The CHILDREN Set Sail
Disclaimer: Once again, I've failed on claiming ownership over One Piece or Zettai Karen Children. *Sigh* People can be so unreasonable…
Luffy (nodding in agreement while holding a fishing pole): Yep! I'll say…
Normama (sweat dropping): Luffy, why I'm hanging on the line of your fishing pole?
Luffy (shrugging): Because…
Normama: …You're not using me as bait are you?
Luffy: …Maybe…
"Luffy," Nami puffed as she fan herself with her hand in an attempt to cool down, "Kaoru, would you two stop 'Ah~, Ah~' already? You two are not only wasting energy but you're also making me feel hotter than it actually is…"
We find our renowned pirates trudging along in the desert, miles from the port they had just left. The heat was excruciating and it didn't help when Luffy and Kaoru began to exaggerate it; the two had picked up walking sticks and began walking in a manner as if the journey was some form of torture.
"Ah~!" Luffy moaned, his tongue sticking out like a dog, "I'm burning…"
"Can't even sweat," Kaoru added in the same manner.
"Ugh," Chopper moaned the loudest. He was currently laying on a makeshift cart being drag by Zoro. "I can't stand this heat~! I'm going to die at this rate~!"
"It's because you're wearing fur," Usopp rolled his eyes, "Why don't you just take it off?"
"I'm a reindeer, you dumb-ass!" Chopper roared, changing to his body point in anger.
"GYAA!" Usopp grovel in fear, "I'm sorry!"
"Hey," Zoro called back to Chopper, "if you grow big like that, I won't pull you anymore!"
"Sorry," Chopper moaned, turning back to his brain point and got back on the cart.
"I'm amazed, Vivi-chan," Sanji commented to Vivi, "you don't seem mind the heat…"
"That's because I grew up here," Vivi explained, "So I'm more or less fine…"
"Why are there so many damn hills?" Shiho groaned, using her sleeves to wipe off some forming sweat.
"Yeah," Aoi moaned, "It's no different than climbing a mountain…"
"You're not far off," Vivi informed, "this is an ancient desert, with the largest dune over three-thousand meters tall.
"EH~!" the Children sweat dropped.
"T-Three-thousand meters?" Usopp pouted, "No wonder it feels like we're climbing a mountain…"
"I need…water~," Luffy whined as reached down to the barrel of water he was told to carry.
"Fine," Nami sighed, "but only enough to fill your mouth…"
"Got it," Luffy nodded and took a sip…inflating his rubber cheeks to the size of his head.
"THAT'S TOO MUCH!" Usopp and Nami lectured as they, Aoi, and Shiho whacked the back of Luffy's head in anger, causing Luffy to spit out all the water.
"You jerk," Aoi growled, "using you're Gum-Gum power like that!"
"One sip of yours," Shiho grumbled, "could have save a small country!"
"Hand it over, Luffy," Usopp growled, snatching away the barrel, "That was technically your thirteenth mouthful!"
"Hold it, bastard!" Sanji yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Usopp, "You already had your share! It's my turn!"
"It's still MINE!" Luffy yelled as he snatched back the barrel, "you guys made me spit out my portion!"
"It's your fault!" Sanji and Usopp accused as they start a brawl cloud with Luffy, fighting over the water.
"Hey, stop!" Vivi cried, "you're all just wasting stamina!"
"Psychic~…!" Kaoru suddenly called before shoving the three neck deep into the sand, "…Bury in the Sand~!"
"Ah-! Hey!" Usopp cried as he watched the barrel of water, "what was THAT for Kaoru?"
"You guys are so childish, fighting over water like that," Kaoru lectured as caught the barrel, "you guys are men so start acting like ones…"
"Kaoru, I'm impress," Nami complemented, "I'm surprise on how mature you are-!"
Nami didn't get to finish before seeing Kaoru chucking down a mouthful herself.
"YOU CHEATER!" Aoi and Shiho yelled in disbelief before chopping Kaoru's head, ending her drink.
"OW!" Kaoru grumbled, "What was THAT for?"
"You only did that to get a drink yourself!"
"Is that so wrong? We're girls! We should have more drinking privilege!"
