The Gathering Storm

"Seems we can't talk for now. I'll catch up with you later. I'll stop this guys in the meantime. Now go!" Ace told them.

The group immediately ran from there, back toward their ship.

…

After reaching the Merry, Vivi handed Karoo a letter about Baroque Works and sent him off toward Alubarna, to deliver it to her father.

Meanwhile, the crew circled around Luffy, curious about the mysterious man they had just met.

"Hm? He's my brother! He became a pirate three years before me!" Luffy said casually, catching everyone off guard.

"You have a brother!?" Usopp asked in disbelief.

"To think both of you would eat a Devil Fruit…" Sanji muttered, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"Yeah, that surprised me too! He didn't have it before leaving. Even then, I still couldn't beat him!" Luffy admitted, laughing.

"So, he's an even bigger monster than you?" Usopp said, his eyes wide.

"Yeah! He kicked my butt! Hahaha!" Luffy laughed heartily. "But I bet I could take him on now."

Zoro raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Do you have the proof to back that up?"

Just then, Ace leaped onto the ship's railing. "You can take on who now?"

"Ace!" Luffy shouted with excitement.

"Sup." Ace replied casually.

"What are you doing here?" Luffy asked.

"Didn't you get my message at Drum Island?" Ace tilted his head, then shrugged when Luffy shook his head. "Well, no big deal."

Ace turned to Luffy with a more serious tone. "Luffy, what do you think about joining the Whitebeard Pirates? Your crew's welcome too."

Usopp's eyes bulged. "So that tattoo on your back is the real thing!?"

"Yeah, it's my pride and honor. Whitebeard's the greatest pirate I know, and I want him to be Pirate King—not you, Luffy." Ace said without hesitation.

Luffy just grinned. "Alright then. I'll just have to fight him later."

Ace stared at him for a moment before smiling. "You never change." He pulled out a small piece of paper, handing it to Luffy. "Here, take this. Hold on to it tight, okay?"

Luffy took the paper, flipping it over curiously. "A piece of paper?"

Ace nodded and turned to the rest of the crew. "I'm sure you've had your hands full with him, but please take care of my little brother."

He then hopped down onto a small yellow boat.

"Wha!? You're leaving already!?" Luffy yelled.

"Yeah. Seeing you was a bonus. I'm actually chasing a pirate who calls himself 'Blackbeard.' He did something unforgivable—killed a crewmate and ran."

"As his division commander, it's my job to bring him to justice." Ace's eyes flared with determination.

He then smiled at Luffy. "The next time we meet, it'll be at the pirate world's 'top.'"

"See ya, Ace!!" Luffy shouted as the boat began to drift away.

Suddenly, five enemy ships appeared on the horizon, aiming directly at Ace.

Without missing a beat, flames ignited on Ace's arm, flickering with heat. He grinned confidently and shot his arm forward. "Fire Fist!!"

The fiery blast roared toward the ships, engulfing them in an inferno. The vessels were consumed in seconds, leaving nothing but smoldering wreckage behind.

Ace, now a speck in the distance, grinned to himself. "Hurry and come up to the top, Luffy."

…

Back on the Merry, after Nami carefully sewed the mysterious piece of paper into Luffy's straw hat, the crew resumed their journey, but a sudden scream stopped them.

"Igaram's gone!" Vivi came toward them with a piece of paper.

"Hm? What's with that?" Luffy tried to take the letter but Ryomen was faster.

"It says he thanks us for treating him, and that he'll have to go journey on his own for now." Ryomen told the others as he read the letter.

"Where is he going?" Nami asked in confusion.

"Doesn't say." Ryomen replied.

"He must be going to Alubarna to report his findings." Vivi exclaimed in worry.

"He's going to be fine Vivi. He seems like he can take care of himself. Especially in his own country." Ryomen reassured her.

"Yeah, you're right. And once he reaches the capital, he'll be completely safe." Vivi mumbled. "I'm fine now. Let's go." She told them after she took a few moments to calm down.

"Alright! On to Yupa!" Luffy shouted with enthusiasm.

"It's Yuba." Vivi corrected, sounding exasperated.

"Right! On to Yuba!" Luffy repeated, unfazed.

"Oh, boy…" Sanji sighed, shaking his head. His attention then shifted to Ryomen, who stood silently, staring at the smoke rising from the destroyed ships in the distance.

"You good? You've been quiet ever since you met Luffy's brother." Sanji asked, a touch of concern in his voice.

Ryomen chuckled softly, shaking his head. "I'm fine. Just...lost in thought."

"Hm? What's on your mind?" Sanji pressed, curious.

Ryomen's gaze remained on the horizon. "He's strong."

Sanji took a drag from his cigarette and nodded. "Yeah, I get that. It's a wake-up call for sure. The Grand Line doesn't let you relax."

