Old Friends Reunited

Alabasta.

A stretch of coastline west of Elumalu Port. (Map)

Ma Qiao clapped his hands, and the shore was littered with stunned Kung Fu Dugong.

These mischievous creatures, though somewhat cute, are essentially no different from the monkeys of Mount Wuyi, and are quite troublesome for travelers with normal thought processes.

Unlike King Luffy, Ma Qiao doesn't have the interest or time to become the mentor of these guys.

Ma Qiao already has a group of penguin servants, so he has no interest in these Kung Fu Dugong.

Besides, Ma Qiao considers himself a man of principle.

Having stolen King Luffy's navigator, he'll most likely also steal his archaeologist, leaving these adorable manatee apprentices behind.

Maybe King Luffy will invite them onto his ship someday.

Regardless of the circumstances, it's wrong to take advantage of someone and leave them nothing behind.

The customs and traditions of the Alabasta Kingdom are similar to those of other Arab regions around the world.

This place is a vast desert, dotted with precious oases. Oases and riverside wetlands often give rise to prosperous cities.

In addition, the men here often wear headscarves and Lantern.

The difference is that here, women dress beautifully and can freely expose their bodies as long as they are not afraid of the scorching sun.

Of course, eating big-eared lamb on the street is also fine.

In fact, from both a cultural and religious perspective, Alabasta is more like Ancient Egypt before Christ than the Middle East of the 21st century.

The Nefertari Family name itself comes from the name of the wife of a pharaoh in Ancient Egypt.

Neferutarie's emblem is the symbol of the Sun God, and the country's patron deities are the jackal and the falcon, which resonate deeply with the Egypt.

Ma Qiao is starting to regret not recruiting Nasus, Renekton, and Azir.

These guys are probably thriving here.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if Azir could recruit a few sand soldiers to carry him?

However, there's no going back.

Now, the only means of transportation available to Ma Qiao is... Green-Skinned Toad.

Fortunately, Tahm Kench is neither a toad nor a catfish in essence, but a demon.

Therefore, his smooth skin can tightly retain moisture and is completely unafraid of the scorching desert sun.

When such a terrifying creature suddenly emerged from the sea, it unsurprisingly terrified the Vivi and Nami sisters.

Nami, in particular, harbors extreme hatred towards Fish-Men due to her childhood experiences.

With its green skin, fangs, massive size, and ugly face, Tahm Kench looked even more ferocious than Arlong.

Meanwhile, Vivi, who possessed slightly stronger combat abilities, had her Peacock Chains held horizontally in front of her chest, ready to attack at any moment.

Ma Qiao quickly introduced, "Don't be afraid, this is Kenzie Tahm Kench, a very gentle Fish-Man with great musical talent!"

To make Ma Qiao's words seem more convincing, Tahm Kench also cooperated by stretching out his long tongue and playing a little tune from his hometown on the spot.

"Sails rise, sails fall~"

Boating on dry land~

Now is the time when you, the conqueror, conquer Constantine!

..."

Upon arriving in the world of One Piece, Tahm Kench also effortlessly unlocked the skill of playing the piano with his tongue while singing with his throat.

Although she didn't understand the deeper meaning of the lyrics, Vivi was quickly moved by the song.

Firstly, the style of this piece does indeed suit Alabasta very well, giving it a homely feel.

Secondly, isn't "sailing on dry land" a description of the desert sailing ships unique to the Alabasta Kingdom?

"It's been so long since I've heard such a comforting melody..."

Vivi felt a little sad; she really missed home.

The capital, Alubarna in the east, Yuba, the desert green city he personally helped establish, was in the west.

But for Vivi, neither Alubarna nor Yuba was a place she could pass by but never truly reach.

Vivi rubbed Tahm Kench's forehead, which was a way of accepting her new partner.

But Nami still harbored hostility towards this "Fish-Man".

Ma Qiao reached out and gently pinched Nami's nose. "Nami, there are many great guys among the Fish-Man Race, like Shirahoshi. I think you two will definitely become good friends in the future."

"No way! I'd rather become a philanthropist than be friends with Fish-Man Race!"

Nami's attitude was very firm.

Ma Qiao expressed regret over Nami's stubbornness.

But there was no point in saying more. Ma Qiao took out a parasol and stuck it on Tahm Kench's head, then spread out a picnic blanket and set out the hot pot and ingredients.

"Vivi -chan, want to come along? There are your favorite takoyaki!" Ma Qiao reached out, grabbed Vivi, and jumped onto Tahm Kench's forehead.

Soon, an enticing aroma wafted from Tahm Kench's forehead.

