Chapter 46: Alabasta – Nanohana Chaos, Ace Reunion & Desert Preparations
Smoker sat on a broken wall, puffing on his cigar and lost in thought. "Alabasta's territory is way too vast. Once they escape, tracking them will be nearly impossible. And why the hell did Fire Fist Ace show up and cause trouble? I just don't get it."
Distant chaotic footsteps approached. Tashigi arrived panting, leading a squad of Marines. "Captain Smoker! Sorry we're late!"
"Why did it take you so long, Tashigi? Where the hell were you?" Smoker asked in a low, heavy voice.
Tashigi stammered awkwardly. A Marine sergeant beside her quickly reported: "She led us in the opposite direction, Captain Smoker."
A vein throbbed violently on Smoker's forehead. In the end, he just let out a deep sigh. Changing the subject, he asked: "Tashigi, what do you think? Princess Nefertari Vivi is actually mixed up with the Straw Hat crew."
"What?!" Tashigi's eyes widened in shock as she pushed up her glasses. "Princess Vivi is with Straw Hat Luffy? That… that's impossible!"
"I'm thinking about exactly that right now. And there's also a man in this country I absolutely despise. You should know how much I hate the Seven Warlords, right?" Smoker slowly stood up.
"I've already guessed their movements. Straw Hat and his crew's target should be that guy," Smoker stated his deduction.
"Crocodile—he's one of the government-approved Seven Warlords. In terms of position, he's on our side—the government and Marines," Tashigi said, adjusting her glasses again.
Smoker looked at Tashigi and told her firmly: "Sand Crocodile was already a crazy pirate long ago. He's not the type to obediently work for the government, Tashigi. Remember this—pirates are always pirates!"
On the Going Merry, Usopp and Luffy had already hit it off with Chopper. They raised their cups in celebration: "Cheers! To Chopper and Ace becoming our crewmates!"
"Cheers!" Luffy and Chopper excitedly clashed their cups together.
Nearby, Ace sat beside Sol, watching Usopp and the others. "Hey—who said I'm becoming your crewmate? Only the furry one is your new member."
"Haha, Ace—Chopper isn't a Mink Tribe member," Sol downed a large gulp of sake and grinned. "He's a genuine reindeer—just one who ate the Human-Human Fruit, Model: Human type!"
Ace raised an eyebrow after hearing the explanation. "A reindeer who ate the Human-Human Fruit? Haha, that's pretty rare. So he's the ship doctor, huh? The sea really is full of wonders." He clinked cups with Sol and laughed.
At that moment, Luffy twisted around and asked Ace: "You really won't join my crew?"
"I'm chasing a man right now. His name is Blackbeard. He used to be the 2nd division commander of the Whitebeard Pirates—my subordinate. One day he committed an unforgivable crime on the ship for a Devil Fruit. He killed Thatch, the 4th division commander, and fled."
"I've been chasing him all the way from the New World to here. The reason I'm in Alabasta is because I got intel he appeared near Yuba," Ace explained, taking another sip of sake.
"So our destination is the same then," Vivi said, pulling out a map and pointing. She planned to find the rebel army leader and tell him the truth about Alabasta.
"But Vivi—will he listen to you?" Nami asked doubtfully, not convinced it would be that easy.
"Yes—Kosa was my childhood friend. He'll definitely understand me," Vivi said with certainty.
"Then our next destination is the same," Ace leaned over to look at the map.
Luffy—already drunk and rowdy—shouted for a party. So everyone gathered and started drinking. Chopper was quickly assimilated by Luffy and joined him in performing a nostril dance—sticking chopsticks up his nose and out his mouth in the most ridiculous pose imaginable.
"Pfft—"
"Hahahahahaha!"
The deck erupted in deafening laughter; the two's performance had everyone in stitches.
When the Going Merry docked at the Alubarna oasis, the crew began preparations. Nami was pulled aside by Vivi to change clothes. Zoro stood watch on the lookout. The rest crowded into the kitchen—Sanji and Sol were preparing bentos together while Chopper sat on a wooden board grinding herbs.
Sanji slid marinated steak slices into the sizzling pan. Beside him, Sol swiftly shaped cooled rice into firm onigiri with precise, efficient movements.
Chopper sat in the corner on a board, small hooves holding a stone mortar, diligently grinding herbs.
"Hey—I'm Onigiri Captain Usopp!" Usopp grabbed an onigiri, poked his index finger through the middle to imitate his signature long nose, and winked exaggeratedly at Luffy.
"Look at my Onigiri General!" Luffy snatched more rice and quickly molded a giant onigiri figure, then stuck sausages and meatballs on as mouth and eyes.
A vein bulged on Sanji's forehead. Without a word, he grabbed the still-hot frying pan.
The scorching metal slammed down hard on both idiots' heads.
"Ow! Hot! It hurts!" Usopp and Luffy instantly crouched, clutching their heads with tears in their eyes.
Chopper watched the two clowns' ridiculous antics and couldn't help laughing. "Dr. Kureha—pirates are really interesting!"
At that moment, the cabin door opened. Nami and Vivi walked out after changing clothes.
The cigarette Sanji had just lit slipped from his mouth. His whole body froze solid.
"Vivi-chan! Why are you wrapped up like that?!" Sanji dropped to his knees on the deck, clutching his blond hair in exaggerated despair. "Nami-san too—shouldn't you both be wearing dancer outfits?!"
Vivi adjusted the headscarf covering her nose and mouth, revealing only her clear eyes. "Sanji-kun—we have to dress like this for desert travel."
She tugged at her long robe, wrapped tightly around herself. "Otherwise the sun will burn our skin."
Nami clearly had no patience to explain slowly to Sanji. She lifted her proud long leg and delivered a precise, powerful spinning kick straight to Sanji's cheek.
Bang.
Sanji turned into a shooting star, tracing a perfect arc through the air before disappearing beyond the distant sand dunes.
Nami retracted her leg, elegantly adjusted her clothing, then turned to Vivi with a calm smile: "Don't worry, Vivi—I re-explained it for you."
Vivi sweatdropped, watching Nami's nonchalant demeanor and gaining a whole new understanding of the word "explained." "I… I see…"
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