False Hero:
-x-
SHUNK! Early the next day, an anchor sank down into the hot desert sand. The repaired pirate ship of the Barbar Pirates was now anchored within sight of a desert village.
"Ahead is a village called Edo," Barbarossa informed the Straw Hats. "You should be able to get water there without much difficulty." The Captain of the Barbar Pirates had agreed to give the Straw Hats a ride to a village where they could get some supplies after they had helped repair the broken mast the night before.
"Does this mean you're not coming with us?" Luffy asked.
"We Sand Pirates can not travel beyond this desert realm," Barbarossa replied, "You see, this land belongs to my people, brave souls who have lived and died here for generations. The desert is the home of the free, but not everyone can survive in this harsh environment, for them the village ahead provides a better home."
"..." Vivi was silent, she looked up and saw Rasa watching her from up above on a rope ladder.
"So... what are you going to do now?" Luffy inquired.
"Nothing much actually," Barbarossa admitted, "We live freely on this ocean of sand and that's exactly what we plan to keep doing."
"I guess this is goodbye then," Y/N resolved as he tucked his hands in his pockets. While he wasn't exactly on friendly terms with Barbarossa, he had at least gotten used to the desert pirate's ways and was now back to his usual self. "Let's go crew."
-x-
Not long later, the Straw Hats plus Ollie had disembarked the BarBar Pirate's ship and were heading towards the desert village of Edo. Y/N led the group with Ollie walking alongside him and Zoro and Sanji trailing a little behind them. The three aforementioned male Straw Hats had put their weights back on and now left deep footprints as they walked onward. Eyelash followed behind Zoro with Nami and Vivi once again riding on his back while Luffy, Usopp, and Chopper were bringing up the rear and were walking backwards so they could wave goodbye to the desert pirates.
"SEE YA AROUND, UMBRELLA GUY!" Luffy called out. "BYYYEEE!"
"They were great," Luffy commented to his Nakama.
"Yeah," Usopp agreed.
"Any of you guys have any idea where Ace and Han ran off to?" Sanji inquired.
"If this Edo place has water then they're likely to have food," Ollie reasoned, "and if they have food, Ace will turn up eventually bringing Han along with him."
"I can sense Ace's ruby bands nearby," Y/N reported as he adjusted the black bag of money on his shoulder, "We'll head into the village and buy some supplies then wait for them to join us before we head off for Yuba again."
"Then let's get to this Udo place as fast as we can," Luffy resolved.
"That's Edo," Nami corrected him.
As Vivi sat side saddle behind Nami on Eyelash and looked back at the pirate ship she saw Rasa waving from the crow's nest. The Princess smiled and waved back as the camel she was riding on got farther and farther away from the pirate ship.
-x-
Ahead of the pirates in the desert village of Edo a man stared through a telescope at the black Barbar Pirate flag that was waving off in a distance. "AAAAAHH!" the man screamed, "They're waving a desert pirate flag! Crap! I gotta go and tell Big Bro!" The man scrambled to his feet then grabbed his sword and ran into the village.
In the middle of the village, children ran happily through the streets. Unlike Erumalu and Melias which were withered and dead, the desert village of Edo was alive and well. Plants were growing, the buildings were in perfect condition, and the people seemed happy, it appeared that there was at least one village in the desert that hadn't been destroyed by the drought.
