Tinkle!
Tinkle!
Just then, from the desert outside Yuba, a familiar tinkling sound drifted over.
He put away the despair in his eyes, wiped his tears, turned around, and faced the sand dunes outside Yuba, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun.
A camel caravan was emerging from the shimmering, distorted air, climbing the dunes and heading this way.
As they drew closer and he saw the people on the camels, Doto's eyes flickered slightly.
Judging by the skin color of Kouta and his companions, he knew that Kouta's group was definitely not from Alabasta.
He looked up, meeting Kouta's azure eyes. A hint of astonishment flashed in his gaze. He had never seen such beautiful eyes. Kouta's pupils, reflecting a cold light like nebulae under the setting sun, were, in Doto's opinion, incredibly captivating.
He quickly averted his gaze. Staring at someone for too long was not very polite!
His gaze shifted downwards, and he said to Kouta, who was clearly the leader of the caravan, "Esteemed guests, you are surely not from Alabasta, are you?"
"Mm!"
Kouta nodded in acknowledgment.
"To come to Alabasta at this time, I presume you are unaware of the situation in Alabasta!"
"We are aware!"
"Aware?"
Doto looked at Kouta, a hint of confusion flickering across his face.
"Mm! We are aware."
Kouta lowered his head, gazing at Doto, a trace of thought in his eyes.
This old man gave him a familiar feeling.
"Mm!"
Looking at the old man's signature thick white beard, his eyes flashed. He remembered.
This old man was likely "Doto," the father of Kohza from the rebel army.
With that thought, he looked up, a flash of red light in his eyes.
"Indeed, this is Kohza's base. They haven't moved to 'Kattarea' yet."
Sensing the chaotic aura of countless youths in the town, the red light in Kouta's eyes vanished. He looked down at Doto and smiled, "We just came from Elle-Uru."
"Elle-Uru?"
Doto blinked in surprise, then looked at Kouta and asked loudly, "Has Elle-Uru truly dried up?"
"The news travels that fast?"
Kouta stared at Doto, "Sir, how did you know so quickly! We literally just came from Elle-Uru!"
"We can discuss that later."
Doto waved his hand and, fixing his gaze on Kouta, asked again, "Has Elle-Uru truly dried up?"
"Mm!"
Without making Doto wait, Kouta nodded directly and said, "The canals there have indeed been destroyed. If there are no accidents, it will become an empty city before long. After all, without water in the desert, I doubt even a god could do anything."
"God?"
Doto shook his head, looked up at the distant sunset, and said, "This old man doesn't believe in any gods! I believe in our King. I believe Alabasta will surely rain."
"Mm!"
Kouta nodded, hopped off his camel, and approached Doto. He said, "Sir, I don't believe in gods either. Although I haven't met your King, I believe in him. I believe he's not as wicked as the rebels claim."
"How could someone who is trusted by so many people, especially the elders, be a bad person?"
"And I believe that before long, this country will surely rain."
He then looked directly into Doto's eyes, his gaze firm, and repeated, "Surely!"
Doto looked up, meeting Kouta's eyes, and was slightly taken aback.
He didn't know who Kouta was, but... he could feel a goodwill emanating from Kouta, both towards him and towards this country.
"Thank you!"
Doto bowed to Kouta.
In the past year or so, Kouta was the first outsider he had met who so firmly believed in their country and in the King of Alabasta.
The travelers who passed through here in the past generally didn't care about the country; they were merely visiting Alabasta. Hearing the rumors, most of them actually believed that the King of this country had used the dance powder to deprive it of rain.
"Alright, sir, it's getting dark. Perhaps you could lead us to find lodging in town!"
Kouta reached out to help Doto up and said with a smile, "Actually, I'm just going by my intuition that this country will get better. But to truly save this country, it will depend on you yourselves!"
"Mm! I know."
Doto looked at Kouta, a smile appearing on his aged face. He straightened up and said to Kouta, "Guests, although Yuba is also enduring hardship, there are still plenty of houses available for guests to stay in."
Saying this, he turned and walked towards the town. "Follow me! I'll take you to find lodging."
"Kouta!"
Kuina, with her eyelashes fluttering, walked up to Kouta and, looking at the pitted ground, said, "It seems this place has also reached its final destination."
"Mm!"
Kouta nodded without saying much. He led the camel and walked ahead towards Doto.
"Let's go!"
...
Yuba, a hotel in the town center.
Kouta and his group would rest here tonight.
In fact, the entire Yuba was largely deserted. Apart from the rebel army, the civilians had already moved to other oases.
Therefore, there were many empty houses, allowing Kouta and his group to stay with peace of mind.
Doto brought Kouta and his party here, left them some water and food, and departed.
Yuba at this time was not yet as depleted as it would be two years later, so some water and food were still available.
After dinner, everyone retired to their rooms to rest. Unlike in Elle-Uru, they didn't go out to wander and sightsee.
This was because before they even reached Yuba, the Firebird had briefed them on the situation here.
Although none of them feared the rebel army, they still adopted a "better safe than sorry" attitude and didn't go out sightseeing.
Moreover, Yuba was now deserted; even if they wanted to sightsee, there was nowhere to do so, wasn't there?
In the latter half of the night, on the roof of the hotel, a slender figure appeared silently under the moonlight.
Kouta sat on the eaves in the middle of the roof, leaning back, his back resting against the upturned eaves on either side.
He appeared here simply because he wanted to admire the desert starlight, not because he wanted to meet anyone.
He had no interest in Kohza.
That guy was just an overly idealistic and impulsive fool of a youth.
All he saw were things he could see himself. In places he couldn't see, everything in Alabasta was actually a conspiracy.
Knowing that the canals of Elle-Uru were deliberately destroyed, instead of finding the perpetrators, he planned a rebellion. Kouta had never considered that even if he succeeded in his rebellion, even if he obtained the dance powder, even if he made it rain in Alabasta.
What about... the future?
It was true that rain would quell the current rebellion in Alabasta. However, using the dance powder would likely attract a more formidable entity: the World Government.
The World Government had long been displeased with the Nefertari family of Alabasta.
Do you think the World Government genuinely doesn't know that Baroque Works is Crocodile's?
Do you think the World Government genuinely doesn't know about Crocodile's conspiracy?
Don't be naive.
If even Crocodile, a pirate, could know this information,
How could the World Government not know the information that the Nefertari family, as part of the World Government, had been protecting?
Although the number of people who knew might not be large, the Five Elders, and Imu, who truly ruled the World Government, surely knew.
The reason the World Government hadn't made a move against Alabasta might have been because they were waiting for an excuse, an opportunity.
Perhaps the information that Crocodile knew about what the Nefertari family was protecting was even provided by the World Government to Crocodile. After all, how could a pirate obtain such significant information?
Clang—!
Clang—!
Clang—!
"This old man is truly persistent!"
Kouta raised his wine gourd, looked at the moon in the sky, and the red light in his eyes faded.
Just like with Elle-Uru, he didn't intend to help Doto in any way. In a few days, this country would return to its original state.
No rush.