Yuba

Yuba, a city built in an oasis in the desert over the past decade, connected Rainbase and Alubarna. It was a place where desert merchants were sure to stop and restock, making it an important transportation hub.

Since its construction, it had been rich and prosperous. However, after more than a year without rain, Yuba's oasis had begun to dry up. The sands were advancing toward it, and the nomads from nearby areas had recently started entering the city, making the water shortage even more severe. The amount of water supplied to Yuba through its waterways had been dwindling steadily.

The man who built Yuba was Doto, the father of the future leader of the rebel army.

The truth about Dancing Powder had been exposed not long before Rodney arrived. The entire kingdom had been thrown into an uproar, causing many people who trusted King Cobra to begin doubting him. Some more radical citizens had even joined the rebel army.

But Doto had always trusted the king and refused to believe that he would do such a thing. Although his son believed in Cobra as well, he had chosen to join the rebel army for the sake of the common people. Relying on his natural charisma as a leader, he had successfully risen to the position of commander.

Of course, that had not happened yet.

Rodney arrived in the once-prosperous oasis. It was still considerably more prosperous than Alubarna, but the pedestrians all wore worried expressions because the water supply was dwindling. Few merchant caravans had passed through recently, causing the service industry to decline. The people here could no longer earn money, and with their lives under threat, they could only choose to move away and preserve themselves.

There were still a few trees here, all varieties that were extremely heat-resistant and drought-tolerant. Rodney did not know what they were called, but when he hid beneath their shade and a breeze blew over...

His mouth filled with sand!

Rodney: "..."

A sandstorm was coming!

Yellow sand rolled in from the distance like the apocalypse. The wind lifted the dust high into the air, and it surged toward them in a vast, overwhelming wave, like a primordial beast seeking to swallow this pearl in the desert whole.

Just as he assumed the people here would hide inside their houses, a group of them rushed out. At their head was a somewhat portly old man, his rough hands gripping a shovel tightly. His eyes were filled with determination.

"Come on, everyone! Yuba absolutely will not be swallowed by a mere sandstorm! We can definitely restore Yuba to its former glory!"

His words seemed to possess a force that stirred the hearts of others. A group of sturdy young men raised their shovels and shouted as they charged forward—or rather, toward the waterway. They absolutely could not let the sand swallow the waterway. It was Yuba's last hope!

Rodney watched all this and sighed before following them. He felt that he was meddling in other people's business, but he simply could not control himself. He was only helping out. It was not a big deal.

He bought a windproof veil produced by Sunagakure from the System Mall. It was breathable, kept out the sand, and was extremely effective. Together with windproof sunglasses, he could be said to be fully armed.

The sandstorm arrived quickly. Rodney entered the storm, where visibility was extremely low. The people from earlier had gathered beside the waterway, shoveling away the yellow sand that was about to slide into it.

But human strength could not contend with the will of heaven, especially when some people were deliberately causing trouble. Rodney appeared beside them and created clones. The sudden appearance of so many Rodneys startled everyone. The old man stepped forward as well. He was Doto's son, Koza, the builder of Yuba.

"Who are you?" he asked.

Rodney did not answer. His clones spread out along both sides of the waterway. Their movements were perfectly synchronized, and they spoke in unison.

"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"

Under the shocked gazes of the others, wall after wall of earth rose from the ground and joined together, forming a long sand barrier.

The clones continued moving, extending the sand barrier piece by piece.

By the time the sandstorm stopped, all of Rodney's clones had vanished from exhaustion. When Doto, Koza, and the others found him, he was already sitting atop the corpse of a dead purple scorpion, panting heavily.

"Honored guest, may I ask your name?" Doto asked, giving Rodney the highest form of etiquette in Alabasta. His son Koza and the others did the same. To them, this stranger deserved such treatment.

The construction of the sand barrier greatly reduced their daily workload and protected the waterway. In effect, it protected the lives of everyone in the city.

