Gojo continued flying forward while holding Igaram's collar, who in turn was holding Vivi tightly in his arms. The wind rushed past them in sharp currents. From time to time, Gojo would slow down and hover midair so Vivi could properly look at the landscape below. As a local, she could identify landmarks and guide the direction. The desert stretched endlessly beneath them—dunes like frozen waves, patches of ruined stone breaking the monotony.
And like this, in less than an hour, they reached another ruined city.
Vivi's voice turned quiet as she looked down. "This is Yuba Town."
As soon as Gojo heard this, he descended smoothly and landed on the cracked, sand-buried streets. Fine dust swirled around their feet before settling again in silence. He decided to take a brief rest here before moving ahead.
Just as they landed, Gojo casually said, "There is only one person in this city. And that too… he's somewhere deep. Maybe in a pit."
Vivi froze.
She had come to Yuba Town for one reason—to speak with the rebel army leader, Koza. She wanted to tell him everything: how Crocodile was manipulating the entire Alabasta Kingdom, not only politically but through fear and deception. And after Gojo had revealed that even the weather was being artificially controlled, she was certain Crocodile was behind that as well. She needed Koza to hear the truth. She needed to stop this rebellion before more blood was shed. If I can convince him… we can end this without destroying the country.
"But how is this possible?" Vivi asked, her voice edged with disbelief. "Are you making some mistake? I mean, here in Yuba Town, all the rebel army should be stationed."
Gojo looked at her flatly.
"Are you listening to what you're saying?" he replied. "Just moments ago, you were floating in the sky. Did you see any signs of life in Yuba Town? Any intact structures? Any movement? Anything that suggests people are living here?"
His eyes swept across the empty ruins.
"If there were people here, you would have seen armies moving from above."
The wind whistled faintly through broken archways.
Vivi slowly came back to her senses. He was right. From the sky, she hadn't seen any movement—no smoke, no patrols, no camps. Just emptiness buried under sand. But still, doubt lingered in her chest.
"Where is the one person who is here?" she asked. "Can you tell me?"
Gojo nodded and began walking forward.
Igaram and Vivi followed behind him. Both of them were still feeling dizzy from traveling at such speed through the air; their legs felt slightly unsteady, and their heads throbbed faintly. But they forced themselves to move forward through the silent streets, sand crunching underfoot.
Soon, Gojo stopped in front of a large pit carved into the earth. The edges were rough, and sand had partially collapsed inward. From below came the steady, repetitive sound of metal striking soil.
Dig. Dig. Scrape.
They looked down and spotted a scrawny old man, his back bent, digging persistently in the pit.
Igaram stepped forward and called out, "Old man, can we talk for a moment?"
The digging stopped.
The old man stiffened, then slowly turned around. When he saw a group of unfamiliar figures standing above him, his expression hardened instantly. Anger flared in his tired eyes.
"What is it that you all want?" he shouted sharply. "You came here to join the rebel army, didn't you?"
He climbed a little higher within the pit, gripping his shovel tightly.
"They are not here. They have already left Yuba Town. If you want to join the army, then go to Katorea Town. It is now the new base of the rebel army. Don't bother me."
As soon as Vivi heard this, she felt both shocked and disappointed at the same time. She had missed her chance.
Katorea Town was just adjacent to Nanohana Town. If she had known earlier, she would have gone directly to Katorea to meet Koza instead of coming all the way here. If only I had known… The thought weighed heavily on her.
Seeing the clear disappointment on her face, Igaram immediately stepped closer and said gently, "Princess, don't worry. We will definitely meet Koza and stop him. We will stop this rebellion."
Vivi let out a slow sigh. The desert wind brushed past her hair as she lowered her gaze. She knew there was no other option but to move forward and do exactly that.
The old man, who had resumed digging after scolding them, suddenly froze when he heard the word princess. The shovel stopped mid-air. Slowly, he turned around.
He climbed out of the pit with effort, sand sliding down around his worn boots, and walked toward Vivi with cautious steps. His eyes narrowed as he examined her face carefully.
Seeing such strange movement from the old man, Igaram immediately went on guard, his posture stiffening.
The old man continued staring at Vivi—studying her features, her eyes, her expression. For a few seconds, silence stretched between them. Then it was as if the younger image in his memory aligned perfectly with the woman standing before him.
His eyes widened.
Without hesitation, he dropped to his knees in the sand.
"Princess Vivi… you are Princess Vivi," he said, his voice trembling. "I never expected that I would be able to meet you… and that too here."
The reaction clearly showed that he knew her, so Vivi stepped forward and asked softly, "Do you know me?"
The old man looked up at her, almost emotional.
"Do you not recognize me, Princess? I am Toto… Koza's father."
Vivi's eyes widened.
"Uncle… it is you!"
She immediately bent down and held Toto by his shoulders, helping him up. As she looked at him closely, her chest tightened. He was completely different from how she remembered him. Once chubby and lively, he now looked thin, scrawny, and exhausted. His clothes were worn, his hands rough from labour.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
They began talking about the years that had passed, about the drought, about Yuba's downfall, and about Koza. There was sadness in their voices, but also warmth—the quiet joy of reunion amidst ruin.
Gojo, however, had no interest in such emotional scenes.
With a casual glance, he turned and walked away, roaming around Yuba Town on his own.
The town was in complete disarray. Buildings were half-buried in sand, roofs collapsed, streets deserted. The wind howled faintly through broken structures, carrying fine grains across the empty paths. There were barely any signs of life.
From this, Gojo concluded that the rebel army had moved away from here long ago.
He had already looked at the map of the Alabasta Kingdom in Vivi's hand earlier, so he knew exactly where Katorea Town was located. But he was not someone who would keep changing his route again and again just for Vivi's plans.
After some time, Gojo returned.
When he did, he saw Toto and Vivi still talking. There was sorrow in their expressions, but also faint smiles—the kind that appear when old bonds resurface even in hard times.
Gojo looked at Vivi and said plainly, "We should continue our journey. There's no one here, so why waste time?"
His gaze shifted toward the horizon.
"It will be best if we reach Rainbase Town as soon as possible. I'll just deal with Crocodile and be done with it."
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