When deciding where to go for "research" or "adventure," I usually choose one of two approaches.
First, I browse newspapers and magazines for interesting places or fun events, like the Fireworks Festival I went to the other day.
The other way is... to visit places I know from the One Piece manga.
If an island actually appears in One Piece, it's bound to be an incredibly thrilling experience. But those places also tend to be much riskier in all sorts of ways.
Little Garden is a prime example. It truly feels like a real "adventure," but the danger level is insane. There are dinosaurs, ferocious beasts, insects carrying deadly pathogens... and worst of all... those two guys who live there.
The Giant Warrior Pirates' two star captains... Red Ogre Brogy and Blue Ogre Dorry. Both were notorious figures with bounties of 100 million Berries.
I figured they probably wouldn't cause any trouble unless I picked a fight with them, but still, giants are terrifying.
...I've always wanted to try dinosaur meat, so I'm planning to go there someday.
Besides, most of the islands from the One Piece manga are just too far away. Solo travel on the Grand Line, especially on long voyages, is still too dangerous with my current skills and navigation.
That's why I've rarely tried the "visit places from the original work" approach.
But this time, for the first time in ages, I decided to go on an adventure and do some research on an island or country featured in One Piece.
Just as I was planning to visit that country, a large merchant caravan ship was setting sail. They were recruiting guards for the round trip, so I figured, "Alright, let's do it."
Our destination was the great desert kingdom of Alabasta.
***
And here I am... My first, honest impression?
'It's hot...'
That's all I could think about as I trudged through the desert, guarding the caravan.
Seriously! I knew it would be bad, I'd braced myself... but this place is scorching!
It's a desert, after all... The heat's coming at me from above and below. It's not just hot, it's searing.
The sun beats down mercilessly, and the sun-baked sand radiates heat like an oven. It feels like I'm being roasted alive.
Plus, the loose, shifting sand makes walking even harder, draining my energy faster.
This job is tougher than I expected...
Anyway, let me recap a bit and explain our itinerary.
After arriving in the Alabasta Kingdom, our first stop was the port town of Nanohana. There, we unloaded our cargo and organized a caravan for inland transport.
To be fair, the Merchant Association that hired us and the laborers they hired handled most of that.
At the time, I remember thinking, "It's not as hot as I expected."
I'd braced myself for scorching desert heat, but it felt more like early summer in Japan—pleasant, really.
Of course, that was because we were still in a port town close to the sea. The sea breeze and higher humidity made the heat bearable.
The caravan was finally ready, and we set out inland from the town. But the moment we left, it felt like we'd stepped into a fiery hell.
The heat hit us like nothing I'd ever experienced before, almost instantly after leaving the town walls. It was on a whole new level.
Walking through that furnace, wrapped head-to-toe in a hooded cloak to shield myself, only trapped more heat inside. It was unbearably hot, like I was baking alive.
But that's how you have to do it in the desert, so I gritted my teeth and endured the heavy clothing.
I think it was mentioned in the original story, but in the desert, daytime temperatures exceed 50 degrees and the sunlight is extremely strong. So if you walk around with your skin exposed, you'll get burned.
It was hot, unbearably so, but that's precisely why we had to bundle up.
The cloak had me drenched in sweat. But the air was so bone-dry that even that sweat-soaked moisture was precious—it helped protect my skin.
I glanced at the other hired guards. It seemed they hadn't anticipated such extreme temperatures either. Most of them were cursing under their breath, gritting their teeth, and barely managing to keep moving.
Like me, this might be their first time in this country—and certainly their first time trekking through a desert.
Well, whether they were rookies or veterans, it shouldn't matter as long as they did their jobs properly. But their precarious condition made me uneasy.
Could they actually function as proper guards if something went wrong?
Since we were on land, we didn't have to worry about pirates. But I seemed to recall that the Alabasta Kingdom also had outlaws roaming its deserts...
And then there was the possibility of running into some massive desert beasts...
Just as I was thinking that, a messenger came running from the front of the caravan.
'Ugh... Flag already?'
"Reporting! The vanguard has sent word... Sand Pirates ahead! They're heading straight for us and we'll be in contact soon! All guards, prepare for battle immediately and intercept the Sand Pirates!"
