MOVING FORWARD

A.N: SORRY FOR LATE UPDATE, THE THINK IS....I WAS CONFUSED AS TO WHAT I SHOULD WRITE, MOST OF THE THINGS ARE JUST STRAIGHT CANON STORY WITH LITTLE CHANGE HERE AND THERE AND THE CHINESE VERSION OF THIS STORY HAS A REALLY FAST PACING....I MEAN REALY FAST. THAT STORY HAS COMPLETELY SKIPPED THE LITTLE GARDEN AND DRUM KINGDOM ARC AND EVEN IN ALABASTA, WITHIN JUST ONE AND A HALF CHAPTER, THE STRAWHATS ARE ALREADY FACING CROCODILE. WHAT I AM SAYING IS, IT IS I WHO IS ADDING THESE INTERACTIONS AND CANON EVENTS INTO THE STORY TO ATLEAST MAKE IT SEEMS LIKE I AM NOT RUSHING IT. SO, IF ANYONE HAS ANY PROBLEM OR ANY IDEAS ON HOW I SHOULD DO THE PACING OR ANYTHING AT ALL.... THEN DO PLEASE SHARE IT.... READING YOUR COMMENTS AND OTHER STUFFS REALLY MOTIVATES ME TO CONTINUE THIS STORY. THANK YOU...

WORD COUNT: 1253

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KINGDOM OF ALABASTA, YUBA OASIS---

"Oh my god...." Vivi covered her mouth in horror at seeing the state Yuba was in. "What a mess...! Frankly speaking there ain't much a difference between here and that abandoned town Elumalu!" remarked Zoro, "Wasn't this supposed to be an oasis town, Vivi?" asked Sanji as he looked at the sand covered town. "Look at all this sand.... it's swallowed the oasis up!" commented Nami.

As they all walk around the sand covered town, they head some sound and when reached the location of it, they saw an old man is digging out the sand with a shovel. The old man looked at them, "Travelers, eh? .... Well then, you must be awfully tired. Sorry to tell you folks this town's a little bit dried up right now." the old man keep digging as he continues to speak, "But you folks still ought to rest here for night. We've got plenty of inns and rooms to spare.... That's one of the things Yuba's known for."

Vivi slowly steps forward, "Umm... Excuse me, but I heard the rebels' forces were using this town as a base. Is that tr--" but she was cut off as the old man threw the empty barrel at her in anger. "You have business with the rebels? Don't tell me you're another bunch of degenerates that want to join the rebels!" he kept throwing rocks and whatever he got hands on. "Ahhhh! W-What's with this old man flipping out all of a sudden?" shouted Ussop.

The old man huffed and went back on digging, "Those fools are no longer in this town...!" hearing this, the groups eyes widen in shock, "WHAT! IT CAN'T BE!" "You saw the Sandstrom just now, didn't you...Well, let me tell you that sandstorm wasn't the first one this town's had.... Ever since the drought started 3 years ago. This town's been regularly hit by sandstorms! And because of that, the oasis is now in the sorry state you see before you. Trade caravans have since stopped coming here, and the rebels realized they couldn't hold out here any longer, so they relocated to Katorea and set up their main base there."

"KATOREA?" exclaimed Vivi in shock, "Why, where's that, Vivi?" asked Nami. "It's an oasis town beside Nanohana!" "BESIDE NANOHANA!? THEN WHAT THE HELL DID WE COME ALL THE WAY OUT HERE FOR!?" shouted Ussop. The old man stopped his digging and looked at the group, "Vivi...? Did you say Vivi just now...? Princess Vivi, is that really you...?" the old man stumbled and slowly walked towards Vivi, "I'm so glad to see you're still alive! It's me! Don't you recognize me!?" Vivi's eyes widen as she clearly looked at the old man, "Is.....Is that you, Toto?" tears started to roll down from old man's eyes, "Yes...!"

A gasp come from Vivi as she looked at old Toto's miserable state, "Wh... What had happened!??" hearing her question, Toto started to tremble as his legs gave off and he fell to his knees, "Kouza contacted me yesterday and he told me....

