Missy

Here's a little lesson in trickery...

Wincing, you rubbed your tender skull, "Naaaaaami...Did you have to hit so hard?"

"Yes," she growled, "Because if you had just told us something useful like, oh I don't know, WE WERE MAKING A POINTLESS JOURNEY TO YUBA AND WE WOULD BE BETTER OFF STAYING IN NANOHANA, but noooooooooo the only thing you predicted was SAND. Well, guess what," she gestured to the vast desert around you, "YOU WERE RIGHT ABOUT THE SAND!"

You tsked, "I mentioned it in Nanohana, in case you've forgotten..."

The monotonous golden sand dunes were getting old fast. The dead tree in front of the group was the first interesting thing you'd seen for quite a while, and it didn't even feel like you were getting any closer. Not that the haze rising off the sands helped at all. It would have been so much easier to cross if Carue was there, but he was off delivering a message to the palace in Alubarna.

You just hoped he could get there in time.

Caspar whistled, putting his arms behind his head, "Don't be too harsh, it's not like she really can control what she sees."

"And besides," Zoro grumbled, "It's not like you're doing any walking."

Nami pouted from her seat on Eyelash the camel (Eyelash, what a name), "I don't see what that's got to do with it. The longer we're out here, the faster our resources get used up, no thanks to a certain someone-" she glared at Luffy's drooping form with disdain- "loosing our supplies to a bunch of birds."

Vivi chuckled nervously as she walked beside the camel, "Miss Nami, you should calm down..."

"Well on the bright side, me and Cas don't really need anything," You smirked, swinging your blissfully bare arms from side to side, "So at least there's two fewer people to share between."

"It's 'Caspar and I', Missy. Please be more attentive with your grammar."

You tsked, 'Same thing.'

Usopp took another tired step forwards, sweltering under his desert robes. "Honestly, it's not fair...you just get to walk about and do whatever, no matter where you go...what can't you do?"

Caspar scratched his uncloaked head self-consciously, "It's honestly kinda crazy what our limits are...I had no idea we don't burn in the sun."

"Yup," You span on your heel to face him, "Not to mention we can go without water for two or three weeks, without food for four months, and are pretty much immune to any natural diseases." Shrugging, you scratched your cheek sheepishly, "We're not invincible though...Electricity hurts."

"I'm...not sure I want to find out just how you know all that stuff..."

"Trust me, you don't wanna."

Sanji grinned lecherously, "I'm just glad she's still in that lovely outfit!"

Your brother growled at him.

"That's all very well and good," Ace grumbled, "but Cas, what are we still doing here? We need to go after Bla-"

"Aw c'mon!" A pair of arms wrapped their way around you, "First time meeting my little sister in, I dunno, ever! Lemme help her out at least!" He pouted, batting his eyes rapidly, "Please..."

Running a hand down his face, Ace sighed, "Fine..."

"HELL YEAH!" Cas sprinted over and knocked him over in an enthusiastic hug, "You're the best, dude!"

"CAS GET THE HELL OFF ME! DON'T MAKE ME BURN YOU AGAIN!"

Everyone chuckled for a while at the sight of the two Whitebeard pirates squabbling in the sand. You couldn't blame them for being so tightly wound. Seeing Yuba and meeting Toto had been...depressing to say the least, not to mention Vivi's recollections about how the country had lost faith in their king. And it wasn't like fruitlessly trekking across a desert was wildly entertaining. Any attempt at humour was more than welcome.