A violent gale swept across the heavens. Forks of silver lightning slithered through the blackened clouds, flashing like serpents before vanishing in a blink.
A deafening peal of thunder erupted immediately after—
"RUMBLE!!!"
The sound rolled through the dunes, crushing the whirling sands beneath its fury.
And then, from beneath the darkened sky—Came the downpour.
Sheets of torrential rain poured without restraint, Fat raindrops struck skin with a sharp sting, Yet the astonished people of Nanohana made no effort to seek shelter.
Instead, they shouted in wild elation—"Rain! It's raining!"
The first cry fell like a stone into a still pond, Rippling outward until the whole city stirred.
Soon, countless more voices joined, Until the once-silent desert metropolis roared like a festival ground.
Rain—It was as if a massive boulder had crashed into the heart of a parched wasteland, Awakening it into frenzied life.
No one desired rain more than the desert's drought-stricken children. For years, the land had withered, and the nation had been dying slowly. The people lived in terror of thirst, blaming their king,Cursing the capital for stealing their lifeblood—rain.
Because rain meant survival itself.
High above the city, Ren stood in the tallest tower, Gazing through the window at the streets below, where joy had exploded like wildfire.
Outside, the rain only grew heavier, bordering on a true deluge. Only the faint golden streaks of sunlight peeking through cracks in the cloudsReminded him this was still the mortal world—Not some mythic flood from the dawn of time.
But to a city that had begged the heavens for mercy, A half-hour thunderstorm was no destruction—it was salvation.
And with that blessing—A transaction began.
The three who had departed for Alubarna had now returned. They had left as three and returned as three—Except Igaram was no longer the same man.
In his place stood another—A messenger of the royal family, the warrior known as Pell the Falcon, The mightiest fighter of the Kingdom of Alabasta, And one of the world's five officially recognized flying Devil Fruit users.
Zoan-Type: Bird-Bird Fruit, Model: Falcon.
He came bearing the king's will, agreeing to Ren's proposed deal. However, he tactfully stated that ten billion Beli was too steep a price—Alabasta simply couldn't bear such a cost.
They hoped Ren might lower the sum, And in exchange, the royal family would assist with the operation itself.
There would no doubt be politics and tension behind the scenes, But as long as King Cobra wasn't a fool, He wouldn't dare go back on his word.
So for now, Ren left it at that.
What followed soon after, however, Was the first official royal request—To summon rain outside the capital.
The Baroque Works conspiracy had already dragged the royal name through the mud. More than half the desert's citizens believedIt was the king who ordered the use of Dance Powder in Alubarna, Stealing the rains and dooming the rest of the country to years of drought.
Even the king's efforts to provide relief were twisted, Warped into slander by the vast propaganda network spun by Crocodile's agents.
Only a handful still clung to the belief that their king was innocent and the drought merely a curse of nature.
Thus—the great rain began.
One hundred million Beli were handed to Ren on the spot. And to such a generous client, Ren showed equal courtesy, Instructing Robin to prepare the finest accommodations.
Then, Nami appeared.
Ren wasn't the only one in the crew who carried everyone's burdens. Kindness repaid itself in kind—everyone here knew that.
Even Nojiko, in her quiet way, did her best to be useful. Zoro, of course, spoke through his sword. And even Nami, the most "greedy" among them, Often thought of Ren's interests before her own.
This rain was proof.
A pure Thunderstorm Spell alone couldn't produce such an immense rainfall. If it lasted more than a day, the entire Nanohana region would flood. The spell's true essence lay in lightning, not water.
The reason this storm had taken on such scale—was Nami.
By studying the subtle patterns in Ren's spell, She had used her Magical Clima-Tact and certain rare weather plants To pre-shape the surrounding climate before the spell took effect.
She called the technique "Weather Shift."
Ren didn't fully understand her terminology, But he knew she had developed two enhancement modes—
One: amplify rainfall (today's demonstration), a byproduct of her experiments. The other: extend storm duration and increase thunder density.
Given at least ten minutes, or up to thirty, She could fine-tune the sky, Guiding the heavens toward the perfect storm.
