Chapter 122: Green City

Ace headed back on the Striker to the Going Merry. He tied this ship on the railing of the Going Board and jumped onboard. 

"Wow amazing," Usopp said. 

"You are so cool," Chopper added.

"Such power," Zoro remarked. 

"That was good, Luffy. I am heading back to the Miss Love Duck," Ben said. 

"Okay," Luffy replied. 

Ben transformed into his hybrid and flew back to the Miss Love Duck. 

"Interesting devil fruit," Ace commented as he saw Ben transformed into his demon form and fly off.  

Ben landed back on the Miss Love Duck. The girls were all there waiting on the board. 

"Kaya here you go, keep this safe," Ben said as he handed the blood filled injection. 

"I will," Kaya took the injection and went back down to her room. 

"That was easy my love," Avlida said.

"We had a common connection so it was fine, however others will not be and we may need to fight or trick them," Ben said. 

"Yes it will be difficult without haki," Honey said.

"Let's head to the Bridge and inform the rest," Ben said. The girls nodded. Karoo was still asleep.

They walked into the Bridge stairs and headed upwards. They entered the Bridge. There they saw Nojiko, Vivi, BM and HQ all focusing. 

"Vivi, Luffy and the crew will follow us to Emerald City," Ben said. 

"Okay, that is good," Vivi replied. 

"Mikita, would you know where Crocodile is right now?" Alvida asked.

"He is probably at the Rainbase," Mikita replied.

"My love, we should go there and take him out," Alvida replied.

"No, we need to stop the rebellion," Vivi said.

"We need to cut the head of the snake," Ben said. 

"But," Vivi said.

"Ben is right, the rest are pawns, he is the mastermind," Nojiko said. 

They headed up the river with the Going Merry behind them.

"The ship reactor is giving power for us to keep going my lord," BM said.

"Reactor?" Kaya questioned as she entered the Bridge.

"Yes, it like an engine to move the ship when there is wind," HQ replied.

"That is amazing," Honey said.

"Sort of like the steam ship we encountered before," Marianne said.

"Yes something like that but our reactor is better," Ben added. He was not sure of the fuel source though.

"We can dock our ship there," Vivi pointed. There were some rocks on the coast.

"Okay, let's dock there," Ben said. 

"Yes Master," HQ replied. HQ steered the ship towards the rocks and dropped the anchor and lowered the bridge. The Going Merry followed suit. 

"It will be hot here, so we should cover our skin," Vivi said. She reached into her bag and gave everyone long cloaks which covered them from head to toe. Ben was slightly disappointed he could not see more of their outfits but he can ask them later and importantly their skin was not burnt.

"Captain has a face of disappointment," Marianne said.

"He would, he wanted to see more of our outfits," Mikita said.

"Pervert," Kaya remarked.

"My love appreciates all his girls," Alvida said.

"He does," Nojiko said. Marianne looked a little sad. Ben saw this and walked to her and hugged her.

"Next time it will be us two," he whispered in her ear.

Marianne's eyes popped out and pushed Ben back. "I," she muttered and ran away. 

Ben smiled. "She has energy," Ben said.

"I wonder what he said?" Vivi asked.

"Probably something perverted," Kaya replied. Vivi figured it out and went red. The other girls laughed. 

As they were talking and laughing they heard Nami shouting, "Luffy, be careful against those seals." 

"Not them," Vivi said.

"BM, HQ take care of the ship," Ben said.

"Yes Master," HQ responded.

"Yes my lord," BM responded. They said it at the same time. 

Vivi then ran out. Ben and the girls followed and they headed to the deck.

They saw Luffy fighting a turtle-like creature. 

"Luffy don't fight, Kung-Fu Dugongs," Vivi shouted. 

The Kung-Fu Dugong readied his fist. Luffy readied his fist. Luffy punched and knocked out the Kung-Fu Dugong in one punch.

"It's worse if you beat them as they become your leader," Vivi said. 

"I am the best," Luffy laughed. 

"You are going to take them all," Zoro shouted.

"Luffy, we can't take them," Usopp said.

The girls, including Nami, looked at the Kung-Fu Dugongs. "They look cute," Honey said.

"They are adorable," Marianne added.

"I want to hug one," Nojiko said. 

Ben cleared his throat. "We are not taking them," Ben said.

"Mean," Kaya said.

"Very heartless," Mikita said. The girls all looked at Ben as he was the worst villain. Ben sighed. 

"Ben is right, we can't take them," Alvida said. 

"But they are cute," Nami added.