"…Oh~!"
"I like that idea!" Nami smirked mischievously.
"Hey~!" Zoro, Luffy, and Usopp frowned.
After the water issue was settle, the group continue trudging along, that is until Luffy's stomach began to growl.
"I'm hungry," Luffy pouted before turning eagerly to Sanji, "Hey Sanji, let's eat lunch! It's 'Pirate Lunchbox' time!"
"Huh?" Shiho blinked, "But we ate not two hours ago!"
"But now I'm hungry again, so let's eat!"
"Nope," Sanji waved it off, "Not until Vivi-chan says it's okay…"
"Hey Vivi, let's eat! I'm starving!"
"But we're not even a quarter way to Yuba yet, Luffy-san," Vivi reasoned.
"What?" The Children moaned, "We're not even half way there yet?"
"Jeez, Vivi, you're so dumb," Luffy frowned, "Haven't you heard the proverb: Eat when thou art Hungry?"
"There's such a proverb?" Kaoru sweat dropped.
"NO~!" Usopp rolled his eyes, "He just made that up…"
Vivi sighed. "Alright, I understand…Why don't we take a break when we reach the next rock?"
"Okay," Luffy glee as stared around for the "rock", "the next rock…rock…"
"I don't think that we'll be seeing one for a while," Aoi sweat dropped.
Later, Luffy and Kaoru can be seen again trudging along only now dragging along every single supply as well.
"Heavy~," Luffy panted.
"Hot~!" Kaoru panted as well.
"Heavy~~!"
"HOT~~!"
"Enough~ already!" Shiho hissed back at them.
"Yeah," Sanji muttered, "You two lost in Rock-Paper-Scissor, so shut up and pull!"
"Don't drop them you two~!" Aoi and Nami sneered back.
Luffy and Kaoru sweat drop with a grumble. "Jerks!"
"Hey guys!" Usopp, who was in front, called as he adjust his spectacles to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks, "Rocks dead ahead!"
"REALLY~!" Luffy and Kaoru cried in joy before rushing off towards the outcrop of rocks fifty meters away. "YAY! BREAKTIME!"
"Ah-! Damn, They're fast!" Usopp comically noted, his eyes popping out, while everyone else just sweat drop.
"Alright," Aoi huffed, "I'll teleport us over there!"
"You can do that?" Zoro raised an eyebrow.
"At this distance," Aoi narrow her eyes to see the outcrop, "Easy!"
With a snap of a finger (and a bit of fade green glow) the group was transported in front of the out crop only to collide with both Luffy and Kaoru, who were running.
"OUCH!" Nami groaned, holding her aching head from the impact, "what's with you two?"
"Yeah," Usopp moaned, getting up, "Why were you two heading back?"
"Without the supplies for that matter?" Sanji added, noting that the supply weren't with them.
"Uh, well," Kaoru did a double take, "when we reach the rocks we saw a bunch of birds laying on the ground!"
"Yeah," Luffy chimed in, "we were heading back to get Chopper! I think they're sick!"
"Sick!" Chopper was now on full alert, "Got it, let's go!"
"Wait," Vivi stopped, suddenly with a horror expression on her face, "Birds! Crap! We must get over to them!"
With that she ran off as the other confusingly.
"Hey," Sanji cried, "not only there's nothing here…but our stuff is gone too!"
"But there was dying birds here," Luffy insisted.
"Yeah," Kaoru pointed over to a spot, "they were right over there!"
"Well," Shiho began, touching the ground with her glowing blue hand, "there were some birds here, but they weren't sick or dying…"
"EH~!"
"I knew it," Vivi wailed, slapping herself, "they were Warusagi…"
"What?" everyone mouth in confusion.
"Warusagi, or 'Evil Heron'," Vivi explained, "they are called the 'Thieves of the Desert'. They fooled travelers and steal their luggage. I'm sorry; I should have told you all…"
"EEH~!" the Children comically gasped, "there are such birds in this world?"
"They were pretending to be injured?" Usopp reviewed comically, "They're 'SAGI' (Swindler)!"
"Yes, they're 'SAGI' (Heron)."
