With Vivi helping to steer the sand sled, Tom, sitting in the back, was able to relax a bit.
The sand sled sped across the desert like a speedboat racing through the open sea. The wind blowing in their faces was pleasantly refreshing.
Mastering the sand sled was no easy task. When Vivi was young, someone had given her a sand sled as a gift, and she had practiced with it, which was how she knew how to steer one.
The sand sled continued racing toward Merias Oasis at great speed. Tom was about to settle down and rest when the sand sled behind them caught up and zoomed past, kicking up yellow sand that showered all over him.
That wasn't all. As that sand sled passed by, it also rammed theirs, causing Vivi to lose direction and slide down the side of a dune.
"That woman did that on purpose!"
Tom watched the retreating figure of Rasa steering the other sled ahead and asked Vivi, "Why is she so hostile toward you?"
"I don't know either. But we're in danger right now."
The sled was sliding downward. Vivi pulled tightly on the ropes, trying to steer upward, but her hands were nearly raw from the rough cords.
Still, the sled continued to slide, inch by inch.
Changes in the flow of sand in the desert could be extremely dangerous.
Tom and Vivi's sled now seemed to be caught in a vortex with tremendous suction. If it continued sliding toward the center of that vortex, they would be buried alive.
"So this is quicksand. I've never seen it up close like this before."
Tom watched the sand around them come alive, each grain flowing, pulling the sled in as if to swallow them whole.
"And you're still calmly enjoying the view? I can't hold on much longer!"
Vivi urgently called out to Tom. She pulled the ropes with all her strength, her face red from exertion, but the sled caught in the flowing sand seemed gripped by an invisible force. She couldn't steer freely at all.
"If we want to get out of here—"
Tom stood up, quickly walked over to Vivi, and before she could react, he grabbed her around the waist and threw her upward. "Don't worry! I'll come get you in a moment!"
Vivi hadn't expected Tom to toss her into the air like that. She watched him on the sled, drawing closer to the center of the quicksand vortex. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Tom pull out the fishing rods from both arm-sleeve devices. He thrust both rods into the flowing sand, extended them, and kicked off the sled's deck.
Then Tom and the sled flew out of the quicksand vortex together. He shortened the rods, held them in his left hand, and quickly used the line launcher on his right wrist to shoot a line, pulling Vivi, who was falling from the sky, toward him.
The sled was about to crash back into the sand. Before Vivi even reached him, Tom planted the extended rods into the sand like poles. When Vivi landed on the sled, still flying forward, she instinctively hugged Tom, who was in front of her.
Because Vivi had suddenly landed on the sled, it lost balance in mid-air and flipped. She felt the world spin and thought they would fall, but Tom used his rods as a pivot, allowing them to spin in the air.
"Ponytail! Your hair is in my face!"
Tom was having fun, but as they flipped, Vivi's long, wavy, sea-blue ponytail whipped across his face, turning his vision blue. A faint, pleasant fragrance came from her hair.
"Ah! I didn't mean to!"
Before Vivi could say more, their airborne sled flipped back upright. Still hugging Tom, Vivi's head bumped against his chest due to inertia.
Tom once again planted his long rods into the sand, and their sled flew over from more than twenty meters high.
Vivi hadn't expected Tom to use a skiing motion to make the sled fly through the air. She was stunned speechless.
Tom was having too much fun to care what Vivi was thinking.
Sabba, who had been on the same sled as Rasa, wore a damaged straw hat. He had been somewhat unhappy when Rasa deliberately rammed Tom and Vivi's sled into the quicksand, feeling she had gone too far.
If they had been unlucky, Tom and Vivi really could have died in the quicksand. Sabba could also see that Tom wasn't an ordinary person.
But when Rasa faced Sabba's questioning, she only replied, "If they're lucky, they'll catch up alive."
Then, a shadow appeared above them. Rasa and Sabba looked up to see a sand sled flying toward them from the sky.
"Who the hell is that guy? Using two strange rods to make a sand sled fly through the air!"
"Not just anyone has that kind of strength."
Rasa and Sabba watched in shock as Tom and Vivi flew directly overhead on their sled. Their jaws dropped.
"That was so much fun! Let's do it again! I've never played like that before!"
