SAVING ALABASTA - PART 1: SIBLING REUNION
Alabasta Saga - Alabasta Arc - Episode 92 - 96
DAKOTA'S POV:
"If Baroque Works' last big job is to take over Alabasta-" Zoro says, and I nod.
"-the rest of those 'Officer Agents' will all-" Sanji joins in on the same thought.
"-gather in Alabasta." Nami finishes it.
"Yes," Vivi answers them.
"I see… then, in any case, we'll beat that Crocodile guy…" Luffy begins saying again.
"That's enough. You keep your mouth shut!" Sanji stops him.
"Okay." Luffy agrees, and I shake my head at them as we continue discussing what we'll do once we reach Alabasta.
"Well, in any case, we should arrive in another few days or so," I tell them, and they all look at me strangely. "I have been to Alabasta a few times over the last five years you know. I've never run into Crocodile though. But I suppose it helps knowing all of the Warlords by name and such."
"I keep forgetting you also know your way around the Grand Line," Vivi comments as she looks at me.
"Well, I was born in the New World and grew up all along the Grand Line till I was about 11 years old." I remind her. "I think I should tell all of you that Crocodile may be a Warlord, but all of them are completely different, not all of them are like my Uncle Mihawk, though he's more solitary than most, but I do know some of the Warlords quite well."
"Cool! Who are they?" Luffy asks though I don't think he's really thinking.
"Okay, I'll tell you, but I don't think you'll be listening." I pointedly look at the dope. "Okay, we've already met one, and that's my Uncle Dracule Mihawk, also known as a 'Hawk-Eye Mihawk', and the 'Worlds Greatest Swordsman'." I look over at Zoro to see the determination in his eyes.
"Wait, you're related to him?!" Vivi asks in shock, and I nod.
"Not biologically, but I grew up around him, always fighting with my Father, and we grew a strong bond," I answer her, and she nods, still surprised. "There's another I know; he's a Fishman." I peek a glance at Nami to see her stiffen a little. "His name's Jinbe; he goes by the 'Knight of the Sea'. He's strong and brave, nothing like Arlong though from what I remember, they used to be on the same crew a long time ago before they split up." Nami looks at me in shock at this. "They have completely different views on us humans, Arlong hates us, and Jinbe respects us, especially the World's Strongest Man." I grin at the thought of the old man. "Then to the ones I know some about are Crocodile, also named 'Sir Crocodile', who we all know is a crook trying to take over Alabasta and, if I remember from a rumour, has a hook for a hand."
"That's right." Vivi nods in agreement.
"There's another crook I know of, but he doesn't reside on this side of the Grand Line. Donquixote Doflamingo, the 'Heavenly Demon', he's always wearing a pink feathered coat and, from what my Uncle told me, runs Trafficking though the World Government 'doesn't know' about it." I use air quotes when I say this. "He, like Crocodile, lives on land, the island is called Dressrosa, and he's the King." I look to see the shock on their faces. "Yep, he's King of an entire country, along with all of his crew."
"Man, he must be really powerful." Usopp shivers in fear.
"He is, I guess, I've never met him before, myself. Uncle Mihawk doesn't like him very much." I tell them and laugh. "Though Uncle doesn't like many people, that's why he lives on his own island. The other three are Gecko Moriah, he's a strange one, I don't really know that much about him, he lives on his own island too, but I've heard it's also his ship, I'm not sure if that's true. There's the 'Tyrant' Bartholomew Kuma, he is always carrying around a bible and wearing black, he's also extremely tall, I've only seen him once, but that was from a distance due to being on the job. The last one, I've met twice and dislike her for her stupid attitude, the only female Warlord, Boa Hancock." I cringe at the words coming out of my mouth.
"Why do you hate her, Ko?" Chopper asks me, and I look away from his innocent stare.
"She's known as the 'Pirate Empress' or 'Snake Princess', she's another Warlord that rules over an island, but this one is Amazon Lily," I tell them and Sanji swoons.
"Maiden island!" Sanji bursts out, dancing around.
"It's an island made up of all women," I inform the others, and they all nod, seeing why Sanji is reacting that way. "And she's a complete narcissist interested in her own reflection more than anything else, and I've only met her once, and that was enough."
"Man, you really don't like her, do you Dakota," Nami comments, and I nod.
"She comes across as conceited and rude to me, and I don't like people like that, though she may be beautiful that's no excuse, though she thinks just because she is beautiful, she can get away with anything," I reply, and she nods a little. "Of course, with the Seven Warlord there is the Four Emperors, that's the only reason the Seven Warlords even exist, to keep balance between the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords and the World Government."
"Hey, who are the Emperors?" Zoro asks, seeming overly interested.
"There's my Father, he's the newest Emperor and the youngest. 'Red-Haired' Shanks Le Roux. Then there's 'Big Mom' Charlotte Linlin, she's dangerous anytime, and her family is always growing. She has over 80 children, not including spouses. 'Whitebeard' Edward Newgate, he's the World's Strongest Man and used to go head to head with Gol D. Roger." I tell them and see Luffy with stars in his eyes. "Then there's the worst of them all, Kaido of the Beasts, he's a beastly man." I grit my teeth. "I'm telling you all of this because we're about halfway through this half of the Grand Line, and we're about to go against a Warlord. The further we go, the more trouble we'll have till we reach the other Red Line, and cross over into the New World, which is, even more, deadlier than this half which we call Paradise." I explain and look around as Sanji hands out food for all of us as it grows dark.
"Man, this seems like a lot of dangers are out there." Usopp shivers again, scaring Nami and Chopper as well.
"That may be true, but we've already gotten this far, and I'm not telling all of this to you to scare you but to make sure you know enough not to get killed. We're up against other pirate crews, Marines and many other obstacles along the way, and we already managed to almost die a few times." I laugh, and the others join in as we all eat.
"It seems you know what you're talking about, Dakota, I have to say, I'm surprised at everything you've told us and knowing some of the strongest people there are is amazing," Vivi comments as we eat.
"Thanks, most of it was when I was a kid, though I did have a run-in with Whitebeard when I was ordered to take out one of his subordinates who was wanted for crimes I knew the old man would disapprove of," I tell her and yawn a little.
"I think it's time we all go to sleep, sorry, Dakota, but you're on watch tonight." Nami reminds me, and I nod, going into our room to grab a blanket and my coat as everyone starts settling in for the night, and I head up to the crow's nest for a long night.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
Morning comes, and everyone heads out as I move down the rope, waving everyone good night as I leave for my room; I pass Sanji, needing to tell him about Luffy's midnight snack adventure. "Sanji, Luffy went into the kitchen," I inform him as we pass and head into my room, changing into my black tanktop and red checkered pyjama bottoms before hopping into bed; though I can hear the others outside, I zone them out as I fall asleep.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
I wake up around 6 hours later, fully rested and around lunchtime, the ship rocks violently, knocking me out of my bed, I get up slowly till the boat stops, and I hear the others all shouting outside.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
"It's a sea monster!" Chopper and Usopp cry out in fear as I pop out of my bedroom door to see a giant Sea Cat towering behind us.