Ma Qiao and his beloved student sat cross-legged on the table, eating hot pot and singing "The Land Sailing March," their laughter filling the air.

Nami walked ahead with her head held high, looking just like a little girl throwing a tantrum.

However, the twitching of her nose revealed that she wasn't as resolute as she seemed.

As for Jhin, who had virtually no presence, he was like a dutiful servant, carrying the load at the very back.

"Vivi, don't feed Tahm Kench fish!"

When Vivi used her chopsticks to throw the fish at Tahm Kench's gaping maw for the third time, Ma Qiao had to speak up to stop her.

"Why?"

Vivi asked curiously, "Tahm Kench- kun is... a toad Fish-Man, right? Why doesn't he eat fish? Besides, I know that even ordinary Fish-Man love to eat fish, right?"

"That's true."

Nami suddenly interjected, "I know a seemingly harmless but actually ruthless octopus Fish-Man who uses Six-Sword Style. He loves eating takoyaki! Fish-Man Race are just that cruel creatures!"

"Tahm Kench isn't like that."

Ma Qiao shook his head. "It only eats vegetables and fruits, brushes its teeth three times a day, and has its stomach pumped regularly every month to keep its breath fresh."

"Oh? So toads are such creatures?"

Vivi scratched her head.

To be honest, as a princess from a desert kingdom, Vivi really didn't know much about the habits of toads.

"You look like a young lady from a wealthy family. Let me explain to you properly about toads... It all starts with the concept of 'hugs'..."

Nami had somehow jumped onto Tahm Kench's head and appeared next to Vivi.

Under the protection of the parasol, she was finally able to open her tightly closed neckline, revealing her fair skin covered in sweat.

The small electric fan that Tahm Kench held up in his right hand blew a cool breeze.

And so, Nami went on and on about the relationship between toads and meteorology, and then about navigation, without ever jumping off Tahm Kench's forehead again.

Nami's nearly speechless, awkward conversation only ended when a solitary little house appeared amidst the endless yellow sand.

"Why is there a house here? Is this the Rainbase?" Nami asked, puzzled.

"No, Rainbase is a big city."

Vivi shook her head, then suddenly realized something, "Could this be the legendary..."

"That's right!"

Ma Qiao jumped off Tahm Kench's head and pointed to the sign hanging on the door of the cabin— Spider's Cafe.

Building a coffee shop like this in the desert would be a miracle if it did any business.

This deserted café is actually a secret hideout of the Baroque Works, a place far superior to Whiskey Peak.

Vivi also discovered this information during her previous investigation.

'No wonder the old man didn't choose to take the boat from the Sandora River directly to the Rainbase; was he going to hand over the mission here? What a cunning Mr. 0!'

The doubts in Vivi's heart were finally resolved.

However, there's something else that's been bothering me since just now...

Vivi jumped off Tahm Kench and asked somewhat seriously, "Uncle, please tell me honestly, Tahm Kench... is Tahm Kench your slave?"

A powerful Fish-Man, utterly subservient to humans, even allowing hot pot parties to be held on its head...

Vivi couldn't help but associate all of this with the slave trade.

After all, the Fish-Man Race were one of the biggest victims of the slave trade.

"What nonsense are you talking about!"

Ma Qiao vehemently denied it, saying, "Tahm Kench is my brother, and I'm not going to let him graduate!"

Ma Qiangdong said this.

Moreover, Ma Qiao has even more obvious evidence—

Tahm Kench didn't wear a slave collar at all; he was completely free.

"Miss Vivi, please don't try to sow discord between me and my master. I am his subordinate, and he is my master. Our relationship is purely platonic!"

Tahm Kench extended a clam claw, giving Vivi a stern warning.

Just kidding, being able to become a master's personal bodyguard is something that countless heroes dream of.

What if this little brat ruins everything, and the master replaces the master with a human hero as his bodyguard?

As he thought about it, Tahm Kench became even angrier at Vivi's provocations.

"My master will never put a collar on me. Even if he does put one on you one day, I will never let him put a collar on me!"

Vivi sensed Tahm Kench's anger and hurriedly tried to comfort him, feeling helpless.

She simply couldn't understand what was so charming about that stinky old man that even such a huge Fish-Man was captivated by him...

Could it be that...

He not only understands human nature, but also animal nature?

That seems quite possible!

Didn't that fierce penguin get completely subdued by the old man?

Vivi punched her palm, thinking she had figured out the truth.

As long as it's not a matter of coercion like the Celestial Dragons, the more capable Uncle Ma Qiao is, the more honored Vivi will be.

Nami scoffed from the side, "Miss Vivi, you're too naive. That old jerk is wicked! Who would be on friendly terms with such a strange creature... Huh?"

