~Nicole~

We were currently on a short trip across the river to a town called Eramalu, i was watching Zoro train as usual "Hey Nicole?"He asked, i hummed in response "Why do you always watch me train?"he asked "Well firstly i'm watching to make sure you don't get hurt accidentally and secondly i'm admiring the view"i said "Oh yeah?"Zoro smirked showing off more of his toned body as he continued to train, i nodded practically drooling as i watched all those muscles ripple under his skin and glistening with sweat "Yes it's very sexy"i said.

Zoro smirked "Maybe you should give me a show too?"he asked, i blushed and looked away "With that pervy cook around to see? Yeah right, if i'm gonna give a show it'll be only for you but there's not much privacy on this tiny boat"i said "True, guess i'll just have to wait"he said almost pouting a bit panting as he paused for a bit, i took this moment to kiss him "How about just that for now?"i asked "Yeah, that works"he said blushing and gave me a quick kiss before getting back to it.

We completely forgot Chopper was there and probably heard everything, although it's not like we agreed to keep this official thing a secret, Zoro was just the type to keep his affectionate side on the down low, a trait i didn't really mind, anyway we made a quick stop as the princess set Karoo off with a letter to her father "While i did know Crocodile was here in Alabasta but him trying to steal a kingdom that sounds like a bad joke because why would a pirate drop anchor in one spot and settle down? Crocodile trying to usurp the throne doesn't make sense"Ace said having stayed on the ship with Zoro and i as the others had gone down with Vivi.

Finally! Someone else sees there's something fishy with Crocodile's plan to take over the kingdom "Alright let's set sail!"Luffy said after the others had gotten back on "You know there could be another side to this take over thing"Ace said walking off, yes absolutely thank you! "Huh?"Zoro asked totally clueless "Like some sort of deeper goal or something"Ace said "He's absolutely right you know"I said and Zoro looked over at me "There's something fishy about Crocodile's supposed plan"i said.

~skip~

"We're finally here"Luffy said as we approached the shore to this Eramalu place "Wow so we're going into the desert? Does anyone know how hot its supposed to get?"Chopper asked "Over a hundred degrees in the day time"Nami said "What please tell me you're joking?!"Chopper asked as Nami walked down the stairs with him sliding down the rail.

"Nami what happened to your dancer outfit? Vivi why are you wearing that?! You too Nicole?!" Sanji asked noticing us ladies had covered up with robes, mine was sort of a mix of Nami's and Vivi's and a light peachy color "Because any exposed skin will get sunburned, you have to cover up in the desert"Vivi said "I for one am glad, i get sunburn very easily"i said trying a sort of belt around the cloak and looping my swords through it but i decided to keep my hair up, just cause.

Just as Zoro went to drop the anchor something came out of the water, they were so "ADORABLE!!!"i squealed eyes sparkling"Turtles?"Zoro asked "No i think they're seals"Luffy said "Kung-fu Dugongs"Vivi said "If you wanna come ashore you'll have to beat me first but i doubt that'll happen you bunch of cowards, he says"Chopper said translating for us.

"Huh no body calls me a coward and gets away with it, here comes the pain!"Usopp said jumping off the ship before getting beaten by one of the dugongs "Kung-fu Dugongs are really strong"Vivi said but it was a little late for that warning 

Luffy went over and beat up the poor cutie "See they're not too tough!"he said "That's bad too!"Vivi yelled at him, the dugong bowed to Luffy it had the cutest look on it face (pic), i couldn't help it "SO CUTE!!!!!!!!"i squealed again "It's one of their rules if they loose a Kung-fu match they become the winners pupil"Vivi said "You don't say"Zoro said, a bunch more dugongs appeared that same cute expression on their face, now i really couldn't help it, i squealed such a high pitch probably only dogs heard it.