"It's the first meal in 4 days!" Zoro yells as he draws his swords, ready to fight.
"It's a meal!" Luffy agrees as I walk over, growing annoyed.
"We're on the right track. I hope we get there pretty soon…" Nami mutters as she watches the Eternal Pose.
"It's a meal!" Luffy shouts, scaring the Sea Cat as it backs away.
"Whoa! It backed away!" Zoro shouts
"Have the ship go back! Go back!" Luffy orders, but there's no chance anyone will do that.
"W-w-w-w-w-we can't!" Usopp cries out in fear, glad of that fact. Sanji exits the kitchen, running past me to the back with the other boys.
"Ah! Don't let it get away! Capture it without fail!" Sanji yells at Luffy and Zoro as he joins them at the ship's rear. "How should I cook you, cat monster?!" He rolls his sleeves up further as Vivi grabs a broom and whacks the back of the three men's heads, making them smack into the railing hard.
"Ouch," I comment as I look at the fallen bodies.
"Vivi! You jerk! What're you doing?!" Luffy whines.
"W… why… Vivi?" Sanji whines as well.
"You can't eat it! Sea Cats are a sacred animal in Alabasta!" Vivi informs them.
"You should've told us sooner!" Luffy mumbles, still upset about being hit on the head.
"There sure are many kinds of creatures in the sea!" Chopper awes at all the new things he'll be experiencing from now on.
"Being scared of things like that…" Usopp comments as if he's not on the floor in fear. "You've still got a long way to go…" He jumps up to look cool, posing to lean on the cannon. "Okay, then! I'll tell you a story about when I bravely fought Sea Kings in the Calm Belt."
"Fought Sea Kings?!" Chopper exclaims in awe of the liar.
"Big ones! They were this big!" He exaggerates, and I scoff.
"That's not what happened!" I snap and come over, seeing him blush and remember I'm in my pyjamas. "That was Apis, she swung down with the help of Luffy and plucked a nose hair, making them sneeze, and we rocketed away." Chopper looks in shock and awe at this, and I smile, glad to think of little Apis again, wondering how she's doing now.
"O… our food got away…" Luffy whines, feeling hungry, like always.
"But don't worry. You'll be able to stuff yourself soon." Vivi assures him, which perks him up.
"Really! What cat will appear this time?!" Luffy asks her, not understanding, with his simple mind.
"Vivi! The wind and weather seem to be becoming stable." Nami announces as she comes over.
"We've entered Alabasta's climate area. A Sea Cat appearing is also the proof." Vivi replies, glad to finally be home.
"And what we see behind us… is probably also proof of Alabasta being close…" Zoro announces, and we all turn to see several Baroque Works ships heading the same way as us.
"There're so many ships! When did that happen?!" Luffy wonders as we all look around the ships.
"Hey…! They all have the Baroque Works' symbol!" Usopp cowers a little as he looks through his lenses.
"Its employees have started gathering... they're probably Billions…. The Officer Agents' subordinates." Vivi explains.
"Which means that our enemy is at least 200…" I grin at the thought of a fun fight after being unable to fight last time.
"On top of that, they are the 200 elites of Baroque Works… they're far from those bounty hunters in Whisky Peak," Vivi warns us.
"Let's get on it already!" Usopp cries as he readies the cannon.
"It's quicker if we go there and beat them up!" Luffy corrects him but stops as his stomach rumbles. "No, wait! We have to eat first!"
"Idiot! Don't bother. They're small fries." Zoro says, and I nod in agreement.
"He's right." Sanji agrees with him. "If we lose our real target, that'll be it. There're only 9 of us." We all come up with ideas since they tell Sanji and me about Mr 2 and Miss Hallows Eve, that they met while we weren't there. I change into white shorts and a black top with one long arm sleeve as I help tie the bandage around Zoro's arm as he does the same for me.
"Anyway, tie it tight. Our enemy, this time has too many mysteries." Zoro warns the others.
"I see…" Vivi mutters as she helps Nami.
"If we check this, we don't have to doubt our friends." Nami comments.
"Does that Clone-Clone Fruit guy really become so similar when he transforms?" Sanji asks as he tightens the bandage with his teeth next to Karoo, who is covered in them.
"You've no idea! It's not 'similar' it's 'the same'! It's too bad! You should've seen it. We even danced with him." Usopp tells us.
"I'm not interested in a male ballerina," Sanji replies.
"What about the female? Miss Hallows Eve?" I ask him.
"I don't know, she seemed angry, looked like a witch, but we didn't see what kind of power she has," Usopp answers. I nod, but I want to know; it means we're still in the dark.
"Knowing someone like that is among our enemies, we can't carelessly act alone," Zoro warns us.
"Hey, what should I do?" Chopper asks, wanting to help.
"Ahh… do what you can do. You don't have to do anything more. It's okay to run away from the enemy you can't defeat!" Usopp tells him, giving some silly advice.
"Aren't you telling that to yourself?" Sanji points out, and I nod; it seems like the pep talk he gives himself.
"What I can do, huh? Got it!" Chopper agrees.
"I can see the island now!" Luffy calls out, and we all look to see the Sandy Kingdom of Alabasta on the horizon.
"Let's stop at the town called Nanohana. We have to hide the ship." Vivi informs us as we grow closer.
"All right! At any rate, no matter what happens, this thing on our left arm is the sign of our friendship!" Luffy says, and we all move into a circle with our left arms out, showing our bandages. "Well, then, we'll land! To a restaurant! Oh, and to Alabasta."
"It's a side note?" We all question the idiot.
"The enemy this time is an assassination gang, Luffy." I remind him, wanting him to be on his toes.
"Yeah, it is." He answers, not seeing the big deal.
"Be careful about acting on instinct, okay?" Nami warns him.
"You're right. I got it. Yeah! That's right! Yeah! Got it!" Luffy nods, seeming to understand, but I don't believe him. We all move to the front of the ship, leaving Vivi to herself for a second with Karoo by her side.
"Well, we're finally here. I'd tell you not to be too eager, but I guess that's asking too much. But do you have a plan for stopping the rebellion?" Nami asks her as we stay behind but can still hear them.
"I do have a plan, but there's no guarantee it will make things stop," Vivi replies, and we soon dock the ship.
"So this is an Alabasta city." Usopp remarks as we all look around.
"Food!" Luffy drools.
"Listen, guys! Use self-control and try not to act on instinct too much!" Nami orders all of us.
"Yes, Nami!" Sanji readily agrees with a stupid grin on his face.
"The guy who needs to hear that the most is already gone." Zoro points out as Luffy runs off.
"Food place!" Luffy shouts as he runs away without thinking about what he's doing.
"Get back here!" Nami screams after him, but he's too far gone to listen.
"He's all instinct." Usopp comments.
"What should we do now?" Vivi asks.
"Don't worry. Find where the most commotion is, and he'll be there." Sanji replies and hops off the ship.
"He's right about that." I nod and jump down next to him.
"Ugh! I wish he'd at least realise he has a bounty on his head!" Nami scoffs as she facepalms. "Especially in a big country like this!"
