Chapter 190: Blackbeard's Whereabouts, I Know It!
"By the way, Ace," Lufia suddenly asked, "What are you doing here?"
Ace's expression grew slightly serious.
"I'm hunting someone down."
He said, "A member of my crew—a former member."
"Hunting down?"
Nami questioned, "Why would you hunt down your own crewmate?"
"Because he committed an unforgivable crime."
Ace's eyes turned cold, "He killed a fellow member of the same Pirate crew."
The atmosphere on the deck instantly grew heavy.
The Pirate world had many rules—some saw them as ironclad laws, while others saw breaking them as an expression of freedom.
But there was one ironclad rule—never harm your comrades.
It was an act despised by all Pirates.
"Marshall D. Teach."
Ace said solemnly, "Nicknamed Blackbeard. According to my investigation, he has now formed the Blackbeard Pirates and is active in the first half of the Grand Line."
"Blackbeard?"
Vivi suddenly spoke up,
"I think I've heard of him..."
"Ah!"
Usopp remembered too, "On Drum Island! Wasn't the Pirate crew that forced Wapol to abandon his kingdom and flee the Blackbeard Pirates?"
Ace nodded:
"That's right. I followed the clues all the way here. I heard someone spotted Blackbeard in Yuba."
"Yuba?"
Vivi's eyes lit up, "Our destination is Yuba too! We can travel together!"
Lufia immediately raised her hand:
"Then it's settled! Ace, you're coming with us!"
Ace looked at his sister's excited expression and smiled helplessly:
"Alright. I'm heading to Yuba anyway."
"Great!"
Lufia turned and announced to everyone,
"I, Lufia, captain of the Straw Hat Pirates, along with all members, welcome Ace aboard!"
"Cheers!"
"Cheers!"
Everyone raised their cups.
Ralph watched this scene with a heavy heart.
If Lufia knew what would happen to Ace after this hunt, he wondered if she would still be smiling so happily.
The plot was about to enter a critical stage.
To reach their destination, Yuba, the next stop along the way was the oasis city of Alubarna.
The Going Merry sailed along the Sandora River for a while before finally docking at a riverside.
From here, they would have to cross the desert on foot.
Unexpectedly, as soon as they disembarked, they encountered Alabasta's various magical creatures.
First were a group of Kung Fu Dugongs—
These little creatures that looked like a cross between seals and sea lions had a strange quirk:
They loved fighting people, and if they lost, they would bow and become the other's disciple.
Just like in the original story, Lufia quickly bonded with these adorable dugongs.
She didn't even use her Devil Fruit powers, relying solely on martial arts to defeat dozens of Kung Fu Dugongs.
Thus, a spectacular scene unfolded at the dock:
Dozens of Kung Fu Dugongs lined up neatly in formation, bowing to Lufia while making "Oy oy" sounds to acknowledge their defeat and accept her as their master.
"Hahaha! Good!"
Lufia stood with her hands on her hips, looking proud, "From today onward, you are all my disciples!"
But a problem arose—
These creatures that lived by the sea couldn't be taken inland into the desert.
In the end, Chopper was sent to "negotiate," and they formally hired these Kung Fu Dugongs as temporary guards for the Going Merry on the condition that they share half their food supplies.
The generous Lufia only felt sad about not being able to bring her sea cow disciples along on the journey, completely disregarding the scenario of going hungry after giving away half their food.
But the others had much more to consider.
When the others were at a loss, they would ask Ralph.
Ralph then said:
"It's fine. This magical desert has many magical animals; we won't starve."
Sure enough.
On their first day entering the desert, they encountered a group of birds that played dead to rob.
These birds had a classic routine:
First, they would lie on the ground pretending to be dead. When passersby approached to pick up the "corpse," they would suddenly jump up and snatch the person's luggage.
Unfortunately, they tried to pull this trick on Ralph.
Three minutes later, over a dozen of these "playing-dead birds" were tied together in a string, hanging dejectedly from Ralph's back.
"Dinner is served," Ralph said.
Ace raised his hand:
"I'll grill them."
As a user of the Mera Mera no Mi, Ace's control over fire was unparalleled.
With just a light touch of his finger, flames enveloped the bird meat as if alive, evenly roasting every inch of its surface.
