Chapter 193: The Mark of Fellowship!
Yuba.
When the group stood at the city's entrance, everyone fell silent.
As far as the eye could see, there was only yellow sand.
Crumbling houses were half-buried in the dunes, and once-wide streets were buried beneath the sand.
When the wind blew, it seemed to mourn for this dead city.
This should have been a city that carried dreams.
"Koza said..."
Vivi's voice rose amidst the wind and sand,
"He wanted to build Yuba into a hub connecting all the cities of Alabasta. His father, Uncle Toto, would help him. They wanted caravans to converge here, goods to be distributed here, travelers to rest here..."
As she spoke, her eyes began to redden.
"But now..."
Ralph looked at the scene before him, his heart heavy.
He had read the manga and knew of Yuba's tragic state.
But standing on this land devoured by yellow sand, the visual and psychological impact was far stronger than black-and-white lines.
The group walked deeper into the city.
The further they went, the more devastating the scene became.
"Everyone blames all of this on the king's sins."
Vivi whispered, "They resent my father for using the Dance Powder, caring only about rain in his own capital and ignoring the lives of other cities... That's why it led to three years of severe drought."
Her voice trembled slightly:
"But my father never used the Dance Powder... All of this is Crocodile's conspiracy..."
No one responded.
Any comfort felt hollow.
Suddenly, Zoro, walking at the front, stopped.
"Someone's here."
He said.
Everyone followed his gaze.
At the end of the street, in front of a half-buried house, a thin, small figure was digging for something.
That was... Toto.
Vivi recognized that silhouette.
Her body trembled slightly, but her feet seemed nailed to the ground, unable to move forward.
Ralph understood her feelings.
What had become of that kind, elderly man with a round, chubby face who was always smiling?
When she saw his face, Vivi could no longer hold back, tears streaming from her eyes.
It was Uncle Toto, but not the Uncle Toto from her memories.
His face had grown gaunt, his cheeks deeply sunken, his skin rough and cracked from the wind and sand, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes carved as deep as knife marks.
His clothes were tattered, covered in sand and sweat stains.
In his hands was a rusted shovel, his palms covered in calluses and cracks.
"You are..."
Toto squinted, his gaze falling on Vivi.
His eyes widened suddenly.
"Vi... Princess Vivi?"
His voice was hoarse, trembling with disbelief.
"Uncle Toto..."
Vivi stepped forward, tears flowing uncontrollably,
"I'm sorry... I'm sorry I came so late..."
Toto dropped the shovel, staggered forward a few steps, then stopped.
He looked at Vivi, his lips trembling, before finally bowing deeply:
"Your Highness... It is my failure... I couldn't stop Koza... I let him commit such a treasonous act as rebellion..."
"No!"
Vivi shook her head, "It's not your fault! It's me... It's the Alabasta royal family that failed to protect everyone..."
The two stood facing each other in the wind and sand, one bowed low, the other weeping.
In the end, it was Ralph who stepped forward and helped Toto up.
"Mr. Toto," he said, "The wind and sand are strong here. Let's find a place to talk."
Only then did Toto notice the others.
He saw Lufia, saw Ralph, saw Zoro, saw Ace—
When he spotted the Whitebeard mark on Ace's back, his pupils contracted slightly, but he said nothing.
Everyone followed Toto to the small hut where he was temporarily staying, a place that barely kept out the wind and rain.
Vivi explained their purpose to Toto.
She had uncovered the truth behind the drought and had come to persuade the rebels to stop the war.
After listening, Toto's face first lit up with joy:
"Really? Has Her Highness uncovered the truth? That's wonderful! That's wonderful!"
But then, his expression turned anxious.
"But... but the rebels are no longer here."
"Because the water source here has completely dried up, and sandstorms frequently hit this place... A month ago, Koza moved the headquarters to Katorea."
"Katorea?"
Vivi's face paled.
That place was much closer to the royal capital, Alubarna…
In other words, the rebels could launch a decisive battle with the royal army at any moment.
The atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
This meant their plan needed adjustment.
According to the original plan, they were to split into two groups:
One group would help Vivi stabilize the rebels in Yuba, while the other would head straight to Rainbase to defeat Crocodile.
But now, the rebels were not in Yuba but in Katorea.
"So," Nami organized her thoughts, "The group stopping the rebels needs to cross the Sandora River again and rush to Katorea?"
"Yes."
Vivi nodded, her expression grave, "And time is tight... We don't know when the rebels will launch their full-scale attack."
Everyone fell silent.
This meant the task for the group stopping the war had become even more difficult.
They had to traverse a greater distance and face more uncertainties.
But unexpectedly, Usopp was the first to step forward.
"I-It's fine!"
Though his legs were still trembling, his voice was firm, "Compared to Lufia and the others facing Crocodile head-on, our mission is already much easier!"
Chopper nodded along:
"That's right! We're doing this to help our friends and save a country! Such a noble cause... How can we back down just because it's difficult!"
Sanji exhaled a puff of smoke:
"Protecting Miss Vivi and Miss Nami is my duty!"
Nami, though demanding more money, did not object.
Seeing her friends like this, tears welled up in Vivi's eyes again.
"Thank you... thank you, everyone…"
"Then it's settled."
Ralph finalized the decision to split into groups as originally planned.
"Wait."
Zoro suddenly spoke up.
Everyone turned to look at him.
"We've overlooked someone."
Zoro said, "Mr. 2."
Everyone was taken aback.
"That guy can mimic anyone's face," Zoro continued, "And he's copied the faces of everyone on our ship."
"No matter how well Lufia and the others get along with him, no matter what unclear relationship Ralph has with Baroque Works…"
"An enemy is still an enemy."
He looked around at everyone:
"To prevent him from causing trouble by impersonating one of us while we're split up, we need to make some preparations."
His words woke everyone up.
"That makes sense."
Sanji nodded.
"..."
Nami frowned.
"That ability is too troublesome."
"What should we do then?"
Usopp asked.
Zoro extended his arm,
"Let's make a mark."
He said, "Then wrap it with bandages."
"That way, even if someone impersonates us, we can tell by checking our arms."
Everyone exchanged glances, then nodded one after another.
Thus, the scene that followed left Ralph feeling somewhat dazed.
He watched as his companions drew marks on their arms one by one, then wrapped them with bandages.
He had originally thought that, under his influence, the plot had already changed significantly.
This classic scene from the original story might not appear.
But unexpectedly, it was still suggested by Zoro.
And everyone followed without hesitation.
"Ralph, you come too!"
Lufia ran over, "I'll draw it for you!"
Lufia wrapped the bandage very carefully, saying as she did:
"This way, even if we get separated in the future, as long as we see this mark, we'll know you're my partner!"
Ralph looked at her serious profile and smiled.
"Yeah."
But deep down, Ralph knew that this mark... probably wouldn't be of any use.