Ryomen gave a small, knowing smile. "I'm sure we'll be fine." But inside, doubt gnawed at him. 'Is my strength truly enough?'

His thoughts flickered briefly to the ominous Devil Fruit he'd found, but he quickly shoved them aside, focusing on the task at hand.

…

By the afternoon, the crew arrived in front of a desolate town, buried beneath layers of sand.

"It's a ghost town!" Luffy exclaimed. "Now, let's find the leader!"

"We're not there yet, Luffy. Yuba's still half a day away." Vivi sighed, exhausted.

"Half a day!?" Luffy yelped in shock.

"Hmhm. This is the Green City of Erumalu." Vivi said.

"Doesn't look very green to me." Luffy remarked, earning a light slap on the head from Ryomen.

"Think before you speak." Ryomen scolded.

"It's okay," Vivi said softly. "The city used to be green, a long time ago."

"If you say so." Ryomen muttered, his gaze softening. Suddenly, his attention was caught by Usopp lying on the ground, his face bruised and swollen. "Usopp! What happened?" He called out, rushing over.

"Is that...a Kung Fu Dugong!?" Vivi gasped.

"A what now?" Zoro squinted, staring at the odd seal-like creature standing over Usopp.

Luffy, without hesitation, beat the creature up, and immediately became its master.

"This is the stance you want!" Luffy declared proudly, showing off a fighting pose to the Dugong.

To everyone's amazement, dozens more Kung Fu Dugongs emerged, gathering around Luffy as if he were their sensei.

"More apprentices!?" Vivi cried out in disbelief.

Chopper quickly mediated, negotiating with the creatures to not follow them, in exchange for half of the crew's food.

As they walked away, Sanji reflected aloud, "Those Dugongs were strange. Do they live in the river?"

"No, they usually live in the sea." Vivi answered. She went on to explain how the Sandora River had been slowly overtaken by seawater in recent years.

"Is that what made this city dry up?" Zoro asked.

Vivi shook her head sadly. "No. Erumalu used to have enough rainfall to thrive, but lately, not a single drop has fallen."

She paused, her voice growing heavier. "Only Alubarna, the capital, still gets rain, which people call the King's miracle...until the incident."

Vivi explained the tragic event, how a cargo of Dance Powder intended for the King was destroyed in Nanohana, leading to a rebellion.

"What's Dance Powder?" Usopp asked, scratching his head.

"It's a powder that can summon rain, but only by stealing it from the surrounding areas." Nami explained.

"It caused conflict between nations, so the World Government banned it." Vivi added.

Ryomen's expression darkened. "I see...No wonder the people rebelled."

Zoro crossed his arms. "Yeah, it's no surprise they'd blame the King."

Suddenly, Luffy blurted out, "Hey, it's all your father's fault, Vivi!!"

Before anyone could react, Ryomen swiftly knocked Luffy to the ground with a hard punch. "That's enough, Luffy."

Vivi stood still, her eyes brimming with unshed tears. "It was all Crocodile's doing...The people lost faith in the royal family, and the peace we had was shattered. So many towns, so many people...all gone."

Her fists clenched tightly as the tears finally fell. "Crocodile! He was behind it all! I...I'll never forgive him!"

Ryomen knelt beside her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "We won't let him get away with it."

Luffy, now standing, dusted himself off and grinned, the usual fire in his eyes. "Let's get moving. I'm itching for some action!"

…

The crew trudged through the desert, exhaustion settling in as the oppressive heat drained their energy.

"Haaa…I'm so hot…" Luffy groaned, his tongue hanging out.

"Stop gasping, Luffy. You're making me tired just looking at you." Chopper said, his voice strained.

"And it's so heavy!" Luffy continued to whine, while carrying everyone's baggage on his back.

"Not our fault you lost at Rock-Paper-Scissors." Zoro told him.

"Ugh, the heat's getting to me…" Nami mumbled, clinging onto Ryomen's back.

"One more complaint, and I'm putting you down." Ryomen replied, his annoyance evident, though he carried her with ease.

"Oh, but what will I do without my knight? Who will carry me then?" Nami teased, feigning distress.

Vivi glanced at them with a flicker of envy, mumbling something under her breath that went unheard.

"I can carry you, Nami-san!" Sanji interjected eagerly.

Nami chuckled awkwardly. "Maybe later, Sanji."

"Anything for you!" Sanji's eyes sparkled with hearts, but he shot a glare at Ryomen as if blaming him for stealing his chance.

"Why don't you give your stuff to Luffy to carry?" Zoro then asked Ryomen curiously, while looking at the backpack in his hand.

"I think it'd be better if I held it." Ryomen replied, while averting his eyes from Zoro's gaze.

Nami looked suspiciously at him, but before she could say anything, Usopp stopped her.

