Chapter 66: Alabasta: The Man Chasing After Takumi

Alabasta was nothing like the small islands Takumi had visited before—it was a vast, powerful nation. Since the towns were all built on desert land, traveling through Alabasta required a good supply of drinking water.

Fortunately, Takumi's system storage was large enough, so he didn't have to worry about water. But since he wasn't sure how long he'd be at sea before reaching Alabasta, he made a habit of stopping at any small islands along the way to restock his supplies.

After nearly a month of sailing, he finally spotted a large island covered in golden sand.

He steered his boat toward the nearest shore and jumped onto the sandy beach.

As soon as his feet touched the sand, the familiar system notification sounded in his mind.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for successfully reaching the sign-in location: Alabasta. Sign-in progress +10%. Current total progress: 10%. You have been awarded a new skill: Basic Wind Release: Infinite Sand Dust Breakthrough.]

Information about Wind Release: Infinite Sand Dust Breakthrough instantly flooded Takumi's mind.

This was a jutsu from Naruto that could create a massive desert storm. In the original Naruto world, only someone in Tailed Beast form could use this technique. Tailed Beasts were enormous chakra-based creatures with tails.

But for Takumi, there were no such limitations—he could use the technique simply by placing his hands on the sand.

In the sand-filled land of Alabasta, this was a pretty powerful skill.

Without dwelling on it too much, Takumi set off toward the nearest small town.

This town was a simple, rustic place. The streets were filled with men and women wearing headscarves or hats to shield themselves from the scorching sun. After all, Alabasta was a country built on a desert.

Even though Takumi's strength made the heat no big deal for him, being under the sun for too long was still uncomfortable.

As he passed by a stall selling hats, scarves, and goggles, the vendor smiled and called out to him, "Hey there, kiddo! You look like you're not from around here. Welcome to the town of Narohara in Alabasta! Just a friendly tip—you might want to get yourself a hat. It's easy to get heatstroke out here. Care to buy one?"

Takumi paused, scanning the vendor's wares.

He was planning to head to Alabasta's capital, Alubarna, and would have to cross a vast desert to get there. A hat would definitely come in handy.

It didn't take him long to decide. He picked out a black cowboy hat with an orange brim and a pair of red goggles that he placed on the hat's brim.

"How much?" he asked as he put the hat on.

The vendor rubbed his hands together and smiled. "You're just a kid, so I'll give you a good deal. How about ten Beli?"

Ten Beli for a hat and goggles was a fair price.

Takumi handed over the money and asked, "How do I get to Alubarna?"

"You mean the capital, Alubarna?" The vendor happily pocketed the money.

Takumi nodded.

"Alubarna is pretty far from here," the vendor said, pointing in a direction. "Just keep heading that way, but I'd recommend getting yourself a camel to ride. If you walk, it'll take you at least two months to get there. Oh, and you're not here alone, are you? Don't your parents need hats too?"

Takumi ignored the vendor's attempt to upsell and walked away from the stall. After wandering around the small town for a bit, he bought a camel to ride and then set off at a steady pace toward Alubarna.

Not long after Takumi left Narohara, a pirate ship with a Jolly Roger that had crossed swords behind a skull and three scars over the right eye anchored near Takumi's small boat.

"Haha! The kid really came to Alabasta," a red-haired man grinned from the deck.

Next to him, a man with a headband that read "YASOPP" and slightly curly hair looked at him with mock disdain. "Boss, you're too much. We've got stuff to do, and you just had to come here…"

"Hahaha… It's only been half a year, and that kid's already made it to the Grand Line. I'm dying to see how much he's grown," the red-haired man, Shanks, said with a smile.

Indeed, it was Shanks and his Red-Haired Pirates who had come to Alabasta.

"Having a nosy boss is such a headache," Lucky Roo, a man who always had a piece of meat in his hand, said while taking a big bite. "You're gonna get yourself killed if you don't meet up with that guy at the agreed time. If that happens, you only have yourself to blame."

"But I really want to see Takumi," Shanks said as he leaned on the railing, staring at the small boat tied up nearby. "It's not the same boat he sailed from Windmill Village, but I'm sure this is Takumi's boat. I can smell his scent!"

"Hahaha! Boss, are you a dog or something? Smell his scent? Hahaha…" Yasopp burst out laughing.

The rest of the crew couldn't help but join in, laughing along with Shanks.

Even Shanks laughed along, "Hahaha…"

"You really want to see him that badly?" asked a man in a black shirt, with long black hair tied into a ponytail, a loose V-neck shirt and pants, and boots, as he calmly puffed on a cigarette.

Shanks looked at Benn Beckman and grinned. "Of course! It took a lot of effort to track him down. If I pass up this chance, who knows when I'll see him again? My gut tells me Takumi is looking forward to meeting me too."

In truth, Takumi wasn't looking forward to it.

Beckman stared at Shanks' eager eyes for a moment, then took a drag on his cigarette and said, "Alright, ten days. We'll wait here for you for ten days."

"Ten days? That's not enough! Alabasta's huge…" Shanks grumbled.

"Boss, just be grateful. Ten days is more than generous," one crew member chimed in.

"Yeah, only Beckman would spoil you like this. If it were up to me, I'd give you three days."

"Three days? You're underestimating the boss! I say one day is plenty! Hahaha…"

The crew's teasing continued.

"Man, what kind of crew did I end up with?" Shanks said with a smirk, glancing at the nearby town. He then leaped easily onto the shore. "Ten days it is. You guys hold down the fort—I'll be back."

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