Chapter Five
Sitting at a bar in Water 7, the floating island famous for its shipwrights and the giant tsunami that happens once a year, Yuki, Sabo, and Robin were discussing their current mission. Sabo hadn't offered any information until they reached the watery island.
Robin ordered for the three of them and looked at her hands, pensive. She had left the Straw Hat pirates there, to be captured by the CP9. It made her remember how happy she had been when they saved her from Enies Lobby.
"So, where are we going, Sabo?" Yuki asked her friend.
Sabo grinned. "A place Robin's been before, and probably you, too. We're going to Alabasta Kingdom. Our mission is to check how things stand around there, and work on ways to find and help the people Yuki wants to."
"So, this is information gathering? I'm glad, I was worried about what we might be put to do. I couldn't do anything that'd go against my captain's wishes," Robin replied in relief. "I get to meet Princess Vivi on friendly terms, now."
"Well... it's not like Dragon said to stay away," Sabo said hesitantly. "I guess it's fine to visit friends or acquaintances. It won't really do any harm, and Vivi might be able to help us disguise Yuki."
"I don't know," Yuki muttered, half to herself. "She was once a nakama of Luffy's, and she would probably want to tell him... but could she? Even I don't know where he went, even though our spy circle is so... extensive."
Robin looked concerned for a moment, then relaxed again. "Don't worry, Yuki. It will be two years before Luffy is seen again, if he's serious. I doubt anyone could find him while Raleigh and Jinbe are protecting him," she comforted the pale girl.
Yuki nodded, relaxing on her bar stool. The three companions sipped their icy drinks peacefully, not uttering another word until after they had left the shabby bar. They could never be sure who might have been listening in.
When the three of them arrived in Alabasta, they managed not to stand out, despite Yuki's bright blue hair and red eyes. She had covered her head with a scarf, as it was common in the area, to prevent dust and sand from being swept into her eyes by the strong winds there were.
Sabo, in fact, was the one who stood out the most. He had refused to put away his favorite hat with the goggles on it, and he had no sense of fashion or even coordination with his clothing. Yuki took one look at him and sent him back into the store to get different ones for himself.
"Alright, do I look better?" Sabo asked, walking out of the building. He was wearing a cream and light blue vest with a cream blouse underneath. He had on the long black pair of pants he was wearing earlier, but they went nicely.
"Everything but the hat. It doesn't really fit," Robin commented, chuckling lightly.
"Sabo! You're really gonna wear it the entire time, aren't you?" Yuki replied shortly.
"Of course. I heard that when Ace came here to meet up with Luffy, he never took his hat off. It let people know who he was, though I have no wanted poster. It's a matter of pride, you know. I've worn this hat as often as possible, and I'm not gonna stop just to fit in."
"But you're doing an infiltration mission!" Yuki whispered angrily.
She and Robin watched as Sabo's eyes widened, full of surprise and shock. "Are you serious?! I forgot that! Oh, I'm sorry, guys," he exclaimed in shock. "Okay, I'll take it off right now. I'm surprised I didn't get us too much notice already."
Yuki glanced around. A few people had stopped to look at the three of them . "You kind of did, Sabo. Let's go, before we draw anymore notice," she muttered. The others nodded, and walked towards the edge of the town.
Crossing the desert was the problem. It always was, for any traveler, and was no easier for the small group currently crossing. The sands were full of poisonous, dangerous, and otherwise strange creatures and plants to avoid. The locals always avoided going into the wide desert unless absolutely necessary.
"Sabo, would poison be particularly bad for me?" Yuki asked. She still had no idea what the true limitations of her body were. The sun was already a problem, and she had to wear a deep-hooded cloak just to avoid the worst of it.
"Not anymore than a regular person, I'd assume. Needless to say, it'd be very bad to get poisoned. Try to avoid it, will you?" Sabo replied. "I can't really be held responsible for your idiocy, Yuki. You would always eat anything when you were a kid, I sure hope that's changed."
She glared at Sabo, crossing her arms and pouting. "Geez, I'm not a little kid anymore. That was when I was younger! It's been so many years since then, of course I'd have a bit more common sense by now!" she snapped, irritated.
Robin, who had been watching the two of them with amusement, laughed quietly and smiled. The desert had been quiet for a while now, and the only things they saw were an occasional lizard or rock. The travelers didn't have much problem until they reached a rocky outcrop about halfway to their destination.
Two large plants burst out of the sand, their roots were whips, aiming at the head of Sabo. He merely glanced at Yuki, completely calm while she unsheathed her katana from her belt. Before the roots got within three feet of the man, they were plant scraps on the hot sand.
"Sabo, what if I was too rusty? You could've gotten hurt," Yuki protested.
"I've seen you practicing. You're nearly up to the level where you could rival your teacher. You're no where near 'rusty'," Sabo replied quietly. He stared at her for a while, but ended up looking away first.
"I wasn't worried," Robin commented, "because you're good enough to protect my captain, I would trust you with my life. I still feel unhappy about the fact that I have no idea where my captain is."
"Oh... yeah, you mentioned something about Luffy meeting you in two years. What, is he training or something?" Yuki asked, glancing around in case there were more plants. "If he is, how can I help him from the shadows like a mafioso?"
"Well, you could go and protect Thousand Sunny, our ship. I have to work to increase my powers and master them," Robin replied. "I hope the marines haven't taken Sunny into their custody. If they have, it will be harder to set out once we meet up."
"I don't think that Shaki would let them. She has some seriously strong friends, and she said that she was Luffy's fan. I visited her recently," Sabo added, joining in on their conversation.
Yuki shrugged. "I don't think I've met her. Anyways, let's get going. I wanna get to the river by nightfall, and if we don't, we may run out of water."
They nodded and continued on silently.
I apologize on how long it took to update this!
I had a HUGE writer's block.
Hopefully, I'll get more updates in this month.