The Explorer of the Universe
49

The straw hat pirate crew along with Vivi and Ace walked over the desert so many small mountain-like mounds that they several times had to climb and descend again from the mountain mound that desert.

"Burn..sweat did not come out." Nagging Luffy while walking with a stick like a grandfather.

"Don't complain a lot, Luffy. You'll be tired yourself then." Nami said, but Luffy did not answer. "It certainly wasn't heard."

In addition to Luffy, Chopper who is a deer has lost consciousness several times due to the hot sun.

"I can't stand it, I can't stand the hot weather, it's better to be in the cold." Nguh Chopper pulled by Zoro using a small train because it can not move anymore.

"You're hot because of your feathers, why don't you just take it off?" Ask Usopp.

"Did you just say, you're rude?!" Said Chopper who was upset and then turned big. "Don't insult the deer!"

"The monster!" Usopp Shouts.

"Chopper, don't make it big! I'm not gonna pull, you know!" Threaten Zoro angry because of Chopper's actions.

Tanaka who saw that only let out a long sigh. He felt like hitting the heads of the three people, but his power was completely drained by the shining sunlight without any clouds blocking him making the air very hot.

"Can the three of you keep quiet and keep moving quietly?" Pinta Tanaka but his voice was so small that it was not listened to by the three people.

They all kept walking in the hot sun that drained their energy so quickly.

"But why are there so many dunes? The desert I thought was all flat land." Ask Usopp.

"The desert here has been around for a long time, so the sand dune here is over 300 meters high." Vivi.

"Ti-Three hundred meters?! It's like climbing a mountain." Usopp.

"Not very good, hot..." Luffy. "Give me some water."

"Didn't you drink water 5 times?" Tanaka asked who was carrying a wooden barrel filled with water.

Previously Luffy who brought the wooden barrel but Tanaka remembered that Luffy will make the water supply wasted so he brought the water supply.

"I don't have any more energy to walk." Luffy said in a hoarse voice as his throat felt dry.

Tanaka just sighed so he gave Luffy a full glass of water.

After drinking the water, Luffy asked again, but Tanaka refused because the water supply would be reduced. He had to keep the water stock available for everything until they reached the city of Yuba.

Luffy, feeling very thirsty, loses his mind and attacks Tanaka to seize the water barrel, but the man easily stops Luffy.

Luffy's hand that wanted to snatch the water barrel came to a halt a few meters in front of Tanaka.

"What are you doing, you idiot!" Shouted Nami who hit Luffy's head until the elongated hand was back to how it was.

Nami scolded Luffy who was sprawled out over the desert while taking out his tongue because it was completely thirsty.

"He must not have heard Nami speak." Think Tanaka.

While Ace who saw the incident was amazed and confused about what Tanaka did.

"What did you do?" Ask Ace.

Tanaka just stared at Ace whose facial expression was like a child amazed at something he saw.

However, even though Ace had such an expression, Tanaka was silent. He wanted to explain it but not now because he had to keep his body in order to keep it moving.

When it was dark, they decided to camp.

"Laper is great." Luffy who has changed from thirsty when walking to hungry.

"Don't be greedy, dong! It's still raw, don't eat it!" Said Sanji who hit Luffy's hand who wanted to pick up the meat that was being cooked around the campfire.

"Nami, Vivi, be ready soon, just wait a minute, yeah!" Say Sanji in a soft voice.

Usopp also secretly wants to take the meat but Sanji sees it so he gets hit too by Sanji like Luffy.

"Don't come near!" Sanji was angry.

"No problem, right? You stingy, let me eat!" Luffy.

"Far away!" Shouted Sanji.

"When it was hot this afternoon, what was the weather like?" Asked Nami who was shivering in the cold.

"Because in the desert there are no buildings or trees at all, when the day will be very hot and when the night will be very cold. In the desert there are many unpredictable dangers." Obviously Vivi is the same even though she is a native of Alabasta.

After dinner, Tanaka yawned because she felt a cold wind that made her feel sleepy.

He sees Luffy, Zoro, and Usopp already asleep by sticking to Chopper who is also asleep. The deer had feathers so it made the three of them feel a little warmer.

