Princess Vivi's "hundredth day" celebration went smoothly. Except for occasional pirate attacks at the country's borders, Alabasta remained peaceful within its territory.
Known as the "Desert Kingdom," Alabasta is a magical land. Unlike Egypt, a vast desert, Alabasta is a blend of desert and forest, with each piece of land appearing as its unique world. This phenomenon is due to the peculiar geographical environment of the Grand Line, which typical scientific theories cannot explain.
The Red-Haired Pirates are a group with little sense of purpose. They don't have a specific goal but travel the world like explorers, appearing wherever there is excitement.
"What a shame, what a shame. In the end, we didn't get to see the desert princess," said Shanks as he and his two companions strolled through a city called Eruma, cloaked to protect against the harsh desert sun.
With his bright red hair and distinctive look, Shanks couldn't blend in even if he wanted to. Here, cloaks were necessary to prevent severe sunburn from the intense UV rays.
Ben Beckman joked, "It's all because of your red hair. With such a noticeable feature, it's impossible to blend in."
Yasopp said, "I told the boss to dye his hair black, but he wouldn't listen."
Shanks firmly replied, "How could I? I won't compromise myself just to see a little princess. It's impossible!"
Seeing the princess was just an excuse; Shanks' real intention was to join in the festivities.
Yasopp quickly changed the subject, "Right, a three-month-old baby isn't much to see. Drinking is much more enjoyable... Boss, let's go get some drinks?"
Not far ahead was a tavern. The trio walked straight in as if they had planned it.
"Barkeep, bring us some drinks!"
"Welcome, guests. This is the most famous tavern in Eruma. We have six special types of liquor. Which would you like to try?" said a tall, polite young man with a friendly face and round glasses.
Shanks glanced at the menu and then placed it back on the table, "Beckman, Yasopp, what do you think is the best drink?"
Beckman replied slowly, "I personally prefer sake."
Yasopp said boldly, "Of course, beer is the best!"
"Wrong!" Shanks laughed heartily, "All drinks are good as long as they're alcohol! Waiter, bring me one of each of your six special drinks. I want to try them all!"
The waiter pushed his glasses with his palm, "Sir, ordering all six types is quite expensive."
Shanks chuckled, "Do I look like someone who's short on money?"
The waiter looked Shanks up and down: a cloak, white shirt, cropped pants, sandals, and a straw hat – he looked like a farmer, not a wealthy man.
"Yes..."
Shanks' expression turned awkward, "Beckman, show him your wallet."
Beckman took a pouch from his waist and placed a gold coin on the table, "Is this enough?"
Gold coins and Berries are the two common currencies worldwide, with gold coins being much more valuable than Berries.
"It's enough."
The waiter smiled widely, "I'll get your drinks right away."
After the waiter left, Beckman scanned the tavern patrons with small eyes and said quietly, "That waiter isn't ordinary. The way he adjusted his glasses isn't typical for a waiter."
"What does that have to do with us?" Shanks dismissed it lightly, "Everyone has their secrets."
Familiar with Shanks' personality, Beckman didn't get angry, "Whether it concerns us or not, we'll find out soon."
The waiter soon brought six different drinks to their table.
Shanks enjoyed each one, not being picky at all.
Kuro, the waiter, asked, "Judging by your attire, you're not from around here, are you?"
Beckman smiled knowingly, "No, we come from a distant island."
Kuro "helpfully" warned them, "Then you should be careful. There are 'sand pirates' in the nearby desert. Don't get caught by them."
"Sand pirates?"
Shanks got excited, "You mean pirates in the desert?"
Kuro adjusted his glasses again, a suspiciously deliberate gesture, "Yes, sand pirates sail on the desert like regular pirates on the sea."
"You two hear that? This is unbelievable! I can smell adventure!"
Shanks was so thrilled he banged on the table, looking ready to cause trouble.
"And you are...?" Shanks asked.
"You can call me Rock," Kuro replied.
"Rock, can you take us to find these sand pirates?"
"Uh... I'm afraid of dying!"
"Hahaha... What are you afraid of? We're very strong!"
"No way."
"We'll pay you!"
"Still no."
"We're pirates, you know!"
"Hmm?"
Shanks' loud and boisterous manner had already drawn attention. When he revealed they were pirates, every eye in the tavern turned to them.
Shanks put on a fierce look, "Refusing a pirate's request is risky..."
Though Shanks had never done anything evil, he preferred being a pirate over an adventurer or a marine because being a pirate meant doing whatever you wanted.
Given Shanks and Beckman's strength, Hailan and Rear Admiral Gion alone couldn't guarantee to capture them. Asking headquarters for help would take too long, so they had to proceed carefully, increasing their chances step by step.
Buggy told Hailan that Shanks had a robust, adventurous spirit, so Hailan and Kuro planned to use "sand pirates" as bait to attract Shanks' attention.
But Kuro didn't expect Shanks to take the bait so easily.
Was it because he exaggerated his glasses-adjusting motion, making Shanks suspicious? It worked well.
In any case, everything was still going according to the Navy's plan.
After some back and forth, Kuro finally agreed to guide Shanks in exchange for ten gold coins.
Understanding Shanks' temperament and confidence in their strength, Beckman didn't stop him.
"Shanks, we still have a lot of gold coins, but we can't keep spending like this."
Shanks laughed freely, "Money is only useful when spent. If it just sits around, how is it different from waste paper or scrap metal?"