Chapter 81: Damn Crocodile!
The storm gradually approached the desert, rainwater falling from it, soaking the sandy ground.
Huge black rain clouds gradually enveloped the city.
Similarly huge, the black ship docked at the shore after the storm had completely shrouded the city.
Mute Miote held an umbrella fitting his three-meter-tall frame, standing behind Sag to shield him from the rain. Behind them were the already gathered subordinates.
The gangway lowered. Sag addressed the subordinates gathered on deck:
"Leave half the people on the ship to stand guard, rotate shifts. The rest, take the injured to find doctors, and then… relax after a long time!"
Having sailed the seas for over half a month, spending every day looking at either the sea or the storm, they naturally needed to relax.
Pirates were creatures who rarely saved money. With an average of millions of Beli per person in their hands, of course, they had to spend it.
However, the ship still needed guarding, so a rotation system was adopted: one day per person, returning the next day to switch.
"Ara, a desert region. There should be good ingredients," Marika smiled, touching her face.
"I need to buy some materials," Renettia still remembered Sag's modification request.
Lily stood ready beside Sag, sheltered together under the umbrella. Her left hand rested on her sword hilt as she gazed towards the city ahead, a rare smile appearing. "Shopping? We do need to buy some things."
"That's right! Why pull a long face every day? Girls should go enjoy shopping. If you don't have enough money, come to me. Your captain is generous!"
Sag laughed heartily, descended the gangway, and walked towards the city.
The city was still some distance from the docking point; it wasn't built right on the coast.
And as he approached, the storm enveloping the city seemed to intensify somewhat.
The subordinates left behind watched Sag leave longingly, then glanced at the storm in the sky, which seemed to have weakened slightly. One puzzledly asked his companion beside him:
"Do you think the storm follows the captain? We never encountered so many storms when sailing before?"
The companion beside him stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "Lord Sag is 'Natural Disaster,' right? Isn't having storms perfectly normal?"
"That makes sense," the subordinate nodded.
In just about ten minutes, Sag arrived at Nanohana.
"What are they doing?" Renettia asked curiously.
At this time, the residents were holding water-collecting tools high, cheering and jumping. Even the merchants busy selling goods stopped selling at this moment, pulling out all sizes of containers from their homes to collect water.
Even the civilians who had come to shop were now eagerly paying money to buy pottery jars, joining the large water-collecting army.
A port city was also a trade city; naturally, it would attract people living nearby to come and shop.
"Desert countries are very short of water. With such a rare opportunity, of course, they'll collect water. Captain, you seem to have an unexpected effect here," Marika smiled.
"I emphasize again, this is the sea's climate, not mine! And," Sag looked up at the storm centered around him, blowing outwards, and the falling heavy rain, tutted, "I'm actually quite unhappy about it."
Who likes storms when they have nothing else to do?
Entering the city, the people dispersed. Those needing doctors went to find doctors, those looking for taverns went to find taverns. Lily and the others also took a few subordinates to go shopping.
As for Sag, he also wanted some excitement. Having sailed at sea for so long, it was quite boring. Since he was going to spend money, of course, he had to find the best places.
"Hey, you guys."
He instructed the few subordinates following behind him, "Go find some good entertainment venues, choose a good location, get good wine, and women. Dancers too. Since it's a desert, there must be desert dancers, right? Choose a good spot, inform the subordinates. I'm going to hold a two-day party here."
"Yes!"
The few subordinates dispersed excitedly. Even Miote, holding the umbrella, let out some muffled happy noises.
Errands like this, of course, didn't require Sag to do them personally. He was preparing to take a look around the streets, but just as he turned his head, he froze.
"How come everyone's gone?!" A vein popped on Sag's forehead.
The entire street had suddenly become very clean. The people who were cheering and collecting rain just now had disappeared somewhere. Only a few shops remained open; the rest had all closed their doors, some even boarding them up.
It wasn't that they recognized Sag; it was purely because of the storm. It wasn't just rain; there was also fierce wind.
These were mostly open-air stalls. Whether it was a sandstorm or strong winds, they needed to take shelter.
"The rain's getting really heavy…"
Inside a building wall, Usopp held his hand over his head. "Hope Sanji brings some umbrellas. Speaking of which, do they even have umbrellas in a place like this?"
Vivi thought for a moment. "They have parasols."
She stared at the increasingly heavy storm, the doubt in her eyes not diminishing but strengthening.
"Why would a storm appear? Arabasta has never had storms. Is this another of Crocodile's plots?" she murmured.
A new type of Dancing Powder?
"This amount of rainfall could very likely attract all the rain from the entire country…" Gloom appeared in her eyes, and she bit her lip forcefully. "Damn Crocodile!"
"Vivi, don't worry, we'll help you."
Nami patted Vivi's shoulder and looked at the gradually emptying street. "At least this is advantageous for us now. With fewer people, no one will notice us. After we buy supplies, we'll head to Yuba!"