"Forget about him. Let him do whatever." Zoro says as he climbs down the ladder. "Let's just eat first. We can think after that."
"They're all the same…" Nami scoffs at us in annoyance,
"Karoo and I can't go with you." Vivi reminds them.
"Huh? Are you not feeling good?" Usopp asks her, not seeing the problem.
"I'm too recognisable here." She corrects him.
"That's true," I remark.
"Don't worry! I'll go shopping for you too, Vivi!" Sanji assures her when Karoo makes a squawk of fright,
"What is it?" Vivi asks her to duck, and he points over with more noise to a ship with Mr 3 written on the side. "It's Mr 3's ship!"
"That creep didn't kick the bucket after all?!" Usopp sighs in disappointment.
"There's no doubt about it! His ship runs on the power of his Wax-Wax Fruit!" Vivi confirms his survival from Little Garden.
"The bastard's here?!" Sanji growls.
"This is bad. He's seen our faces." I point out with a frown.
"It's alright! I have an idea!" Usopp says and grabs a long green blanket covering all of minus Chopper and Sanji.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
We all hide under the green blanket as we walk through the busy streets of Nanohana, with Sanji and Chopper walking next to us. "There's no telling where he is, so we hafta move without standing out." Usopp justifies looking idiotic.
"I think we're standing out quite a bit…" Nami sighs as we find a broken building on the outskirts of town to hide behind and come out from under the blanket.
"Alright! You can come out, guys!" Usopp announces after we've already left the stupid blanket.
"We've been out for a while now," I tell him as I lean against the stone wall.
"Looks like nobody noticed us! " Usopp doesn't listen.
"If so, it's a miracle." Nami spits at him.
"Vivi. we're safe from view for a little while now. Vivi?" Sanji tries to assure the princess, but she doesn't seem to be listening for most of it as she seems focused on all the troubles she has to carry.
"Yes?! Yes? You were saying?" She asks, snapping out of it a little.
"What's wrong?" He asks her in concern.
"I'm sorry, I just felt a little relieved, so… at the very least, from what I've seen of this town, things still seem all right… I probably can't rest easy… but I think I'll make it in time." Vivi replies, and I smile, looking over to see her shoulders lighten even just a little.
"Yeah. it does seem like a peaceful town." Nami agrees as she looks over into the bustling streets.
"Hey, Vivi," Zoro calls her name, gaining her attention. "You said you have a plan for stopping the rebel army, right? What will you do now? What should we do? If you think you're gonna make it in time, it'd be better to act quick."
"Th-that's true, but the agreement was only to bring me to Alabasta-" Vivi goes to say, but Nami smacks her on the forehead to stop her from going further.
"Come on now! Are you still saying that?" Nami asks her, and Vivi whines her name in protest. "We travelled this far together. We can't just leave you now."
"Yeah, Vivi! Don't act so distant!" Usopp tells her.
"You're like one of us now." I remind her.
"Plus, I'm interested in this Warlord of the Sea!" Zoro announces, and I smack his shoulder.
"You don't have to mention that!" Nami snaps at him and turns back to Vivi, who holds her forehead from the pain of Nami's last hit. "Anyway, stop thinking that way!"
"Not to mention people are out to kill all of us but me." Sanji points, and she agrees with him lightly. "So there it is."
"And besides, if this country gets destroyed, we won't get our reward for bringing you here. Understand?" Nami asks her, though I know that's not the whole reason.
"Y-yes." Vivi stutters her answer.
"Very good, then!" She grins back.
"Go to hell," Zoro mutters, but Nami still hears him.
"Thank you, Zoro! I haven't forgotten about your debt to me, either!" She tells him, getting a strangled cry from the usually manly man. "Even if I'm a ghost I'll still want my money!"
"You lousy-!" Zoro grits his teeth at the money grub.
"You'd better pay the 400,000 Berries you owe!" She tells him.
"It's gone up!" He growls in anger.
"It'll go even higher if you're not quick to repay!" She warns.
"Hey, Usopp! Say something!" He tries to bring him in.
"Forget it!" Usopp shakes his head, not wanting in on their argument.
"Nami is in the right!" Sanji jumps into her defence.
"Say what?!" Zoro shouts, about to start another argument.
"Okay, enough to all of you, we need to go over the plan, remember." I cut in and looked over to Vivi, letting her explain.
"Northwest of this city is an oasis called Yuba. That's where the rebel army is based. I'd like to go there first to stop the uprising. But to get to Yuba, we'll have to cross the desert. For that, we'll need to stock up on the necessary food and water here… but if Mr 3 is in town…" Vivi explains, and I look over at Sanji.
"Oh. in that case, it's no problem. He hasn't seen my face." He reminds the others.
"That's right! You've met almost none of them so far!" Nami remembers with a grin.
"And one other!" Zoro points out and looks at little Chopper.
"Oh, yeah! Chopper, too!" Nami nods.
"That'll be perfect. We'll have a lot to carry. I'm counting on you!" Sanji tells Chopper.
"Right! Got it!" Chopper agrees.
"Hey, now! You gonna be okay?" Usopp asks him.
"I'll be okay! I wanna do what I can!" He replies and changes into his reindeer form. "There's no problem like this, right?"
"Alright! Now that's a human reindeer!" Usopp cheers him on.
"In that case, your help is appreciated." Vivi smiles at them and gets out a piece of paper.
"Leave it to us!" Sanji assures her, and she hands over the piece of paper.
"I've listed everything we need. Oh, and we'll need some clothes, too." She tells him.
"Clothes?" He questions.
"Ordinary clothes so we won't stand out." She clarifies.
"Ah." He nods, getting it.
"And perfume!" Nami adds.
"Yes, Nami!" He swoons.
"Food and water!" Zoro reminds him.
"Tabasco!" Usopp adds in what he wants.
"Who cares about you!" Zoro snaps. "Food and water!"
"Tabasco!" He keeps going as Sanji and Chopper venter town to get our supplies.
"Still… where could that idiot be, and what is he doing?!" Nami wonders about our resident idiot, Captain.
"Probably in the middle of the desert," I mumble as I sit on the hot sand and wait for Sanji to turn up.
"Why do you want perfume, Nami?" Usopp asks her, and she looks over at Vivi.
"Nanohana is famous for its perfume, but the perfume is actually made at an oasis called Katorea. It's a city west of here." Vivi explains, and I shake my head.
"She just wants it because it's meant to be famous." I simplify it for him.
"Oh, sounds like her." Usopp nods his head, getting a mean look from the Navigator.
"Once we get the clothes, we can go around the town ourselves." I point out as I pick at my nails, bored, waiting for Sanji and Chopper to return, and the harsh heat from the sun isn't helping.
It's at least another 10 minutes till Sanji and Chopper make it back; he hands over piles of clothes to each of us and leaves one for him and Luffy; we all quickly change, though we girls are given dancer-girl dresses instead of desert robes. I look down at the dark red fabric, moving it through my fingers, the silk is of high quality, and I move the veil around to keep it in my hair as I let it fall down my shoulders.
"Wow! This is wonderful! I love these kinds of clothes!" Nami gushes as she looks at herself.
