The Going Merry glided across a rare stretch of calm sea. Sunlight glimmered on the surface like hot glass, the horizon blurring where sky met water. The patched sails, stitched with pieces of giant cloth from Little Garden, fluttered lazily in the warm wind. Each wave was gentle, yet the silence pressed heavy on the deck—as if even the ocean was holding its breath.
Luffy sat at the bow, legs folded, hands on his knees. His hat cast a shadow over his eyes, but the real shadow—the one no one else could see—pulsed softly at his back like a sleeping beast. Black wisps curled faintly across the wood beneath him, retreating with each exhale as he kept the power still.
He didn't blink. He didn't smile.
He was focused.
Zoro strolled by, sword balanced over his shoulder. He stopped beside him, eyeing the intense posture.
"Still brooding?" he asked.
"I'm thinking," Luffy replied without turning.
Zoro gave a quiet snort. "Didn't know you had that setting."
Luffy didn't answer.
Down by the helm, Nami checked the Log Pose for the third time in five minutes. Her brows furrowed. "The magnetic current here's thin… just like I expected. The closer we get to Alabasta, the more unpredictable the fields."
She turned the dial, adjusting for wind compensation. "Coastal storms, whirlpools, heat distortion. A navigator's worst nightmare."
"I'd say second worst," Sanji said, setting a tray of food on the bench. "First would be getting sand in your soup."
Nami didn't laugh, but she smiled faintly. Sanji caught it. "Still counts."
Vivi leaned against the mast, the sunlight catching her blue hair as she watched the endless ocean ahead. Her voice was quiet. "Alabasta won't be the same. If the rebellion has reached Alubarna…"
She trailed off, the image of her homeland flashing behind her eyes—crowds in chaos, buildings burning, innocent people caught in something they didn't fully understand.
"We'll get there before it's too late," Nami said.
Luffy stood, his gaze never leaving the horizon. "We have to."
Time passed.
The sun climbed.
By midday, the air began to change.
The wind turned dry, like it carried dust not yet visible. The salty tang of the sea faded under something else—heat. Sharp, dry, unsettling. The breeze no longer cooled their skin. It scalded.
"It's starting," Nami said. "This is desert wind."
"Land ho!" Usopp shouted from the crow's nest. "I see it!"
Everyone looked up.
Alabasta appeared on the horizon—first just a smudge of golden haze, then a strip of broken coastline, crumbling cliffs, and stretches of arid sand. The port structures were cracked and worn. A line of twisted palm trees leaned toward the sea like they'd been trying to escape.
"Is this the place?" Zoro asked.
Vivi nodded solemnly. "That's the western edge. Nanohana is inland, just beyond those dunes."
The Going Merry slowed as they neared a natural inlet. The water grew shallow and oddly warm. The smell of dry earth replaced that of brine.
They dropped anchor, working together without a word.
Nami packed the Log Pose. "We'll take the lifeboat to shore. It's too risky sailing straight in with this current."
Sanji finished loading supplies. "Water skins, cloth wraps, emergency rations. It's going to be hell in there."
They lowered the lifeboat.
Luffy and Zoro climbed in first, Vivi right behind them. The others followed—Usopp fidgeting nervously, Sanji still calm, Nami with her maps tucked close.
Then the wind changed again.
This time, it carried more than heat.
It carried warning.
A low groan swept across the waves. The sky above dimmed—not with clouds, but with thickening haze. The sun shrank behind a wall of yellow-gold.
"What's that sound?" Usopp whispered.
Vivi looked up sharply. "No…"
The shoreline shimmered, then vanished.
A sandstorm exploded across the coast.
"Grab the ropes!" Nami yelled.
The lifeboat slammed against the Going Merry's side, sending Luffy sprawling into the hull. Zoro caught Vivi before she fell. Sanji leapt to the mast, anchoring the ropes with a rapid knot.
The sails screamed against the wind.
Sand tore through the air, blasting into their faces, stinging like needles.
"We have to ride it!" Luffy shouted. "Go!"
Nami shielded her eyes. "We can't see the shore!"
Zoro stood firm. "We'll punch through blind if we have to!"
The coastline disappeared behind a veil of sand and sound.
The storm roared.
It was Alabasta's first greeting.
And it was fury.
[End of Chapter 119]
_________________________________________________________________________
🔥 Hey legends! Quick updates! 🔥
💥 Can't wait for the next chapter? Good news—ALL advance chapters are available on Patreon for just $5! No more waiting, just pure binge-reading goodness! 🚀
👉 patreon.com/cyci07
✨ Power Stone Challenge! ✨
If we hit 100 power stones, I'll drop 2 bonus chapters! Let's see if you guys can make me suffer! 😂
💬 Enjoying the story? Leave a review and let me know your favorite moment so far! It helps the novel grow and reach more readers!
Thanks for all your support—you guys are awesome! ❤️