And indeed, this one had lasted nearly thirty minutes—Double its original length.
Lightning density had risen by roughly fifteen to thirty percent—A staggering improvement.
Each Thunderstorm Spell cost five Mana Crystals, Roughly five million Beli.
Yet its performance far exceeded its cost—Thanks to the brilliance of its design: a self-amplifying feedback cycle that shaped the weather like a rolling snowball.
But to enhance it further, Ren had only one option—Luck.
He'd have to draw a new Magic Tome, master it, or find strange items to upgrade it—Things only fate could provide.
Nami, however, was a rare genius—A woman who could feel the weather through her very skin.
Now, she stood outside, gathering data. The Lightning-Avoiding Doll dangled from her neck as a pendant, Gleaming faintly in the rain.
Arms outstretched on the tower's balcony, Nami welcomed the storm as if embracing the sky itself.
To better sense every shift of the atmosphere, She hadn't even bothered to change out of her bikini.
The tower—once a Baroque Works stronghold—Had originally been a luxury hotel for elite agents. Even in a desert kingdom, it boasted a pool.
Naturally, once Ren, the organization's true leader, arrived, He claimed the highest suite for himself.
"The rainfall's heavier than expected. Did you overdo the catalyst? The vapor's spreading far too wide, "Nami murmured,Rain clinging to her hair as she jotted down notes at lightning speed.
Though her greed often made Zoro roll his eyes, She was no ungrateful woman.
She'd seen the gifts her sister received yesterday—Treasures that, outside this group, would drive men mad with envy, Artifacts rivaling Devil Fruits, yet free of their curses.
Her own strength now existed because of Ren's generosity. And though she often felt too weak to contribute in battle, This—this was how she could repay him.
She wasn't content to be a mere ornament. Once she realized Ren's path centered around thunder, She resolved to help him the only way she could—By mastering the skies themselves.
The new Clima-Tact function, "Weather Shift," Was her answer.
Still imperfect, of course—She'd drawn too much moisture from the sea this time. Had the storm lasted longer than thirty minutes,It might have drowned the whole region.
"Still needs refinement…" Nami sighed, eyes turning toward the edge of Nanohana.
She could feel it—The distant skies were shifting too.
She wasn't the only one attuned to weather.
Someone else was meddling with it—The man who had once robbed Alabasta of its lifeblood—The Desert King himself.
Having just annihilated a band of pirates, Crocodile swept across the desert as a storm of sand.
Then, abruptly, he stopped, Materializing atop a dune.
The swirling grains condensed, revealing a tall man with slicked-back hair, A long scar slashing across his face, A cigar clenched between his teeth, And a gleaming golden hook where his left hand should be.
The black cloak on his shoulders whipped in the wind—He looked every bit the tyrant of the underworld.
But this Sand Crocodile was far more dangerous than any mob boss.
"...The air's more humid?"
Crocodile extended his hand.The nearby sands gathered in his palm,Condensing into a faint, wet mist.
Impossible.
Climate manipulation was a complex science; In all his experience, only Weatheria was rumored to achieve it. And he'd never even found its location.
So, he relied on something simpler—His own power.
Logia-Type: Sand-Sand Fruit!
He could turn any part of his body into sand—Shape it into blades to strike, Or drain the moisture from anything he touched, Reducing rock and soil alike into dust.
By sucking dry the desert's underground water, He maintained the eternal drought—And by will alone, he could summon a sandstorm vast enough to bury cities.
To ensure no accident ever disrupted his drought, Crocodile regularly swept across Alabasta in his sand form, Siphoning every hint of moisture from the land.
Over the years, he'd grown hypersensitive—To the very scent of water he despised.
Now, his eyes narrowed toward the sea-side city of Nanohana.
A coastal town having moisture wasn't unusual…But this—this was different.
"At such a critical point, I can't let the weather ruin my plans."
Frowning, Crocodile strode forward—Then burst apart into a whirling storm of sand, Racing toward Nanohana.
He would strip the rain from its skies, And bind drought to the earth once more—
Until the kingdom of Alabasta crumbled And fell wholly into his grasp.
(End of Chapter)