When the sled landed in front of Rasa and Sabba, the impact sent sand flying everywhere, some of it landing on Tom and Vivi's heads.
"We can't! We still have things to do. And if this sled takes another hit like that, it'll definitely break."
Vivi's sea-blue hair was dotted with sand grains. In the glow of the setting sun, they sparkled like natural ornaments, making her fair, delicate features look even more captivating.
"You're right. Let's play again after we finish our business. I want to see how many flips I can do in the air. That would be amazing—so cool!"
Tom looked disappointed, speaking to Vivi.
Now I understand how Nami feels. No wonder she hits you so often.
Vivi looked at Tom, who was excitedly fantasizing about what to do next. She opened her mouth several times but felt like she had a lump in her throat. Unable to speak, she gave up.
What am I even doing here, with such a strange person?
Rasa stared blankly at Vivi's back. After a moment of distraction, her expression gradually turned cold. Steering her sled toward Tom and the others, she said stiffly, "Hurry up. Before dark."
Back at the camp, while waiting for Tom and the others to return, Barubaru suggested to Luffy that they cook the camel to eat before Tom brought back food.
Luffy, hearing there was food, immediately agreed. Sanji had disliked the pervert camel for a long time and enthusiastically supported the idea, saying he didn't mind making a camel feast for everyone before the party.
Fortunately, the camel wasn't completely stupid. Seeing everyone eager to cook it, it immediately put on a pitiful expression, snot and tears streaming, and ran to Nami for help.
On the way to Merias Oasis, Tom and Vivi spotted a pillar of blazing fire on the right side. Since it wasn't far, they decided to check it out.
As expected, they soon found Ace.
After chatting with Ace for a while, Tom told him where Luffy was and mentioned that everyone was planning a party that night.
Hearing about the party, Ace broke into a bright smile, said he would go see Luffy immediately and enjoy a good meal that night.
Before Tom could even finish speaking, Ace had already run off. Vivi noticed Tom frowning, which was rare for him, and asked what was wrong. Tom rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, "It's terrible. I almost forgot something important."
"What is it?"
Vivi thought for a moment, but couldn't guess.
"Don't forget, Luffy's brother will be at the party tonight."
Tom said to Vivi. "Think about it. Luffy's appetite is already terrifying. How much less could his brother eat? To make sure the party goes smoothly, I need to catch a lot more prey. Otherwise, we'll just be sitting there watching Luffy and Ace eat. What kind of party would that be?"
Vivi found this absurd, but Tom wasn't wrong. The problem was serious.
Just as Tom was about to rush to Merias Oasis, Vivi stopped him. "Earlier, Ace said he saw the rebel army in a small village not far from here."
"But didn't he also say those so-called rebels were clearly fakes? Just using the rebel army's name to exploit the villagers?"
Tom said to Vivi.
"The rebel army isn't a gang of thugs, nor is it a招牌 (front) for fraud."
Vivi lowered her head, clenched her fists, and bit her lip.
"What do you want to do then?"
Tom asked Vivi. "Do you want to go over there and beat them up?"
"If those people really are impostors, using the rebel army's name to extort the villagers, then what's the difference between them and despicable thieves?!"
After learning the whole story, Rasa's face was full of indignation. She clearly looked down on those swindlers.
"We know that village. Many of its residents originally came from Merias Oasis. They didn't leave. They banded together and formed a new village."
Sabba also spoke. The village had at least a few dozen people, but they barely had enough to eat. Some children only ate one meal a day. If there were people profiting off them in such a situation, those fraudsters were truly shameless.
"In that case, they really are scumbags. Even if the villagers are living peacefully because of them, they still deserve a beating."
Tom asked Vivi, "What do you want to do? Are you going to protect those liars, or are you going to catch them and teach them a lesson?"
"The country can't look after every corner right now. If a village can govern itself and maintain its own order, that would be for the best."
Vivi looked up at Tom. "Even if it takes a little time, I still want to test them."
"If those fake rebel soldiers truly want to protect the villagers, it doesn't matter what name they use."
Vivi's face was full of determination as she spoke.
"Whatever you say. We have about half an hour until dark. If we finish this quickly, we can still make it back for the party."
Tom said to Vivi. "We just need to take care of all those frauds, right?"
"That's not it. Listen carefully."
