Nami and Vivi as predicted have disappeared from the group's vision. The group only had footprints to follow but they were quickly being covered by sand. Chopper was once again riding on Luna's shoulders but this time it was so he could try and follow the scent.
"TSUNAMI!!!" Everyone turned to Luffy, "what now?" Zoro called out as he too looked at the captain.
"A TSUNAMI'S COMING!"
"What's going on, Luffy?" Chopper jumped off Luna's shoulders walking towards the boy.
"Maybe it wasn't such a good idea after all?" muttered Usopp as he rubbed the back of his head. Luna sighed, "what wasn't a good idea Usopp?"
"I told him not to, but he said he was so thirsty he couldn't stand it. So he chomped down on some cactus growing back there," he replied pointing over his shoulder as a cactus with a clear bite mark in it.
"Eh?! Those are bad!" Chopper cried in horror. "Those are mezcal cacti! They're used to make hallucination drugs!"
"WHAT?!"
"OH NO! WE'RE GONNA DROWN! ALRIGHT! BRING IT ON, IF YOU DARE! I'LL BEAT ALL OF YOU UP!" Luffy broke a piece of wood before hitting his chest like an ape.
"Gomu-Gomu--" the rubber boy began only to face plant when Chopper used a tranquilizer on him.
"Tranquilizer!" Chopper held up the empty syringe proudly.
"Way to go, Chopper!" Sanji smiled giving the small reindeer a thumb-up.
Luna looked over the scene before tilting her head in confusion, "where's Ace?"
A groan came from Luffy, "I bet he got separated from us," the boys turned to glare at him. "Sheesh! What a troublesome big brother."
"WE'RE THE ONES WHO GOT SEPARATED!" The men jumped onto Luffy, "ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!"
Luna turned around from the scene rubbing her head, "no that tracks. Both of them have a horrible sense of direction."
The men stopped their onslaught to look at the woman as her head snapped to the left.
"What is it?" Zoro asked walking up behind her to look in the direction she was focused on.
"Usopp." The sniper didn't need anymore promoting looking in the direction. A ship broke from a dune shocking the group.
"A pirate ship?" Sanji exclaimed in shock. Usopp made a startled noise, "Nami and Vivi've been caught... oh and the camel too."
"What?!"
Before anyone could do anything Luffy took off towards the ship.
"Damn it! Let's go." Zoro cursed as he started down the dune following Luffy, the others followed behind. Once he reached the foot of the ship Luffy used his devil fruit to enroll his arm around the mast. "Gomu-Gomu no GIVE-ME-WATER!!"
"I'm out of strengh..." yawned Luffy as he fell in front of Nami and Vivi, the mast now broken above them. Luna and the others made their way on the ship surrounding their downed members.
A huge man approached the group a large smile on his face, his head covered by an open umbrella, "We, the Barbar Sand Pirates, have a saying..."
"Saying?" Luffy moaned from his position.
"Aside from friends, nothing alive in the desert can't be eaten!"
"I'll even eat stuff off the ground!" Luffy cheered with a smile, while Luna looked horrified. "Luffy I thought you stopped doing that!"
All Luffy did was grinned widely in response. The giant man frowned, "that will make you sick."
Luffy looked back at him, "then I'll be careful." The man bust out laughing.
"What a funny pipsqueak!"
Barbarossa, as he introduced himself, set the girls free. "Luffy, was it? I'm sorry for our rough treatment of your friends. It's just that we're all so hungry."
"Shishi I don't mind," came Luffy's reply only to be punched on the head by Nami. The Sand pirates cried out about not being able to fix the mast Luffy broke.
"We sand pirates are born in sand pirate ships, and we will die in sand pirates ships. Abandoning our ship is unthinkable."
The sand pirates cheered in agreement as the captain continued, "that was fate, this is fate. We sand pirates will never do anything to defy the flow of sand! But there is timber at the Meriyasu Oasis."