"Are either of you two aware that you guys are talking about two different things?" Aoi sweat dropped, slapping the air.
"Luffy, you idiot," Sanji lectured, grabbing Luffy by the collar, "That luggage was for three days! ALL of it! How could you let a bunch of birds steal it? Without food or water, how are we going to…?"
"But I was tricked," Luffy yelled back in defense, "I can't help it!"
"You're dumber than a bird!"
"WHAT? Then what about Kaoru? She got tricked too! Is she dumber than a bird too?"
"Don't lump her up with you, smart-ass! She's only been here for a couple of days!"
"Enough already!" Zoro stopped the two as he tiredly sat down, "Let's take a rest…you're getting angry because of the heat. So chill out for a minute…"
"Yeah," Aoi sighed, plopping down next to her master, using her hand to fan herself, "We're getting to Yuba by tonight, aren't we?"
"At our current rate, yes," Vivi confirmed.
"If it's an oasis, then we just have to be patient," Zoro muttered knowingly, "We're not going to die this soon…"
"Yeah, let's forget about it," Shiho sighed as well as she made her way over to a slightly shaded area, "Just thinking about it makes my throat dry up…anyone up for a ten minute break?"
Everyone nodded as they start settling down…that is until Luffy and Kaoru spotted the birds just a few meters away. As if to mock them, they were happily drinking down the stolen supply of water.
"AH~~!" Kaoru comically yelled, "IT'S THEM! AND THEY GOT OUR STUFF!"
"GIVE US BACK OUR STUFF!" Luffy ordered as he and Kaoru began to comically chase after the fleeing and laughing flock of Warusagi.
"Wait you two," Nami called after them, "don't follow them! How will you two get back?"
"Yeah," Usopp comically added, "That would be even worse! Get back here!"
But by the time they were done it was far too late; Luffy and Kaoru had already disappeared from sight.
"Those morons," Shiho frowned, not really sure she would enjoy finding their mummy later on as a worse case scenario.
"GET BACK HERE!" Luffy and Kaoru ordered as the flock began to fly away, still laughing in mockery.
"That's IT~!" Kaoru growled as she leapt into the air with a glowing red hand, "Psychic~…"
The birds stared back curiously, before suddenly noticing their body glowing faded red and that they suddenly feel a huge increase in gravity.
"…NO FLY ZONE~!" With a mighty swing downward, the birds were sent rocketing downward, beyond their control.
"Alright!" Luffy smirked, but still couldn't help having his eyes sparkling from Kaoru's display of power, "Now we got them!"
But before the birds could hit the sand the sand directly beneath them exploded as a large mouth came out, swallowing them instantly.
"…Eh?" Kaoru sweat dropped nervously, stopping in midair.
"…Uh," Luffy sweat dropped nervously as well, stopping in his tracks, as he and Kaoru watch a giant lizard emerging from the ground.
"What do we do now?" Aoi asked Zoro, "Should I try teleporting to see if I can find them?"
"Nah, they'll be alright," Zoro shrugged, "We'll find them eventually…"
"Yeah," Shiho muttered sarcastically, "as desert mummies…"
"Oi, don't say that," Usopp sweat dropped.
"WAAAH~!" A distant distress call caught everyone's attention as they turn to the source to see Luffy, Kaoru, and camel running towards them in fright.
"See," Zoro pointed out, "we didn't need to worry…"
"They're back," Sanji stated the obvious, "but what's with the camel…"
"…Why are they running like that," Aoi wondered.
"Yeah," Shiho muttered confusingly, "It almost look like they're being chase…"
Just then, from over the large sand dune, the giant lizard appeared, apparently chasing Luffy, Kaoru, and the camel.
"A Giant Sandora Lizard!" Vivi fearfully identify.
"IT'S HUGE~~!" Usopp, Shiho, and Aoi exclaimed in comical shock and fear.
"Great~, now we got to save them," Sanji puffed on his cigarette, "And I suppose we got to save the camel too…"
"Seriously," Zoro muttered as began drawing his swords, "what star was I born under that gives me all this damn problem? Always…"
With that they two sprint forward.