Vivi turned her head, saw the others nodding with smiles, and couldn't help but feel moved. "Everyone…"
"Hey, look quick! That guy's huge!"
Usopp, clinging to the wall and peering outside, couldn't help but exclaim.
The group looked forward and saw, on the street ahead, a strong man about three meters tall holding an umbrella, walking carefully. His steps looked like he was closely following someone, not walking freely.
As their gaze shifted sideways, they saw, in front of the umbrella, a white-haired man appear.
He wore a ruffled, open-front white shirt, loose trousers below, and fitted black boots covering his pant legs. The fur cloak on his back swayed slightly with his movements.
For such a person to appear abruptly amidst the storm was indeed eye-catching.
"So much money!"
The Beli symbol appeared in Nami's eyes. She saw the gold and jewel rings covering the man's fingers, the red jade bead chain hanging around his neck, and even the buttons on his shirt sparkled with the light of gems.
From her perspective, these items were not shoddy goods; their purity was extremely high, and their value considerable!
Looking again…
"Looks so familiar," Usopp murmured.
Nami also saw the face and paused. "This guy…"
"You know him?" Vivi asked, puzzled.
"No…"
Zoro shook his head, placing his hand on the hilt of his sword, staring at Sag on the street ahead, and said gravely, "He's a pirate from the East Blue. We've seen his wanted poster. Has he come to the Grand Line too? Norton Sag."
"The one with the seventy million Beli bounty?!" Usopp exclaimed.
"Seventy million? Only ten million less than Crocodile?" Vivi was also taken aback.
"I'm back! This storm is getting bigger and bigger! Luckily, I bought the stuff early; a lot of people have started taking shelter."
Just then, Sanji rushed back, carrying a pile of supplies like a small mountain. After putting the supplies down, he first twisted his body, moving closer to Nami and Vivi.
"Ah! Nami-swan! Vivi-chan! Even this fierce storm cannot extinguish the fire of my passion for you two! The flames of love can evaporate even storms! Fortunately, I did not disgrace my mission; I bought back the things we needed!"
"Idiot," Zoro muttered.
"Got a problem, Moss Head?!"
Sanji shouted angrily, then suddenly looked surprised, glanced around, and said, "Where's Chopper? Didn't he come back?"
"Wasn't he with you?" Nami asked.
"We got separated halfway… Strange, where could he have gone? Did he get lost?"
…
"Can't cure them?"
Inside a medical clinic in Nanohana, Gin grabbed the doctor's collar and said fiercely, "We provided the medicine! Now we're just asking you to treat the injuries, and you say you can't cure them?"
"N-no way…"
The doctor trembled, frightened by the fierce face, and stammered, "Their injuries are too severe. In my eyes, it's a miracle they've survived until now. Although there's medicine, I'm just an ordinary doctor, without such superb medical skills. I can't save them."
"Quack!"
Gin forcefully pushed the doctor down, casually swung out his tonfa, and the iron ball smashed a hole in the wall. He snorted coldly and walked out of the clinic gloomily.
Outside, the injured were all being supported by subordinates, waiting there.
Pearl came over and asked, "Captain (referring to Gin), what do we do?"
"Find another clinic! This city is so big, I don't believe there isn't one that can cure them! If they still can't be cured, then we'll go to the royal capital. Captain Sag will agree!" Gin said gravely.
"Th-that… Do you need a doctor?"
Suddenly, a weak voice sounded from the side.
Gin looked over gloomily, then froze.
It seemed to be an animal, wearing a tall pink hat, standing upright very strangely, like a…
"Tanuki?" Pearl said subconsciously.
"I'm a reindeer, bastard!" Chopper said angrily.
"A talking tanuki!" Pearl retreated in fright. "A Yōkai?!"
"You guy!" Chopper gritted his teeth angrily and turned to leave.
"Pearl!"
Gin glared at him. "We're already in the Grand Line, are you still so lacking in common sense? Captain Sag said, anything inexplicable is an ability user."
He looked at Chopper. "You're an ability user too, right? Tanu-reindeer, do you know where there's a doctor?"
"Hmph!"
Chopper turned his head away haughtily (tsundere), but looking at the injured, his eyes blinked again. "I *am* a doctor. These people's injuries are very heavy. They need quick treatment and can't be delayed."
"You can cure them?!" Gin's eyes lit up. He bowed towards Chopper. "Please, treat them!"
Pearl also bowed along with Gin. "Please, Mr. Tanuki!"
"I'm a reindeer!" Chopper yelled, rolling his eyes. "And I have a name! My name is Chopper!"
He took a deep breath, glared again at Pearl, and approached an injured person with tapping hooves. He removed the bandage, revealing a wound so deep the bone was visible.
"The basic treatment is good, but just basic treatment is useless. It will worsen over time… Let's go inside the clinic. Can you buy medicine?"