This caught Luffy's attention, "where is it?! I'll rush there real quick!"
"The sand has changed lately. It's dangerous for outsiders." The captain tried to detour him. Luna walked up next to her younger brother, "you won't detour him. He's made up his mind and won't back down. It will be better to let him go with a member of your crew."
"Yeah? Fine then, bring back wood with this sand sled." The sand crew lowered the sand sled down onto the sand.
"I'd say this is more of a canoe than a sled..." Nami commented looking the sled over.
"Zaba and Rasa will show you to the Meriyasu Oasis."
"Rasa?"
"Rasa is our ship's finest sand slender. A sand sled can carry two people. What'll you do?"
"I'll be fine on my own!"
Luna put a hand on Luffy's shoulder, "no you won't Luffy. One of us will accompany you to help. I believe Vivi would be the best."
Reaching out Luna pulled Vivi out of the way of the weapon that imbedded it's self in the ship. Luna's eyes locked with the woman on the broken mast.
"What an entrance, Rasa!" Chuckled he captain.
"Work on your aim or you'll find out who you're dealing with." Luna cracked her wrist as the woman jumped down staring into her eyes only to flitch at the intense dark blue staring back, before she sent a glare Vivi's way.
"The others seem to be outsiders... but you're from here."
Luffy not sensing the tension, "Wow! How could she tell?!"
The others tried to voice their objections but Luna held a hand up quieting them. Looking over a Vivi, she nodded, "it's up to you Vivi."
"Alright. I'll come with you."
After Luffy shot himself into the desert and returned Vivi took control of the sled. Luna called out to the pair her eyes locked on Rasa, "Luffy... Vivi be careful."
Vivi nodded back at the woman knowing what she was hinting at, while Luffy just waved at his sister.
Time ticked on for about thirty minutes, while the others were sitting for Luffy and Vivi's return, Luna was standing looking to the dune line. As the crew discussed about how the desert was, Luna called out.
"Something's coming."
Soon after her warning the sand pirates called to there captain, "Boss! It's them! They're coming!"
"Turn to starboard! Hurry! Battle stations!"
The others came to stand next to Luna to see a large amount of men were coming down the dunes surrounding the ship.
"Who are they?" Nami asked, watching the men's approach of the ship.
"Desert bandits! Pests who're always desperately fighting us!" Barbarossa groaned out, "conflict seems imminent these days! That has them on edge, too! Men don't let a single one of them leave alive!"
The men cheered as they readied their weapons. Nami look back to the bandits to see them pushing a giant bolder down the dune.
"What's that?"
"GRAND DUNG BEETLE!"
"Desert bugs that haul giant balls of dung! No less than 100 people a year are squished by their rolling dung!"
Luna's eyes met Zoro's and with a grunt Zoro used one of the crew's swords, slashing the dung. Sanji jumped into the mix keeping the pieces of dung away from the ship.
"Thanks, guest..." coughed the captain.
"WE'LL LET YOU OFF EASY THIS TIME! YOUR LIVES ARE SPARED FOR NOW!" The chief of the bandits yelled down at them. Luna rolled her eyes before opening a container of water with a wave of her hand a bullet amount of water shot towards the bandits leader's foot. A yell was heard as the group dispersed. She turned to see her own crew gawking at her.
"I apologize he was getting on my last nerve."
"They sure ran off in a hurry!" Barbarossa laughed, "though it's too bad we didn't get to swipe their food or water!"
"Sand pirates sure have it tough, too..." mumbled Nami.
"Everything living in this desert has it the same. Long ago, I used to feel this desert belonged to everyone. But when I think about it now, I feel like that's a bit conceited. Lately, I've come to think it might not belong to anyone. That we're able to live freely because it belongs to no one." Barbarossa said thoughtfully.
"Just like anything that exists." Luna chimed in, Nami look up at the large captain, "do you think the sea is the same way?"
Barbarossa rubbed his chin in thought, "good question. That's something you'll have to find out for yourselves."
