After countless hardships, enduring the baptism of the scorching sun and sandstorms, the Straw Hat crew finally arrived at their destination—the former stronghold of the Rebel Army, Yuba.
However, the sight before them chilled everyone to the bone. This was no longer the legendary, bustling oasis.
The wind howled, yellow sand filled the sky, and most of the former streets and houses were buried under endless shifting dunes, leaving only broken walls to wail in the wind.
The Rebels had long since moved on, leaving behind a silent ghost town.
"HEYYY!! IS ANYONE HERE!!" Luffy shouted, his voice swallowed by the sand.
In this hopeless wasteland of ruins, the sole survivor was a skeletal old man named Toto. He was the father of Kohza, the leader of the Rebel Army and Vivi's childhood friend.
Even though everyone else had left, he remained here alone, day after day, digging at a dried-up well, desperately searching for water.
Night fell, and the sandstorm eased slightly. Under a half-buried eave, Toto hospitably entertained the group. Despite having nothing to his name, he brought out his most precious possession.
"Here, drink." Toto tremblingly held out a weathered bowl to Luffy. Inside was a tiny amount of water—muddy, grit-filled sludge—that he had spent all day digging for, his hands bleeding in the process.
Toto looked at Luffy, his eyes shining with a near-obsessive light of hope. "This is the water of Yuba... Yuba isn't dead! This oasis will return! The King... he would never betray us! I believe in the King who can make it rain on this land!"
Nami and Usopp looked at the bowl of mud, their throats tightening, unsure of what to say.
However, Gulp, Gulp.
Luffy didn't hesitate for a second. He took the bowl and downed the muddy water in one go, even licking the silt from his lips.
"Ha—!!" Luffy set the bowl down, wiped his mouth, and gave Toto a radiant grin. "Ah! That was great!! Thanks for the treat! Old man, you're gonna live to be a hundred!!"
Toto stared at Luffy, stunned for a moment, before bursting into tears of gratitude. "Thank you... thank you for believing in Yuba..."
Watching this, Viktor was deeply moved. This was the charisma of Monkey D. Luffy. He saw through the surface; he didn't drink mud—he drank the dignity and conviction of an old man guarding his home.
Viktor stood up and walked silently to the dry well outside. Right now, I can't change the climate of an entire country with ninjutsu, nor can I fill this deep well... He looked at a large, empty wooden bucket nearby and performed a series of hand signs.
Boar - Dog - Bird - Monkey - Ram.
[Water Style]
Viktor didn't release a violent, offensive torrent. Instead, he channeled his chakra to create a flow of pure, crystal-clear water, slowly filling the massive bucket to the brim.
Splash... The sound of flowing water was exceptionally sweet in the silent night. Viktor carried the bucket of pristine water back inside and placed it before Toto.
"Old man," Viktor said softly, "use this clean water to get some real rest tonight." He looked out the window at the barren desert, his gaze deepening.
"This land is 'sick,' and digging wells won't cure it. But don't worry... we're going to find the root of that sickness and pull it out completely."
The next morning, the crew prepared to depart.
"Let's go! To Katorea!" Vivi looked at the map, her eyes determined despite her exhaustion. "The Rebel Army moved there! If we can reach Kohza before they launch the general offensive, we can stop this war!"
However... "I don't want to go."
A sudden, jarring voice rang out. Everyone turned in shock to see Luffy standing still. He had even unstrapped the giant water barrel from his back and sat down on the sand with a heavy thud.
"Luffy? What are you saying?" Usopp was bewildered.
"I said I don't want to go to Katorea." Luffy picked his nose with a flat expression. "It's too tiring. I want more water."
"LUFFY-SAN!!"
Vivi snapped. She rushed over, grabbing Luffy by the collar, tears welling in her eyes. "Stop joking around! Do you know what time it is?! The lives of a million people are at stake!! Do you want everyone here to die?! Get up and move!"
"I'm not going!" Luffy sat firm, his gaze suddenly turning sharp as he stared Vivi down. "Because even if we go there, we won't stop that Crocodile bastard! Even if you stop the Rebels, as long as he's around, he'll just keep causing trouble! The sandstorms won't stop! We're pirates—we don't have time to play 'peacekeeper' with you!"
"We should be going... to that guy's headquarters—Rainbase! To kick his ass!!!"
"What do you know?!" "Are you denying me!!"
Vivi's emotions finally boiled over as he poked her deepest wound. She swung her fist, landing a hard blow on Luffy's face. "To avoid sacrifice... to make sure no one dies... I've been working so hard!!"
Smack!
Luffy's head snapped to the side, but he didn't back down. He swung back, hitting her in return.
"Luffy!!" Sanji tried to intervene, but Zoro blocked him. "Don't get involved."
The two scuffled on the burning sand. Finally, Luffy pinned Vivi down, looking into the eyes of the girl trying to carry the weight of the world alone. He let out an ear-splitting roar:
"THEN STAKE OUR LIVES ON IT TOO!!!!"
The roar was like a clap of thunder. Vivi froze, her pupils shrinking.
Luffy gripped her shoulders tightly and shouted, "Whether it's you or this country, everyone is putting their lives on the line! Why are you the only one trying to sacrifice yourself?! WE ARE PARTNERS!!!!"
Those words completely shattered the wall of "strength" Vivi had built around her heart.
"Ugh..." Vivi looked into Luffy's sincere, furious eyes and finally broke. She collapsed onto the sand and wailed, letting out all the fear, resentment, and helplessness she had suppressed since the beginning. "Waaaah... actually... I want to kill him too... I want to save everyone..."
Nami stepped forward, hugging the sobbing Vivi comfortingly. Zoro and Sanji looked on, wearing smiles of relief.
Viktor stood nearby, watching the captain who, despite being unreliable usually, could strike at the very core of a soul when it mattered most.
He walked over and pressed his hand down on Luffy's straw hat, pulling the brim lower. "That's our captain for you." Viktor looked at Vivi and smiled. "He's a gluttonous idiot most of the time, but in moments like this, his intuition is better than anyone's."
"To catch the bandit, you catch the leader first." Viktor turned toward the horizon, looking at the sky shrouded in conspiracy. "Once we take down Crocodile, the sandstorms will stop, and the war will dissolve naturally. Let's go, Princess."
Viktor reached out and pulled Vivi up. "No more peace talks. This time... we go straight to Rainbase, to the Crocodile's den..."
"And raise some hell!!"
And so... the wind shifted. The Straw Hat crew stopped chasing the heels of the Rebels. Instead, they turned their blades toward the lair of the Warlord, Sir Crocodile—the city of dreams, Rainbase!
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