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An endless desert stretched out, with a large desert lizard running swiftly towards a nearby human settlement, tears falling from its two large bumps on its head.
Zyhark and his crew were leisurely lying on the back of the desert lizard, drinking tea and chatting.
Alabasta's climate had extreme temperature differences, with the scorching sun during the day able to peel off a layer of skin.
However, at this moment, everyone was still wearing light and cool outfits, without the typical image of a cloth covering their heads, emitting a faint blue glow.
With Aqua, the Water Goddess, providing a buff, there was naturally no need to worry about getting sunburned.
Given their monstrous physical constitutions, they wouldn't typically suffer from such conditions anyway.
At the very least, the effects of preventing sunburn and eye irritation were quite significant! Though the dumb goddess was usually incredibly unreliable, she always managed to be unexpectedly effective in these small aspects.
It was quite strange. As the noble and holy Water Goddess, Aqua's divine power had been significantly restored through the faith of numerous Axis Cult followers, both in the pirate world and in her original world.
Yet, whether in the pirate world or her own world, she was always bullied by weak creatures or animals, completely lacking any goddess-like dignity or aura.
For example, the group of Kung-Fu Dugongs that had blocked their way on the coast earlier.
To put it bluntly, even a passing dog might have jumped up to give her a slap.
From the perspective of a "goddess," this was incredibly demeaning and undignified. But paradoxically, this was precisely Aqua's unique charm, distinguishing her from other goddesses!
Thinking back to the time when the dumb goddess had first been summoned and would happily sleep on the restaurant floor every night, Zyhark couldn't help but smile.
"Enough, Zyhark! Not only are you not helping, but you're also enjoying mocking this goddess!"
Aqua's sharp senses caught the smile on Zyhark's face, and she sternly rebuked him, expressing her dissatisfaction.
Earlier, it was Kanna who had stepped in to defeat the pursuing Kung-Fu Dugongs, flipping them all over.
Naturally, the Kung-Fu Dugongs abandoned Aqua and pledged their loyalty to Kanna instead.
"I wasn't mocking you; I was just thinking of something funny, not about the Kung-Fu Dugongs." Zyhark explained with a smile.
"Huh? Something funny? Tell us so everyone can have a laugh!"
Upon hearing this, Aqua immediately changed her expression.
Having lost face in front of the Kung-Fu Dugongs, she was desperate for a distraction to divert her companions' attention.
"Do you really want to hear it?" Zyhark cleared his throat, his expression becoming serious.
"Of course! It's so boring to just travel quietly like this." Aqua urged without a second thought.
This rare chance to shift the focus from her embarrassment couldn't be let go easily!
"Alright, but remember, you asked for it."
After organizing his thoughts, Zyhark began recounting the dumb goddess's embarrassing moments at the Windmill Village restaurant.
Stories of her being mocked by little Luffy while stealing bird nests, being bullied by small-time mountain bandits, and being swatted into a stinking ditch by a big black bear…
"Who would've thought that before I joined, Miss Aqua had such grand adventures."
King gave his evaluation with a blank expression. Even as the second member of the crew, he hadn't known these "secret" stories.
"As expected of Aqua, truly extraordinary, meow." Meowth gave a thumbs up with a mischievous smile.
"Kanna admires you, Majii Yabaku Ne, Kanna admires you very much!" Kanna earnestly exclaimed.
"Although she is a goddess, Miss Aqua is really easy-going, yo ho ho ho~"
Even the cunning Brook stepped in to give his comment.
Even the desert lizard they were riding on let out a snorting laugh, its scaly face showing a human-like expression.
The mocking laughter was overwhelming, making Aqua's face as red as Akainu's magma.
Having intended to sit back and watch the show, she never imagined that the joke would be on her!
"Ahhh! Damn you, Zyhark, I swear I'll strangle you, this goddess will definitely strangle you!!"
Unable to bear it any longer, the furious dumb goddess lunged at Zyhark, grabbing his neck and shaking him violently, foam flying everywhere.
And thus, the world in which only Aqua was injured was achieved once again.
Amidst such "laughter and joy," they soon saw the outline of a somewhat dilapidated town in the vast desert ahead.
