đź’– If you enjoy my work, consider supporting me on Patreon. I'm offering advanced chapters there as a thank-you to readers.
--------------------
Check out advanced chapters on : patreon.com/DragonOP
--------------------
The dry, heat-shimmering air of Whiskey Peak was a far cry from the temperate breezes of Mondstadt or the salty humidity of Loguetown. Under the cover of the desert night, the town was a den of revelry, masquerading as a welcoming haven for weary travelers. But for Ye Ruo, the "Sky-Scribing Bard," it was merely the next setting for his expanding narrative.
Noelle stood beside a small, portable stall they had established near the outskirts of the town square. Her traveler's armor gleamed softly under the moonlight. "Senior, the people here... their smiles don't reach their eyes," she whispered, her Geo-senses picking up the hidden tremors of tension beneath the town's stone foundations. "They feel more like hunters than hosts."
"That's because they are, Noelle," Ye Ruo replied, casually flipping through a manuscript. "This town is a trap set by Baroque Works. But tonight, they're not the ones doing the hunting. We're here to offer a different kind of bait."
Among the crowd of "welcoming" residents was a young woman with long, sky-blue hair tied in a high ponytail. She wore the flamboyant outfit of a frontier agent, but her eyes held a depth of sorrow and exhaustion that didn't fit the festive atmosphere. This was Miss Wednesday—better known as Princess Nefertari Vivi of Alabasta.
She was currently undercover, desperately searching for a way to save her dying kingdom from the drought and the mysterious shadow of Mr. 0. As she passed the [Wind and Bird] stall, a title caught her eye: The Legend of the Gunnhildr Clan: The Tribe That Never Bowed.
Ye Ruo looked up as she slowed down. "A story of a kingdom without rain, Princess? Or perhaps a story about a leader who refuses to let her people wither in the cold?"
Vivi froze, her heart hammering against her ribs. She looked at the man in the sharp black-and-white suit. "How did you... I'm just an agent. And why would a book about a 'clan' interest me?"
"Because the Gunnhildr clan lived in a world where the wind was a prison and the snow was a death sentence," Ye Ruo said, sliding the book toward her. "They didn't have a hero until they decided to become their own. Their resolve turned a wisp of wind into a God. I thought you might find the 'willpower' described inside familiar."
Vivi's hand trembled as she touched the cover. Through the Haki-Infused Ink, she felt a sudden surge of cooling, refreshing energy—the memory of a gentle breeze she hadn't felt in Alabasta for years.
The peaceful interaction was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine. The Baroque Works officers had been sent to eliminate the "traitors" within the organization.
"Enough with the fairy tales," Mr. 5 growled, flicking a booger that exploded near the stall. "Miss Wednesday, your cover is blown. And you, novelist—you're interfering with company business."
Noelle stepped forward, her greatsword manifesting in a burst of golden light. "Senior is busy discussing literature. I suggest you leave before I'm forced to clean the streets."
"A little girl with a big toy?" Miss Valentine laughed, hovering in the air. "Let's see how you handle ten thousand kilos!"
She plummeted toward Noelle, but the maid didn't flinch. She swung her blade upward, the Geo energy forming a solid crystallized shield that met the impact with a deafening crack. The ground beneath Noelle didn't even buckle.
"Efficiency," Noelle whispered, repeating Ye Ruo's lesson. She twisted her blade, and a localized whirlwind—enhanced by the Wind-Wind Fruit's residual energy in the area—blasted Miss Valentine back into the sky.
Vivi watched in awe as the simple bookstore clerk easily repelled two high-ranking agents. She turned back to Ye Ruo, who was still calmly sitting behind his stall.
"Who are you people?" she asked, her voice filled with a flickering hope. "Can you help me? My kingdom... Alabasta is dying."
Ye Ruo stood up and adjusted his hat. "I'm a novelist, Vivi. I don't fight wars; I change the hearts of those who do. But if you want to save your people, you need more than just a sword. You need a legend they can rally behind."
He checked his system interface.
[Legendary Prestige +12,000 (Significant Destiny Interaction: Nefertari Vivi)]
[New Script Unlocked: 'The Desert Rose and the Lord of the Gale']
[Reward: A Vial of 'Mondstadt Spring Water' (Cures any non-magical dehydration/exhaustion)]
He handed her the vial and the book. "Read the story of the Gunnhildr's Resolve tonight. Tomorrow, we leave for Alabasta. The wind is blowing in that direction, and it's about time your desert felt the touch of a real storm."
Vivi clutched the items to her chest, tears finally breaking through her stoic mask. For the first time in years, she felt like she wasn't fighting alone.
Far across the ocean, in the rainless capital of Alubarna, a man with a golden hook and a cigar sat in his darkened office. Sir Crocodile, Mr. 0 of Baroque Works, looked at a report from Whiskey Peak.
"A novelist who controls the wind? And a maid who moves mountains?" Crocodile let out a cold, rasping laugh. "It seems a new 'Natural Disaster' has entered the Grand Line. No matter. The sand always buries the wind in the end."
He had no idea that the "wind" he was dismissing was a force that had already toppled gods. The Wind Knight was coming to the desert, and the script of Alabasta was being rewritten with every step he took.
Ye Ruo looked toward the horizon, where the first light of dawn was touching the cactus-lined ridges. "The sand is just dust that hasn't met the rain yet, Noelle. Let's show them what a hurricane looks like."