Chapter 132: Across the River
The golden light of the desert sun beat down relentlessly as the giant crab skittered across the sand, carrying a chunk of the Straw Hat crew toward Alubarna. The heat shimmered above the dunes like a mirage, but none of them could afford to care, not with time bleeding away and the fate of Arabasta hanging in the balance.
Onboard one of the crabs, Nami shaded her eyes, squinting into the horizon. "We should be getting close," she muttered, though uncertainty clung to her words.
"Assuming the city hasn't already burned," Sanji added grimly, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. He glanced up at the endless sky. "And assuming Goku hasn't…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
The crew had fallen quiet. The wind whipped around them, carrying with it the weight of a looming failure. Goku, their strongest, had stayed behind to stop Crocodile, alone. Stronger, faster, with techniques no human could replicate… and yet...
"What if he can't beat him?" Usopp blurted out, breaking the silence. "I mean, Goku's incredible, sure, but Crocodile's got that sand devil power! He can't be touched. What if Goku cannot find a way to hurt someone with a devil fruit?"
Zoro grunted, arms folded as he leaned against the side of the crab. "He'd find a way."
"Would he, though?" Gin's voice was low, eyes narrowed. "I watched that man survive things that would tear a normal person in two. But even he looked shaken when Crocodile used that sandstorm. This isn't about strength. Time and time again we have run into the powerful foes with bodies we cannot touch."
"That's the thing," Sanji said, blowing out smoke. "There was that Admiral freak on Cocoyashi Village, the Smoker bastard in Logue Town and now Crocodile. This ain't like a martial arts match. Crocodile's the kind of monster that breaks your rhythm just by existing."
Nami's fingers tightened around the edge of her seat. "He's always leaving us without any answers and goes fof on his own. He charged in without waiting for us. And now… now we just have to hope he finds a way. That's all we ever do when Goku goes off on his own. Hope."
Usopp leaned forward, staring at his hands. "If he loses… does that mean it's up to us?"
A silence passed. Then...
The crab stopped.
Before them stretched the wide, glittering Sandora River, slicing the desert in half like a blue serpent. The current surged violently, waves crashing with unnatural force. The crabs clacked and shrieked, hesitant to go forward.
"It can't swim!" Chopper cried out. " The Crab can't swim!"
"Wait, what?" Gin blinked. "What?!"
Nami was already trying to coax the creature forward, but it was no use. The crab skittered nervously, refusing to dip even a toe into the river.
"Guess we hoof it," Zoro muttered, hopping off.
The others dismounted. "No, we don't," Sanji said, pointing to the water. "There's something in there."
Beneath the churning surface, a shadow moved.
A massive, scaled tail breached the water.
Then came the head, gleaming, sharp-toothed, wide enough to swallow a man whole. The Sandora Rare Catfish roared from the depths, lunging at the group.
"SCATTER!" Gin yelled, pushing Chopper aside as the fish slammed into the riverbank.
"OH NO NO NO!" Usopp screamed, already running in the opposite direction.
"Usopp, get back here!" Nami shouted.
But then, to everyone's surprise, Usopp stopped. His hands trembled, but only for a moment. He turned, face twisted in a mix of terror and determination. "No! I'm not running this time!"
He reached into his bag and pulled out his slingshot. "That thing's big, but it's got eyes, right?! Let's test its reflexes!" He fired.
The shot smacked the fish in the eye with explosive powder, blinding it just as Gin charged forward.
"I'll take the right!" Gin called. He leapt into the air, spinning with brutal elegance, slamming his metal tonfa into the creature's side. It bellowed, stunned.
"Nice hit!" Usopp yelled, ducking a swipe of the tail. He cartwheeled out of the way, cartwheeledwith surprising grace.
Gin raised an eyebrow mid-fight. "Your agility has improved!"
"Training with you guys has made me flexible!" Usopp called back. He fired a second shot, this time into the fish's gills.
The creature roared and prepared to strike back, when something slammed into it from behind.
A group of Dugongs.
The Kung-Fu Dugongs, those silly martial artists they'd once met in the desert, had arrived—leaping into battle with absurdly synchronized kicks and chops.
