Second Wind

28

Kebi rubbed his eyes. "Just what was the point of all this?" he asked as he raised his arms and gestured to the barren desert around them. "Does he think we're stranded? That neither of us can drive a damn carriage through our home country?"

"Look at the tattoo on his arm," Kohza said, ignoring the rant. Kebi knelt down and looked it over, frowning.

"What is that? The mark of their organization?" he asked.

"Perhaps. But regardless of what it is, we need to keep an eye out for it. From now on, anyone in the rebel army who is seen with this mark is to be brought in for questioning." Kebi nodded as they both stood up and started towards the carriage. Kohza froze, however, as he caught sight of something, or rather someone, out in the distance. It looked like a...ballerina?

"I'm...ha...gonna...ha...ha...die..." Usopp said miserably, his sentence made choppy by endless pants.

"Not before me..." Chopper replied unenergetically as Zoro pulled him across the desert sand on a sled. The reindeer human hybrid had been reduced to a semi conscious, sizzling ball of fur. Being better suited to colder climates, he could barely walk in the desert heat.

"At least Chopper has an excuse," Sanji grumbled. "You're just being melodramatic Usopp."

"Hey, I sure as hell do have an excuse!" Usopp argued. "I've suddenly come down with 'I-can't-walk-through-the desert-anymore-or-I'll-die-itis!"

"There's no disease like that," Chopper stated matter of factly.

Sanji smirked. "You heard the doctor long-nose. Keep walking."

Usopp's jaw dropped. Chopper, you traitor! As if to make his case more convincing, Usopp suddenly collapsed backwards onto the sand, making unconvincing wheezing noises. "I can't...go on..." he groaned, raising his hand toward the hazy sky.

Zoro sighed in annoyance and walked back to him. "Don't make me carry you too. Come on, do you want to fall behind?"

"I...won't make it. Go on without me...Zoro..."

"If you say so," Zoro said with a shrug, before leaving him there in the sand and catching up with the rest of the crew.

Usopp suddenly bolted up onto his feet and ran after them. "Hey wait! Don't leave me! Zooroooo!"

"Will you calm down you idiot?" Nami reprimanded. "All you're doing is wasting energy that you should be using to walk. Keep it up and you're just going to need more water, and that's something we can't spare right now."

Sanji had to agree. Most of them weren't faring very well with the sun beating down on them. Chopper was immobile, Nami refused to let him carry her, saying he wasn't to be trusted (which was probably true, some part of his mind supplied), Usopp was...well, he was Usopp, and he himself was sweating heavily. Zoro was toughing it out, but Sanji could tell even he was at least mildly uncomfortable. The only ones who seemed to be beating the heat were Luffy, Vivi, and...well, Seal.

"You three don't seem to mind the hot climate at all," Nami commented, voicing Sanji's thoughts as she looked at the three in question.

"Well, I was born and raised on this island," Vivi said, smiling. "You could say I'm used to it. I'd imagine the same is true for Seal." Said dugong nodded confidently before flashing Nami what could be interpreted as a thumbs up...minus the thumbs.

"Oh, I guess that makes sense," Nami said before turning to Luffy. "But what about you? There aren't many deserts in East Blue."

"Nah, my home island had really good weather," Luffy replied. "The reason I'm fine is that I can control my body temperature." This got the attention of the rest of the crew, especially Chopper, whose head perked up in interest despite his severe discomfort.