Tanaka wanted to stick to Chopper as well but he saw no place anymore so he gave up on sleeping while sticking his body with Chopper.

"What are you thinking? Are you thinking about Luffy?" Tanya Tanaka who walked over to Ace who was seen staring at Luffy and sitting next to him.

"Since childhood until now, he hasn't changed at all. Even so, many people were by his side." Reveal Ace. "Although she's my sister, she has some kind of mysterious attraction."

"That's kind of the only power that every protagonist has." Think Tanaka.

"Regarding that afternoon, what did you do to Luffy, what exactly did you do?" Ask Ace who is still curious.

Tanaka explained about force power and although he explained Ace did not really understand because the concept of force does not exist in the world of one piece.

Even people in a one-piece world don't understand what the universe, planets and galaxies are.

"You're really very interesting, Tanaka." Said Ace. "Do you want to join the Whitebeard pirates?"

"Eh?" Tanaka asked who was confused by the sudden invitation from Ace.

"I'd like to take you to meet Pops, he'll definitely be happy to meet you." Reveal Ace.

Tanaka shook his head because he wanted to adventure with Luffy and his crew.

"That's it, what a pity. But I'll still introduce you to Pops if we meet again." Ace.

After talking with Ace, the sleepiness became worse than before due to the cold air that was very comfortable to sleep so Tanaka decided to go inside the men's tent so that he could sleep comfortably.

The night passed quietly and peacefully until finally the sunlight that would appear on the eastern horizon made the once dark sky with a sprinkling of stars have turned slightly bluish with white clouds hovering.

The man awoke from his sleep due to a noise that was noisy enough outside the tent that he got up from his sleep, take Sengo and Honjo to hang on his waist and then get out of the tent to see what happens.

"Everything! Quickly hide behind the rocks!" Shouted Vivi. "The desert storm is coming!"

"Oh?" Ace said and quickly hid behind the rocks.

Tanaka also immediately did the same as Ace as well as the others.

"Wuah, cool! Here again, huh?! The desert's all stormy, yeah!" Said the happy Luffy.

"I forgot to say it, but a desert storm is also something dangerous!" Vivi.

"Say from earlier, dong!" Shouted Usopp while still holding the rock so as not to be carried away by the sandstorm.

After the storm had passed, Tanaka rose from the sand because of the storm. He saw the surrounding situation was so chaotic.

In addition, Tanaka also saw Nami and Vivi lying on the sand with her body muffled with sand.

Tanaka quickly approached Nami to help her get up while Vivi was assisted by Ace.

"Thank you, Tanaka." Nami.

"No problem." Reply Tanaka.

Luffy immediately ordered to return to continue the journey to the city of Yuba. All of them immediately recovered and then continued their journey.

After walking until the sun had almost reached its peak, Luffy again complained.

"Hey Sanji, make it! The pirate stock!" Luffy Pinta.

"No!" Decline Sanji. "I'll make it until Vivi tells me to."

Luffy immediately approached Vivi and persuaded her to ask Sanji to make a pirate stock.

"But this is still one-tenth of the way to Yuba." Vivi.

Even so, Luffy continuously persuaded Vivi to comply with his request so that Vivi gave up eventually.

"Alright, rocks! Everyone, if there's a rock break eat first, yeah! The one who wins the suit, must bring everyone's bags!" Luffy said so excitedly.

"Don't make the rules!" Upset Usopp said.

"Don't the losers have to carry their bags?" Ask Sanji.

Luffy didn't hear the complaint and started it right away so made everything except Ace instantly move their hands to make a stone of paper scissors.

"Wuah, I won!" Said the happy Luffy.

They all return to walk with Luffy carrying everything, except Ace's belongings.

"Be-Weight, heavy tau, and hot. Though I won the suit, why is this?" Ask Luffy who forgot that he made the rules like that.

Luffy walked at the very back because he was carrying a lot of stuff. Tanaka wants to help Luffy but is prevented by Nami from always pampering Luffy.

In addition, it is also a lesson for Luffy for his arbitrary actions.

"The rock has been found, up ahead!" Usopp.

"really?! Time for a meal break!" Luffy said and quickly ran away from us.

