En route to Nanohana – Zoro's Group.
The desert wind howled across the sand, carrying with it grains that stung the skin and blurred the horizon. Zoro's group trudged onward, sweat glistening beneath the scorching sun. Eventually, the sprawling Sandora River came into view—its wide, snaking body a glimmering obstacle between them and their destination.
Zoro stared at the flowing water with a deadpan look. "So… what now? We swim?"
Vivi frowned, her eyes narrowing at the strong current. "The Sandora River isn't safe for swimming. The current's too strong, and it's full of deep channels. We'd be swept away before we even made it halfway."
Hibari peered through his binoculars on his rifle. "Tch. No boats in sight…"
"Wait—what's that over there?" Binko pointed into the distance.
They all turned. A group of uniformed men was pushing a small transport ship toward the riverbank. Their movements were sluggish, clearly tired from the effort, but they were making steady progress.
"A ship!" Binko lit up.
Gin stepped forward, tonfa resting against his shoulder. "Let's borrow it."
Zoro cracked his neck. "Right. Fast and clean."
The group moved quickly, cutting across the sand toward the workers. As they approached, one of the men looked up—his eyes landing squarely on Vivi. He froze, then suddenly pointed.
"Wait… that's the princess! That's Princess Vivi!"
The others looked up sharply, recognition lighting their expressions.
"Capture her!" one of them yelled. "She can be used as leverage against the king!"
Instantly, the air changed.
The workers dropped their pretense and pulled weapons from beneath tarps and crates. Spears, clubs, and crude rifles—clearly not just laborers, but rebel forces in disguise.
"Tch… so much for diplomacy," Zoro muttered, drawing one of his swords with a metallic rasp.
"Time to clean up," Gin growled, tonfa twirling into ready position.
Binko pulled her twin daggers. Hibari held her rifle—not by the trigger, but like a staff. "I'll bonk 'em good," she muttered.
Stev remained calm at the back, adjusting his belt pouch. "I got this," he said, pulling out a fistful of metal shuriken-shaped gadgets.
Without warning, he hurled them with practiced precision.
The rebels saw the gleaming projectiles coming and braced themselves. One of the front-line men raised his spear to knock it aside.
*BOOM!*
The device exploded on impact, sending sand and bodies flying.
"Gah!!"
"W-what the hell?!"
Before they could recover, more shuriken whirled in. A series of rapid explosions followed, kicking up dust and chaos.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Screams echoed as the rebel formation collapsed in a wave of panic. Weapons were dropped. Some ran. Others writhed in the sand, dazed and bruised.
The smoke cleared slightly, revealing stunned rebels scattered across the dunes.
Gin raised an eyebrow. "...You always carry those?"
Stev grinned. "I call them 'Boomerang Stars.' Reusable? No. Effective? Yes."
Zoro blinked. "Remind me not to stand in front of you next time."
Binko laughed. "That cleared things up fast."
Vivi looked torn between concern and relief. "Let's just get across quickly, before more arrive."
They nodded and jogged toward the abandoned boat, now conveniently ready for boarding.
As they stepped onto the deck of the hastily claimed ship, Hibari spoke up under his breath, "Sure hope Sanji's group isn't having it this rough."
Zoro scoffed, gripping the side rail and peering out toward the river's far bank. "Knowing that cook, he's probably floating across on cloud nine with the girls hanging off him."
With a shove, Gin released the mooring rope, and the makeshift crew set sail across the Sandora River. Though the current was strong and the wind unpredictable, their stolen vessel was serviceable, and more importantly, unguarded.
As they drifted forward, the desert twilight deepened into dusk. Faint orange bled across the horizon, casting long shadows over the sands.
"It's getting dark…" Vivi murmured, watching the horizon with narrowed eyes. "I hope the rebels haven't moved yet."
"Even if they have," Gin said firmly, his gaze steady, "we'll go after them. Captain asked us to stop this war—that's what we'll do."
Zoro nodded, leaning on his sword. "Koza's stubborn. But maybe he'll listen to you, Vivi."
"I hope so," she said, clenching her fists. "I can't let this country fall to pieces."
After just a few minutes, the group reached the far side of the river. They wasted no time, leaping off the boat and abandoning it at the shore. Without hesitation, they began marching toward Nanohana.
The desert wind whipped at their clothes, but compared to the earlier battles, the two-hour trek was uneventful—save for the growing tension in the air.
By the time they reached the outskirts of Nanohana, the port town was cloaked in full night. Lights flickered in lanterns and windows, and hushed murmurs of war passed between locals like drifting sand.
"Finally," Hibari muttered, stretching his arms. "My legs were about to fall off."
Stev adjusted his bag, looking around at the once familiar, and now unfamiliar streets. "Where do we even start? How do we find Koza in all this?"
"I…" Vivi hesitated, eyes scanning the dimly lit streets of Nanohana. Her heart pounded as she searched the faces around her, but none were familiar. "Let's just ask around. Someone has to know where Koza went."
"Let's go," Gin nodded.
Without wasting time, the group pressed deeper into the quiet heart of the port town. The streets felt eerily empty. Shops were shuttered, carts abandoned, and only a handful of wary civilians remained outside. A layer of dust still lingered from the chaos earlier this morning—after Mr. 1's attack, when a colossal ship was hurled into the center of town. The damage was still visible: cracked walls, scorched ground, and scattered debris.
Most of the townsfolk had either fled or were hiding indoors, and the few they did find were wary, anxious, or tight-lipped.
Eventually, they approached an older man sweeping rubble from his shop. He paused when he saw the group.
"Excuse me, old man," Kruz said calmly. "We're looking for the rebel army. Specifically… Koza."