"They think you're their master!"Vivi yelled at Luffy who started training the little cuties "Right all set let's go to Yuba!"Luffy said once everyone else was off the ship too, while i had bolted straight at one of the dugongs practically tackling the cutie in a hug and muttering so cute over and over with sparkles around me "Hey wait a minute you're not bringing them with us?"Zoro asked Luffy as the other dugong were standing in line behind him, the one i was cuddling didn't seem to mind the attention at all.

"Luffy you can't"Nami said "They're water creatures they won't make it"Vivi said "But look at who cute they are!"i protested holding up the one i was cuddling who gave the cutest look yet with big sparkly eyes "It's going to brake my heart to say no to them but we can't let them come along"Nami said "I agree but how are we supposed to get them to stay, more importantly how are we gonna get Nicole to come with?"Vivi asked as the two huddled together.

~Third~(A/N: from here on i've decided to try remain in the Third person, i might go back and edit the previous chapters once this story has caught up to the manga (which i promise won't take forever(even though i'm sure you wouldn't mind that)cause i have an idea for that which i might give more details to once we get closer to Sabaody arc, though you're welcome to guess/speculate from this little hint)

Chopper shared some of the food with the dugongs convincing them to stay behind and as the group was leaving the dugongs waved them goodbye, Zoro dragged Nicole with them as she waved back to the dugongs "Hope you guys enjoy the food see ya!"Luffy said waving back to the dugongs as well "All you guys, food, now do you get it?"Nami asked "No they said they wanted to go with us so why couldn't we let them?"Luffy asked.

"We don't have the food and water to take care of a group that big, moron"Nami said, Nicole sniffed a bit walking next to Zoro "I'm gonna miss those cuties"she muttered"Honestly i don't know what we would have done if Chopper hadn't persuaded them to stay"Nami said "Yeah they kept saying where you go we'll follow master they really could have too if i hadn't given them that food"Chopper said.

"And now our food supply's gotten a lot smaller thanks Luffy thanks"Sanji said "He's a handful" Ace said joining the crew on their trip to Yuba as he had heard that's where Blackbeard the man he's hunting is, "You're telling me"Sanji said a tick mark on his head.

The group arrived at Eramalu which was in complete ruins and covered in sand "What's this?" Sanji asked "Are we in Yuba already?"Luffy asked "No this is Eramalu it was known far and wide as the city of green"Vivi said "It was green?"Luffy asked "Take a good look around everyone this is what Baroque Works has been doing to my country, the people of Alabasta this is what they've had to go through"Vivi said.

"Wow there's nothing here at all huh?"Luffy asked as the group went into the once lively city, now a desert covered ruin "No it's nothing but a ghost town now but up until a few short years ago it was a thriving city full of gardens, palm trees and lush greenery"Vivi said "This place?" Zoro asked kicking a dead tree making wood chips fall off of it "Rain was always scarce here but saving every last drop of water and using it wisely the city was able to make the foliage flourish unfortunately that stopped when the rain did, not a single drop of water has fallen in any part of this country for three years now"Vivi said.

"Three years?"Sanji asked "Wow that long?"Chopper asked "That's just unnatural"Nicole said "But wait even without rain there was still the river as another water source"Zoro said "And it's close why couldn't they just pipe the water from over there?"Usopp asked pointing back to the river.

"Well the answer to that is just up ahead"Vivi said and started leading the way "Even though it's a desert kingdom never in the thousands of years of Alabasta's history has the rain ever stopped completely, however there was one place in the country where the rain fell more then usual much more in fact, Alubarna the capitol the city where the king's place is located, the people of the land called it the kings miracle at least they did until one particular day, there was an accident staged by Baroque Works they said they were dance powder to the king"Vivi said.

"Dance powder?"Nami asked "Oh so you've heard of it?"Luffy asked "Yes i sure have it summons rain"Nami said "A powder can?"Chopper asked "I've only heard stories about it but apparently dance powder was created by a researcher from a country where it never rained burning it creates a misty smoke which rises into the sky, once it reaches the clouds it causes them to rain in essence it gives you the ability to create rain on the spot"Nami explained.