"Ah-! Wait!" Shiho exclaimed, "You two can't be serious!"
Back with Kaoru and Luffy, Kaoru suddenly huffed in realization.
"Hey," she muttered lowly to herself, forming an anime pop vein, "What the heck am I doing? I'm a Level 7, for god sake! Why do I need to run?"
"…Hey yeah, come to think of it," Luffy muttered in the same piss off manner, sliding to a halt and quickly turning, "why AM I running? I've face bigger things!"
Kaoru soon turn around as well just as Zoro and Sanji made it to the immediate area, charging her hand with psychic powers.
"I didn't come all this way to be running!" Kaoru growled as she raised her hand high into the air, "Psychic~~~…!"
"Gum-Gum~~…!" Luffy stretched his right back.
"Dragon~…!" Zoro growled as he position all his swords to point towards the lizard's neck.
"Epaule…!" Sanji jumped high into the air, rocketing towards the creature's face.
"…CLEAVER~!" Kaoru declared, slashing downward of which created a huge gash on the right side of the creatures neck.
"…WHIP~!" Luffy roared as sent his stretched leg swinging into the lizard's neck on the left, breaking its neck.
"…TWISTER~!" Zoro called, performing a quick spin which blasted a current of slicing at the creature's throat, cutting it.
"…SHOOT~!" Sanji hollered as he slammed his foot into the creatures face, cracking its skull.
The Giant Sandora Lizard was died…long~ dead…in four ways as it crumbled to the ground. Its eyes wide open, as if it never knew what hit it.
Oh, and about the rest of the Straw Hats? They are all gawking…seriously gawking.
"T-They didn't need to go THAT far," Aoi nervously frowned.
"Couldn't they just scare it off?" Usopp tearfully wondered.
"Uh," Shiho managed, "I suppose they could have, but…"
"Against all FOUR of those monsters at once?" Nami shook her head in grief, "The poor thing didn't had a chance…"
Meanwhile back with the "Four Monsters", they now stared at the dead lizard finally realizing that they all had a hand in it.
"Uh," Kaoru sweat dropped, "you think we've over did it?"
"Maybe," Luffy laughed, before licking his dry lips, "Hey Sanji, you think this is edible?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah," Sanji gave a slow and considering smirked, "looks like it~!"
"Perfect timing," Zoro simply muttered.
"Wait a minute!" Kaoru cried out, "Are we really going to eat it?"
"Why not?" Luffy asked.
Kaoru stared at them incredulity before noting her stomach growing in hungry. "Uh, never mind! Let's EAT!"
"Whoa, check it out," Shiho awed as she prepared her first meal in this world, "These rocks have become natural frying pan!"
"Hey, Shiho," Sanji muttered, "focus on your work. You're not exactly ready to multitask yet…"
"Sorry…"
"Can we really eat this now that it touch these rocks?" Aoi wondered, "Aren't the rocks dirty?"
"Don't worry, I've already cleaned it off before I start cooking-OUCH!"
"I'd tried warn you," Sanji shook his head as he watched Shiho blowing on her slightly burnt finger.
It has only been a few minutes since the Four Powerhouse took down the Giant Sandora Lizard. After Zoro and Aoi steadily chopped it up into edible pieces, Sanji had decided to let Shiho try her newly taught cooking skills.
"Okay," Shiho announced, "Lunch is done…I hope…"
"Alright! Food~!" Luffy exclaimed, appearing instantly next to Shiho ready to grab one of the meat.
"OI~!" Shiho hissed before slamming Luffy's hand onto the sizzling rock, causing Luffy to scream in comical pain, "Don't just grab them!"
"OUCH~!" Luffy continued to cry as he began to run around, holding his burnt hand, "IT'S ON FIRE~!"
"That's right; Burn baby, burn…"
"Nice one," Sanji smirked in approval, "he would have scarf every last one of them down otherwise…"
"Food please~!" Kaoru plead with a big grin holding out a makeshift plate. She was currently first in line with the girls in the front and most of the boys fighting amongst themselves for the next spot in line.
"Okay~," Shiho giggled as she turn to Aoi, "Aoi, if you please before everyone in line starve?"