On the way to the small village not far from Merias Oasis, Vivi seriously explained her plan to Tom several times before she felt at ease.
Rasa and Sabba didn't have to come along, but after hearing Vivi's words, Rasa changed her mind and decided to join them. The way she looked at Vivi had grown more complicated—both expectant and doubtful, a strange contradiction.
When Tom and the others reached the small village, according to Vivi's plan, Tom was supposed to reveal himself as a pirate, pretend to attack the village, and see if the fake rebel soldiers would come out to stop him.
But before Tom could put on a fierce expression, he saw a crowd gathered outside the village. He could faintly hear someone crying out in pain.
"Rebel Army leader, go! Don't give up!"
"Brother Kappei! Go! Don't lose to the pirates!"
"Get up! We believe in you!"
The villagers outside the village cheered for a young man lying in a pool of blood. He had yellow hair and was about twenty years old. A purple headband was tied around his head, but it was now stained dark purple with blood.
"You worthless piece of trash! You dare call yourself part of the rebel army, say you want to protect the village and its people? How laughable!"
A tall, middle-aged man wearing a spade-patterned coat held up the injured man, who was on the verge of unconsciousness. The man wore a crown shaped like a bear's head. With an arrogant air, he scanned the villagers. "If you don't want to die, hand over all your treasure and food! This King Bear's patience is very limited!"
"Let go of Brother Kappei!"
"Brother Kappei won't lose to you!"
Several children ran out of the crowd crying, holding small wooden clubs, and threw them at the man who was about to kill Kappei.
"A bunch of annoying brats. I'll kill you first, then see who dares to resist me!"
Bear King tossed Kappei aside and strode toward the children.
"Stop!"
Kappei's arms were broken, his ribs shattered. Just saying that one word made him cough up several mouthfuls of blood. He was clearly on the verge of death. Lying on the ground, his face twisted in unbearable pain, he used his unnaturally bent arms to grab Bear King's leg. "I won't let you hurt them!"
"Stop struggling. After I crush them one by one in front of you, I'll kill you!"
Bear King exerted a little force with his foot and easily broke free from Kappei's grip. He then stomped hard on Kappei's chest, making him cry out in agony again. The children's wooden clubs broke against Bear King's body without causing any harm.
Kappei, lying weakly on the ground, watched the tall, burly Bear King slowly approach the children. Tears mixed with blood dripped from his bloodstained face onto the sand. His heart was filled with regret. Feeling helpless and绝望 (desperate), he was about to cry out in anguish.
For nearly twenty years of his life, Kappei had lived like a parasite. Mooching off others was his daily routine.
Now, using the rebel army's name, he had been eating for free in this village. When there was good food, the villagers gave it to him first, because they believed he needed to be strong to protect them.
Until today, Kappei had smugly thought how clever he was—doing nothing, yet living well in this chaotic country, eating and sleeping better than those who lived in fear and displacement.
But now, Kappei truly regretted it. If he hadn't liked bragging to the villagers about how amazing he was, they wouldn't have trusted him so blindly. Even knowing pirates were coming, they didn't run. They came to cheer him on.
Kappei knew that if he had been honest, if he had told the villagers the truth earlier—that he was just a worthless coward who only knew how to mooch—then today, the people of this village wouldn't have to die.
When he first learned that pirates were coming to attack the village, Kappei's first instinct was to run. But seeing how much the villagers trusted him, he decided to fight to the death. Because he remembered his childhood dream—to become a warrior who protected the Alabasta Kingdom. He longed to be as strong as those warriors.
Today was the worst day of Kappei's life. But the one thing he was grateful for was that he finally realized his childhood dream had never changed. Even after nearly twenty years of living like a bum, those worthless days hadn't completely erased the dream buried deep in his heart.
So at the final moment, Kappei bravely stood up and fought the pirates. He lost quickly, was defeated completely, and had only one-third of his life left. But he had truly done his best. If he died at the hands of pirates, he wouldn't regret it.
Sometimes, people only understand what they truly want at the very end of their lives.
That was Kappei. As he felt death approaching, he thought more than once that if he had been brave enough to face himself earlier, his life might have been different.
When Bear King pulled out a pistol to shoot the children, Kappei closed his eyes in despair.