"They feel amazing!" Even I can't help myself as I move the fabric around.
"I know I asked you to shop for us Sanji, but aren't these outfits for dancer girls?" Vivi asks him, and he turns around, looking lovesick at the sight of us.
"Come now! It looks marvellous on you!" Sanji swoons.
"I asked for commoner clothing…" She tries telling him.
"Dancers are commoners, too!" He argues.
"But we're going to cross a desert…" She points out.
"Don't worry! If you get tired, I'll carry you!" He giggles.
"There's no getting through to him…" She gives in, and I pat her on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, we'll find some desert robes behind his back," I tell her, and she nods in agreement.
"But, compared to them, you two clearly look like bandits," Sanji comments as he looks over at Usopp and Zoro as they eat.
"How're you any different?!" Zoro snaps back at him while waiting.
"Chopper! What're you doing?" Usopp asks him, and I look over to see Chopper lying on the hot sand holding his nose.
"The smell is killing me…" Chopper whines. It must be the perfume.
"That reminds me, where did you go?" Sanji asks him.
"Various places!" He snaps back, poor thing.
"Is he not feeling good?" Nami asks.
"Oh, the perfume's gotten to him," Sanji tells them.
"Perfume?" Nami repeats, not seeing the problem.
"Oh, right! Tony has a sensitive nose!" Vivi points out.
"Oh, this…" Nami smells the overly fragrant perfume that probably smells nice, but I can't stand it well due to my strong senses.
"Some of it can be rather strong." Vivi points out.
"Like this?" Nami sprays more perfume, and I hold my nose at the strong smell.
"Stop!" Chopper screams.
"Mellorine love into the abyss!" Sanji swoons over her mean play.
"What are you, an idiot?" Zoro questions the cook, who growls at the swordsman.
"In any case, we've accomplished our first goal of gathering supplies!" Usopp announces.
"Yes…" Vivi nods.
"We're going to a place called Yuba, was it?" Nami asks the princess.
"Yes, but first is a trek through the desert. It will likely be much more difficult than you imagine right now, there's no telling what might happen. One wrong step in this burning land, and there's no guarantee you'll survive. I'm still a little uneasy and unsure about taking you to such a place, but I want to return peace to this kingdom! So I… so I ask you again! Everyone! Please lend me your help! I beg of you…" Vivi begs for our help, looking close to tears.
"You finally said it. We've been waiting for it!" Nami says and gives her a thumbs up.
"There's no telling what happens on the sea, either. Right, Vivi?" Sanji points out.
"Yeah! It'll be no different from before!" Zoro adds.
"True, it's just another day for us." I laugh a little.
"I can't wait to see the desert!" Chopper beams at the new experience.
"Alright, guys! Whadya say we get going to Yuba now?!" Usopp asks all of us.
"Yeah!" We all shout in agreement, with our left arms in the air.
"Everyone…" Vivi mumbles in gratitude.
"Don't we seem to be missing someone?" Usopp asks, and I sigh.
"Luffy!" We all yell.
"That moron!" Nami growls.
"We should check around town for him, and I've got some places to go as well," I tell them and start walking off. "See you back here!" I walk off, needing to find the cafe, find some information on this Warlord, and pick up my pay.
"Wait, Dakota!" I hear Vivi call out to me, and I stop to look over my shoulder at her, "Where are you going?"
"I need to talk to some friends, the Golden Campus has a cafe here, we should check the town, and try finding Luffy," I tell her, and she nods.
"Wait, did you say Golden Campus?!" She exclaims in shock.
"Oh, yeah, I'm a member, don't worry, I'll be fine, I just need to sort a few things out, then I'll come and find you," I tell her and continue walking off with the others behind.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
I split up from the others as I enter the dark cafe with assassins sitting around enjoying themselves, talking, drinking and celebrating a job well done. I walk to the counter, seeing a familiar face; I smile as I lean against the wooden counter to look at Vix as he pulls up a mug of rum. "Always know what I want, Vix." I grin as I down some of the rum, he brings out an envelope with my monthly pay, and I pull out my golden card. "I need to know a few things." I look at Vix as I take my payment.
"What is it?" He asks, and I grin back at him.
"Crocodile, I heard he's the hero around here, I want to know anything you've got on him," I ask him, and he nods, beginning to tell me what he knows about the Warlord of the Sand.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
I walk around the streets searching for the others as I pick up a few things along the way. As I walk down one of the streets, I see Marines running past me; I stop to see a familiar straw hat running past, and I hang my head, knowing who it is. I run after them as I reach the Marines and see Smoker at the front with Luffy in front of him; I shake my head at them and close my eyes, about to unleash my Conqueror Haki, mildly enough to make the Marine soldiers all fall to the ground when I stop hearing a familiar voice.
"Heat Haze!" I hear a shout, and a haze of flames comes towards Smoker's extended arm; steam makes it challenging to see; it clears, and I see an all too familiar man; I break out into a smile.
"You, huh?" Smoker seems to know who he is too.
"Give it up." Ace tells him. "You may be smoke, but I'm fire. A fight between your power and mine would never end."
"He had Devil Fruit powers?!" Zoro questions; I look over to see Luffy to the others.
"Who is he, anyways?! Why is he helping us?!" Usopp wonders.
"Ace?!" Luffy questions as he looks in surprise at our Brother.
"You haven't changed a bit, Luffy." Ace says over his shoulder.
"Ace?! I-is that you, Ace?! You ate a Devil Fruit?!" He asks our Brother.
"Yep! The Flame-Flame Fruit!" He answers.
"Captain Smoker! We're securing the perimeter!" The soldiers inform the man.
"Anyway, we can't chat like this! I'll catch up! You guys run! I'll hold these guys off!" Ace assures the others as I walk through the large crowd of Marine Soldiers.
"Let's go!" Luffy shouts as they run off.
"Yeah!" I hear Usopp agree, and they all run off.
"I don't get it. Why are you helping Straw Hat?" Smoker asks Ace.
"It's natural for a Big Brother to worry about his bungling kid Brother," Ace tells him.
"What? Brother? You mean to say-?" He replies but stops as Ace flares his flames a little. "Move, Portgas D. Ace!"
"I'm afraid that's a no-can-do." He replies and flares out his flames, making a wall of fire.
"To think you're Straw Hat's Brother…" He forms his hands into smoke, then the rest of himself. "White… Spark!" He rushes towards the wall of flames, their attacks don't do anything but bounce off one another, swirling around in the air, both throwing blow after blow, but it doesn't do anything. I close my eyes, unleashing my Conqueror Haki, making all of the Marine Soldiers fall to the ground, unconscious as I step out. "It seems there really is no end to a fight between flame and smoke. Though it was already obvious enough." I pull Ace into the alleyway with me, holding a hand over his mouth.
"It's good to see you too, Little Brother!" I grin, letting my hand away his mouth to see a matching grin.
"It's good to see you too, Big Bister!" He grins, and I hold my hand out; he takes it.
"Teleport."