"Got it," Aoi nodded as her hand glowed bright green, as well as some of the meats, "Psychic~….FOOD DISTRIBUTION~!"
In an instant, everyone's plates had at the least one chunk of freshly cooked lizard meat. As you probably guessed, Luffy's plate had the most meat stack on it.
"Thank you for the food!" everyone cheered as they start eating (or in Luffy's case gobbling) their food.
"So~…" Shiho muttered after a couple of tense minutes watching everyone, "How is it?"
"It's…amazing!" Kaoru comically cheered, making an exaggerating expression.
"R-Really," Shiho asked everyone else, wondering if it really was true and not because Kaoru was just trying to be kind.
"Indeed," Sanji hummed in approval, "Much better than what I expected for a first time… good job!"
"Of course," Zoro muttered, "I thought it tasted better than usual…"
"WHAT?" Sanji growled, "Are you saying you didn't like my cooking?"
"I'm saying she's becoming much better than you'll ever be…"
"HUH~! …Humph! That rich coming from someone who will have his disciple become much better than him too in a short time…"
"WHAT?"
With that another brawl started, with everyone else sweat dropping at the sight.
"So," Aoi began again, looking at the camel, "now that we have a minute, what's with the camel again?"
"I don't know," Kaoru honestly shrugged, "one minute we were just running the next minute we running with the camel…"
"Well," Shiho hummed, "It's definitely not wild, it has a saddle…"
"Which means we can ride," Nami giggled happily, happy with the idea she won't have to be walking as much.
"Yes," Usopp smirked, "I bet two people can ride it at a time!"
"And camels are built for the desert," Vivi added.
"Ok~!" Luffy cheered as he began to climb onto the camel, "I'll go-!" But before Luffy could even get up, the camel suddenly bit him on the head. "OUCH! What was that for?"
The Camel then made a bunch a noise which no one could understand…except for Chopper.
"Uh," Chopper began to translate, "He said, 'Thank you for saving my life. I'm a wandering camel and I shall allow you to ride me…but I won't let any of you GUYS ride me! This strictly a LADIES only ride'."
"WHAT?" Luffy, Usopp, and Sanji snarled as they began to comically beat up the camel, "You stupid punk! It was mostly us guys that save your worthless life!"
"Enough you all," Nami glared, causing the boys to back off in fear, before turning to the camel with a sly smile, "I'm sorry, my bandits are so mean to you~!" She gently stroked the camel's chin, causing its eyes to turn to heart shapes. "So, what should we call you now~?"
"Idiot!" Luffy suggested.
"What kind of name is that?" Shiho sweat dropped.
"Moron!" Sanji suggested.
"How is that any different?" Shiho sweat dropped even further.
"Dumb-ass!" Usopp suggested.
"…You guys are just mad, aren't you?"
"I got it," Nami snapped her finger, now position on one of its saddle, "I'll called you 'Eyelash'…"
"Uh," Zoro sweat dropped as the camel sound in approval, "Isn't that the weirdest name yet?"
"Yeah," Aoi sweat dropped, "how did it end up like that anyhow?"
"Pervert Camel," Luffy and Usopp muttered angrily at which "Eyelash" replied by sticking its tongue at them.
"Get on Vivi," Nami offered as Eyelash lower itself so that Vivi.
"No, I'm fine," Vivi try to politely wave it off, "I can still walk…"
"It's okay, just get on," Nami insisted, "you're going to need all your strength to convince those rebels to stop…"
"Uh…okay, very well," Vivi nodded before turn to the Children, "I bet we can squeeze one more on, who wants to ride first?"
"Oh me!" all three raised their hand, before glaring at each other.
"I should get the first shift," Kaoru started, "I was one of the few that actually save it!"
"But," Aoi narrowed her eyes, "if it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have loss all our stuff as well!"
"I should be the one!" Shiho proclaimed, "I can't fly on my own power like Kaoru or teleport like Aoi!"
The three glared at each other again before sighing.
"Alright," Kaoru began as she and the other raised their hand, "let's settle this fair and square then. Rock…"
"Paper…" Aoi stated, before everyone swung their hands downward.