"Wah~, so fast!" Usopp was surprised.

Not long after, Luffy then ran back again with his bare hands and that made Tanaka aware of what happened next.

Not even Luffy arrived, Tanaka had run towards the rock.

"Tanaka?" Call Vivi.

"What's wrong with her?" Tanya Zoro and Sanji.

"Peating the bowels is possible." Usopp.

Arriving there Tanaka did not see the items brought by Luffy before. Everything just disappeared, like being swallowed by the sand of life.

"Damn I'm late!" Tanaka. "I should be aware of this."

Luffy and the others arrived and they were confused because they did not see their belongings.

"Where's our stuff, Luffy?" Ask Zoro.

"Are? I put it here." Answer Luffy who was also confused.

Tanaka let out a long sigh and asked, "Did you see any birds here?"

"Ah, yes, I see a lot of birds dying!" Answer Luffy. "But why are the birds no more?"

Tanaka again sighed because his estimation was indeed true.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you earlier." Vivi. "The Warusagi Birds are desert bandits who deceive travelers and steal their belongings."

"What?!" Luffy asked in surprise.

"The birds are pretending to be dead?! Isn't that a scam?!" Ask Usopp.

"True, they are indeed fraudsters." Firm Vivi.

"They tricked me?!" Said the angry Luffy.

"Luffy, if you're just sorry, it won't solve the problem! That's our stock for three days, tau!" Said Sanji angrily while holding Luffy's collar. "You let all our stuff be stolen by desert birds and we have nothing in the desert?! How can we get through the desert without food and drink?"

"Once again, how else, because I was deceived." Luffy said calmly, not feeling guilty.

"Is your brain more stupid than a bird's brain?" Ask Sanji.

"What did you say?!" Luffy said.

They both fought.

Tanaka just sat down, leaning his back against the stone wall, ignoring the two of them while Zoro asked the two of them to stop bickering.

"Stopped is free. At a time like this, it's better to leave it alone." Advice Ace.

"Yes, yeah." Zoro said and sat down on a rock. "Let's rest for a while, the heat is what makes them noisier. Well, somehow we can definitely eat! It won't make us die in a moment anyway. Let's just say it!"

"Well, if I keep thinking I'm thirsty." Usopp.

"He deserves to be Vice-Captain." Tanaka thought while looking at Zoro.

"What's? Why look at me like that?" Ask Zoro.

"It's nothing." Answer Tanaka.

The Warusagi birds then stood in front of them with mocking gazes. As they walked away, Luffy immediately ran after them.

Tanaka could have taken the birds down with his force, but he didn't because he wanted to conserve his energy.

"Give us our things back!" Shouted Luffy.

"Luffy-san, don't be chased!" Call Vivi.

Luffy ignored Vivi's call and continued to chase the bandits until he was no longer visible.

"Luffy is long back!" Usopp.

"Yes, is he really lost?" Ask Chopper worried.

"Most likely so." Answer the lovely Tanaka.

"Basic, even though you don't know the direction is still desperate to run!" Nami.

"And there are so many dangers in the desert that he has not known." Vivi.

The straw hat pirate crew was on the complain over Luffy's completely arbitrary demeanor.

Ace who heard it immediately apologized to everyone for the attitude of his younger brother.

Although they complain, they also worry about Luffy's circumstances so Tanaka, Zoro and Sanji rise up to look for Luffy.

"Give it to you, yeah!" Usopp.

"Yes." Yeah." Say those three guys.

Suddenly there was a shock that made everyone shocked and panicked.

"What is this shock?! Is there another storm?! Ask Chopper to panic.

No, no! That's..." Said Usopp who used his special glasses to look into the distance. "Luffy?!"

Luffy was on a camel and was chased by something that came from the sand.

"Why is he riding a camel?!" Ask Nami.

"Eitherway! What's chasing him?" Ask Sanji.

"I can't see it! But there seems to be something behind the sand!" Answer Zoro.

"Zoro, Sanji, get ready!" Said Tanaka who immediately ran towards Luffy's place.

A large purple reptile appeared behind Luffy and the camel he was riding.

"That's great!" Said Usopp and Chopper in surprise.

"What's that?!" Ask Zoro.