Chapter 47
Perhaps it's the island's mechanism, but after finally bumping into someone you know, you're alone again. Thankfully, after separating from Lyme and Harta, you regained your original sight, preventing you from being in danger due to blindness. But here's your current predicament...
You looked around at the arid land, like Alabasta, and the blazing sun hanging overhead. Given this situation, if you couldn't escape the sand, your fate would be either to die of thirst or to die of heatstroke.
Thinking about this, a huge "X" appears in your mind. Remember, you've worked your way here for nothing more than to survive. If you give up here, all your efforts will have been in vain.
"Let's walk around, maybe there's another way out."
After preparing yourself mentally, you rely on your vague memory to determine the direction by the position of the sun and your shadow, and then move in that specific direction.
Compared to Alabasta, this arid land is even more unbearable. At least in Alabasta, you could still see people and cacti. Here, there's nothing but endless yellow sand. What's even more torturous is the lack of water, coupled with the intense heat of the sun overhead, which seems to drain the last bit of moisture from your body with every step.
The endless yellow sand, mixed with the sound of the wind, represents the sound of your breath as your strength dwindles. You don't know how long you've walked, only that with each step, your stride grows heavier. In the end, what sustains you is the will to survive; where you are or where you're headed becomes meaningless.
-
When you opened your eyes again, you were greeted by Marco's worried expression and Beckman's obvious relief. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw lush greenery all around, a stark contrast to the yellow sand you'd seen before you lost consciousness. Trying to speak, your dry throat failed to produce a sound. It was the observant Marco who noticed your unusual condition and handed you some water. Dehydrated, you drank most of the bottle before you felt better.
The only downside was that you drank too quickly, and a lot of water dripped down your chin, wetting your collar.
Seeing this, the two people next to you didn't say anything. Marco only started talking to you after you finished drinking and took a few breaths.
"What happened to you that caused you to go into shock due to dehydration?"
"You might not believe it, but I walked in the desert for a very long time."
Upon hearing this, the two looked at you with doubt. In the blink of an eye, that doubt turned into understanding.
"It seems this island changes depending on who you meet. Before I met Marco and you, I was still searching for my way through the volcano."
volcano?
You look at Beckman in disbelief, who shrugs helplessly, his smile making it hard to tell if he's joking or speaking the truth in a joking tone. Fortunately, this isn't the part where you have to guess whether he's lying; Marco then recounts his experiences before meeting you.
"I'm at sea. Should I say this island is really something? Making a Devil Fruit user fly over the sea."
As Marco spoke, his face showed undisguised helplessness. Coupled with the ordeal he had just described, you could picture Marco in his phoenix form, desperately trying to fly across the sea.
No, you can't laugh.
You pursed your lips, trying to suppress a laugh. But when you caught a glimpse of Marco, who still looked tired, the laugh escaped your lips. Even though you covered your mouth after a single laugh, Marco and Beckmann, who were watching your condition, noticed it.
"You're laughing at me as soon as you wake up? Looks like you're in good spirits."
Rather than complaining, Marco's tone was more like an older brother teasing his younger siblings. Beckman, who laughed along with him, didn't receive the same treatment.
"Don't laugh too soon. Maybe the ones on your ship aren't doing any better."
"I know them. This little difficulty won't kill them. Shanks is probably having a great time and doesn't want to leave."
When talking about his crew, Beckman's face showed a smile that indicated he was used to this kind of situation, a stark contrast to the Beckman who had been troubled by Shanks and his crew when you were on the ship.
This must be the first mate.
As you admire Beckman's maturity, you also include Marco in the list of "mature first mates." Even if the three of you are temporarily safe, you dare not linger in one place while still unsure of the island's situation.
After confirming that you were alright, Marco and Beckman had a brief chat about the upcoming operation before you woke up, and announced the next steps.
"Let's keep going down this road."
Before you could nod, Marco, who was standing next to you, spoke to you in a concerned tone: "Can you still walk? If you can't walk, I'll carry you."
"No problem, I can walk."
You seem to think you can walk for a while as long as it's not a desolate desert. Little do you know, your resilience means something else entirely to Marco and Beckman.
"If you don't like Marco, I can carry you on my back."
Beckman's smiling whisper startled Marco, who had been "disliked" by Beckman. Marco's forehead creased with three black lines, his eyes filled with dissatisfaction with Beckman's unfounded "rumors".
"What do you mean by 'dislike'? If she really dislikes anyone, it's the people on your ship. Don't you think so?"
For someone who has received both white and red group awards, this is a topic where answering yes or no is somewhat inappropriate. And the two people, who originally intended to lighten the mood, changed the subject after you smiled and remained silent.