"Hey, there are crags up ahead!" Usopp shouted, his voice laced with hope.

"Yeah! Break time!" Luffy yelled, dashing toward the crags with the crew's supplies on his back—only to return just as quickly.

"Why's he coming back?" Zoro asked, raising an eyebrow.

"There are dying birds everywhere! Chopper, you gotta help them!" Luffy pleaded.

"I'm on it!" Chopper answered, ready to spring into action.

Ryomen's sharp gaze caught the sight of several birds suddenly taking flight with their supplies. "Dismantle!" He muttered, sending a precise wave that caused the thieving birds to plummet.

"Wha–!? Why'd you do that!?" Luffy shouted, looking angry.

"Luffy, didn't you see? They were trying to steal our supplies." Nami explained, shaking her head.

Vivi nodded. "Those were 'evil herons'—pirates that trick and rob travelers."

Luffy's anger faded into realization. "Oh…okay, good job then, Ryomen."

…

After a short rest, the crew continued their journey, soon coming across a giant lizard attacking a camel. They quickly saved the camel, and Chopper translated its gratitude.

"He says he's thankful for our help and is willing to give a ride—but only to the women " Chopper relayed.

"Ungrateful bastard! Who do you think saved you!?" Usopp, Sanji, and Luffy yelled, kicking the camel in frustration.

Nami stepped in, soothing the animal. "Were those mean pirates bothering you?" She cooed, patting him gently. "Who's a good boy? What's your name?"

"Idiot." Luffy muttered.

"Moron." Sanji added.

"Jerk." Usopp chimed in.

"I'll call you 'Eyelashes'." Nami declared, smiling at the camel.

"That's the weirdest one yet." Zoro grumbled.

With Nami and Vivi riding comfortably on Eyelashes' back, the rest of the crew was left trailing behind. "Hurry up! Or you'll be stuck in the desert forever!" Nami shouted, teasing the men who were left walking.

"And not even a thank you…" Ryomen muttered under his breath as he watched Nami ride away.

Meanwhile, he caught Luffy trying to chew on a cactus. "Stop that." He scolded, pulling the cactus away. Luffy was then subjected to a long lecture about eating random things in the wild.

...

As nightfall approached, Vivi's sharp eyes caught something in the distance. "Is that a light!?"

The crew turned to look, spotting the faint glow of a town in the distance.

"Is it Yuba?" Nami asked, squinting at the flickering light. But before anyone could answer, the ground beneath them began to tremble.

"What's going on!?" Ryomen asked, his eyes scanning their surroundings.

"This is awesome!" Luffy shouted, waving his arms around as the ground shook beneath him.

"No, this is bad!" Vivi exclaimed, her voice filled with worry.

A sandstorm erupted in the distance, engulfing the town in swirling chaos. They hurried toward the town, finding only an elderly man feverishly shoveling sand.

Vivi approached him cautiously, hiding her face. "Excuse me, is this the rebels' base–?"

Before she could finish, the old man interrupted her, shouting in frustration. "Don't tell me you're another bunch of degenerates wanting to join the rebels!?"

"What's with this old man freaking out?" Luffy muttered, scratching his head.

The man explained how the rebels had left the town due to the relentless sandstorms that drove away merchants. "They've moved to Katorea." He finished.

"Hm? Is it far, Vivi?" Luffy asked, only to feel the weight of Ryomen's intense glare from behind.

"Do I need to etch these things into your skull?" Ryomen asked, his voice low but dangerous. Luffy braced himself for yet another lecture.

"It's in a town near Nanohana." Vivi clarified.

"Nanohana!?" Usopp gasped.

"So this whole trip was for nothing!?" Zoro snapped, clearly frustrated.

Suddenly, the old man's eyes widened as he focused on Vivi. "Did you say…Vivi? Wait, are you Princess Vivi?"

"She's not the princess, if that's what you're thinking!" Luffy shouted, waving his hands—but was quickly silenced by a swift smack to the head from Ryomen.

"Vivi? Princess Vivi…it really is you!" The man cried out, grabbing her shoulders.

"Toto…?" Vivi whispered, her eyes widening in recognition

"Vivi…I still believe in the king! He wouldn't betray his country! I'm right aren't I!? Those rebels are out of their minds!" The man stated with tears in his eyes.

"Please, you have to stop them! You're the only one who can!"

"W-What are you saying?" Vivi asked, confused.

"They're running low on supplies, and they know they can't hold on for much longer…That's why they're planning on settling things once and for all in their next offensive!" The man started crying.

"They've lost their minds! They're practically suicidal at this point! Please, Princess Vivi…You have to stop those fools!" Toto now stood on his knees.

"Don't worry, Toto…" Vivi handed him a handkerchief. "I'm going to stop the rebellion