Smoker stood at the edge of the desert, looking up at the city of Alubarna. The sun was hot, and the sand below his boots was dry and rough. But ahead of him was something amazing. Alubarna wasn't like any other city he had seen before.
The whole city was built on top of a giant round rock. It was so big and tall that it looked like a stone mountain rising out of the desert. Houses and buildings were built all around the top of the rock, like a crown sitting in the sand.
There were many white stairs leading from the bottom of the desert up to the top of the city. The stairs curved as they climbed the rock. Some stairs were wide and clean, others were old and cracked. But they all connected the desert to the city above.
Smoker started walking up one of the cleaner stairways. His boots tapped on the stone as he climbed. Around him, people moved up and down the stairs. A man pulled a cart full of clay pots. A group of kids ran past, laughing. A woman carried a basket on her head. The city felt full of life.
He looked up at the buildings above. "The anime didn't do this place justice," Smoker said quietly to himself. "It's much more beautiful in real life."
At the top of the stairs, the city opened up. Bright colors, stone paths, and busy streets greeted him. There were shops selling clothes, fruits, and jewelry. Music played from somewhere nearby, and the smell of grilled meat filled the air.
But what caught his eye the most was the clock tower in the center of the city.
It was tall. Very tall. The tower rose higher than any other building in Alubarna. It was made of white stone, with red lines running up its sides. Big white clock faces looked out in all directions. The hands of the clock moved slowly. The top of the tower had a flat roof and a railing around it. It looked like a good place to see the whole city.
As Smoker walked closer to the tower, a woman stepped out from a nearby alley. She had short yellow hair and wore a bright yellow dress that hugged her body tightly. She walked with light steps, and smiled as she saw Smoker.
"You're interested in the tower, aren't you?" she asked.
Smoker looked at her. "Maybe."
She pointed towards the bottom of the tower. "If you want to reach the top, you need to use a special set of stairs that start from the base. If you take any other stairs, you'll never reach the top. It's strange, but that's how it works."
Smoker raised an eyebrow. "That's a weird design."
The woman's smile faded a little. "Yeah, but I don't recommend climbing it. Some people tried to climb it recently and they never came back." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "They disappeared somewhere inside."
Smoker looked at the tower again. "I understand, thanks for the warning. I won't climb that tower."
The woman smiled again, this time wider, and walked towards the tower. Her yellow dress moved with her body. She stepped through the open doors and disappeared down a dark stairwell.
Smoker watched her vanish. Then he smirked. "Why would I need to climb it, if I can fly?" he said under his breath.
White smoke started to rise from his body. In seconds, his whole body turned into thick smoke and floated upward. The cloud of smoke flew fast, twisting around the outside of the tower. It moved past windows, balconies, and statues. Then it reached the top and pulled together again. Smoker stepped out of the smoke and stood on the rooftop.
The view was incredible.
From up here, he could see the whole of Alubarna. The city spread out in every direction. He saw the curved edges of the great rock, the shining desert beyond, the people moving like ants far below.
"Everything's visible from here," he said softly.
Then—footsteps.
Behind him, a heavy door creaked open. A soft smell drifted in. It was a strange mix of lemon and chocolate.
Smoker didn't turn right away. When he did, his eyes narrowed. "It's you..." he said.
He stared at her face and thought to himself, 'I knew she looked familiar.'
---
Far away, in the city of Nanohana, Tashigi walked through a busy street filled with colors and music.
Her boots kicked up dust as she looked around. She wiped sweat from her forehead and sighed. It was hot, and she had been walking all morning.
She passed by a row of cloth-covered market stalls when a voice called out, "Miss! You look like you're about to melt!"
Tashigi blinked. A small, elderly woman with sharp eyes and gold bangles waved her over. She stood behind a stall draped with colorful fabrics and flowing garments. "Alabasta isn't kind to travelers in uniform," the woman said with a smile. "Come, I have something cooler."
"I'm fine," Tashigi said. But even as she said it, sweat dripped down her neck and her shirt clung to her back.
The woman held up a deep blue two-piece dancer's outfit made of thin silk. "Breathe easy, move freely. This is what desert women wear when the heat strikes."
Tashigi's face turned red. "That's too... revealing."
The woman gave her a wink. "Desert doesn't care about modesty. It just burns."
Tashigi hesitated, then sighed. Minutes later, she stepped behind a curtain and changed. She emerged wearing the outfit — a sleeveless top that tied at the back and a long skirt slit high for movement. Her sword was still strapped across her back, but now she looked more like a local than a Marine.
People turned to look, and she blushed, tugging at her clothes. "This is temporary," she muttered to herself. "Just until I get through this sun."
The woman laughed and handed her a small pouch of powder. "Rub a little on your forehead, it'll keep the sun away."
Tashigi nodded and pressed a few coins into the vendor's hand. "Thank you."
She stepped back into the street. It was cooler. The breeze touched her skin now, and her steps felt lighter.
A cheerful man waved at her from a nearby shop. "Miss! Come, come! You must try Alabasta's finest perfumes!"
Tashigi blinked. "Perfume?"
He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards a small shop filled with glass bottles. Each bottle was a different shape and color.
"This one is made from desert flowers!" he said. "Very rare. Smells like Alabasta!"
She sprayed a little on her wrist and smelled it. "Ugh. It's too strong."
"You get used to it!" he laughed.
She smiled politely. "I'm looking for information. Have you heard of Baroque Works?"
The man's face changed slightly, but before he could answer—
WHAM!
Something hard hit Tashigi on her head. She stumbled forward and hit the ground.
Two shadows stepped up behind her.
Tashigi pushed herself up on one elbow, breathing hard. She looked up at the attackers. A man with short black hair and a king's crown. Besides him stood a woman with long blue hair and a cold smile.
"You're Marine, aren't you?" the blue-haired woman said.
Tashigi frowned. "Who are you?"
"We're Baroque Works," she said. "You shouldn't have come to Alabasta."
Tashigi reached for her sword, but the woman raised a hand. "We have orders to kill you."
Advanced chapters ahead on patréon
www.patréon.com/ImagineMaker