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
We appear in one of the many back streets, and I look around confused, hoping to be nearer the ship. "I don't understand? I was sure I was thinking of Luffy's location." I mumble as I look around. "That idiot!"
"Sheesh! I guess my letting you escape was pretty much pointless." Ace says, and I look over to see him on the top of the building; I walk over to see Luffy sitting on a barrel in the middle of the alleyway.
"Yo!" Luffy greets us. "Ace! And Dakota!" We jump down to look at our little Brother.
"Haven't seen you two in a while, Luffy, Dakota!" Ace says, and I hug him around the shoulders as he's the same height as me.
"You too, Ace!" We tell him the boys do their usual arm wrestle on top of the water barrel.
"How many years has it been?" Luffy asks.
"Good question. But, Luffy. It looks like you still go at your own pace, just like you did since you were a kid." Ace replies, and I let go, watching the two.
"You too, Ace! I was surprised you ate a Devil Fruit, but besides that, you're the same!" Luffy says, and I smile, seeing my two brothers back together again, like before I left.
"It seems you've changed a little, Big Sis; you seem more stealthy," Ace says as he wrestles with Luffy.
"Well, being an Assassin does have its perks." I grin. "You're both as silly as when we were little."
"Like when he'd sneak into the fields, eat 100 watermelons, and then spit the seeds out like a gun and run!" Luffy says as they go back and forth with their arm-wrestling match.
"That wasn't him/me! That was you!" We snap back at him.
"And then you go big bumps right here!" Luffy keeps going on, getting confused.
"That you, too! We watched and laughed!" Ace replies as they grow red in the face and try beating each other, but they break the water barrel.
"I guess we're both the same!" Luffy says, and I shake my head at them.
"Yeah!" He agrees, and we all hit the back of our hands.
"This brings back memories!" I grin, looking at my two younger brothers.
"Say, weren't your friends looking for you?" Ace asks our goofball younger Brother.
"Yeah. but Ace. what are you doing in this country?" Luffy asks him.
"Huh? You mean you didn't get the message I left on Drum Island?" He questions, and I shake my head.
"Nope," I answer.
"Yeah. It's no big deal or anything, though. I'm just in these waters on minor business, so I thought I might look you up." He tells us, and I look at the enormous purple Whitebeard mark on his back with a smile.
"Minor business?" I ask him.
"I'm a member of the Whitebeard Pirates now." He tells us and throws his water canteen to Luffy, who catches it clumsily.
"Whitebeard Pirates?" Luffy repeats.
"This is the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates. It's my pride." Ace shows Luffy his tattoo. "Luffy, won't you join the Whitebeard Pirates? Your friends can come too, of course."
"No," Luffy answers honestly, and I laugh with Ace at his direct answer.
"I figured not. Just thought I'd ask. What about you, Sis?" He asks, and I shake my head.
"Sorry, I can't leave my knucklehead of a Captain behind." I grin as we look at our Brother.
"Right, I guess I can't separate you from looking after this dope." Ace nods, looking a little jealous.
"Awe, don't worry Ace, I still love you." I laugh as I hug him.
"Whitebeard is the greatest pirate I know. I wanna help him to be King of the pirates. And not you, Luffy." Ace tells him, and I smile, glad to see he's found somewhere he can feel like he belongs.
"That's fine! Then we'll just have to fight! I'm gonna be King of the pirates." Luffy tells him and starts drinking again from the canteen.
"Hey! Don't drink it all, Luffy!" Ace yells at him, and I pull the canteen away.
"Stop it, boys!" I snap at them, and they both stop arguing; looking guilty, I raise my voice, just like old times. "We need to find the others."
"They might've gone back to the ship," Luffy suggests as we walk down the alleyway.
"Which harbour is your ship in?" Ace asks Luffy.
"Actually, I can't remember at all," Luffy answers, and I shake my head at him.
"Oh, geez. Pirate ship Captains usually remember where they leave their ship." I sigh as we continue walking.
"Don't worry about it." Luffy laughs it off.
"You are the same as ever. Say, what kind of crew do you have?" Ace asks him; he's in for a surprise.
"A swordsman who wants to be the World's Greatest Swordsman. He's always wearing a haramaki." Luffy begins describing the others.
"His name is Roronoa Zoro, he was a Bounty Hunter," I add.
"A Navigator who likes maps and tangerines and money!"
"Her name is Nami, she used to work for Arlong."
"Then there's a Cook who makes really yummy food…"
"His name is Sanji; he's a massive flirt."
"Oh, and there's a liar, too!"
"His name is Usopp, he's good with a slingshot."
"And then, a reindeer!"
"His name is Chopper, and he's the Doctor."
"And, of course, Big Sis!"
"That's quite the variety you got there." Ace comments, and I look carefully to see if we're being followed.
"We also have a princess and a duck now!" Luffy adds Vivi and Karoo, though we can't count them as crew members.
"Oh?" Ace questions, seeing how excited our little Brother is.
"They're all so interesting!" He beams happily.
"I'd say you're probably the most interesting of all, though. Still, only a handful of people for a pirate crew… that's just like you." Ace chuckles at our little Brother.
"I also want a musician!" Luffy says, and I shake my head, hearing the footsteps getting closer.
"Stop right there, Fire Fist Ace!" One of the men orders as they step out from the buildings around us.
"As you can see, there's no place to run now! Fire Fist Ace! Your head is mine! Prepare yourself!" The big guy says, and I look around to see guns pointed at us. "Fire Fist Ace! Your bad luck ends here!"
"Hey! Isn't that Straw Hat Luffy and Red Devil Dakota?!" One of the men questions, looking a little scared.
"N-now that you mention it-!" Another gapes in shock next to the other.
"T-they're worth 65 million Berries!" A guy yells from behind us.
"Talk about lucky! Fire Fist Ace, Red Devil Dakota and Straw Hat Luffy! Once I have your heads, our promotion is a hop, skip, and jump away!" The big guy beams, but we just walk around him, ignoring them.
"Anyway, let's find your ship. Let's go to the shore." Ace suggests as we walk away.
"Hey, you! Hold it right there!" They yell at us, and I flare my Haki, scaring them; Ace stiffens a little, probably recognising it from earlier as some of the weakest begin falling to the ground.
"Bastards! Get them!" The big guy orders the other men, who seem terrified to move.
"I wouldn't if I were you," I warn them as I move my hand to cover Luffy's eyes as I flare my Haki even further, knocking all of the Baroque Works subordinates down to the floor, I give the big guy a sinister grin as he cowers in fear, but he doesn't seem as affected as the others as he stays standing. "Luffy, bazooka him," I tell him as I remove my hand from his eyes.
"Sure!" Luffy agrees as he starts extending his hands behind him. "Gum Gum… Bazooka!" He stretches his arms towards the big guy, hitting him in the stomach, sending him flying out of the city.
"Nice one, little Brother!" I laugh as we walk off, heading for the shore, which only takes a minute.
"Oh! The ocean!" Luffy beams as we walk down the steps towards the shore.
"See your ship?" Ace asks our Brother as he looks around, and I spot it.
"There it is!" I announce as I spot the Going Merry.