But just then, a figure flashed in front of the children, their eyes still wet with tears. Before Bear King could pull the trigger, his pistol was crushed. "What's fun about bullying kids? Why don't you try bullying me?"
"Who are you?"
Bear King's expression grew slightly more serious as he watched the man crush his pistol with one hand.
Behind a rock not far away, Vivi and the others watched Tom charge out. Rasa asked worriedly, "Is he going to be okay?"
"Don't worry. After he beats that pirate, we'll head back."
Vivi saw that Kappei was truly willing to risk his life to protect the villagers. She felt somewhat relieved. At least he wasn't just a worthless liar.
"He's just a fisherman, right? Can he really beat that pirate?"
Rasa had heard people call Tom a fisherman. In her mind, a fisherman wouldn't accomplish much in the desert.
"Um, he's not an ordinary fisherman."
Vivi said to Rasa. "Let's get ready to leave. I think he wants to get back for the party too. This fight won't last long."
In fact, as Vivi said, it was almost dark. Tom had no intention of wasting time with this so-called "King Bear." He didn't even bother giving his name. He launched a fierce assault on Bear King.
The villagers watching were surprised by the stranger who appeared and started fighting Bear King, but since he was clearly helping them, they cheered him on enthusiastically.
"Your attacks can't hurt me."
Bear King didn't even try to defend against Tom's blows, letting them land on his body. He said to Tom, "I am the captain of the Poker Pirates, a wanted pirate with a bounty of 11,600,000 Berries. Who do you think you are to oppose me?!"
"What a coincidence. I'm a pirate too. And I'm more professional than you."
Tom shook his hand. Every punch had hit Bear King's body, but it felt like he was punching solid steel.
"So you're a pirate too? Are you here to compete with me for these villagers' money and food?"
Bear King stepped forward. His right arm turned bright red and began emitting hot steam. He swung his right fist at Tom. "Taste my power! I ate the Steel-Steel Fruit. My body is as hard as steel. Your weak attacks feel like mosquito bites!"
"I don't have time to waste on you. Bring it on!"
Tom exchanged blows with Bear King but immediately pulled his hand back. Bear King's right fist was scorching hot.
"See? Know how powerful I am? Once I gather my scattered crew, I'll take back my kingdom. Trash like you—I could kill you anytime!"
Bear King laughed even more arrogantly, seeing that Tom couldn't even take one of his punches.
"Dealing with you will take one minute at most."
Tom jumped back a few steps, pulled out his fishing rods, and attached a sharp spearhead to the tip of one rod. "If I drag this out any longer, it'll affect tonight's party. If I ruin everyone's good time, I'll never hear the end of it."
As he spoke, Tom's pupils turned dark red. In the fading light of dusk, his blood-red eyes staring at Bear King looked even more eerie. "No matter if your body is as hard as steel, I'll pierce right through you in one blow!"
"Don't talk big! You couldn't even take one punch from me!"
Bear King's right arm turned red again. He clenched his fist and threw a punch at Tom. "Special Heat Drill!"
"Disappear from my sight! You're in the way!"
Tom gripped the spear tightly in his right hand, suddenly accelerated, and thrust the spear toward Bear King. His body spun rapidly in the air, the spiraling force creating invisible waves of air that kicked up sand all around. A silver flash, like a bolt of lightning, cut through the air. "Spear Style: Dragon Serpent Breaker!"
Before the villagers could react, Bear King, who had seemed invincible just moments ago, was pinned to a wall by Tom's spear.
Without a doubt, Tom had pierced Bear King's steel-hard body in a single strike.
"You... how could you..."
Bear King looked at Tom with terror in his eyes. Those blood-red pupils made his blood run cold. His body, pierced by the spear, was now nailed to the wall like a pinned insect. But before he could finish speaking, the seemingly thick wall behind him cracked and crumbled. Then his entire body flew off the end of Tom's spear.
Boom! Crash! Boom!
Bear King's massive body crashed through the wall behind him and continued flying backward, breaking through several more houses before finally stopping, lying unconscious on the ground.
"Looks like my recent training is paying off. I can pierce through things as hard as steel now. Next time I see that candle guy, he's in trouble."
Tom put away his fishing rod. Just as he was about to leave, he glanced at Kappei. Seeing Kappei gasping for breath and trying to speak, Tom spoke first. "Don't thank me. If you hadn't held him off earlier, I wouldn't have made it in time to save the villagers."
