As Luffy's voice faded, at last, a change appeared within that monotonous sea of dust and sand.
The sand that had been endlessly thrown into the sky slowly took on a darker, heavier hue.
A trace of rusted steel—weathered and mottled—was gradually revealed as the sand peeled away from it.
"Ah… so that's how it is!"
Behind the protective air barrier, Nami—who had been standing there for nearly an entire day—suddenly realized something and exclaimed:
"No wonder Yuba was able to become such a rare oasis on this desert island!"
As Nami spoke, everyone's attention was instantly drawn to her voice.
After all, they had been staring at the same scene for far too long. No matter how patient they were, boredom had inevitably set in.
Even the playful Merry and Chopper had already sneaked off somewhere earlier, disappeared for half the day, and then ran back again, continuing to stare up at the sand-filled sky.
Sensing everyone's gaze, Nami didn't hesitate at all. She directly began explaining her thoughts to the group.
"If what Crocodile said—what Robin's mother deduced—is correct, then the ancient weapon Pluton should simply be a massive warship with extremely destructive power."¹
As Nami's voice fell, beneath the dampened sand, an even larger stretch of iron plating slowly emerged.
However, at this moment, everyone's eyes were still on Nami, and hardly anyone noticed the change below.
Nami's explanation continued.
She raised her delicate hand and pointed toward the massive pit in the distance.
"Look over there."
Everyone immediately followed her gesture, shifting their gaze back to the damp soil still floating through the air.
A stretch of sand nearly a kilometer wide had already been transformed—through Crocodile's relentless effort—into a bottomless, colossal crater.
Nami continued calmly:
"Yuba was able to stand out as a unique oasis in the center of this barren island…
I believe it has a great deal to do with the enormous warship buried here!"
"What?"
Someone immediately voiced their confusion.
Nami went on:
"Look at the deck of that massive warship.
Doesn't the soil around it look different from everywhere else?"
Following her words, Luffy looked toward the area beside the ship.
Sure enough, the closer the soil was to the warship, the darker and heavier its color appeared.
Nami continued:
"Because Pluton is a gigantic warship…
it must contain a large internal core space."
"During the rainy season, rainwater seeps into the sand.
In most places, due to osmotic pressure, the water flows downward or disperses outward toward drier layers.
The loose grains of sand form countless channels, allowing that precious water to quickly drain away."
"But here—at Yuba, where Pluton lies buried—
the rainwater seeps downward until it reaches the warship itself."
"As the water encounters the ship, it flows through gaps in the hull that aren't completely sealed, entering the interior.
That vast internal space then becomes a rare natural reservoir, storing the water underground beneath Yuba."
"Over time, the soil above absorbs moisture whenever it rains, gradually becoming compact and capable of retaining water.
With enough nutrients accumulating…
Yuba naturally turned into an oasis."
"Oh… so that's how it is…"
After hearing Nami's explanation, Zoro replied in a half-understanding tone.
But Nami knew him too well. This was clearly just casual acknowledgment—no different from how he usually brushed off Sanji.
Honestly… these men whose brains are filled with swords, women, bragging, music, medicine, and 'justice'…
They're hopeless.
Living among a bunch of idiots is really exhausting…
Only Sanji, as always unwavering, immediately showered her with praise once she finished speaking.
"Nami-swan is amazing!!!"
"You… you people…"
Nami looked helplessly at the lukewarm reactions of the men, unsure whether she should be angry or simply give up.
In the end, she could only mutter weakly:
"You bunch of idiots…"
Just as Nami was about to continue, Vivi suddenly spoke up.
"So… if that's the case,"
Having already brought an end to the civil war, Vivi couldn't help but grow a little melancholic. She looked around at the desert behind Yuba and said softly:
"Did Yuba become like this… because it went too long without rain?"
Yuba—once known throughout Arabasta as the Land of Hope.
Vivi and her father had always worked tirelessly to improve Arabasta's environment, striving to build a better nation for its people.
Yuba!
It was the hope that kept them going through countless hardships.
But after three years of severe drought, even a once-perfect oasis gradually turned into wasteland.
Their dream—hers and her father's—shattered along with it.
The pain they felt back then was sharper than a blade cutting into flesh.
As those memories resurfaced, sadness unconsciously crept onto Vivi's face.
And Nami, turning around at just that moment, saw it all.
Quick-witted as ever, Nami immediately sensed Vivi's feelings. She placed a hand on Vivi's shoulder and looked straight into her eyes.
"Vivi! Didn't you think of it too!?"
"Think… of what…?"
Caught off guard, Vivi asked in confusion.
"Sigh…"
Nami dropped her hand and let out a long sigh, shaking her head in exasperation.
Robin suddenly smiled, her mature, bell-like voice carrying warmth as she spoke to them both.
"I believe Nami means that you could use this same principle to restore Arabasta's harsh environment—am I right?"²
"See! Robin-onee-san gets me!"
Nami planted her hands on her hips, glanced at the others behind her, then turned back to Vivi with a dramatic sigh.
"It's fine if those smelly men and Merry don't get it, but how did you get slow too?
Too much paperwork lately? Brain running out of power?"
She stepped forward and lightly tapped Vivi on the forehead with her finger, as if trying to knock some sense into her.
But Vivi, nudged backward, still looked dazed as she murmured to herself:
"Restore… the environment…"
"Exactly!"
Nami immediately turned Vivi's head toward the massive pit and continued excitedly.
"You can build similar water-storage structures and bury them all across Arabasta.
Once Dance Powder is no longer interfering with rainfall—or even if we pre-fill them with seawater—
you've got a free laborer right now, you know?"³
As she spoke, Nami glanced up into the sky—toward Crocodile, who had completely exhausted his strength and was now digging purely through sheer willpower.
"It's time he paid back what he owes for his past mistakes!"
"Have Crocodiles help you install water facilities.
I bet it won't be long before Arabasta looks completely different!"
With a grand wave of her hand, Nami struck a pose as if laying out a magnificent future—casually condemning the unfortunate Crocodile to several years of hard labor without the slightest guilt.
Just then, Luffy suddenly cut in.
"We'll talk about that later. Right now, let's go help Crocodile!"
"Zoro, Sanji—"
"Got it!"
As Luffy finished, Zoro and Sanji immediately grinned and ran toward the pit.
Up in the sky, Crocodile finally reached his limit.
The raging sandstorm abruptly halted, dispersing outward under his last shred of control.
His eyes closed completely, pain still etched across his face.
Carried by the drag of his coat, Crocodile spiraled downward toward the ground.
THUD—
A dull impact echoed.
Crocodile was perfectly caught by a gigantic hand conjured by Robin, then rolled along a path of pale arms back toward the group.²
Zoro and Sanji reached the edge of the pit and peered downward together.
Under the faint light now spilling in, a colossal warship was revealed—tilted at a forty-five-degree angle, embedded deep within the sand.
Half of its hull had already been unearthed.
A spark seemed to flash above Zoro's and Sanji's heads.
From afar, Luffy flew in and landed right between them, staring down at the legendary ancient weapon below.