"Hey! Over here! Guys!" Luffy yells out to the others as he jumps over the wall.
"Luffy, you do go- never mind." Ace mutters and walks off.
"I'll meet you on the ship!" I tell him, and he nods.
"See ya there, Sis!" He says, and I nod back.
"Teleport."
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
I appear back on the ship by Vivi, who gasps in surprise at my sudden appearance, and I look down to see Luffy has knocked into Chopper and Sanji. "Sorry about that, Vivi." I apologise to the princess.
"It's okay, I'm glad you're alright." She smiles, and I nod as I watch Sanji get up, grab Luffy's vest and shake the Captain.
"Do you not know how to learn your lesson?! I oughta gut you whole!" Sanji curses him angrily.
"Yeah! Do you have any idea how much trouble you've caused?! Try to act somewhat like a Captain!" Name requests, but that'll never happen.
"Sorry. Oh, that's right! Ace!" Luffy jumps up and looks over the side, trying to find our Brother.
"Ace?" Sanji repeats.
"Your Brother was with you?" Zoro asks as he comes over.
"Is it okay to just leave him there?" Usopp asks.
"I guess he'll be okay! Ace is strong!" Luffy assures them
"He's strong?" Chopper asks.
"Yeah! He hadn't eaten the Flame Flame Fruit a long time ago, but I still never beat him in a single fight! He's real strong, Ace is! Of course, Dakota can beat both of us!" Luffy tells the others.
"There's a flesh-and-blood person you could never beat?" Nami asks him.
"I guess the Big Brother of a monster is an even bigger monster and the Big Sister of two monsters is a demon…" Usopp comments, and I grin over at him.
"That's right! I lost all the time! But I'd win now if we tried!" Luffy laughs, and I shake my head at that.
"I assume that's another groundless claim," Zoro asks, and I nod when Ace comes jumping up behind Luffy.
"Who…" He announces as he lands on the side, knocking Luffy away. "...can win what now?"
"Oh! Ace! This is the crew I was talking about!" Luffy tells them as he lies on the floor.
"Oh! Thank you all for taking care of my Little Brother!" Ace is overly polite, thanks to what Makino says.
"Eh? Oh, not at all." They all reply with a bow.
"He might be a bit much for you to handle too, but…" Ace grins, knowing our kid Brother too well.
"No, not at all." They all lie.
"Take good care of 'im." He bows his head.
"You probably have lots of catching up to do. Why don't you come in? I'll make some tea." Sanji suggests.
"No, uhh, that's okay. Don't do it on account of me." Ace declines, and I give him a look which makes him nod.
"T-talk about unexpected…" Sanji comments.
"That's for sure." Zoro agrees.
"I would've expected him to be as reckless as Luffy…" Usopp says in surprise if only they knew.
"No, this sensible man can't possibly be Luffy's brother!" Nami gasps in surprise.
"He's a nice guy who cares about his Brother!" Zoro says though he doesn't know what they were like back before they were Brothers, that was far from the truth.
"Brothers can be so wonderful!" Chopper cries tears.
"The sea is just full of surprises…" Sanji comments.
"Come now, everyone!" Vivi tries to stop the others.
"See! Aren't these guys neat?!" Luffy laughs, not seeing the harm in their words, and our reunion is interrupted again by Baroque Works' ships.
"Baroque Works! Those are the Billions' ships!" Vivi asks, and I sigh, hoping I'd taken care of them for longer.
"Those guys again?" Luffy questions as he looks over to the ships.
"Luffy. I'll clean them up." Ace tells us and jumps toward a small one-man boat tied to the ship.
"What's he going to do?" Nami questions as we all watch.
"Especially in that little boat…" Usopp adds, and Ace heats up his foot, which seems to power the small boat.
"Let's see how skilled this Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates really is!" Zoro says as we all move to the back to watch, and I smile, feeling proud of my little Brother. We all watch Ace get closer to the ship before jumping high.
"He jumped!" Nami gasps as he flies over the Baroque Works ships using his Devil Fruit abilities before crossing over all of them in time for his boat to surface as he lands definitely takes practice. He lights his hand and throws a punch creating a column of fire, breaking all of the ships, the others all gasp in surprise at the sheer power of Ace, but he has a large bounty on his head thanks to his Logia Devil Fruit.
"Yeah! That's my Brother!" I cheer as we sail closer to the wreckage and Ace. "He's the best Little Brother ever!"
"Hey! Dakota!" Luffy whines, making the others laugh as Ace comes back aboard the Going Merry.
"What?" I question as Ace comes up after tying his boat to ours again; I jump towards him, hugging him, and he hugs me back, glad to see his big sister again. "I missed you the most," I say loud enough for Luffy to hear again.
"Hey, Sis!" He complains again, making Ace laugh.
"I missed you the most too, Big Sis," Ace says back, making me laugh as Luffy keeps whining.
"Only kidding, Littlest Brother," I tell him, and he smiles. "Come on, let's have something to drink!" The others cheer at the thought of celebrating.
"Woohoo!" Usopp and Chopper cheer.
"Ace is one of us now!" Luffy cheers, thinking that's not even true.
"Cheers!" The three of them yell.
"Who said I was joining you?" Ace asks them, but he goes ignored.
"Here's to delicious drinks!" Usopp toasts.
"Cheers!" They yell again.
"Don't worry about it! They're always looking for an excuse to drink too!" Nami assures him, watching their goofy behaviour.
"Ace! Are you sure you won't join us?" Luffy asks, and I come over, sitting on the side with a drink.
"I'm chasing a certain man. His name's Blackbeard." Ace tells us, and I don't like it.
"Blackbeard?" Usopp repeats the familiar name.
"He's the pirate who attacked the Drum Kingdom!" Vivi gasps in surprise.
"He used to be a member of the 2nd Division of the Whitebeard Pirates, one of my men. But he committed the worst possible sin on a pirate ship; he killed a crewmember and jumped ship. So, as the Commander, I gotta find and get rid of him," Ace explains, and I narrow my eyes at him, wondering who it is.
"So that's why you're chasing after him?" Usopp nods along.
"I came here because I caught word that Blackbeard was seen in Yuba." Ace tells us and takes a drink.
"Then your destination is the same as ours!" Nami asks, looking at Vivi, who nods, getting out a map.
"We've just entered the Sandora River. First, we'll land at Erumalu, then head into the desert of Alabasta to reach Yuba here!" Vivi explains as she points. "The leader of the rebel army is in Yuba."
"I see. So you're headed to Yuba next." Ace confirms.
"I'll follow Nami, Dakota and Vivi wherever they go!" Sanji swoons behind us.
"Get lost, Love Cook," Zoro mutters loud enough for Sanji to hear.
"Say what, you.?!" Sanji growls at the swordsman.
"A-anyways! It looks like we can travel together for a short while!" Nami says.
"Yeah, yeah! Their Brother is more than welcome here!" Usopp cheers.
"Let's have a fun time, Ace!" Luffy laughs.
"Yeah!" We all cheer, clink our mugs, and talk briefly.
"Ace, who is Blackbeard and who did he kill?" I ask him, knowing a few of Whitebeard's men.