"Scissors!" Shiho finalized. The Score? Shiho is scissors and the other two paper. "I ride first~!"
Kaoru and Aoi grumbled, cursing their luck, while Shiho snuggle on Vivi's lap.
"Let's go, Eyelash!" Nami commanded and faster than you can say speeding bullet Eyelash sped off with Nami, Vivi, and Shiho on its back.
"Wait a minute!" the rest screamed after them.
"Hurry up, everyone!" Nami called back in mockery.
"Yeah," Shiho shout back, "if you get lost you'll never make it out of the desert alive~!"
"SHIHO!" Kaoru and Aoi cried, "DON'T SAY SUCH UNNECESSARY THING!"
"SCREW YOU NAMI!" Zoro yelled.
"I still love you Nami-san~!" Sanji called.
"No fair," Usopp pouted, "I guess we've no choice but to walk…"
"WAAAH~!" Luffy suddenly screamed, startling everyone, "A big wave, it's a Tsunami!"
"Huh?" Usopp sweat dropped in confusion.
"What's wrong with him now?" Zoro rolled his eyes in annoyance.
"Why is he flopping around like that?" Kaoru wondered as she watch Luffy waving his limps wildly around as if he's in water.
"Oh no," Usopp suddenly muttered, "Could it have been THAT thing?"
"What do you mean 'That Thing'," Sanji questioned.
"When he start eating the lizard meat, he also ate some cactus…"
"CACTUS?" Aoi comically tripped, "Why would anyone start eating cactus?"
"Luffy would…"
"I'm drowning!" Luffy continued to scream his head off.
"Cactus, you mean like this one?" Chopper asked as pointed at a set of small tomato-shape cactus.
"Yeah, those are the ones," Usopp nodded.
"Oh no!" Chopper exclaimed in horror, "those were Mescal Cactus! They cause hallucination!"
"WHAT?" Usopp and Aoi exclaimed.
"GAAH!" Luffy suddenly screamed in rage, "Damn Marines! I'll kick your ass!"
"He's seeing Marines now?" Kaoru sweat dropped before noticing that Luffy was charging up a punch at her, "WHOA-! Wait a minute!"
"Gum-Gum~~~…!" But before Luffy could even throw his fist forward, Chopper quickly pulled out a syringe and injected its liquid directly into Luffy, putting him to sleep.
"Sedated!" Chopper proclaimed.
"Phew," Kaoru wiped sweat from her forehead before giving Chopper a thumbs up, "Good job Chopper!"
Usopp suddenly screamed, catching everyone's attention. "Look how far that stupid camel is now!"
It was true; they could hardly see them anymore.
"Crap," Zoro swore, "Kaoru, drag that idiot (Luffy) along; we got to hurry and follow it!"
"You got it!" Kaoru nodded before using her psychic power to lift Luffy's prone body with ease, "Let's go!"
"Really," Usopp commented as they start rushing off, "This psychic thing certainly convenient…"
After a painstaking jog through the blazing hot desert, multiple appearances of more bizarre creatures, and nearly losing their way more than once, the walking group finally caught up with the camel-riding group.
By then, Luffy had woken (only to have Kaoru, Sanji, and Zoro beat him up for having them carry his "lazy carcass" the entire time) Usopp had collapse from heatstroke, and the sun finally began to set.
Now Kaoru and Aoi had taken Vivi and Shiho's place on the camel and Zoro carrying Usopp unconscious body on his shoulder. With the sun setting, their journey became much easier. Soon, however, the group began to constantly sneeze.
"I thought it be easier once it was nighttime," Kaoru shivered, an anime snot hanging from her nose, "but why does it feels like it's no different than during the day?"
"I'm not surprise," Aoi shivered as well, "Desert back home can get extremely hot during the day and then extremely cold at night…"
"The desert of Arabasta is that way as well," Vivi informed, "it can sometime reach below freezing levels…"
"Freezing level?" Shiho exclaimed before sneezing.
"Don't worry, Yuba should be close by now! It should just be over those dunes…"
"I don't see anything," Luffy grumbled, trying to find the town of Yuba ahead, "there's too much sand blowing around…"
"Hey everyone," Shiho suddenly stopped, "do you guys here something?"
