Desert Travels are Tough with Friends

Greetings fellow readers! 

March is shaping up to be quite a month. This chapter I have to give a special thanks to Akira Toriyama. Creator of Dragon Ball. 

I sincerely mourn the loss of this amazing creator. He is the reason I fell in love with fiction and story telling. Opening the gateway to the anime world for me. I thank him for being the first stone to carve my path as a creative writer. My heart is broken, but through his creation I remember the importance of hard work, friends, and never giving up on your goals and wishes. 

I hope this chapter will brighten your days, and bring you a sense of comfort from the difficult times in your life. Just as Dragon Ball did for me as a child. 

"Luffy, I'm not going to say it again, put the scorpion down!" Sakura's voice cut through the commotion, her eyes narrowing at the potential chaos.

Under the scorching sun of the Alabasta desert, Luffy's antics took an unexpected turn as he decided to use a scorpion as a makeshift prop for his playfulness. The scuttling creature became a pawn in his chase with Usopp, dangled dangerously by its tail. Concerned for both her crewmates and the unsuspecting scorpion, Sakura intervened, scolding Luffy for his reckless behavior.

"Luffy, get away from me!" Usopp pleaded, trying to evade the unpredictable dance around the desert. His fear overcame the heat. 

With a swift and assertive move, Sakura marched over to Luffy, giving him a solid knock on the head. She swiftly took the scorpion from him, flinging it far into the desert.

"You're going to wear yourself and everyone out at this rate," Sakura warned, her eyes stern.

"Nu-uh! There's no way a desert's gonna bring me down!" Luffy protested, throwing his arms up defiantly. However, before he could continue his antics, Sakura seized him by his cloak, dragging him along to keep pace with the group as they continued their journey through the unforgiving desert.

..

..

..

"What was that about not letting the desert beat you?" Sakura asked, her tone teasing as she observed Luffy panting with each step. They were traversing yet another steep dune in the relentless Alabasta desert.

Vivi, their guide through this harsh environment, had explained that it would take at least half a day to reach Yuba. Despite the seemingly straightforward journey, the terrain proved to be far more challenging than they had anticipated. Even the typically energetic Luffy was visibly drained under the scorching heat.

While Vivi, accustomed to the desert's relentless warmth, maintained her pace, the rest of the crew was trying to conserve energy. Chopper, in particular. Zoro had crafted a makeshift sled to help the reindeer by pulling him through the rough terrain. Being designed for winter weather, Chopper's fur was more of a hindrance than an asset in this blistering desert heat.

The crew pressed on, each step feeling like a small victory against the oppressive elements. They were united in their determination to reach Yuba, but the desert, with its unforgiving terrain and searing temperatures, tested their endurance and temperaments every step of the way.

'I haven't been in the desert since…' Sakura's thoughts drifted back to a time years ago when she, Naruto, and Kakashi were summoned for their first mission as a team after almost three years. The mission was to rescue Gaara, who had been captured by the Akatsuki. The journey back was no picnic either. But it wasn't anywhere near as chaotic as this one. 

Usopp and Chopper got into a heated argument, Luffy, in typical fashion, overindulged in the water supply, much to Nami's irritation.

Sakura couldn't help but wonder if they would survive this journey without turning on each other.

"Hey, Sanji, open up the special pirate lunch now!" Luffy panted.

"Not until Vivi gives the word," Sanji retorted.

"Vivi, let's have lunch," Luffy turned to their guide.

"I'm sorry, Luffy, but we're only a quarter of the way to Yuba right now," Vivi replied.

"That's pretty stupid; haven't you heard the proverb, eat when your stomach growls," Luffy quipped.

Sakura glanced up at the desert sun, taking in a deep breath. The crew needed a break.

"Alright, we'll break at the next group of rocks we walk by," said Vivi.

Luffy immediately started searching for that rock. "Onward to the next group of rocks! Okay, guys, whoever wins at rock-paper-scissors has to carry everyone's stuff!"

"Quit deciding things like that!" exclaimed Usopp, exhausted by the heat and his captain's spontaneity.

"ROCK PAPER—"

"Wait!"

Everyone circled and drew before they could even argue that it should've been the loser carrying everything. The journey through the desert continued a mix of exhaustion, bickering, and Luffy's unpredictable decisions.

..

..

..

Luffy was panting heavily as he dragged everyone's luggage behind him. He had "won" the rock-paper-scissors draw, and the weight of the luggage was proving challenging, even for someone as strong as Luffy.

"So heavy…" Luffy muttered, beads of sweat rolling down his face. Normally, he could carry three times that weight effortlessly, but the scorching heat of the desert was taking its toll.

"You made the rules, Luffy, fair is fair," Sakura stated, a touch of amusement in her voice.

