Kung Fu Dugong, Princess
Lodestar Island.
Many people may not know the name of this island.
However, the nation built on this island is a world-renowned superpower.
Alabasta is probably the oldest country in the world, though the exact date of its founding is unknown.
When asked about this, the elderly always say with reminiscence, "That was a very, very, very long time ago."
As for exactly how long ago, let's put it this way: the current capital of this country, a city called Alubarna, was completed approximately four thousand years ago.
Its lifespan is five times that of the World Government.
Ancient country – that's the first label attached to this nation.
Besides being an ancient country, Alabasta is also a large country.
With a population of tens of millions, an area of over one million square kilometers, and a standing army of six hundred thousand, it is undoubtedly one of the largest countries in the world.
However, the country is not very wealthy. Most of its territory is covered by desert, and the population is mostly concentrated near oasis cities, with very limited arable land.
Of course, none of this concerns the tourists.
Nanohana —that's the name of Alabasta's largest port city.
Today, we have a very special group of guests here.
"So, what are they trying to do?"
On the Golden Coast, quite a distance from the city, Yamato tilted his head, looked at the strange creature blocking his way, and said with some surprise.
A group of small green things were blocking the way.
It carried something that looked like a tortoise shell on its back, had a tail like a seal, and was waving its two little fists with great force.
They look very cute.
"This is Kung Fu Dugong."
Sirius said with a smile.
"Kung Fu Dugong?"
Yamato and realized that his barren brain indeed had no memory of this kind of creature, so he asked, as usual, "Is it very special?"
"The Kung Fu Dugong that live on the coast of Lodestar Island are truly special,"
Black said, "They will challenge any human they encounter, and if they lose, they will become that person's apprentice."
"Huh?"
Yamato exclaimed in surprise, "How interesting! There are such creatures!"
"Alright!" She grinned and rolled up her sleeves, even though she was only wearing a T-shirt. "Let's have a showdown!"
The Kung Fu Dugong immediately beamed with joy, each getting into a fighting stance, ready to begin a tense and exciting duel with Yamato.
Yamato also got into a proper stance.
Then--
"Ada!"
She gave a soft shout and threw a punch.
With that one punch, a sudden gust of wind arose, and the Kung Fu Dugong were blown away without any chance to retaliate.
It was never a competition between two teams of the same caliber.
"Haha, how about that? I'm super strong, right!"
Yamato put his hands on his hips and laughed triumphantly.
"What's there to be proud of?" Jack was almost speechless.
"So this is Yamato," Maria said with a smile.
As they were talking, the Kung Fu Dugong that had been blown away by the wind came running back, covered in dust. Yamato had controlled his strength well; he had only blown them away to the point of not harming them.
The Kung Fu Dugong were very excited, waving their arms and legs around Yamato, bowing and scraping, and imitating Yamato's punches.
"Translate it?"
Sirius looked at Hiyori.
The beautiful woman with long emerald hair rolled her eyes at Sirius, then said, "I just hope Yamato can help them become stronger."
They've become increasingly skilled at using their abilities.
Sirius softly.
"Understood! Is the next step to instruct you? Then watch closely!"
Yamato pulled out the Spiked Club he had been carrying on his back.
"Fool, what do you want to teach them?" Sirius couldn't help but ask.
"Thunder Bagua!"
Why don't you just teach them how to use the Sea Hegemon?
Teacher Kaido really does know how to hit people.
"Teach them that."
Sirius, "The one I taught Laboon before."
"That's right!!"
Yamato's eyes lit up, "Teach them to Haki!"
"Again?" Jack shook his head helplessly.
They were helpless against Sirius's ingenious ideas.
Sirius simply smiled at this.
How could Jack's good friend, have guessed that the Kung Fu Dugong actually possessed the aptitude to learn Armament Haki?
Some of them even went on to become pirates at sea in the future.
"Hiyori! Help me translate this!"
Yamato was in high spirits.
Therefore, Hiyori could only act as Yamato's translator, helping her teach the Kung Fu Dugong the methods of training Armament Haki.
The adorable little animals were overjoyed and immediately went to the sea to catch many fish as a reward.
Sirius is quite looking forward to seeing what these Kung Fu Dugong will become in the future.
When someone else is challenged by them and discovers that these little guys can use Haki, they'll probably have a rather amusing expression, right?
After some effort, Sirius and his friends finally bid farewell to the Kung Fu Dugong and officially set foot on the land of Alabasta.
As usual, they concealed their tracks and split up, not wanting their journey to be fraught with complications.
"Everyone is wearing robes."
On the bustling city streets, Yamato, whose appearance had been altered by the use of Seimei Kikan, looked around.
"Because the sun is very strong."
Sirius held Yamato's hand, and a continuous stream of cool air flowed from Yamato's hand, making Sirius feel genuinely refreshed.
The daytime heat in this Sand Country is truly intense. There are almost no clouds in the sky, and even the sea breeze is scorching, making you feel like you're about to melt.
The heat alone isn't enough; the scorching sun is even more harmful, and prolonged exposure can cause sunburn.
Therefore, people in the Sand Kingdom are accustomed to wearing long robes.
Thankfully, there's Yamato.
How about a human-shaped air conditioner?
The cities of Alabasta may not have particularly outstanding scenery, but they always manage to convey a sense of historical weight.
Everywhere you look in the city are ancient buildings with a long history.
"That's fantastic!"
Standing in front of a certain temple, Yamato looked up at this ancient building that had stood for who knows how long, and couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
Unlike the natural scenery, this is equally moving cultural landscape.
Yamato was somewhat excited.
"Huh? Sirius, why aren't you saying anything?" She turned around.
Sirius crackled and popped as he twisted his neck. "Because you froze me, you idiot."
"I thought you Sirius, were afraid of the heat."
In any case, Sirius and his crew's journey through Alabasta is underway, and this port city is just the beginning.
This country also has many cities, some ancient and some young.
After their trip through the Nanohana, Sirius and his friends crossed the Sando River by boat and arrived at another city on the other side.
The city's name is Yuba.
Rewind to a slightly earlier time, before Sirius and his companions arrived in the city, when a large bird spread its wings and flew in from the sky.
The big bird, still dressed, complained, "Honestly, Your Highness, if I sneak out again, His King will scold me again."
"Whee."
A little girl was perched on the back of the large bird, a wisp of blue hair peeking out from under the hood. She grinned and said, "I want to go play with Koza!"
"And if Father blames Bell, I'll speak up for you."
"I just can't do anything with you."