Everyone paused for a moment before hearing what Shiho was hearing: rumbling sounds.
"Rumbling?" Sanji wondered, "why is there rumbling?"
"I think it coming from just ahead of us," Kaoru noted before noticing several square shape lights up ahead, "Hey I think I see Yuba!"
"Yeah, we made it!" Luffy cheered before noticing something off, "Hey, why can't I barely see it?"
Vivi peered ahead only to rear back in horror and realization.
"Oh no!" Vivi cried as she rushed ahead, "Yuba is being attack by a Sandstorm!"
"WHAT?" Everyone exclaimed as they all rush after Vivi.
What they saw stop them in their tracks. A huge column of swirling wind and sand nearly blanket the entire village. If it had not been for the scattered square lights inside, none of them would have realized that there was a village somewhere in that mess.
"This is terrible!" Vivi cried in horror, "at this rate…"
"There could be people inside there!" Aoi gasped before turning to her redhead friend, "Kaoru, do something!"
"No need to tell me twice!" Kaoru stated with determination before launching herself off of the camel back and high into the air, hands high above her and glowing bright red, "Psychic~…WEATHER CONTROL~!"
With a huge burst of psychic power, the sandstorm was immediately blown apart, revealing the now sand cover village. In fact the sky had now become crystal clear.
"Amazing~~!" Luffy and Chopper cheered with their eyes sparkling with astonishment.
"To be able to blow away a storm of such magnitude," Nami gasped.
"Hurry everyone~!" Kaoru called as she began flying towards the town, "let's see if we can find anyone~!"
"You heard her, Eyelash," Shiho stated as she climb onboard the camel to join her long haired friend, "let's get moving!"
"Impossible!" Vivi gasped once they reached town.
Everyone stared around at the so-call oasis town of Yuba. Many of the building, which had evidently once been squared, were now slightly rounded as if the sandstorm had been so strong that it eroded the sharp corner away. Many of the palm trees now hang limply, some had already broken evidently from the storm's wind. And town was covered complete under at least a foot of sand.
"Damn," Zoro muttered, "this place is hardly any different from Erumalu…"
"I'll say," Aoi frowned.
"Where's the water~?" Luffy comically whined, looking around for any water source.
"Wasn't this supposed to be an oasis, Vivi-chan?" Sanji asked, snapping her out of her trance.
"…It was," Vivi answered, "but it would appears that the sand had raised the ground level and the oasis is being swallow up…"
"I'm not surprise," Aoi frowned, "considering how big that storm was…"
"Hmm~…" Shiho hummed suspiciously, as her glowing blue hand made contact with sand on the ground, "something's not right…"
"What is it, Shiho?" Nami wondered having been the only to have notice that Shiho had gotten off Eyelash.
"I'm not sure," Shiho carefully spoke, now that everyone gave her their full attention, "but I don't think that storm just now was normal…"
"A storm THAT sizes?" Kaoru frowned, "You have to be crazy to think that it was even close to normal…"
"Not that! I'm saying that there seem to be more to that storm. When I touched the sand, I felt for a brief moment something that shouldn't be there…"
"And that is?" Zoro began.
Shiho stared unsurely down at her hand. "The feeling of evil intent…"
"Travelers, huh?" an old gruff voiced spoke up after a few seconds, "you must all be tired from your trip through the desert…"
Everyone looked around for the source of the voice until the came across a huge ditch in the ground. Down in it, was a cloaked skinny man with a bushy white mustache shoveling the sand away.
"I'm afraid this town's a little dried up," the man went on, "but you can still rest here. We've plenty of inns…that's what we are known for if not for the oasis that had once been here…"
"…Who's he?" Kaoru whispered loud enough to only be heard by Shiho who was next to her.
"How should I know?' Shiho rolled her eyes, "maybe he's a villager of this town…"
Vivi, after making sure that her face was well covered in her cloak, step forward nervously.
"Uh, excuse me?" she began, "we heard that the rebellion base was here…"
Hearing the question, the man suddenly glared at them in anger.