They crashed into the catfish, beating it down with comical yet effective force. The beast squealed in surrender and flopped into the shallows.
"…Okay, they're way stronger than just a few days ago," Sanji muttered.
One of the Dugongs stepped forward and saluted.
Zoro looked to Usopp. "Well… damn. You held your own."
"Didn't run either," Sanji said with a smirk.
Gin approached, gripping Usopp's shoulder. "You've changed. You're still scared, but you fight anyway."
Usopp nodded. "He said… 'Fear's not a reason to back down. It's a reason to push forward harder.' I used to think I'd always be weak, but, no. I'm not strong yet. But I'm not useless anymore."
"He'd be proud," Zoro added, before turning away.
Chopper climbed on the back of the flopped fish. "The Dugongs are loading us up! Looks like we're riding this thing to the other side!"
Moments later, with the fish as their unwilling ferry, the crew crossed the Sandora River under the Dugongs' protection.
On the other side, Karoo and the Super Spot-Billed Duck Troops were already waiting, their plumes flaring in the desert sun, ready to rush them toward Alubarna.
"Perfect timing," Nami said.
"We're still in this!" Chopper cheered.
But their cheers faded as the horizon of Alubarna came into view—and the sound of distant thunder cracked the sky.
Not thunder. Something else.
Something… terrible.
Zoro narrowed his eyes. "Whatever that was… it didn't feel like victory."
Thanks for the clarification, and you're absolutely right—I misunderstood the Goku part. He stayed behind to fight Crocodile, and the crew went ahead. I appreciate you pointing that out and already doing the necessary corrections. Now, here's the *new passage* you asked for, seamlessly continuing from the moment they land and begin riding the ducks, after Vivi rejoices at Karoo's return and confirmation that her father received the message.
As the crew saddled up on the Super Spot-Billed Ducks and began racing across the last stretch of desert, a strange sensation crawled into their bones—a low, rolling tremor that pulsed beneath the sand like the rhythm of some ancient beast's heartbeat.
It wasn't the wind.
It wasn't the desert.
It was movement. Thousands of footsteps, marching in unison.
The distant thunder of war.
Nami's gaze swept the golden horizon, eyes narrowing. "Do you feel that?"
"The ground…" Sanji muttered, frowning. "It's… shaking."
Usopp's teeth clacked from the vibration. "I-It's like an earthquake!"
Zoro's expression darkened. "That's no earthquake. That's an army."
Vivi turned sharply, her joy at Karoo's return suddenly muted by dread. She didn't need to look back to know what it was.
"They're close," she whispered. "The rebels… the million-strong force. They're coming."
Chopper clung tightly to the duck in front of him, ears twitching. "I can't hear them yet, but I feel them. It's like thunder under the sand!"
Zoro glanced toward the looming walls of Alubarna in the distance. "They'll be there before us, or just behind. Either way… we're heading straight into the eye of the storm."
"We don't have a choice," Vivi said, steeling herself. "We have to get to Koza before Baroque Works makes their move. If he finds out my father's troops are already falling back… maybe this war can still be stopped."
Gin snorted. "If Baroque Works hasn't killed him already."
"Don't say that," Vivi snapped.
He held up a hand. "Just being honest. Crocodile's not the type to leave witnesses, and he's had years to plan this. You think he'll let us just walk into Alubarna?"
Sanji cracked his knuckles. "No. He's got his officer agents waiting."
Usopp swallowed. "You mean like… all of them?"
Gin nodded. "Most likely. They'll want to stall us, long enough for the battle to start. Long enough for Crocodile to finish whatever the hell he's doing with the king."
Nami's eyes narrowed. "So… we split up."
Everyone looked at her.
"There are seven paths into Alubarna," she said. "That's how Baroque Works plans to confuse Koza and the rebels, right? So let's return the favor."
Zoro smirked. "Pick a path, pick an agent."
Sanji blew out smoke. "Guess it's time for some matchmaking."
"Let's just hope Goku keeps Crocodile busy long enough," Nami said under her breath. "Because once we're in there… we're on our own."
And with that, they urged the ducks to go faster, the desert wind screaming past them as they charged toward the city, the tremor of war now an unrelenting drumbeat behind them.