YESTERDAY, EVENING AT PORT TOWN NANOHANA---

"W-What...." "What's the meaning of this, your highness...!?" the citizens of Nanohana were surprised to see their King Cobra there. "I've come to make a sincere apology! It was I who stole rain from my people!" the citizens of Nanohana were in shock hearing this statement coming from their King, "I-is this a joke, your highness...?" "Your highness...." but Cobra continued his speech, "As such, in order to put the sordid Dance Powder incident behind us, the port of Nanohana shall be destroyed."

"Burn down this city, which stands only as a reminder of corrupt injustice!" ordered Cobra, at this the guards behind him immediately started to burn down stalls and breaking other stuffs. The peoples of Nanohana started to panic, some crying not knowing why this is happening to them. Suddenly, Kouza stopped in front of the Cobra, sitting on his horse. "Just what the hell do you think you're doing..." he asked looking at the King with bloodshot eyes.

"I've come to apologize." Cobra replied plainly, "SHUT THE FUCK UP!!! THIS IS AN INSULT!" "The man responsible for using dance powder and causing the current drought, was me." "I TOLD YOU TO SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!!" Kouza charged at Cobra but his guards hold him back, "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA....ANY IDEA AT ALL, HOW THE PEOPLE OF DRIED-UP TOWNS FELT AS THEY DIED!? THEY WEREN'T ANGRY NOR DID THEY RESENT YOU! THEY ALL DIED BELIEVING IN YOU TO THE VERY END! 'It's not the King's fault....' 'The King is a wonderful man....' EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO LIE, IF YOU DON'T INSIST THAT YOU'RE INNOCENT, YOU'D BE DEFILING THE MEMORY OF ALL THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO DIED BELIEVING YOU!"

Suddenly, one of the guards shot Kouza in his stomach. The people seeing this were horrified and some of the rebels who came with Kouza immediately went towards their leader. "The entire country.... even us rebels.... we've all wanted nothing more than to hear you say you're innocent.... That's what we've been fighting for all along! Or at the very least, that's what I've wanted to hear...." muttered Kouza. "WATCH OUT! A HUGE SHIP'S ABOUT TO CRASH INTO PORT!" someone shouted and on queue, a massive ship crashed at the port, destroying it and slamming into the towns entrance.

BACK TO PRESENT---

Vivi covered her mouth in absolute horror, "N-no....no way....no no no no no....." she started to hyperventilate by the shock, "D-Dad cannot do that.... not even in his dreams!! This is not true.... this is---" a hand on her shoulder stops here rambling, she looked behind and saw Nami's concern face and she immediately hugged her and started to cry. Nami patted Vivi's back, "It's okay Vivi, everything is going to be fine...."

Old man Toto looking at Vivi's condition slowly wiped away his tears, "Vivi....I still believe.... I still believe in the King! He's not the type that could ever betray his country and its people...." Luffy steps forward, "The old man is right, Vivi. Remember Mr.2, he had your dad's face." at this Vivi looked at Luffy with her red puffy eyes, "'sniff' You're right, it must be him." "If it is true then, they must have been already captured the real King. Hmmm.... this situation has gotten messier...." remarked Zoro.

Toto looked at everyone and then at Vivi, "Vivi, please.... stop Kouza.... he and his rebel army will leave for the capital tomorrow.... please I beg of you, only you can stop him." Vivi looked at him, "Don't worry, I promise, everything will be okay." "If they are leaving in the morning, then we should leave right now… They are much closer to the capital then us and crossing the desert during the day will be really troublesome, so I prefer reducing as much distance as possible during the night." Stated Luffy.

They all nodded, Vivi looked at Toto and bowed, "On behalf of my father, I sincerely apologize for all the things that had happened---" "Please Princess Vivi, do not apologize… neither the King nor you did anything, so please…" Vivi looked at him with firm resolve, "We're leaving now, Toto… take care of yourself." "You too, and very best of luck." With that, the Strawhats and Vivi immediately left Yuba and started traversing the vast desert of Alabasta in hopes to reach the capital city in time.