Nami couldn't continue her sentence.

At that moment, both she and Vivi stared wide-eyed at the scene before them, unable to believe what they were seeing.

Compared to this scene, becoming sworn brothers with the giant toad seems rather unremarkable, or rather, Tahm Kench isn't even a strange creature at all...

"Hey~ my dear friend~ it's been so long~"

"Feng Jiang, you're so irresponsible!"

At this moment, Ma Qiao is dancing joyfully with a transvestite dressed in a swan costume, ballet shoes, with exaggerated eyeshadow and lipstick, and covered in leg hair, their arms around each other's shoulders.

The smiles on their faces were so genuine, so radiant...

The two girls fell into deep self-doubt.

"Haha, Bon Clay, you're now a high-ranking executive second only to Daz Bones, while I'm still just a lowly office worker!"

"What are you saying! I'll kill that idiot Daz Bones sooner or later!"

The transvestite spun around in a ballet circle, gave a thumbs-up, and revealed eight gleaming teeth:

"Whether it's the way of men, the way of women, or even the way of transvestites, Ma Qiao, you are my most sincere and dearest friend~"

"Haha, Bon Clay, you're still as enthusiastic as ever. Come on, want to grab a coffee?"

This man, who is very familiar with Ma Qiao and has an extraordinary friendship with him, is Ma Qiao's fellow intern, and now his codename is Mr. 2 – Bon Clay.

Ma Qiao once helped Bon Clay when she was in danger, thus gaining the friendship of this future queen of the Newkama Land.

To be fair, although Bon Clay is a transvestite, he's a really reliable guy; he'll definitely step in if there's a crisis!

It's the kind of giving your all, without expecting anything in return.

The two old friends were overjoyed to see each other again.

Ma Qiao introduced his old friend to his two female subordinates. Vivi and Nami's expressions were distorted, but they still forced themselves to greet him despite their discomfort.

In particular, when she heard that this dead transvestite who kept dancing ballet was actually Mr. 2, a high-ranking official, Vivi became even more terrified and dared not offend him in the slightest.

Vivi has already learned from Igaram about the terrifying strength of Mr. 5 and Miss Valentine, two high-ranking officers.

The seemingly harmless guy in front of us, whose appearance is a bit repulsive, possesses ten times, even a hundred times, the strength of Mr. 5.

How powerful is that?

Vivi didn't even dare to dream of it!

Nami was alright, because she didn't have much respect for Baroque Works.

In Nami's mind, Ma Qiao is someone who is on very good terms with the Colonel of the Headquarters.

How could a mere dead transvestite be stronger than a colonel from headquarters?

"What a fool who can't forget old friendships!"

Although Nami muttered this to herself, she couldn't hide the admiration and joy on her face.

People are better when they're old friends, and clothes are better when they're new.

Who wouldn't want their loved one to remain true to their original aspirations?

In high spirits, Ma Qiao generously retrieved two cases of Short-Lived Ghost whiskey from Tahm Kench's stomach and enjoyed them at the Spider-Man Cafe.

"It really was you! For ten whole years, you've only ever ordered one latte from me, and that was during the store's anniversary sale with a 90% discount!"

The bar owner is an elegant and sophisticated woman with light yellow glasses and long, wavy blue hair. (See picture)

Her exaggerated figure rivals that of beauties after 3D2Y, easily surpassing the current Nami and Vivi.

However, Ma Qiao and Bon Clay were not newcomers; they both knew the true nature of the proprietress.

She is none other than Miss Doublefinger, a high-ranking agent who ate the Spike-Spike Fruit, Mr. 1's partner, and ranked number one among female executives.

In fact, Ma Qiao never really understood Crocodile's thought process.

To ensure his absolute safety, Crocodile never shows his face in public within the organization.

Early employees like Ma Qiao and Bon Clay at least wore masks and costumes to personally direct operations.

The newcomers in recent years have all been handed over to Nicole Robin for direction.

They only know Miss All Sunday, not Mr. 0.

So theoretically, if I were to have an affair with Robin —no, conspire with Robin —I could completely sideline this arrogant guy, seize control of the entire gang in one fell swoop.

Of course, Ma Qiao was too weak before and never even considered such a thing.

But now that he has at least three level 6 heroes under his command, Ma Qiao can't help but want to give it a try.

People and resources. People and resources are one thing, but this resource...

Ma Qiao felt it was necessary to have an open and honest talk with Miss Robin this time.

If you don't embezzle some public funds, how can you live up to the trust your hands-off boss placed in you?

My conscience will hurt!

2-in-1 chapter