By the time the villagers came to their senses, Tom was already gone. Everything had happened so fast that many thought they were dreaming. They couldn't understand why a man claiming to be a pirate had suddenly appeared and defeated Bear King for them.
"We need to move quickly! We're running out of time!"
Tom ran toward Vivi and the others, shouting.
"I'm ready. Jump on!"
Vivi smiled and waved at Tom from the sand sled.
Rasa looked at Vivi and Tom with a strange expression but said nothing. She steered her sled and left.
By the time Tom and the others reached Merias Oasis, half the red sun had already sunk into the desert.
Arriving at Merias Oasis, Vivi saw that everything had changed from what she remembered. The once vibrant oasis had become a lifeless ruin. Among the buildings buried in sand, traces of its former prosperity could still be seen.
Even the large lake that had once stood before Merias Oasis was gone, replaced by dry yellow desert.
While Sabba went to find wood, Rasa stood beside a broken pillar, watching the sunset fade into the distance. Her voice carried sadness and grief. "I've been waiting."
"Back then, the king told us that if anything happened to this oasis, he would come to solve it."
"He said he would listen to every complaint in this country, no matter how small."
Rasa's words suddenly made Vivi remember. Rasa was the little girl she had met when she accompanied her father on an inspection tour here as a child. Back then, this oasis was full of life. The sand sled she owned was a gift from young Rasa.
"We waited a long time, but the king never came. In the end, everyone gave up on this oasis buried by sand. Everyone left the city."
"But I still waited here for you to come back. I always believed in you. But in the end, the person who made that promise never came here."
"Of course, neither did you."
Rasa gazed at the colorful sunset clouds in the distance. Her figure looked lonely and helpless, like a poor child abandoned by her parents, living without anyone to rely on.
"That's because similar things were happening all over the country back then. The king was constantly trying to find solutions..."
Vivi wanted to explain, but Tom grabbed her arm.
Tom shook his head at Vivi. The meaning was clear: no matter what, a promise was a promise. Without action, any explanation was powerless.
"I don't want to hear your excuses!"
Rasa turned angrily to Vivi. "In this vast desert, I've waited alone for so long!"
"Eventually, I couldn't even tell sunrise from sunset."
"I couldn't feel the scorching heat of the day or the bitter cold after sunset."
"It's a miracle I'm even alive. But the king's words keep echoing in my mind."
"Even now, I don't understand. In all that pain, what was I hoping for? What kept me alive all this time?"
As Rasa spoke, her shoulders trembled uncontrollably. "Was it resentment? Anger? Or foolish, faint hope?"
"What am I living for? Can anyone tell me?"
Tears welled up in Rasa's eyes and streamed down her face. They fell onto the desert sand, evaporating instantly as if they had never existed.
In this desolate oasis, she had watched every sunrise and sunset, endured every scorching day and freezing night. From a helpless little girl to a grown woman, she woke each day with hope and closed her eyes each night in despair. Eventually, even her heart grew numb. The merciless desert had made this poor girl lose herself. She didn't even know why she was alive anymore.
"I'm sorry... for making everyone wait so long... I'm sorry..."
Vivi bit her lip hard. At this moment, she finally cried. Though she tried to control her emotions, crystal tears streamed down her beautiful face, catching the sunset's glow and sparkling like stars.
"Let's go back. Everyone is waiting for us."
Tom saw Sabba returning with several thick pieces of wood and large buckets of water pulled behind him. He said to Vivi, who had just stopped crying.
"You're a pirate. Why are you with Princess Vivi?"
Rasa wiped the tears from her eyes, not wanting her companions to see her vulnerable side.
"Don't you want to know what you're living for?"
Tom turned his head, glanced at Vivi, and said to Rasa. "I can tell you. This country, which hasn't seen rain in years, will soon welcome its first new rain. Then you'll know that all your years of waiting weren't in vain. Your life still has meaning."
"In this cruel desert, there are miracles you've never seen. If you want to witness one, hurry back and meet up with everyone."
Tom jumped onto the sand sled and said to Vivi and Rasa. "Tonight, you might just see a miracle that turns despair into hope. It's a sight so magnificent that most people never see it in their entire lives."
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T/N :
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