Usopp, using his binoculars, spotted a few rocks ahead and called out to the group. Luffy, seemingly out of energy a moment ago, suddenly rushed towards the distant rocks, a trail of dust following him. The promise of shade and a break had rejuvenated him.

"He'd swim across the ocean for food," Sakura remarked, watching Luffy's determined sprint. Leaving his friends in the dust. 

"He'd sink but you're not far off," agreed Usopp. He was eager to get there as well so he could finally rest. But before the rest of them could even move, Luffy was rushing back, their luggage was gone and his expression frantic. 

"Guys! There's a flock of injured birds! Quick they need help!" 

Sakura squinted, "Birds?" 

Vivi, visibly panicked, urged them to race over to the rock formation. The urgency in her voice had the crew moving swiftly.

..

..

..

Apparently, in this world, some birds acted as desert bandits, stealing from travelers. Vivi explained that a specific type of bird was notorious for pilfering from desert travelers. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if there was anything normal in this world. Everyone else was going between panicked and enraged about having their supplies stolen. 

"Those birds tricked me!" exclaimed Luffy.

Sanji infuriated, grabbed Luffy's collar. "Luffy, you dolt! Is that all you have to say!? You let some damn birds steal all our stuff! In the middle of the desert! Three days' worth of supplies gone!" 

"It's not my fault, they tricked me!" 

"Don't be so easy to trick!" 

Sakura sighed, running a hand through her hair. "Okay, let's not lose our cool—"

"Little late for that since all the water's gone," chided Zoro. Sakura glared at him for that.

"Really?" 

"But it's not like we're gonna die right away. Let's just put that out of our minds." Zoro said moving to sit down at one of the rocks. 

"You couldn't have said that without the additional shmuck comment?" Sakura hissed under her breath turning away. 

Then, she noticed something further in the distance – a group of birds with their luggage, sipping at their water supply.

Luffy, without a second thought, went chasing after them.

"Luffy, wait!" Sanji called.

"Don't chase them!" Vivi shouted, but Luffy paid no attention.

"I'm getting him," Sakura said, running out into the sun again, not too pleased about running through the desert to catch up to her captain but she didn't want to risk losing him here or they'd risk a setback. 

..

..

..

The desert landscape stretched endlessly before Sakura as she raced to catch up with Luffy, who was in hot pursuit of the birds that had pilfered their belongings. The sun beat down relentlessly, casting long shadows on the dunes. Sakura was concerned; venturing too far into the desert could make it difficult to find their way back. From her experience, she learned that the desert was one of the most unforgiving terrains to exist. 

Predators could hide in plain sight, prey would stand out against the sand, and traces of life could be wiped away with a single breeze including footprints and a sense of direction. 

"Luffy, stop!" she shouted, her voice echoing through the emptiness. But Luffy was relentless, determined to reclaim their stolen goods.

In a clearing, something unexpected occurred. Like snapping dragons emerging from the sand, giant plants sprung up, swallowing a few of the thieving birds. Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!"

The situation escalated quickly. Sakura and Luffy found themselves entangled in a chaotic dance of dodging and punching, fending off the aggressive plant life that seemed intent on making a meal of them. It didn't take too long for them to be surrounded by shredded plants. 

"Luffy, that's enough wandering on your own; we are going now!" Sakura, fueled by a mix of frustration and concern, seized Luffy by the ear, attempting to guide him away from the encroaching danger. However, Luffy abruptly halted.

"Sakura, look over there!" he exclaimed, pointing in the direction of a distressed camel. The creature was desperately trying to keep one of the hungry plants from clamping shut on it.

Sakura swiftly moved towards the struggling creature, her hands glowing with chakra. With a surge of strength, she ripped the camel free from the plant's mouth, pulling it out of the sand.

"Ah, the birds got away!" Luffy complained. Watching them reach heights he couldn't. 

"More importantly, let's head back before something else happens," Sakura suggested, her eyes scanning the horizon warily. 

The desert seemed to conspire against them, throwing one surprise after another. As Sakura and Luffy considered their next move after the bizarre encounter with the carnivorous plants, the ground trembled beneath their feet. It wasn't the shifting sands or the aftermath of the tussle with the predatory flora; this was something different.

"What is that?" she wondered aloud, her gaze fixed on the approaching anomaly in the desolate landscape. 

From the depths of the sand emerged a colossal purple lizard, its sinuous tail swishing menacingly as it fixed its gaze on the unexpected intruders. Sakura caught between exasperation and bewilderment, couldn't help but give the bizarre situation a deadpan expression. 

Luffy, however, was quick to react, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Whoa, that thing looks cool! Can I ride it?"

Sakura blinked at him. "Luffy, seriously?"

The lizard, meanwhile, made no aggressive moves as if assessing whether these strange beings were a threat or merely passing through.

Cracking her knuckles, Sakura sighed, "Let's get this over with," 

..

..

..

"What could be taking them so long?" Nami paced around. 

