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The Alabastan desert was not a forgiving place. Temperatures pushed past forty degrees during the day and dropped below freezing at night, and the group currently trudging through it had opinions about this.
"Vivi! The temperature swings in this desert of yours are insane. It was unbearable during the day!"
Nami had pulled a white trench coat all the way up to her chin, leaving only her face exposed to the cold air.
"That's just how deserts are, Nami. Once we're out of it, it'll be much better!"
Vivi walked beside her in traditional Alabastan attire, smiling with the patience of someone who had grown up with this.
"Ahhh! I want water! Water, water, water!"
Thump.
"Ow! Nami, why did you hit me?!"
Luffy looked up at her from the ground, genuinely wounded.
"Whose fault is it that we don't have any water?!"
"Exactly! Luffy, if you hadn't spilled it everywhere, we wouldn't be in this situation!"
"That's right, that's right! It's all Luffy's fault!"
Chopper joined the chorus of condemnation without hesitation.
"Hey! That water pouch was the problem, not me! Why did you buy the cheap one, Nami? If we'd gotten the one I wanted—"
"What?! You're saying this is MY fault?!"
Thump.
"Ahhhh! I'm sorry!"
Vivi watched Luffy curl up on the ground and felt a pang of sympathy. She turned to Nami gently.
"Alright, Nami. He didn't mean to. We should be out of the desert by tomorrow — just a little longer."
Nami took the hint, though she still fixed Luffy with a glare that could have dried up the remaining water on its own.
"Hmph. You'd better think about what you did."
While the group was still bickering, Zoro, who had been walking ahead in silence, stopped.
"Quit it. There's someone up ahead."
"Someone?!"
The word landed like a switch being flipped. Every pair of eyes lit up at once. Someone meant water.
"Then let's go!"
"Idiot! Do you even know who they are? What if they're Crocodile's men?"
Luffy shut his mouth. Their goal was to reach the capital before the rebels launched their attack. Getting held up here was not an option.
"So what do we do?"
"Let me go look. They probably don't know me!"
Chopper stepped forward. Nami thought it over and nodded. There wasn't a better option, and if it turned out to be enemies, they could find a way around.
"Fine. But the moment you sense any danger, you pull back immediately. Understood?"
"Don't worry!"
Chopper slung his small bag on his back and headed toward the distant light.
The closer he got, the wider his eyes became, until they looked ready to fall out of his head entirely.
"What... how are there houses out here?!"
It wasn't just one. It was a cluster of villas, every window lit, each one large and well-built. They sat in the middle of the desert as though they had always been there and found the question of why perfectly unreasonable.
'I haven't walked into a ghost town, have I?'
Chopper, who had a deeply held and well-documented fear of ghosts, began to tremble.
He was still debating whether to run when —
Whoosh.
A Security Force member in a uniform that looked distinctly like something out of Academy City appeared directly in front of him.
"Who are you? Leave this area immediately, or don't expect me to go easy on you."
"EHHHH!!! A ghost! Don't eat me! I don't even taste good!!!"
The Security Force member stared at the small creature in front of him. It didn't seem very bright.
"Raccoon dog. I don't care what you are. Outsiders aren't permitted here. Leave."
Something in Chopper snapped.
"I'm a REINDEER!!! NOT a raccoon dog!!!"
"I don't care. Leave. Now. Or—"
His hand moved to the hilt of his sword.
"I'M LEAVING! I'M LEAVING RIGHT NOW!"
Chopper spun on his heel.
"Oh! A reindeer! Such a cute reindeer!"
He froze.
He turned.
A small blonde girl was tilting her head at him with wide, delighted eyes.
"Tina! Why aren't you in bed? You're out here again!"
The Security Force member pressed a hand to his forehead. Then, as if remembering something:
"Right. Owl blood factors. Of course you're awake."
Tina was well known throughout the Security Force — not for anything dramatic, but because during daytime cleaning rounds, they kept finding her asleep in random spots along the roadside. Over time it had become a given.
"You could tell I'm a reindeer right away!"
Tina tilted her head the other way.
"Is that strange? Talking reindeer are rare, I'll admit, but you're clearly a reindeer."
She said it with complete sincerity. After growing up in the Jura-Tempest Federation, where talking animals were simply part of daily life, she hadn't found the fact that he could speak particularly surprising.
"Hehe... it's just that people always mistake me for a raccoon dog."
Chopper rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.
"Ah, I see! You look like you're alone — would you like to come in for some water?"
"Ehhhh?! Can I?! But this uncle said strangers aren't allowed—"
Tina turned to the Security Force member with a blank look and said softly:
"No?"
The Security Force member looked at her for a long moment.
"...Fine. But you." He turned to Chopper, and the killing intent that flashed through his eyes was not remotely subtle. "Don't get any ideas."
Chopper nodded so hard and so fast it was a wonder his head stayed on.
"Absolutely! I promise! Nothing dangerous! Nothing at all!"
"It better stay that way."
And so Chopper followed Tina into the cluster of villas that had no business being in the middle of a desert.
The Security Force member watched them go, then pressed two fingers to his temple.
"Captain. The girl Tina just brought in an unidentified reindeer."
"Understood. Leave it. Stay sharp."
"Yes, sir."