Usopp cut in, "they are coming!"
They arrived with the wood to construct another mast. The shipwright said it would take a day to finish the job, and Barbarossa offered rooms for the night.
"Ahead is a village called Ido. You should be able to get water there." Barbarossa said pointing in the direction.
"Huh? You're not coming?" asked Luffy, tilting his head at the other captain.
"We sand pirates can't go any further ahead. This land belongs to the people who've lived and died here for generations, you see."
Luna walked away from the group to scan the area ahead, she knew this is where Ace will rejoin the group. Zoro walked up next to her, "you seem to be looking for something."
"Ace..." was her only reply.
Zoro scoffed, "you seem to know when things will happen a little too accurately."
Luna gave a small smile to the swordsman, "more than you know. It's not always a gift though. I'll explain more to you while we train in the near future." Zoro gave a hum as the others rejoined them.
Luffy took the head of the group as they moved towards the town, "they were great guys!"
"By the way, where'd your brother go?" Sanji asked lighting his cigarette.
"Dunno. But he's Ace. Nothing to worry about. He'll suddenly show up again out of nowhere!"
"Why do you keep making such groundless claims?" Nami mumbled out as Zoro's eyes fell back to Luna.
"Anyways, let's hurry to this Udo village!"
"Ido, Luffy." Luna called out as she move to the front.
"That's what I said!"
As on cue, up ahead was Ace riding on a human sized lizard while carrying supplies. Luffy spotting his raced ahead, "Ace!"
"That's where he was?" Nami asked in surprise. Upon getting closer the amount of supplies became clearer. Sanji moved closer to take stock of the supplies, "Oh! Much appreciated! This should be more than enough for a good while."
Vivi also took stock but for a different reason, "umm, Ace-san? I assume you don't have the money fo that. Don't tell me you stole it from the village..."
"Nothing of the sort. The rebel army gave it to me."
"The rebel army?!"
"Well, I should say 'clearly fake rebel soldiers' to be more precise. They call themselves rebel soldiers and were hired to protect the village... the villagers are so grateful that they've been completely fooled. They're really just some hoodlums."
"And they're bodyguards? Wouldn't they get found out right away?" Nami questioned.
Luna moved forward, "I theorize that just the mention of the rebel army would send lesser bandits running for the hills." Luna stood next to Ace before grabbing his ear painfully, making the man bend over in pain. "And you just so happened to take advantage of the situation."
"Ow! Lulu Let Go! That Hurts!"
"Vivi-chan, should we teach'em a lesson?" Sanji asked through a draw of his cigarette.
Luna finally released Ace's ear, "I dunno. Duping the villagers isn't so different from what bandits do. At the very least, the villagers live in peace with them around... should we get'em just the same?"
"Consider it from Vivi-chan's perspective. Surely you'd want to pulverize people like them."
"Not necessarily. This village is on the outskirts, seeming untouched by Crocodile. This makes it a target for the bandits we saw back on the sand pirate's ship. If just the name of the rebel army can detour bandits wouldn't that be a plus? Almost like a win-win." Luna looked back at Vivi, "that being said there is nothing stopping us from testing their conviction."
Vivi's eyes seem to light up at the woman's suggestion, "yes let's test them!"
This is what set into motion the plan. With Luffy, Chopper, Sanji, Zoro, and Usopp, much to the latter's dismay, stood before the village gate. Nami, Vivi, and Luna were several feet away behind a rock. The fake rebels opened the doors of the city and step outside only to scream upon realizing they were surrounded.
"Get'em Rebel Army!" The villagers cheered from behind the trio.
"What's that? You're a rebel soldier?!" Luffy called out to the leader.
"N-no nothing of the sort! We're just travelers passing through!" Cried the leader.
"Say your prayers, sea pirates! These rebel soldiers are gonna make micemeat out of you!" The village Mayor cheered out, the other villagers following suit.