"Teach, and he killed Thatch." He answers, and my eyes turn red at the anger of just that name.
"I forbid you from going after him." I snap at him, and he looks at me just as angry.
"You can't tell me what to do, Dakota! If Pops couldn't stop me, you can't!" He snaps back, and we gain the other's attention.
"Well, he'll respect your decision, but I'll tie you up in Sea Stone before letting you go after that bastard!" I growl, but my anger turns into worry. "I don't want to lose you."
"I know, but I promise, you're not losing Luffy or me anytime soon." He promises, but they can't know what will happen tomorrow.
"If something does, I'll beat you black and blue," I warn him, and he nods, holding up his pinky finger, and I hook mine with his.
"Come on, I'm starving." He says, and we walk off into the kitchen.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
Ace and I sit at the table, enjoying a cup of tea as we catch up with Usopp and Luffy playing in front of us. "Heya! I'm Captain Rice Ball Usopp! Oh! And who are you?!" Usopp jokes with Luffy as he takes one of the Rice Balls and sticks his finger through to play with his nose.
"I'm a riceman!" Luffy replies, holding up his creation, and Sanji sees them playing around, hitting them on the head with two pans.
"Quit playing with our food!" Sanji snaps at them. "If you have free time, go wash dishes or something! Geez! I need to finish our packed meals before we cross the river!"
"Need a hand?" Ace asks our cook as he goes back to prepping for the trip.
"No, no. You are a guest on board. Just sit back and relax." Sanji tells him. "Anyway, you don't want to leave Dakota without any company."
"Alright." Ace agrees, and we watch as Sanji storms over to Luffy and Usopp, who are washing the dishes in the mop bucket.
"Don't wash the dishes in that mop bucket!" Sanji shouts at the two idiots, and I giggle at their antics.
"It's never dull around here, is it?" Ace questions, and I shake my head.
"Huh, we've stopped," I comment, get up from my seat, and head out to see why.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
I see Vivi and Karoo getting off the ship; Nami follows, and then Chopper, Usopp, Luffy, and Sanji go down, leaving Ace, Zoro and me on the boat. "Karoo, I want you to go to Alubarna Palace on your own and deliver this letter to my Father. I've written down everything Igaram and learned about Crocodile and Baroque Works' schemes. And that I've returned to Alabasta alive with supportive friends. Can you do it? You'll have to cross the desert on your own." Vivi asks her bird a lot, but he seems up to the job as she places the letter inside his clock for safekeeping. "Listen. You have to drink your water with care in the desert."
"Karoo! Good luck!" Luffy cheers him on.
"Now let my father know this Kingdom can be saved!" Vivi says her farewells, and Karoo runs off briefly before stopping, drinking all his water, and running off again. "Drink your water with care! Karoo… thank you…"
"I knew Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords, was in this country. But a pirate trying to steal a kingdom? That sounds like a bad joke. A pirate dropping anchor in one spot and settling down? Don't tell me he's trying to usurp the throne." Ace comments.
"Wouldn't be the first time, Doflamingo is King of Dressrosa and Big Mom has her own Kingdom." I point out, and he nods in agreement.
"Alright! Let's set sail!" Luffy shouts as they all board the ship.
"Hold on! I'm not on board yet!" Usopp screams as he climbs up.
"There could be another side to this takeover thing. Some sort of deeper goal…" Ace comments as he walks away.
"He's got a point." I muse as I look at Zoro, who agrees as we sail off.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
Another hour later and we finally cross the Sandora River up to the shore by the City of Erumalu. "We're finally here!" Luffy cheers as we reach closer to the coast.
"We're finally going into the desert! I bet it'll be hot…" Chopper wonders, poor furballs going to bake in the desert.
"It gets over 50 C in the daytime!" Nami answers him.
"Eh?! It does?!" Chopper gasps as he comes down with Nami in her new white desert robes I got for us.
"What happened, Nami?! Where did your dancer outfit go?!" Sanji cries out, and he notices Vivi in her dark blue one. "Aah! Not you too, Vivi?! Why are you dressed like that?!" I wound him further as I step out in my grey desert robes. "No! Not you as well, Dakota!" He cries real tears of sorrow.
"In the desert, any exposed skin will wind up terribly sunburned!" Vivi points out, but he doesn't seem to care only about losing our former outfits as he lies on the deck in despair.
"This is terrible… my dancer girls…" Sanji rolls around in a circle as Vivi hands Luffy his new clothes.
"Here, put these on." She tells him as she hands them over.
"Okay! Thank you!" Luffy accepts the clothes.
"Let's get ready to disembark." Zoro orders as he walks past us.
"Yeah." Usopp agrees as we begin anchoring by the shore.
"Okay! Let's land!" Luffy orders as he changes, and we stop by the shoreline cove.
ONE PIECE - ALABASTA ARC
"What's that?" Zoro questions, and I look over the side to see dark spots in the water and Kung Fu Dugongs pop out.
"Turtles?" Zoro questions.
"Aren't these seals?" Luffy guesses.
"Kung Fu Dugongs!" Vivi gasps in surprise as she joins us.
"'If you wanna come on shore, you'll have to beat me first! Or else go back to the other shore, cowards!' is what he says." Chopper translates for Usopp, and we climb up, volunteering to get beat up.
"I can't sit quietly by when someone calls me a coward! Let's do it!" Usopp jumps down.
"Wait! Usopp!" Vivi tries to stop him, but it's too late as the Dugong beats him to the ground. "Kung Fu Dugongs are strong!" Luffy jumps down and beats up the Dugong; I shake my head at the idiot as he yells in victory. "Winning is bad, too! It's a Kung Fu Dugong rule that if someone loses, they become the winner's pupil!" She explains as the Dugong gets up, bowing towards Luffy.
"That's very martial arts-ish." Zoro comments as more Dugongs surround Luffy.
"The number of pupils just went up!" Vivi yells at Luffy in surprise.
"Alright, everyone! After me! Stance!" Luffy yells, and the Dugongs try to follow him. "No! Like this!" They follow him with admiration. "Yeah! Now go like this!" He starts punching, and they copy him. "That's it! Like this! Like this! Like this! Like this!" He keeps saying as we all begin setting up for the trek. "Alright! Let's set out for Yuba!"
"Hold on, now! Are you bringing them with us?!" Zoro asks as he looks at the line of Kung Fu Dugongs behind our Captain.
"You can't Luffy!" Nami tells him.
"The Dugongs can't cross the desert," Vivi tells him.
"Why don't they look after the ship for us, that's worthy of being Luffy's pupils, right?" I ask them, and they all nod.
"Oh, thank goodness for Dakota." Nami sighs, glad she doesn't have to upset them.
"Yeah! Protect the ship!" Luffy cheers as we walk off, with the Dugongs waving us off. "See ya!" Luffy waves back at them.
"Hey now, Luffy! Do you understand the current situation?!" Nami asks Luffy from the back of the group.
"They said they were coming with me, so why couldn't we let them?" Luffy asks, not seeing the problems.