"What do you want with the rebellion?" the man growled before comically throwing a bunch of debris at them, "Don't TELL me you want to JOIN those FILTHY Rebels!"
"Whoa, what the heck-!" Shiho managed before being smacked in the face by a flying barrel.
"Whoa, whoa!" Luffy and Kaoru exclaimed as they duck and weave out of the way of the flying debris, "What's going on?"
"Humph," the man calmed down and got back to shoveling, "if it's those fool you're looking for…they're not here anymore…"
"…WHAT?" Everyone comical exclaimed.
"No way," Vivi exclaimed.
"That recent storm you all must have saw," the man began, "wasn't the first to hit this town. The drought has been drying us up for three years! That sandstorm had been coming more and more frequently! The sand has been steadily eating away at the oasis, and now it is as you see today. Without the circulations of goods, the rebellion cannot continued its war of endurance so they moved their base of operation to the only other oasis closed by…"
"What?" Vivi exclaimed in horror, "but that would mean…"
"Where's that Vivi?" Luffy asked, "Is it close?"
Vivi stared ashamedly at the Straw Hat captain. "They must have moved their base all the way to the oasis near Nanohana…"
"WHAT?" Everyone comically gasped, "Nanohana!"
"But we were there just this morning!" Shiho comically pouted, "What was the point of coming here then?"
"…Vivi?" the man suddenly perked, "Did you just say…Vivi!"
Uh oh! Busted!
"Crap!" Luffy panicked, "Uh, look mister! She isn't the princess or anything to this island-!"
"Shut Up, you idiot!" Zoro, in angered, used the unconscious Usopp to comically whacked Luffy on the head like a hammer.
"Oi," Shiho sweat dropped at Luffy's attempt to regain control of the situation, "how is that any different from telling him?"
"Uh," Vivi began to step back, wondering how to recover from the situation, "I…uh, this is…"
"…Vivi-chan?" the man managed in astonishment as he slowly came over to her as if unsure if his eyes was actually seeing her, "Is that really you?"
"…Huh?"
"…Why do I get the feeling he knows her personally?" Aoi wondered as she glanced from Vivi to the old man and back.
"It really IS you!" the man suddenly cried out after finally in reaching distance, grabbing her by the shoulder as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he didn't, "I'm so glad you're alive! It's me! Don't you remember? Ah-! Well, I suppose I have lost some weight since then…"
Vivi stared blankly at the man before widening her eyes in realization.
"…Mr. Toto?" Vivi slowly asked only to cover mouth in shock when the old man nodded, "No way!"
"That's right, it's me!" Mr. Toto cried, forming tears of joy.
"Mr. Toto?" Luffy and the Children tilted their head in confusion.
"Listen to me , Vivi-chan!" Mr. Toto managed as tears began to fall free down his face, "I-I haven't stop believing…in the king! He never betray our country…isn't that right? This Rebellion is absurd…please Vivi…I beg you…Stop those fools! You're the only one who can do it!"
Everyone stared wildly at the old man as he crumbled to his knees.
"It has…only been three years…who cares if it hasn't rain? I believe in the king! The majority of us still do as well! We've delayed them…over and over again…but in the end they still marched forward…the Rebellion wouldn't stop! Their power will soon overtake ours! They going to try to end this in the next attack…they are all ready to forfeit their lives!"
The Children gasped; they didn't realized that the country had gotten this far because of one man's deception…nor did they think that the rebellion would be ready to lay out their lives so soon.
"Please, Vivi-chan, stop them…before it's too late…" Mr. Toto managed one last time before falling into silent.
Vivi stared at Mr. Toto for a moment before offering a handkerchief to the crying man.
"Mr. Toto," she began before putting on a hopeful smile, "Don't worry, we will stop this before anymore bloodshed happen…"
Normama: "Another chapter done! Sorry about the long wait. MAJOR WRITER'S BLOCK. Plus I had school to worry about..."
Minamoto: "Not to mention the Children seems to snap so easily because of the delay..."
Normama: "... ... ...What the hell! Why are cover in bandage?"
Minamoto: "... ... ...Don't ask..."