Transmigrated Into One Piece

Chapter 29: Barren Lands



The Merry set anchor at the mouth of the Sandora River in the Green City, and the Straw Hats continued on foot, making their way to the Yuba Oasis. The scorching sun beat down on them relentlessly.

"I'm tired and hot. Lucas, turn into that dog again," Luffy complained, dragging his feet through the sand.

"I'm not your personal horse, you know," Lucas replied, his tone exasperated.

"Speaking of which, you sure you aren't hot at all?" Usopp asked, eyeing Lucas who was clad in winter clothes despite the heat. Lucas was in the form of a Kraho.

"Believe it or not, it's actually a little chilly right now," Lucas replied calmly.

"I take it it's that form you took," Vivi remarked.

"No fair," Luffy sulked.

"Want a ride then?" Lucas offered with a smile.

"Huh, really?" Luffy's face lit up with happiness.

"Not just you, I'm talking to everyone," Lucas clarified.

"Huh, if you could've given us a ride, why didn't you do it earlier?" Nami scolded, her voice filled with irritation.

Lucas chuckled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sometimes I forget some of the things I can do," he admitted, leading to confused expressions from the crew.

"Now then..." Lucas pondered for a moment, considering the best way to transport the Straw Hats. "Mxm, screw it," he said, conjuring a large purple platform big enough for everyone to step on. "Ahem, all aboard," he said with a grin.

The others eagerly got on the platform, with Luffy sitting at the center front, legs crossed. "Yeah, let's go!" he chanted, no longer minding the heat.

With everyone on board, the platform started levitating and moving forward. Lucas even created a large umbrella to shield them from the sun.

"Haaa! I could get used to this," Nami said, relaxing comfortably.

"We can even make some good time if we keep this up," Sanji added.

"Yeah, next time start with this," Zoro said, a hint of approval in his voice.

Flying through the hot and empty desert, the Straw Hats made their way on the platform Lucas created. On one side, Usopp, Chopper, and Luffy were goofing around, while on the other, Nami and Vivi were eating as Sanji handed out food.

"Huh!" Nami remarked suddenly. "What's that rumbling?" She looked ahead, seeing a camel running towards them, chased by a giant lizard.

"It's huge," Usopp said, his eyes widening.

But Luffy had other thoughts. "Food," he drooled, his appetite not yet sated by Sanji's earlier meal. The prospect of more food made him excited. He asked Lucas to stop the platform for a minute and dashed straight at the giant lizard.

Meanwhile, Nami observed the camel. "Well, that's weird. This camel looks like a kept animal to me. Maybe it got separated from its owner," she remarked.

Luffy, dragging the giant lizard to Sanji, eagerly anticipated their next meal. "Are we resting here?" Lucas asked.

Luffy nodded enthusiastically. "Well, we're currently ahead of schedule, so..." Vivi began.

Luffy screamed for joy. Lucas created a giant gazebo for everyone and added chairs for their comfort. "Having a magician is really convenient," Nami said as she sat down, the others nodding in agreement.

Sanji prepared the meat while Luffy hummed, waiting excitedly. Vivi's face, however, was filled with worry. "Don't worry, we'll save your nation no matter what," Nami said with a reassuring smile, easing Vivi's concerns.

After eating and taking a small break, the Straw Hats continued their journey on the platform. They arrived at Yuba, but the place looked different.

"W-wait a minute. Something's not right," Vivi exclaimed, her voice filled with alarm. "That sandstorm is heading straight for Yuba!"

"Well, there's no use heading there. Lucas, make a U-turn," Usopp said frantically.

"No, we can't leave them," Vivi insisted, her voice firm despite Usopp's panicked background noise.

Lucas sped up the platform, stretching out his hand as a purple aura glowed from it. A large barrier formed and covered the entire city, shielding it from the impending sandstorm.

"Thank you for saving the city," Vivi said, bowing deeply in gratitude as they stood inside the protective dome Lucas had created.

"Huh, didn't you say the rebels would be here?" Usopp remarked, his eyes scanning the empty streets of Yuba.

The Straw Hats looked around, confusion etched on their faces. "Look! Over there," Chopper pointed, spotting an old man tirelessly digging in the sand.

"Maybe he knows where the others went," Sanji suggested, his curiosity piqued.

"Hey pops! Do you know where the rebel army is?" Luffy called out, approaching the old man with his usual bluntness.

"Huh? Do you have some business with the rebel army?" the old man replied, his voice gruff. "Don't tell me you're another bunch of brats wanting to join them," he ranted. "Anyway, you won't find any rebels here. Those fools are long gone. They've relocated to Katorea and made that place their base for a while now."

"K-Katorea?" Vivi exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock.

"Huh? Is there something wrong with that, Vivi?" Luffy asked, turning to her with concern.

"It's nothing, it's just... It's an oasis town next to Nanohana," Vivi explained, her voice trembling slightly.

"Wait, did you say Nanohana? That's where we were," Nami remarked, realization dawning on her.

"Whaaat? Then what are we doing here?" Usopp exclaimed, throwing his arms up in frustration.

"But that's fine, right? Couldn't we use one of Lucas's portal thingys?" Sanji suggested, trying to find a solution.

"Oh right, yeah, we could just pop back to Nanohana, then head to Katorea," Nami agreed, a glimmer of hope returning to her eyes.

"Vivi? Are you perhaps Princess Vivi?" the old man suddenly asked, dropping his shovel and walking towards her with tears in his eyes. Vivi tried to deny it, but as the man approached, he asked if she remembered him. "It's me, Toto," the old man said, his voice trembling with emotion.

"T-Toto, you... you look different," she said, gasping in surprise.

"Hehe, I did lose some weight. I believe... I still believe in the king! Those foolish rebels are all out of their minds. I've always believed that the king would never betray his country," Toto said, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face. "That's why... Sniff... That's why you have to stop them. Please bring some sense into those foolish children," he pleaded, falling to his knees. Vivi also teared up, moved by Toto's heartfelt concerns.

After a brief moment with Toto, the Straw Hats were ready to move out. "Say, why are you digging anyway?" Luffy asked.

"This place was once a bustling oasis. No matter the sandstorms that hit this place and cover up the water, I'll dig it up. I'll bring back the glory of Yuba," the old man said, his determination touching the hearts of the Straw Hats.

The look Luffy gave the old man made it clear that, despite their urgent mission, he wasn't going anywhere until he helped. The others could see it in his eyes.

"Well, if that's what our captain wants," Lucas said with a smile, stepping up. He was still in his Kraho form, but then he turned into Blocks. "I guess we could spare some time," Lucas said as he started digging. It didn't take long to find water using this form. With the moon lighting up the barren oasis, old man Toto rejoiced as Lucas revealed the water that was buried by the sand.

As Lucas turned back into his Kraho form and the Straw Hats prepared to leave, Luffy halted him. "Right now, we're headed towards those rebel guys, right?" he asked.

"Well, yeah. Did you forget the plan? We use Lucas's portal to head back to Nanohana, then rush to Katorea where the rebels are," Nami replied, her voice filled with urgency.

"I see... Then I'm not going," Luffy said, his words shocking everyone.

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