Southwest of Nanohana lay a vast, uninhabited region.
Even in the desert kingdom of Alabasta, this area was an absolute dead zone. Beneath the blazing sun, scorching waves of heat rose from the sand, making every breath feel like swallowing Flame. A patch of bright green appeared in the boundless desert, but a closer look revealed it was only a mirage caused by the heat.
Even camels, known as ships of the desert, refused to set foot in this land of death.
Yet a band of fools had ventured into it.
Gulp, gulp!
A Marine with gauze wrapped around his head pulled down the scarf covering his mouth and tipped the last drops from his canteen into his throat. It was their third day patrolling here. Despite the brutal conditions, they had kept their orders in mind, leaving no corner unchecked.
Never underestimate the tenacity of Pirates. The fact that this was an uninhabited region was all the more reason to keep watch.
"Captain, everyone's canteens are empty. Shouldn't we head back and resupply first?" The Marine lowered his canteen and glanced helplessly at his comrades sheltering from the sun behind a rock wall.
It wasn't that they couldn't handle hardship. The heat here was simply terrifying. With no way to replenish their water, they would collapse from dehydration within a day at most.
And once they fell, they would never get up again. The burning sand would sear their skin within minutes, leaving severe burns. Then the fluid in their bodies would evaporate until they were dried husks.
Their mission was to patrol the Desert, and they had done it well so far. Heading back now would have been perfectly reasonable.
After hearing him out, the Marine captain pulled the cape he had wrapped around his head free and