"I wonder what's going on with Ace and the others."
"Hopefully they don't get lost in their own game."
The use of the same tone but different sentence structures clearly shows that the two first mates' concern for the crew only increased. As for the earlier topics used to lighten the mood, were they more about easing the tension between them?
After all, when you met Lyme and Harta, they didn't seem like they could get along well. Combining the desert you encountered not long ago, the fleeting thought that crossed your mind, and Marco's mention of the sea, you seem to have found a pattern in the island's activities.
"Perhaps this island can see through others' weaknesses and use that knowledge to alter its structure?"
Upon hearing this, the two people walking on either side of you stopped simultaneously, and their faces showed undisguised relief in response to your surprised question.
"Beckman and I think so too."
Marco's answer made you blush with sudden enlightenment.
It's probably a side effect of shock caused by desert dehydration. You've forgotten, both Beckman and Marco possess exceptional insight. How could they not have thought of something you could?
Realizing this, your face grew increasingly hot under their gazes, to the point that you needed to cover your face with your hands to physically shield yourself from the effects of your momentary "cleverness."
"Don't overthink it. This shows that you have a certain level of insight, which is a good thing."
Beckman, on your right, patted your shoulder in comfort, while Marco reached out and patted the top of your head, which was bowed in shame: "Like Beckman said, it's a good thing you can sense these things, don't worry about it too much."
Comforted by the two, you nodded knowingly, unable to pinpoint why you felt ashamed—because you had unconsciously used a tone seeking their praise. Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn't last long; after walking for a while, you encountered other lost companions.
Compared to the mature and steady Marco and Beckman, the less experienced and younger crew members of the Red Team and White Team were arguing over their respective first officers.
Red Team crew member: "It must have been our team's first mate who found the boss first!"
Whitebeard crew member: "Come on! Marco is definitely more reliable. Even if Beckman is incredibly powerful, Shanks' personality means he can't just stay put!"
As you approached the two ships, a simultaneous silence fell over you. Caught between the two first mates, you silently observed Beckman and Marco's reactions. The two usually composed men covered their eyes, with the more overworked Beckman letting out a helpless sigh.
Meanwhile, the two groups, who had yet to discover the protagonist's arrival, shifted their argument from the first mate to the captain. Seeing the two growing increasingly sorrowful, you chose to accept reality over pretending nothing was wrong, and reached out to pat them on the waist in a comforting gesture.
Your original plan was to pat both of them on the shoulders. However, your height disadvantage meant you could only pat their waists. After experiencing this awkward situation alone, you made up for it with a conversation.
"Don't worry about it. It just means everyone is in good spirits and hasn't encountered any danger."
After you finished speaking, you withdrew your hands from their waists, afraid that if you hesitated even a moment longer, the two of them or others would misunderstand.
"That's true. In the current situation, nothing is more reassuring than this news."
"We can't let them keep arguing, or they'll reveal all of Shanks' secrets."
The two who agreed with you composed themselves and walked steadily into the group of two still debating people. Because of the distance, you couldn't hear what they said, but you knew that they used a single sentence to quiet down the two groups who were arguing just a second ago.
As you approach, the crews of the Red Team and the White Team, under the guidance of Marco and Beckman, put aside their past grievances and, with survival as their goal, split into two groups to find supplies to sustain those present.
As the person with the lowest combat strength present, the two groups have different opinions on who you should follow.
"That means they're definitely coming with us. We're partners now."
The three members of the White Team who most often caused laughs looked at you with expressions of confidence that you would go with them. Meanwhile, the Red Team, who had spent some time with you, had a different understanding of the "partners" the White Team spoke of.
"Even among pirates, there's a hierarchy of first come, first served. From a practical standpoint, it's safer for her to come with us, and we also have a reliable first mate!"
To emphasize Beckman's reliability, the crew member who said this placed his hands behind Beckman's back in a flower-like gesture, with Beckman at the center.
You wouldn't normally laugh, but their actions, coupled with Beckman's weary expression as he smoked, made it hard to suppress a smile just by glancing at them. In contrast, the White Team was already doubled over with laughter, and even Marco was amused.
"Not bad, Beckman, you and flowers go well together."
Faced with Marco's teasing, Beckman stubbed out his cigarette, his eyes revealing helplessness and weariness at the current situation.
"You can laugh."
Perhaps worried that you might hurt yourself by holding back your laughter, Beckman first expressed his permission for you to laugh, then stepped forward and, under Marco's gaze, took out a flower that could be found anywhere by the roadside and handed it to you.
"As for 'flowers,' I've always felt that flowers paired with beautiful women are the perfect match."
Amidst the collective gasps of the crowd, you, suddenly the center of attention, slowly typed a question mark.
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