Sand Pirates are essentially pirates of the desert. Since they operate in the desert instead of the sea, they're called "Sand Pirates." Simple as that.
They do the same things as regular pirates: raid towns and merchant caravans, stealing goods and money.
On the other hand, they might also take in orphaned children, protect people from other Sand Pirate raids, or even do some random acts of vigilante justice. Just like real pirates, really.
Some of them attack on foot or by camel, while others sail "ships" (more like sand sleds, really) across the desert as if it were the open sea.
Honestly, fighting them wasn't too tough.
To be fair, their desert combat experience and coordinated group tactics were something to watch out for. But their individual fighting skills weren't particularly impressive, and there weren't any Ability Users or exceptionally strong fighters among them.
Overall, they felt like a watered-down version of pirates.
The desert environment itself is undeniably harsh, but that's all there is to it. There are no sudden current changes, no violent storms, and dangerous monsters... well, they exist, but they're not common.
And most importantly, there aren't any natural predators to fear.
Other pirate ships, Marines, bounty hunters... that's about the extent of it. The Alabasta Kingdom's regular army, other Sand Pirates—nothing too threatening. If you're careful, you can avoid them altogether. Maybe that's why I lack a real sense of danger, that hunger for true strength.
To put it bluntly... am I just a frog in a well?
Even though we're all on the Grand Line, there's bound to be a huge difference in raw power between us. Those pirates who claw their way through battles with other crews on the open sea, who endure brutal voyages through waters teeming with Sea Beasts and Sea Kings... their mettle must be far stronger.
When I asked a local guide hired by the Caravan, he confirmed my suspicions: the general perception here is that pirates are far more ferocious than Sand Pirates.
The sand slowed my movements slightly, but if I stayed alert and fought properly, they weren't much of a challenge. I handled them with ease.
The heat was already unbearable, and the strenuous exercise had left me drenched in sweat, my clothes clinging uncomfortably to my skin. My irritation was reaching a boiling point, and I ended up taking it all out on the bandits in a furious outburst.
Fortunately, we managed to repel them without the caravan suffering any damage.
We continued our journey for a while, thankfully without encountering any further major trouble.
When we reached an oasis along the way, we decided to set up camp for the night.
"Whew... it's freezing!"
I'd been warned about this, but the temperature difference between day and night in the desert is insane. Whether you're resting or sleeping, you have to bundle up properly to avoid getting sick.
The caravan members had already set up the tents, so we guards took turns resting inside while keeping watch outside.
It was my turn to keep watch, so I climbed onto a rocky outcrop and scanned the surroundings.
I don't think it was quite freezing yet, but after the scorching heat of the day, the chill felt even more biting. The occasional swirls of sand stung my skin, too.
Still, I could handle it. It was bearable.
At least the desert weather wasn't as unpredictable as the sea, which could turn stormy in an instant. For all its harshness, the desert seemed to have a strangely stable climate... even if that stability meant relentless extremes.
I took a swig of water from my canteen, refilled at the oasis, and gnawed on some dried meat to stave off my hunger as I gazed out across the vast desert.
It was eerily quiet. The wind was the only sound.
And it wasn't just physical silence. Even my Observation Haki barely registered a sound.
The caravan members below were the only presences I could sense.
I'd heard the desert was a harsh environment with almost no plants or edible things, and now I see it's true. There's barely any life here.
Who'd willingly settle in this scorching hellscape, where even oases struggle to sprout a single blade of grass and cacti are the rare exception?
It made me wonder which was easier to survive in: the sea, overflowing with food and resources but crawling with dangers, or this desert. Ultimately, it probably just comes down to strength.
Whether it's the desert or the sea, if you're weak, you'll be eaten or killed. Simple as that. Conversely, if you're strong enough, you can probably live comfortably anywhere.
...Could this be the setting for a novel?
"A protagonist raised on a secluded island, or rather, in a self-contained world. Feeling stifled by island life, he boasts, 'One day I'll leave this place and live in the real world!' But when he finally ventures out, he's shocked by the harsh environment, formidable enemies, unfamiliar cultures, and the kind of strength he needs to survive. Despite his struggles, he begins to understand the harsh realities of life and the true value of his homeland... Hmm, it's a bit cliché, but the story's flowing well. Maybe I should make the protagonist non-human altogether... Huh?"