"Hold on i don't get it wouldn't that stuff be perfect for a desert country like this?"Usopp asked "You'd think so in fact the country that developed it was happy enough to dance, it got lost of rain but there's a catch its neighboring country had a drought let me explain how it works, now the mist from the dance powder targets clouds that aren't ready to rain yet it artificially matures them into rain clouds, which they would have done normally further downwind"Nami said.

"Oh i get it, it steals all the rain that normally would have gone to a neighboring country, that must have cause some big problems"Usopp said "It did, a massive war broke out between the nations, since then the government has banned the making and selling of dance powder"Nicole said "Even so some of it managed to show up here huh"Usopp said "The word illegal only seems to encourage some people"Nicole said.

"When it happened the country had been experiencing strange weather, there had been no rain, not a single drop had fallen anywhere except for one place and that was the capitol, the people concluded the kings miracle had been a sham and grew outraged"Vivi said "Vivi that means your dad is the bad guy here!"Luffy said "No! You idiot he was framed! Her sweet dear old dad would never do such a thing got it?!"Sanji yelled at him kicking the rubber boy over and over.

"Of course my father had nothing to do with it he was innocent, unfortunately a large amount of dance powder was discovered in the palace shortly there after"Vivi said "Planted there by Baroque Works no doubt"Nicole said, "Yeah"Vivi nodded.

"So what is this? A road?"Sanji asked as the group arrived at the dried up remains of a river "No it used to be a large canal that piped in freshwater from the Sandora river until someone destroyed it now do you see what happened? With its canal gone the city lost it only remaining source of freshwater, people here waited and prayed but sadly rain never came"Vivi said "Wow something like that and the dance powder incident would really make people distrust their king"Nami said.

'That's exactly what Crocodile planned i bet' Zoro thought "With no more water fighting began to brake out in Eramalu to escape the violence here there was only one thing the exhausted citizens could do they abounded the city and left for other oasis in search of water and then, the city of green withered away"Vivi said coming to a stop, a wind passed by making an eary sound as it traveled through the empty space.

"What is that?"Nami asked "Is the rebels?"Chopper asked "Or more of those creeps from Baroque Works oh no!"Usopp said freaking out "No it's just wind"Ace said "Sounds like a voice right?"Luffy said "It sounds like the city itself is crying over what it has become"Nicole said "Watch out!"Nami called as a dust devil rolled their way, Zoro grabbed Nicole and held her to his side as the group braced themselves against the storm.

Luffy managed to open his eyes ever so slightly and could swear he saw something in the wind as the dust devil passed by "Whoa what's the deal with that freaky wind?"Usopp asked, Luffy spotted someone collapsed and rushed over, while Zoro gave Nicole a quick look as if to ask if she was fine, she gave him a quick nod and just like that they acted like nothing happened but Ace saw and smirked a bit.

As Luffy got closer though he came to a stop, Vivi had followed and saw what the rubbery kid saw, a pile of bones covered by a cloth "What did my father and all of the other good people what did they do? We don't deserve this it's hard enough to live in a desert every day it's a struggle just to survive somehow the people of Alabasta were able to do it and they led happy lives but Crocodile destroyed those lives, what gave him the right to do that what? All the while as one of the seven warlords he passed himself of as a hero of the people, no one realizes he's actually destroying the country even as they cheer him on"Vivi said.

"I can't i can't let him get away with this!"Vivi said as in the distance Luffy destroyed a building "Oh well i hope that made him feel better"Zoro muttered, Ace dug a small grave for the pile of bones which Vivi buried, they left a branch as a marker "Vivi let's get moving kay? I'm itching to do this"Luffy said as him, Usopp and Sanji walked on ahead "He's right let's get to Yuba"Nami said "That's where the rebel army is right? Yuba?"Zoro asked "Yes i have to stop them i'm going to persuade their leader"Vivi said, Zoro cocked a brow "How so?"he asked "I'll tell the rebel leader the truth that all of this is Crocodile's doing and have him stop all of this pointless bloodshed"Vivi said.

"Let's go"Zoro said and the group continued their way to Yuba.