"BE QUIET, YOU!!" The leader screamed in fear.
Unbothered by the fear in the leader's voice the mayor smiled at him, "right! How utterly rude of me! Good luck, Camu-sama!"
Luna couldn't stop a giggle from passing her lips at the villagers obvious aura.
"Hey!" Luffy called out to the leader, "you really are rebel soldiers after all!"
"N-no, it i-isn't..." Luna felt the panic in their voice, but had to give them their due for standing against Luffy this long.
"LISTEN, YOU! DON'T BE SHOCKED BY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY! WE'RE NOT THE ONLY REBEL SOLDIERS HERE! IN THE VILLAGE... THERE'S 100 MILLION SOLDIERS JUST LIKE US!"
Silence filled the air as everyone looked at the leader.
"WHAT!? 100 MILLION!" Luffy yelled in shock. Causing the girls of the group to smack their foreheads.
After Usopp and Sanji corrected Luffy, the rubber boy faked anger for being lied to, "You! How dare you trick me!?"
Luffy pulled back his arm, "GUMO-GUMO NO PISTOL!"
Luffy's fist made contact with the leader's face, knocking him back through the gate once more.
"He has devil fruit powers!" Yelled one of the villagers.
"One hit knocked him out!" Cried another.
Luffy approached the other two 'rebel army members,' a large smile on his face that sent a chill down the members backs. The children of the village cheered for the leader to get back up.
Before Luffy could continue his 'attack' the leader stepped in front of him.
"Yes, we're fake rebel soldiers. Even if all we want is to be strong as the heros, we were saw as kids. But, even if my dream never comes true, I can't take those kid's dreams away! Even if I'm no match for you, I'm going to fight so that someday those kids can beat you all! If my only other choice is to remain a punk in those kids' memories, then I'd rather die as a hero right here!"
The leader punch Luffy in the face knocking the boy over, the other two encouraged by their leader's words squared up with Sanji and Usopp. Looking over at the princess, who nodded, Luna shined the signal to the boys.
Luffy let out a laugh at their spirit, "yeah, now that's more like it! Now I can go beat Crocodile without worrying! Whew! That's a relief!"
Zoro grabbed the boy as he passed as Sanji called out, "those bastards! Those are rebel soldiers for ya!"
"I've never seen such strong people before!" Usopp continued. The girls joined with the boys as they ran away from the village.
Continuing the track to Yuba was filled with yelling from the younger members, Luffy wasting water, and small breaks. The last break had a 'bounty hunter' that Ace was searching for because he fought Blackbeard. The truth came out that he was a liar and was hoping to turn Ace in to help his poor family. Once the family was safely on their way, Ace stated that it was time for him to go. Luffy pouted, while Luna stared the older man down.
After Ace handed over his vivre card, Luna and Ace disappeared from view.
The two older siblings stopped behind some rock a decent distance away from the others. Ace leaned against the rock behind him, as he watched his little sister shift.
"Luna you need to talk to me. I can't read your mind."
Sighing Luna rubbed her temple, "look Ace I know you have responsibilities being a commander, but why couldn't you listen to me this one time?"
She stopped him from answering with a hand up, "the devil fruit he has is one of the strongest fruits." She pulled out a book from her bag, one that had pictures of devil fruit. "It's known to be able to cancel other fruit powers out, meaning he can touch you Ace. You will no longer be able to use your flame powers. Fighting him at a distance isn't an option either because he has a form of gravity manipulation to pull you towards him. The only weakness I've found is he'll feel pain almost double the amount other devil fruit users do."
Ace moved forward grabbing her arms to break her from this word vomit, "Luna. Luna. Luna!"
That finally stopped the white haired woman as she looked up at her brother. Ace pushed some hair that fell in her face, "breath Luna. What did you see?"
Luna broke eye contact with Ace looking down at his hands resting on her arms. She felt the warmth coming from his body, biting her lip she looked back up at him.
"You die Ace."