Lost in my usual habit of brainstorming plot ideas, I suddenly sensed something with my Observation Haki.
I turned toward the disturbance and peered into the darkness. In the desert, something was moving.
An animal? No, it was a group of humans—a large group.
Moving through the desert at night without a single light... this was beyond suspicious.
I pulled out my portable telescope and took a look. Their clothing confirmed it: Sand Pirates.
Focusing my Observation Haki, I sensed hostility and malice directed at us from most of them, along with various other desires.
A night raid. And this one was far larger than the daytime skirmish. I had to warn everyone.
I leaped off the rocky outcrop and sprinted toward the merchants' tents, shouting as I ran:
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack! A large group of Sand Pirates is approaching from the southeast! Wake up and prepare for battle!"
The camp erupted in chaos as people poured out of their tents—guards who had been resting, merchants jolted awake. Many stumbled around disoriented, muttering "What's going on?" but quickly spotted me, the source of the alarm, and hurried over.
I quickly reported what I'd seen and immediately began preparing for a counterattack, but honestly, this was going to be tough.
Their numbers were staggering, easily several times greater than what we'd faced during the day, and they were spread out across a wide area.
They probably couldn't completely encircle the oasis, but their sheer size made it clear they were aiming for at least a partial siege.
This wasn't just some random attack because we happened to be here.
Moving a large group like this, whether it's an army or a pirate crew, is always harder than it sounds. It reduces maneuverability and creates lags in command transmission from headquarters to the rank and file.
And to move such a massive force through the harsh, cold, dark desert night... even Sand Pirates should be asleep by now. This wasn't just a casual movement; it was a deliberate march with a purpose.
From the start, I should have assumed they mobilized that many men to attack this oasis—no, to attack us.
Their goal was obviously plunder... or maybe revenge for the daytime defeat? Could the survivors of the failed raid have whined to their boss or higher-ups and convinced them to strike back?
Their individual strength probably hadn't improved much since morning, but damn, their numbers were overwhelming.
We could take them down, but could we protect the caravan without taking losses? That was the real question. If the battle lines spread too thin, our small escort might not be able to cover everything.
Looking around, the other guards seemed to be thinking the same thing. They frowned, realizing the odds weren't in our favor.
The merchants must have sensed the tension too—their faces were pale.
Well, if things got desperate, I could always use the Paper-Paper Fruit's ability to somehow manage... I was just thinking that when it happened.
Spreading out wide and kicking up clouds of sand, the Sand Pirates charged forward with momentum.
In less than ten minutes, the oasis would become a battlefield. We braced ourselves, ready for the fight, when...
"Sandstorm (Sables)!"
A sandstorm suddenly erupted, swallowing nearly half their forces and scattering them like leaves.
"Ehhh?!"
The storm's abruptness left us dumbfounded.
Even the Sand Pirates froze in their tracks, utterly bewildered. Through my Observation Haki, I could sense their utter confusion.
Frankly, we were just as clueless.
Wait, what was that?
A sandstorm, out of nowhere? Even on the Grand Line, where anything can happen, you don't get sandstorms popping up like this... And besides, we're not even at sea!
And... if I'm not mistaken, I could have sworn I heard a voice right before it hit...
The sight was so unbelievable that both enemies and allies froze, a stunned silence hanging over the battlefield.
*Thud... thud...*
The sound of boots crunching on sand announced the arrival of a lone figure.
He wore a luxurious black coat trimmed with fur, clearly too warm for the desert heat, especially during the day. A large golden hook, unmistakably a prosthetic, adorned his left arm. His jet-black hair was slicked back, and a long, straight scar slashed across his face.
It was him... a man I recognized all too well.
Now that I thought about it, I remembered seeing his name in the newspaper a while back. I even wondered, "Oh, so he's already joined them?"
"My apologies," he said. "You looked like you could use some help, so I took the liberty of assisting you. Was my intervention unwelcome?"
Sir Crocodile, the "Desert King," a pirate member of the Shichibukai.
The final boss of the Alabasta Arc in the original work... the first man to defeat the protagonist, Luffy, in a straight fight... he was standing right there.
To be continued...