"We couldn't get to any city with that big of a group! You're so dumb! Honestly! We would've been in big trouble had Dakota not persuaded them!" Nami complains a little more.
"Yeah! They kept saying 'we'll accompany you!' they really would've come if we hadn't told them to watch the ship!" Chopper adds in as he sits on my shoulders.
"He knows how to cause trouble." Ace comments in front of me, walking with Sanji.
"That's for sure!" Sanji growls as we catch up with Vivi, Usopp and Zoro and see sand covering destroyed buildings. "What's this?"
"Is this the town of Yuba?" Luffy asks.
"No… this is Erumalu. It used to be known as the City of Green." Vivi corrects him.
"City of Green?" Luffy repeats, not seeing why considering it's almost completely covered in the sand now.
"This sight of this town explains everything. What the Baroque Works organisation has done to this country… what the people of Alabasta are going through…" Vivi explains, and everything is in ruins as we walk through.
"Wow! There's nothing here at all!" Luffy gapes as we walk through the ruins of the buildings left behind.
"Yesh. it's a ghost town now, but up until just recently, it was a thriving city full of greenery!" She says, and I see Zoro kick one of the dead palm trees, making the base crack away. "Rain was always scarce, but even so, the city was able to manage by saving every last drop of rainwater it could. But, for three years now, not a single drop of rain has fallen in any part of this country."
"For three years?!" Sanji stops at the mention of the long period of time.
"That long?!" Chopper gasps; even I have to say that's long.
"But even without rain, what about the river we just crossed?" Zoro points out.
"Yeah! Couldn't they just pipe water in from that big river?" Usopp asks the princess.
"The answer to that is up ahead." She tells them, and from the look on her face, it's not good. "Never in the thousands of years of Alabasta's history has the rain stopped completely. But, there was one place where the rain fell more than usual… Alubarna, the capital. The city with the King's palace… the people called it the King's Miracle. Until what happened that day, at least…" Vivi explains the events that lead to the people's mistrust towards the King.
"Dance Powder?" Nami repeats in surprise.
"You've heard of it?" Luffy asks her.
"Yes. it's also known as 'Rain-Summoning Powder.'" She answers him.
"Rain-summoning?" Chopper repeats, never hearing of it before.
"I'd only heard stories about it, but a researcher in a country where it doesn't rain created it. By creating a misty smoke from it and letting it rise into the sky, you can artificially cause it to rain. That's what Dance Powder is." She explains in depth.
"Oh! I get it! You mean that mystery powder! I ate some a while back! It tastes really bad!" Luffy seems to understand, but he must have tried eating when he went missing.
"It isn't food. It's for making rain." Zoro remarks as he walks past Luffy.
"What?! You think I'm lying, don't you?! Hey, you!" Luffy starts stropping as we leave him behind.
"Hold on! Wouldn't something like that be perfect for this country?" Usopp asks a good question.
"As the name suggests the country that developed Dance Powder was also happy enough to dance at first. But there was a big catch: the neighbouring country had a drought. Understand? Dance Powder quickly and artificially matures clouds that would normally grow into rain clouds further downwind and causes them to rain." Nami explains in detail.
"Oh, I get it." Usopp nods. "It steals rain that would've normally gone to a neighbouring country!"
"Eventually, war broke out between the two countries and many lives were lost as a result. Ever since the World Government has put a worldwide ban on the production and possession of Dance Powder." I add to her explanation.
"Powder that can bring both happiness and dread when used…" Usopp comments.
"When all that Dance Powder was brought into the port town, Alabasta was in the middle of a strange weather phenomenon where rain fell nowhere but in the two where the king lived," Vivi explains, which for Luffy means Cobra was the bad guy.
"Hold on, Vivi! That means your dad is the bad guy here!" He yells at her.
"You idiot! He was framed!" Sanji snaps at the simple-minded idiot as he kicks him on the head. "Vivi's Father would never do any such thing!" He keeps hitting him on the head with his foot. "Never… never…"
"Of course, my Father had nothing to do with it, but at around the same time, a massive amount of Dance Powder was found inside the palace…" She continues
"They even had people working inside the palace?" Zoro asks.
"What's this road, Vivi?" Sanji asks her after finishing beating Luffy up.
"This was a canal that used to bring water in from the Sandora River. Someone destroyed this canal, too. With its canal gone, the City of Green could no longer secure water. As if praying, the people continued to wait, but rain never came." Vivi explains. I give Chopper a pebble, and he drops it down one of the wells, but there is no splash at the bottom, just the stone hitting the sand below.
"Ever since the Dance Powder incident, distrust in the king downs daily." Nami comments.
"And then the fighting finally began. To escape the fighting, the exhausted people abandoned the city and left for other oases in search of water. And then… the City of Green withered away." Vivi says and looks down in sadness for her country; she'll make a fine ruler one day. A strong wind blows through the deserted city ruins, creating a human moaning sound.
"Huh? Is that someone's voice?" Nami questions as we stop.
"Is it the rebel army?!" Chopper asks as he holds onto my head in fright.
"Don't tell me Baroque Works has been following us!" Usopp panics.
"Not, it's just wind." Ace tells them as it grows louder.
"It has to be someone's voice!" Luffy argues.
"It's coming from all directions! What do we do, Ace?!" Usopp asks in a panic.
"There's no danger. It's just wind blowing across the town and echoing off old buildings." Ace assures him.
"It's as if… it's as if the city of Erumalu is crying…" Vivi mutters, close to tears, when the wind grows stronger, and a small cyclone of wind comes towards us.
"Here it comes!" Nami yells as the cyclone swirls around us; I close my eyes, feeling the harsh wind and sand around us; I keep Chopper securely on my shoulders as it swirls around us and then passes off.
"Whoa, what was with that wind?" Usopp wonders aloud, and Luffy runs off.
"Someone's collapsed!" Nami yells, and I look over to see where Luffy is running off to.
"There are still people in this city?!" Vivi questions and runs after Luffy stops; we join to see a skeleton on the ground. "What did my Father… What did the citizens of this country ever do? These people have worked so hard to live. Being natives of a desert land who are forced to fight with nature. Yet he's destroyed their lives! What gives him the right to do that?! All the while, as one of the Seven Warlords, he pretends to be a hero of the people! No one realises he's deceiving the entire country! I… can't let him get away with this!" She breaks down into tears for her people, while Luffy runs off with Sanji and Usopp to go break something, as one of the buildings crumbles.
"Hope that made them feel better," Zoro comments as they return, and Ace starts digging a grave for the skeleton with Vivi's help.
"Vivi! Let's get moving! I'm itching to do this now!" Luffy says, revved up to go.
"Let's go to Yuba!" Nami nods in agreement with our Captain.
"That's where the rebel army is, right?" Zoro asks her.
"Yes. I'm going to persuade their leader to stop the rebellion." Vivi says as she gets to her feet.
"Persuade?" I repeat, wondering how that'll work.
"All of Alabasta's calamities are Crocodile's doing! I'm going to tell him the truth and have him stop the pointless shedding of blood!" She tells us, and I nod.
"Got it." I agree, and we head out into the desert towards Yuba.
TO BE CONTINUED….