"We have medicine!"
The subordinates opened the cloth bags they were carrying, revealing them to be full of medicine…
Then, they saw a reindeer that could stand upright, bustling about, skillfully removing bandages from the injured, mixing various potions with the medicine, applying them internally and externally, and then skillfully re-wrapping the bandages.
The faint breaths of the hundred-odd injured people began to stabilize one by one.
"Okay, just follow this combination. And this is something mixed with your medicine. Change it once a day, the bandages need to be changed too. They should heal after a period of recuperation."
Chopper wiped the sweat that appeared on his forehead, pointed at the fully prepared medicines on the ground, and said, "This medicine is very good for treating external wounds. If you have this kind of injury again in the future, you can use this medicine."
"Too-too amazing! Doctor Chopper, your medical skills are superb!"
Gin's eyes widened. He squatted down and held Chopper's hoof. "Compared to those quack doctors who give up when things get difficult, you are a doctor with character!"
Chopper blushed, his body twisting like a wave. "Being praised by you like this doesn't make me happy at all, bastard!"
*Isn't he very happy though?*
"Doctor Chopper, please come with me to see the Captain. If the Captain knows this news, he will definitely be very happy!" Gin said solemnly.
"No way. My companions are still waiting for me. I have to go back."
Chopper pulled his hoof away from Gin's grasp, thought for a moment, struck a pose with his hoof, and grinned, showing his teeth.
"I'm a doctor. Saving people is my duty. No need to thank me too much."
"Oh! What a noble statement!"
Gin said excitedly, "Then let your companions come along too! The Captain is going to hold a party, you will definitely be approved to join! We will thank you properly then. How about this, I'll go find your companions with you and invite them personally!"
…
Inside a shop, Sag opened the cork of a wine bottle, sniffed it, and nodded. "Not bad. Worthy of a desert region; the quality of the wine is very good."
He beckoned, and Miote behind him took out a bag of gold coins and placed it on the counter, making the shop owner's eyes widen.
"I'll buy all the wine in this shop. This is the deposit. Someone will come later to tell you where to deliver it."
"Yes, yes! Customer, I will definitely deliver on time!" the shop owner quickly said fawningly.
Sag walked out of the shop, looked at the still windy and rainy dark cloudy sky, shook his head, and was about to continue forward with Miote.
"Glasses, my glasses! This rain is too heavy; my glasses were blown off!"
Ahead, a woman was kneeling on the ground, her hands feeling around frantically. Directly in front of her happened to be a pair of glasses.
"One meter ahead," Sag said casually.
The woman reached out, felt the glasses, wiped them, put them on, and bowed apologetically with a smile.
"Thank you very much. My eyesight isn't very good; I can't see far… Norton Sag!"
Her pupils, having just recovered their vision, suddenly contracted. The woman subconsciously gripped her sword hilt, instantly drew the blade, held it with both hands, and slashed forward fiercely.
*Bang!*
A huge sword blade struck her sword, sending the woman's body flying backward, falling to the ground.
"Ngh!!"
Miote held the umbrella with one hand, drew the sword from his back with the other, protected Sag, and bared his teeth fiercely at the woman.
"You recognize me?" Sag looked over with interest. "Bounty hunter? Or…"
"Catch Straw Hat Boy!!"
A squad of Marines holding weapons rushed out from the front, heading straight for Sag. And from his side, a figure like a leather monkey suddenly dashed past.
"Tashigi, Straw Hat…"
Behind the group of Marines, a tall man hadn't finished speaking when he suddenly stopped, remaining behind the fallen Tashigi, staring intently at Sag under the umbrella.
He had two cigars clamped in his mouth, silver short hair, a sturdy two-meter-tall figure wearing only a Marine greatcoat, and carried a *jitte* on his back.
"Tashigi…" the man said gravely.
Tashigi climbed up from the ground, tightly gripping her sword hilt, aiming it at Sag.
"You take the men and pursue Straw Hat Boy. Leave this one to me."
"Yes!"
Tashigi gave Sag a deep look and caught up with the Marines chasing past.
The man exhaled a puff of smoke from his mouth and slowly said, "Today is really great. Not only did we find Straw Hat Boy, but we also found you. I've always been thinking, when would you come to the Grand Line? I didn't expect to run into you now…"
"Norton Sag!" he suddenly roared.
*Boom!!*
Thunder cracked in the dark clouds above, blasting a bright light into the city darkened by the storm, illuminating the face hidden in shadow beneath the umbrella.
The dark clouds gradually dissipated, and the falling rain also lessened until it completely stopped, revealing the bright sun in the sky, gradually raising the temperature of the place.
A dry wind rolled in from the desert, blowing down the street, fluttering Sag's fur cloak and also carrying his white hair dancing, revealing his gradually ferocious smile.
"Turns out it's the Marines…"
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