"Rodney. You can call me that." He stood up. The Chakra in his body had been greatly depleted, leaving him with less than half of his usual reserves. However, he still had some left. Ever since learning Byakugou Seal, he had stored some Chakra in his forehead every day. The Hundred Healings Mark had simply not appeared yet.

He had no intention of using it now. The situation had not reached a critical point, and he was not about to spend his savings.

Smiling, he said, "Uncle, I'd like to stay here for a few days. Could you waive my travel expenses?"

Doto turned around and said, "Of course. They will definitely be waived. You have done so much for us and protected this city's lifeline. I will do everything in my power to get you whatever you need. I am the mayor here, and my name is Doto. This is my son, Koza."

Koza was rather taciturn, but the look he gave Rodney clearly contained respect. However, there was also some wariness mixed in with that respect, because the power Rodney had just used was the power of a Devil Fruit. Koza had seen Devil Fruit users before, but never one with such a miraculous ability.

"Thank you, Uncle." Rodney smiled as he dragged away the scorpion that had ambushed him while he was building the Mud Wall. With a body this large, it had to taste great, right?

The others had originally planned to help him drag it away. But when they tried, they discovered that even a group of people had trouble moving it. In Rodney's hands, however, it was as light as paper.

After entering the best room at the inn arranged by Doto, Rodney let out a long breath. Water was extremely precious here, so taking a bath was troublesome. Fortunately, Rodney had Water Style. However, to avoid causing a misunderstanding, he chose to bathe at night.

"Knock, knock, knock!" Someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The person who entered was Koza. "Excuse me. My father sent me to see whether Mr. Rodney needed anything."

"Oh, nothing. This place is very comfortable. By the way, what happened to the scorpion I killed?" Rodney asked.

"It was placed behind the inn. May I ask what you intend to do with it?"

"Eat it."

"Eat it? A scorpion that big?" Koza was dumbfounded. They had never considered that such a thing could be eaten.

"Of course. Oh, right. You'll need to prepare an iron plate, a few stones, some firewood, and some seasonings for me. I'm going to make teppanyaki." Yes, teppanyaki scorpion.

"All right." Koza silently left.

Although he was puzzled, he still chose to accommodate Rodney. He soon found everything needed for the teppanyaki. By then, evening was approaching, and the sky was growing dark.

Rodney lit a fire and butchered the scorpion, throwing away everything useless. He peeled open the remaining shell, revealing the tender white flesh within. It looked just like the meat inside crab claws. It sizzled loudly on the iron plate. Once he sprinkled on the seasonings, the children nearby began drooling.

"Come on, everyone! Let's eat!" Rodney called the others over and started a bonfire feast.

The bonfire feast lasted until late into the night, when everyone finally returned to their own homes and families.

At night, after bathing, Rodney wrapped himself in a robe and climbed onto the roof of the inn. The galaxy glittered brilliantly overhead, a breathtaking sight.

When he lowered his head, he seemed to see someone waving at him. Looking closely, he saw that it was Doto.

He jumped down and asked with a smile, "What's wrong, Uncle Doto? Staying up so late isn't good for an old man's health."

Doto shook his head with a smile. "Nothing. I'm used to it. I wake up rather late in the morning. What's wrong? Can't sleep?"

"No. I was just wondering where Yuba's water comes from." He had built Mud Walls along both sides of the waterway that day, but he had never found its source.

Doto did not hide it from him. "It's groundwater. It rises from deep beneath the earth to the surface, providing this city with vitality."

"I see. Could you dig a well?"

This was not Alubarna, which was close to the Santara River. Yuba was in the middle of the desert and relied on groundwater and rainwater to survive.

"Digging a well is difficult. We have been working hard at it all this time," Doto said. He was not a rigid man and naturally understood the need to dig wells. However, they had dug quite a few over the years without finding any water.

Even when facing a sandstorm, Doto's expression did not change. His spirit was as tough as steel. He would never be defeated by a difficulty like this and would continue fighting for Yuba.