Chopper jumped off the Going Merry and approached the Kung-Fu Dugongs. He offered the meat and said, "I will give you this if you stay here," Chopper said. 

The Kung-Fu Dugongs swarmed Chopper and picked them and started celebrating. "Hey put me down," Chopper said. 

Ben and the rest laughed. The Strawhats gave some of their meat to the Kung-Fu Dugongs. Ben nodded and also gave some of their food over. 

Nojiko and Nami met up and hugged each other. Honey and Marianne took his opportunity to hug a Kung-Fu Dugong. They looked cute.

"Okay let's get moving," Ben said. 

"Karoo take this to the King," Vivi said as she put a letter on the pouch. She started running. 

The Kung-Fu Dugongs had tears in their eyes as they waved their hands. 

The Love Pirates consisting of Ben Kaya, Alvida, Mikita, Honey, Nojiko and Marianne led by Vivi started working through the desert. The Strawhat consists of Luffy, Zoro, Nami, Sanji, Usopp and Chopper followed by Ace. 

"All the beauties are covered," Sanji sobbed.

"Get over it," Zoro said. 

"What did you say?" Sanji said.

"You want to go," Zoro replied.

"Knock it off," Nami shouted. 

"Shishish," Luffy laughed.

They approach a town. They saw an abandoned town covered in sand. The town's buildings, which were once symbols of life and human activity, are now eerily encased in a thick shroud of fine, golden sand. The tops of churches could be seen however the rest was buried. The homes and markets covered from the swirling dunes, their windows shattered and frames warped. The streets were choked with sand. 

"This is Green City," Vivi said. 

"Once a thriving green community, filled with people and joy, now a desolate place filled with suffering," Vivi added.

"It never got much rain, however it was thriving until the rain stopped for three years," Vivi said. 

"That long?" Chopper said. Zoro kicked a tree stump which crumbled. 

"Yes, not a single drop of rain for three years," Vivi said. 

"But we sailed up a river upstream," Zoro said.

"Could you not draw water from it? Usopp said.

"The answer lies ahead," Vivi said.

"There was only one place where rainfall was happening and that was the Capital City Arbana," Vivi said. 

"Why was that?" Nojiko asked. 

"People called it a miracle but that was far from the truth," Vivi said. 

Vivi explained, " A person carrying cargo had dropped Dance Powder on the street. He blamed it on the King." 

"Dance Powder?" Nojiko said.

"It is a substance that makes the rainfall in one area, however , stops the rest," Ben said. 

"Yes, it was part of Crocodile plot to turn the citizens against the King and it worked," Mikita said.

Marianne nodded.

"They found bags of Dance Powder in the palace," Vivi said. 

"So there was a plot against you," Nami said. 

Vivi nodded/ 

"A pirate who wants to anchor down does not make sense to me. There is something more," Ace said.

"More?" Zoro said.

"Like an ancient weapon," Ben said. 

Ace looked at Ben. 

"So you know about them?" Ace said.

"There were rumors but who knows whether they exist or not," Ben replied.

"What's an ancient weapon?" Chopper said.

"Weapons from the past are said to destroy the world," Ace said.

"So Crocodiles want this weapon to take over the world," Nami said.

"Or become Pirate King," Ben said. 

"I will be Pirate King," Luffy shouted

"He is insane," Sanji commented.

"But we will stop him," Kaya responded. 

"Yes we will and save our friend`s country," Nojiko added.

"Our deal relies on it," Alvida teased. 

As they were talking they reached an empty road covered in desert. "Why is this road so wide?" Honey asked. 

"It's a canal that was destroyed," Vivi said. 

"Let's keep moving," Ben said. They all nodded and started marching towards where Crocodile was. 

The sun was scorching hot. It was bright. "I am thirsty," Luffy said. 

"Keep quiet you," Nami shouted. 

"Are you girls doing okay?" Ben asked.

"Yes coping," Nojiko said. 

"We should have taken the tank," Honey said.

"It might have gotten stuck or sunken here. It was not really designed for this, so best we kept it safe for the future," Ben replied. Honey nodded. 

"We should have used the ship to go upstream more," Kaya said.

"It would have been dangerous and it will be more narrow so the ship may have gotten stuck," Nojiko responded. 

"My sis is right there," Nami added.

"You might think this is another training session," Alvida said. The girls groaned at that thought.

"There is no need to put yourself in harm's way when a man like me can do it," Sanji said.

"No," the girls replied. Sanji felt his heart pierce.

"Shishish," Luffy laughed.