"Stop doing that you're going to wear yourself out and I'm not carrying you," Zoro told her. 

"Don't talk that way to Nami-san dumb Mosshead!" 

Vivi, growing concerned about the absence of Sakura and Luffy, sought answers from Usopp, who was diligently scanning the horizon with his goggles. Suddenly, his expression shifted from confusion to disbelief, and he uttered a bewildered exclamation.

"I see Luffy!" He looked further, "And….WHAT THE HECK!?"

The rest of the crew turned their attention to the approaching figures. Sakura and Luffy emerged from the desert, dragging a massive lizard by its tail, accompanied by a nonchalant camel. Vivi's jaw dropped as she identified the creature.

"That's a Sandora Dragon!" Those were some of the most dangerous animals in the desert and yet she found her friends carrying one around like a doll stuffed with fluff. 

Luffy, unfazed by the astonishment, cheerfully waved at the group. "Hey guys, look what we got! Those birds flew away, but we caught some meat! Sanji, cook it!"

Sanji caught off guard, couldn't help but respond with a mix of irritation and incredulity. "With what!?" 

..

..

..

The day, which had started with the bizarre encounter with the Kung Fu Du Gongs and ended with the unexpected acquisition of a camel, continued to be a series of relentless surprises. In Sakura's opinion, it was absolute insanity. At least now the girls could be carried through the desert thanks to Eyelash. A name Nami chose for the flirtatious camel. The addition didn't fall well for Sanji and Usopp, especially after Chopper translated that he was only willing to carry female passengers. 

The journey through the desert continued, marked by the occasional gusts of wind carrying stinging grains of sand. The crew trudged forward, fatigue evident in every step. Except for Eyelash who plodded along, a sturdy beast against the harsh terrain.

Luffy, recovering from his hallucinatory episode induced by the cactus drink, was slung over Sakura's shoulder. Despite the tranquilizer, he occasionally mumbled about taking down Crocodile, his words lost in the rhythmic cadence of Sakura's steps.

Sanji, the ever-chivalrous cook, couldn't stand the sight of Sakura carrying Luffy. "Sakura-chan, a delicate flower like yourself shouldn't be carrying that buffoon. I don't want you to get tired. I'll gladly carry you to Yuba,"

Sakura, brushing off his concerns, responded, "It's fine, Sanji."

"Leave her be, Love cook. She'll cry for someone to carry her when she gets tired."

Sakura shot him a glare, a look familiar to those who knew her from the shinobi world. "Keep talking, and soon someone will be dragging you through the desert," she warned, facing off with Zoro.

"That right?" Zoro glared back at her. 

Usopp, panting and exhausted, interjected, "This is not the time to be pushing buttons, seriously!" He hoped to defuse the tension brewing among the crew. The desert had a way of wearing down even the most resilient spirits.

Vivi, walking alongside Eyelash, looked back at the crew. "Let's focus on getting to Yuba. We can't afford to waste any more time."

Nami, having secured a seat on Eyelash, chimed in, "She's right. We've got to stick together." 

..

..

..

The crew, weary from their journey through the harsh desert, finally found themselves on the outskirts of Yuba just as night settled, and the temperature dropped considerably. Vivi pointed toward the city in the distance, a glimmer of hope in the seemingly endless desert.

However, their optimism was short-lived as a heavy wind stirred the sand, signaling an approaching sandstorm. 

Vivi's announcement cut through the howling winds, "Yuba's being hit with a sandstorm!"

They huddled together, waiting for the tempest to pass. Sand whipped through the air, obscuring their vision and stinging exposed skin. The crew clung to one another, shielding their faces from the abrasive assault.

When the storm finally subsided, the town of Yuba came into view. It appeared almost as desolate as the abandoned city they had encountered earlier in the day. The winds had left a trail of destruction, burying structures under layers of sand.

"What a mess, there's not much difference between here and that abandoned town," Zoro remarked, adjusting Usopp on his shoulder.

Luffy, ever straightforward, cut to the heart of the matter, "Where's the water?"

"Wasn't this supposed to be an oasis town Vivi?" asked Sanji. 

"The sand, it swallowed the oasis up!" 

Their eyes were drawn to a figure in the distance, a man diligently digging into the sand with a shovel.

"Travellers, huh? Well then, you must be tired. Sorry to tell you, this town's a bit dried up right now. But you folks ought to rest here for the night. We've got plenty of inns and rooms to spare," the man greeted them, a friendly offer amid the desert's desolation.

Vivi, concerned about revealing her identity, adjusted the cloak over her face. She stepped forward, "Uh, excuse me, but I heard the rebel forces were using this town as a base."

The man's expression turned grim, and suddenly he started chucking things at the group—barrels, buckets, anything he could find. "Don't tell me you're another bunch of degenerates wanting to join the rebels!"