Five minutes later, delicious grilled birds were ready.
Even the chef Sanji had to admit defeat:
"This control over the fire... truly impressive."
Besides the birds, along the way they also grilled a lizard over ten meters long and a scorpion over twenty meters long.
Under Ace's flames and Sanji's seasoning, these terrifying-looking creatures turned into delicious delicacies.
The food problem was solved, but in the desert, fresh water was even more crucial.
On the third day in the desert, most of the water they carried had been consumed.
Under the scorching sun, everyone was parched.
"..."
Usopp said weakly, "Think of something..."
Ralph sighed and lifted Munch-Munch from his shoulder.
"Little one, it's your turn."
Munch-Munch tilted its head, confused.
"Go look," Ralph pointed at the withered plants around them, "See if there are any plants that can extract water."
Munch-Munch understood.
It jumped to the ground and began its task.
For the next two hours, Munch-Munch ate every poisonous, thorny, and even biting plant in the desert.
Its body turned green, then purple, then back to normal.
Finally, after eating a certain succulent plant, Munch-Munch's eyes lit up.
It opened its mouth, and a clear stream of water flowed out.
Ralph quickly caught it in a container.
"Success!"
He said excitedly,
"Munch-Munch Modification: Second Form - Element Extractor!"
At first, everyone was uninterested in the fresh water spat out by the little dinosaur, even a bit disgusted.
"This water... can it really be drunk?"
Nami looked at the water in the container with a complicated expression.
"Anyway, I'm dying of thirst."
Lufia was the first to approach, gulping down a large mouthful, "Mmm! Tasty!"
With the captain taking the lead, the others reluctantly drank as well.
They discovered that not only was the water drinkable, but it also carried a natural sweetness from the plant itself.
Later, when their carried water was completely exhausted, Munch-Munch practically became the team's lifesaver.
Because of this experience, everyone understood how terrifying water scarcity could be.
Thus, they also gained a clearer understanding of the cruel disaster Alabasta had suffered.
Especially when they arrived at Erumalu, witnessing this once oasis city buried under yellow sand, reduced to ruins.
When they saw countless refugees forced by life to become desert bandits and pirates, robbing and plundering along the way.
When they discovered piles of white bones beneath the yellow sand.
To seize a country, one must incite a rebellion.
To incite a rebellion, one must first create dissatisfaction with the king.
To make the people resent the king, Crocodile used dancing powder to frame him, ensuring the capital was filled with rain while other regions suffered three years of drought.
It sounds like just an ordinary evil plan.
But when everyone witnessed the disaster caused by this plan with their own eyes...
The destroyed city before their eyes, the bones of the dead beneath their feet.
That heaviness is beyond words.
Lufia didn't understand grand principles of worrying about the nation and its people.
She only knew that a fire burned uncomfortably in her heart.
"I can't take it anymore! I want to quickly beat up the culprit behind all this disaster."
The group continued forward, finally nearing Yuba.
About half a day's journey from Yuba, they encountered a pitiful father and his two sons.
To keep his two sons holding onto hope for survival amid such disaster, the father boasted that he was the world's greatest bounty hunter.
That even Fire Fist Ace and Blackbeard Teach were no match for him.
When he realized they had encountered the real Fire Fist Ace, the father still bravely challenged Ace.
Of course, he was easily defeated.
But the father's love still reached his two sons, teaching them the belief to never give up and create miracles even in dire circumstances.
After bidding farewell to the father and sons, the group continued on their way.
Ace walked at the back of the group, his expression somewhat complicated.
"Because of a lie, I've come all the way to the heart of the desert."
He smiled self-deprecatingly.
"Let's part ways here."
Ace said to everyone, "Thank you for taking care of my sister. Lufia... I look forward to meeting you at the pinnacle of pirates."
Lufia nodded firmly:
"Definitely!"
Ace then looked at Ralph, his gaze sharpening:
"You—you—"
"I know."
Ralph said seriously,
"I will protect her with my life."
Ace stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled.
"That's good."
He turned, ready to leave.
But at that moment, Ralph spoke:
"Wait."
Ace looked back.
Ralph looked at him,
"I know Blackbeard's whereabouts."