The man's grip on his broom tightened. At first, he was warily looking. Then, he recognized Kruz.
"Oh, it's you. The one who got trimmed bald."
"Oi!" Kruz vein almost popped. Instantly, he also remembered that this shop is the salon that he entered to get his hair trimmed.
The other glanced at Kruz with a strange look, especially at his head, which now covered with black cap. Their gaze caused his ears to turn red from embarrassment.
The old guy seems to not care about Kruz expression. He asked, "Are you here to join the rebels?"
Zoro glanced at Gin. A silent exchange passed between the group—no words, just a flick of the eyes and subtle nods.
"Yes," Gin answered. "We came to join. Where can we find the leader?"
The man's expression softened, but only slightly. "That's good… but I'm afraid you're too late."
Vivi, still half-hidden under her cloak, stepped forward, voice urgent. "Too late? What do you mean?"
The man looked over his shoulder before leaning closer. "The rebel army marched out more than six hours ago. Headed straight for Alubarna."
A wave of dread passed over Vivi's face. Her legs weakened slightly. "Six hours…?"
"They left in force," the man continued. "From what I heard, they're moving fast—likely hoping to catch the king off guard and force a quick surrender. There's no stopping them now."
Vivi's heart dropped. "No…"
Zoro stepped beside her, eyes firm. "Then we go after them."
"But…" Vivi started, hesitating.
"If we can't stop them before they reach the capital," Gin added, "we'll stop them at the capital."
"We promised we'd help you," Stev said, tightening his grip on his pack. "We're not letting this war break out without a fight."
The others all nodded in silent agreement.
Vivi stared at them—at their calm resolve, at the strength behind their words. Slowly, her hands clenched into fists, and she swallowed her fear.
"…Right. Let's go after them," she said. "We'll catch up. We have to."
The group turned and headed toward the gates of Nanohana, determination burning in their eyes. The desert wind picked up around them, stirring loose sand as they headed out of the port.
Behind them, the old man watched their backs as they vanished into the dark. He shook his head slowly, muttering to himself, "They won't catch them. Not in time…"
But even he couldn't deny—there was something about that girl's resolve that unsettled the certainty in his voice. Also, his thoughts focused on the memories of the girl's face.
"She looked familiar. Who was she?"
...
Sandora River.
A Marine battleship floated steadily atop the wide, muddy waters, anchored between Rainbase and Alubarna. The sun was setting, casting an orange hue over the endless sands that surrounded the river. Inside the ship's dimly lit brig, the air was thick with tension and cigar smoke.
Captain Smoker sat on a crate, arms folded, his twin cigars glowing faintly in his mouth. Across from him, behind reinforced steel bars, sat the infamous former Warlord of the Sea—Sir Crocodile. The sand-wielding pirate leaned back against the cold wall, his coat tattered, a deep scowl carved into his face.
Smoker exhaled a puff of smoke and narrowed his eyes. "Tell me this," he said, voice flat. "How exactly did you escape from the Orca captain, Monkey D. Zino?"
Tick marks twitched on Crocodile's forehead. His brow furrowed with irritation. "Escape?" he scoffed. "Don't tell me you think I *lost* to that brat?"
Smoker stared silently for a moment, then replied coolly, "I'm sure you *did* lose to him."
"You talk as if you know better about that brat." Crocodile scoffed.
"I battled him. So, I know for sure."
A visible flicker of shock crossed Crocodile's face. He leaned forward, brows raised. "Wait…" he muttered. "Don't tell me… you lost to him too."
Smoker didn't answer. He simply turned his head, puffed on his cigars, and looked away with a quiet grunt.
"Kuhahahaha!" Crocodile threw his head back, laughing deeply, the sound rumbling through the brig.
"So the great White Hunter got his ass handed to him by that little Orca punk, huh?" he said with a smug grin. "Didn't expect that one, Smoker."
Smoker's eye twitched. "Talk about yourself," he muttered. "Warlord of the Sea, running for your life and collapsing outside Rainbase."
"Nah. I didn't run." Crocodile shook his head. "Although I admit that he might be as strong as me, I sure as hell didn't lose to him."
"Then who beat you?" Smoker asked, his tone skeptical.
Crocodile's expression hardened. His jaw clenched slightly as he looked away.
"...Robin," he said at last, voice low and bitter. "Nico Robin."
Smoker blinked at the name, his brows furrowing. He muttered under his breath, "Nico Robin… the Demon Child."
Crocodile leaned forward slightly, the light casting long shadows across his scarred face.
"She was my former partner," he said with a low, bitter tone. "That little witch stabbed me in the back."
Smoker's eyes narrowed. "You mean she sided with Zino?"
Crocodile shook his head. "No. She didn't. She had her own damn agenda. Slipped away after betraying me." His voice tightened with anger. "That woman's always had her own motives. I should've known better than to trust her."
Smoker smirked, taking another puff from his twin cigars. "Sucks to be you." He exhaled slowly, smoke curling around him. "But that's what you get. Pirates turning on pirates—nothing new there."
Crocodile didn't react. He simply leaned back against the wall, letting the insult wash over him. "Say what you want, Marine. But you want her too, don't you?"
Smoker didn't answer immediately. His silence was enough of a confirmation.
"I figured as much," Crocodile said, a crooked smile forming on his face. "I know where she went."
The Marine Captain seriously asked. "Where?"
Crocodile chuckled under his breath. "She's headed to Alubarna."
Smoker raised an eyebrow. "Why there?"
"There's something in the capital she wants," Crocodile replied, a cold smile plastered on his face.
Smoker narrowed his eyes, turning silence.
"I'd hurry if I were you, Marine," Crocodile smirked. "If she found what she looking for, the balance of power in this desert won't be the only thing that shifts."