The crew, taken aback, tried to shield themselves from the unexpected barrage. Luffy, with his usual lack of subtlety, exclaimed, "What's with this old man flipping out all of a sudden!"

The man, after running out of projectiles and calming down, explained, "Those fools are no longer in this town."

"What!" Luffy's eyes widened in disbelief.

"You saw the sandstorm just now. Ever since the drought three years ago, this town's been regularly hit by them. That's why the oasis is gone. Rebels couldn't hold out here any longer, so they relocated to Katorea and set up their main base there."

Vivi was shocked. Katorea was an oasis located right next to Nanohana, the place they had walked further away from.

"Vivi, why didn't you say anything!" 

Vivi's eyes widened, and she looked at the old man in disbelief. "Toto?" she whispered as if trying to confirm the identity of the man standing before her.

The old man, apparently named Toto, grabbed Vivi's shoulders and held a bright smile. "I'm so glad you're still alive! Don't you recognize me!?"

"SHE'S NOT PRINCESS VIVI IF THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE THINKING!" Luffy blurted out, earning a swift slap from Zoro, who was growing increasingly irritated by the unfolding drama.

Toto ignored the interruption and continued to hold Vivi's gaze. She, in turn, gasped, "Toto is it you?"

The old man's eyes welled with tears, and he began to sob. "Vivi... I still believe in the king! He's not the type that could ever betray his people. I'm right, aren't I? Those rebels are out of their minds. Please, you have to stop them!"

Vivi caught between the weight of her duty and the emotion of the reunion, hesitated for a moment. The crew watched silently, waiting for her response, sensing the complexity of the situation.

Toto, the father of Vivi's childhood friend Kouza, had changed significantly since the last time Vivi saw him. He was once a round man with a lot of life in his eyes, but the years and the hardships he faced had clearly taken their toll.

As they sat in a quiet corner of Yuba, Toto shared the history of the town and his unwavering faith in the king. Eleven years ago, during another drought, he had come to the king to discuss the matter and ask for help. Eventually, they discovered Yuba's uninhabited oasis and set up the town there, a place that became their pride and joy. The king entrusted Toto with the responsibility of establishing the town.

Despite the lack of rain for the past three years, Toto's faith in the king remained unshaken. "I believe in the king! And I'm sure most of the other citizens do too!" he exclaimed, desperation evident in his voice. "I tried, I tried so hard to stop them, but it was no use. Those rebels wouldn't listen. But their supplies are running low, and they can't hold out for much longer. That's why they're planning on settling things once and for all. Please, Vivi, you have to stop them! They're prepared to die!"

Vivi, maintaining her composure, gave a reassuring smile. "Please don't worry anymore. I'll stop those rebels no matter what."

..

..

..

The crew, exhausted from the day's events, was sent to a clean inn by Toto, who insisted they get some well-deserved rest. The promise of beds in a single room brought a sense of relief to the tired Straw Hat Pirates.

As they entered the inn, Usopp wasted no time rushing to a bed, declaring a preemptive good night before laying his head down. Zoro, who had carried him through the desert, took offense at Usopp's sudden nap. 

"Good work crew, you must all be exhausted by now so why don't we all just get some rest? Good night," 

"Some talking coming from someone who was sleeping until now!" Zoro hissed. 

Usopp retaliated by throwing his pillow into Zoro's face. "I'm not like you monsters! Got a problem with that!"

"So it's a fight you want, huh!?" Zoro challenged, but Usopp threw the next pillow at Chopper.

"Don't just insult me for passing out when Blue Nose over there takes the top prize for that today!" Usopp exclaimed, pointing at Chopper.

"I'm not good with heat!" Chopper defended himself. Sanji was also tossed into the fray, followed by Nami who attempted to resolve the situation, for only a second before she attacked back after being hit. 

"Guys, come on we have a lot to do tomorrow and-

She ducked her head to avoid a pillow being thrown at her. "STOP ACTING LIKE CHILDREN AND GO TO SLEEP!"

A pillow was thrown hard in her direction. Soon, the room became a battlefield of flying pillows. By the end of the night, they had lost most of the fluff in their pillows. 

THAT'S ALL FOLKS! 

If you want to get a hold of these latest chapters check out my Tumblr where you can join as a member. You can also get the update schedule to follow. 

MEMBERS NOW: (bmcmember)

-SPECIAL HALLOWEEN CHAPTER: Shinigami amongst Shinobi

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes chapter 60, 61, 62

-Kunoichi amongst Heroes WHAT IF SPIN OFF: Dorms and Exams

-Kunoichi amongst Pirates chapter 24, 25, 26

-Crossroads of Fate chapter 17, 18, 19

-Through the Looking Glass chapter 21, 22, 23

-(SEQUEL) Through the Spyglass chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,6

Well that's it from me, I hope you look forward to the next chapter! See you lovelies!