The Red Haired Devil

Chapter 16

The sun was about to set and Kairi followed Nami and everyone else. She walked in a daze as she thought about everyone in the Revolutionary Army.

"Kairi, are you okay?" Vivi asked and Kairi looked up at her.

"Yea, I'm fine. I'm just thinking." She replied.

"Hey, Luffy." Usopp said as he leaned on a stick as support.

"Huh?"

"What was that thing your brother gave you?"

"I don't really know. Just looks like a scrap of paper." He said looking at it.

"It's just paper?" Chopper asked.

"Let me see it." Sanji said taking it out of his hands. "Well, looks like it really is just a piece of paper. There's nothin' written on it or anything."

"Is that all? Really?" Usopp asked panting for breath.

"I'm not really sure why Ace gave it to me, but it's important." The wind blew it out of Sanji's hand and it ended up in the mouth of Eyelash. "Don't eat that!" He hit the camel on the head causing it to let it drop out of its mouth. He kept in his hand and glared up at the camel. "Dumb camel."

"Hey Luffy, give me your hat." Nami said holding out her hand.

"Huh? Why?"

"If it's really that important to you, I can sew it to the underside of your hat ribbon."

"Good idea!"

"Nami, while your at it, sew this one next to it. This one has my name on it." Kairi said.

"Wait, so you know what that is?" Luffy asked.

"Yea. It's a Vivre card. I could explain it to you now, but that would ruin your adventures to come. It'll reunite us as well." Kairi said as Nami sewed both of them to the ribbon around the straw hat.

"Here you go." She said handing Luffy back his hat.

"Will someone please carry me?" Usopp asked.

"You guys, we're close now. Yuba's just past those rocks there." Vivi informed and Kairi grinned. "One last push and I'm sure we'll make it."

"Yea!" Luffy and Chopper cheered. They continued forward. They walked a little while more until Vivi spoke up.

"Look up ahead! I see a light."

"Does that mean we made it to Yuba?" Luffy asked. "I can't see with all this sand blowing everywhere." 

"Something here doesn't feel right. There's something wrong down there, I can tell... Oh no! The entire city's being struck by a sandstorm!" Vivi said and Kairi could feel the sandstorm.

Once it blew over, they walked into the town. It was like a ghost town. No one was there. The houses were empty and some of them were in ruins.

"It doesn't look good. This place doesn't look that much different from that Erumalu town from before." Zoro said carrying an exhausted Usopp.

"Water." Luffy said with his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Vivi, I thought this city was supposed to be some sort of Oasis." Sanji said.

"It looks like the Oasis has disappeared." She replied. "It's been swallowed up by all the sand." A second later, they heard some shoveling. The walked forward until they seen a skinny old man digging a hole.

"I'm assuming that you're travelers." The old man said, his voice ragged. "You must be exhausted from all the time spent in that heat. Sorry, but this town is a bit dried up too. It doesn't have much relief to offer. But still, you're free to rest here for a while." Vivi and Kairi covered their faces. "We may not have much water, but there are plenty of Inns here in the town. It's what we've prided ourselves on so much after all."