," Wren said. "Now, I need to contact Doffy-sama. Behave while I'm gone."

—END OF FLASHBACK—

She told Doflamingo she'd never work with them as a team ever again. Though sense it seemed to amuse the man so much, she was sent on three more missions with them. He finally stopped messing with her after they came back and Baby5 and Gladius had large lumps on their heads.

"Wren can be so scary," Wren heard Usopp murmured as she kept walking.

Chopper and Nami nodded in agreement as the group made sure to follow a safe distance away from the woman.

"I feel as if I should inform you that I can hear you," Wren spoke up causing them to flinch.

Zoro shook his head at the trio who immediately apologized to the older woman. This was going to be a long trip.