Ruins and desert landscapes surrounded the town.
"Hehehe, don't hide, my little princess, come out obediently and let Uncle capture you, okay?"
On a rock wall, a lecherous man with a large knife on his waist was looking around, his mouth emitting sinister laughter.
He was a sand bandit leader in the nearby area, currently trying to capture the kingdom's princess who had slipped out of the capital.
Below, a little girl with blue hair was leaning against the rock wall, her face full of fear, holding her mouth tightly.
After a series of stumbling runs, her elegant and beautiful dress was dirty, and her delicate face was covered in dust, showing none of the appearance of a princess.
She was the six-year-old Princess Nefertari Vivi of Alabasta! In her terror, the sand bandit leader had already spotted Vivi's hiding place.
Aiming to make a fortune by kidnapping the princess, he jumped high from the rock wall, blocking Vivi's escape route.
"So you were hiding here, hahaha, let's see where you can run this time!"
The sand bandit leader, as if seeing a pile of treasure beckoning to him, stepped closer and closer to the cornered Vivi with greedy steps.
As the tall shadow enveloped her, Vivi shivered in fear.
Just as the sand bandit leader's dirty hands were about to touch Vivi—
"Stay away from her, you damn sand bandit!!"
Accompanied by a determined shout, a wooden club struck the side of the sand bandit leader's face, sending him flying into a sand pit.
The rescuer, with white cloth on his head and simple gray-brown clothes, stood protectively in front of Vivi, exuding a boyish bravado.
"Koza!" Vivi's fear dissipated a bit as she called out his name with joy.
Koza had no time to check on Vivi's condition because the sand bandit leader had stood up again.
"Kid, you've got some strength."
With a dark expression, he drew the large knife from his waist, glaring at the wooden club in Koza's hand, "But do you really think you can protect the princess with that toy? How foolish."
The sunlight reflecting off the sharp blade quickened Koza's heartbeat.
However, even though it was his first time facing such a violent adult, the young Koza didn't back down, firmly shielding Vivi behind him.
"You damn sand bandit, Vivi is the deputy leader of our Sand Sand Gang. You can't take her away!!"
Hearing this, the sand bandit leader laughed heartily, then his eyes glinted with menace.
"Well, in that case, I'll just have to show you the harsh reality of the adult world!"
As the sand bandit leader drew his knife to stab, Koza yelled and charged forward.
Splat!
Blood splattered as Koza sidestepped to avoid a fatal blow, taking a cut to the forehead as a trade-off. Enduring the intense pain, he swung his club with all his might, smashing it into the sand bandit leader's face!
Staggering from the blow, the sand bandit leader fell with a thud, lying on the scorching sand dunes.
"Leader! You're hurt!"
Princess Vivi stumbled over to check on Koza's injury, but the panting Koza pushed her back.
"Vivi, run quickly and get the adults from the village!"
Following his determined gaze, she saw two more tall men with knives appear beside the fallen sand bandit leader, his subordinates.
The situation had not improved but had become even more dangerous! "Hey, hey, isn't it a bit embarrassing for three adults to bully two kids?"
As Koza panted and Vivi stood helpless, a deep, teasing voice suddenly came from behind them.
Koza dared not fully turn around, only glancing back out of the corner of his eye.
Seeing the tall, handsome figure, he was utterly shocked:
He hadn't noticed at all when this strangely dressed man had appeared so close to them! "Bastard! Where did this idiot come from? I advise you not to meddle in other people's business!"
The recovering sand bandit leader spat out a broken tooth and pulled out his wanted poster, shouting at the man, "I'm a sand bandit with a bounty of four million Berries, Wang Dongge!"
"People like you, I've killed twenty-eight of them already!"
Wang Dongge? Hearing the name and familiar tone, Zyhark paused for a moment, inexplicably feeling an urge to laugh.
"If you know what's good for you, get lost before I have to get serious!"
Wang Dongge thought his name had intimidated the stranger and was about to press his advantage when two of his subordinates suddenly screamed in terror.
"Ahhh! That face, that face is…"
Recognizing Zyhark's identity, the two subordinates collapsed, wetting their pants in fear.
"What the hell are you two idiots doing!" Dongge roared, waving his knife.
"N-n-no, boss, that man, that man is Zyhark, the Thunder of Evil with a bounty of seven hundred and fifty million Berries!!"
"What?!"
Dongge's eyes nearly popped out of his head as he carefully examined the young man before him.
The smiling face gradually matched the one on the recent wanted poster that had shocked the world.
And then, he too was scared out of his wits, his previously arrogant expression changing visibly.
"Run!"
Almost instantly, the three sand bandits reached a consensus, scrambling in different directions to flee for their lives.
Unfortunately, at their pathetic speed, how could they escape the wrath of lightning? Boom.
Three bolts of lightning struck out of Vivi's sight, the disturbance quickly buried by the overwhelming yellow sand.
"Who, who are you? Don't you dare harm Vivi!!"
Koza, still shaken, stood firmly in front of Vivi, despite witnessing the terrifying power.
Courageous indeed, but his trembling legs betrayed his fear.
Still just a little kid after all…
"Don't worry, I have no intention of harming you."
Zyhark chuckled, his hands in his pockets to show his goodwill.
Seeing Koza still on high alert, Zyhark slowly turned his head to look at the tree and gray cloth protruding oddly from the desert not far away.
Two figures were clearly visible.
Even Aqua would shake her head at such clumsy disguises.
"Come on out, you two." He waved towards them.
Realizing they were exposed, the two exchanged glances, immediately dismantling their futile disguises and cautiously approaching.
They were the simply dressed King Cobra of Alabasta and the captain of the Alabasta Royal Guard, Igaram, with his unique curly hair.
Worried about Vivi's safety, these two kingdom leaders had secretly followed her out of the capital, constantly hiding in the shadows to observe.
For a king and his minister to be in such a state was unheard of, luckily, Alabasta was currently at peace, with no major wars.
"Father, Igaram?!"
Shocked, Vivi's eyes welled up as she grabbed Koza's hand and ran towards them.
Only in their presence did she feel safe.
"There, there, Vivi, yo yo yo~ it's okay, don't be scared."
Igaram bent down to wipe the tears and dust from Vivi's face, singing in his characteristic tenor.
This was his way of speaking.
After calming Vivi's fears, King Cobra turned to Zyhark, his eyes filled with caution.
"So, may I ask, Mr. Zyhark, renowned worldwide, what brings you to Alabasta?"
Even the sand bandits could recognize Zyhark, so naturally, Cobra was no stranger to his identity.
Knowing how terrifying this group could be, Cobra's expression was very serious, not daring to show any negligence.
Especially in the absence of Crocodile, the Shichibukai stationed here! "Don't be nervous, as I said before, I have no interest in Alabasta, just passing through." Zyhark said casually.
From Cobra and Igaram's perspective, Zyhark's words seemed utterly unconvincing.
After all, even Crocodile, who cooperated with the World Government, was eyeing Alabasta!
Cobra chose his words carefully, about to make some polite remarks to the man before him when a cloud of dust appeared in the distance.
Riding on the back of a giant desert lizard, Zyhark's companions arrived and began disembarking, waving goodbye to the large lizard.
Relieved, the desert lizard with two large bumps on its head quickly burrowed into the deeper desert and disappeared.
Kanna stared at the spot where the lizard had vanished, her small face showing regret.
At that moment, a sand scorpion passed by her foot.
Yowl!
The sand scorpion was dead.
Witnessing this natural predatory scene, Cobra and Igaram's mouths twitched.
For some reason, their caution and wariness towards the sea restaurant crew suddenly diminished.
At that moment, a fully feathered falcon swooped down from the sky, transforming into a man wrapped in gray cloth in front of everyone.
He was Pell, the Vice-Captain of the Alabasta Royal Guard, known as the Guardian Falcon.
After a surprised glance at the unfamiliar faces of Zyhark and his companions, Pell quickly walked to Cobra.
"Lord Cobra, we just received news that a brutal pirate crew attacked the port on the east coast, causing significant casualties!"
(End of Chapter)