One Piece: Failure’s Road to the Pirate King

"Saint Dora Giant Lizard!"

Lily gripped the hilt of her sword and calmly said, "They never attack alone; they come in pairs."

As a navigator, her role regarding Sage's journey to Rainbase and Alubarna was naturally to gather local intelligence.

The desert of Alabasta was not as safe as it seemed; even locals would not easily traverse unknown areas, sticking to established paths.

However, in the interest of speed, they took an unfamiliar route, effectively crossing the desert.

She was aware of the Saint Dora Giant Lizard and its habits, and she had even made some preventive preparations.

Unfortunately, those preparations had not yet been put into action before they faced failure.

The lizard was enormous, with pupils as large as a person, and its massive fangs dripped with saliva. If it took a bite, not just camels, but even they would likely meet their end in the lizard's jaws.

Yet it was not invincible. As the lizard opened its massive mouth and charged, Lily was about to draw Bai Lei when she suddenly froze.

"Get down!"

Buzz!!

The sky suddenly darkened, and the swirling sand and nearby river waves almost came to a halt in that moment.

The two giant lizards, one on the left and one on the right, prepared to attack but instead lowered their heads, pressing their entire bodies to the ground, trembling upon closer inspection.

"Now, the Rainbase crossing plan B is activated. Without camels, we'll use lizards instead."

Sage approached one of the lizards. "Give me a ride to Rainbase; you can do that, right?"

The crimson glow in its eyes fixed on the lizard, which nodded in a surprisingly human-like manner, sinking most of its body into the sand, leaving its back exposed, as if inviting them to climb aboard.

"Very good."

Sage nodded, standing atop its exposed head, and said to the others, "Get on; we're changing our mode of transport to reach Rainbase."

In this regard, Sage had backup plans, especially after hearing Lily's investigation into the strange creatures of the desert, which provided even more options.

Camels were the first choice, but if they were eaten, they would find the creature that ate the camels. Whoever eats, bears the responsibility! With Conqueror's Haki, it was that straightforward! This bizarre creature, even if it had a brain the size of a pea and lacked the emotional depth of a Sea Beast, was fine as long as it could sense the pressure. Sage didn't expect it to last long; reaching Rainbase was the priority.

As for how to return, that would be taken care of!

The Subordinates, trembling in the desert, climbed onto the lizard's back. The other lizard, though untouched, dared not leave, instead watching its paired counterpart with longing.

These creatures always appeared in pairs, and they died together as well.

Sage paid no mind to this. Seeing that the Subordinates had all climbed aboard, he looked down and said, "To Rainbase, head west. I won't let you stop; you're not allowed to rest until you drop dead!"

Boom! The massive purple lizard re-emerged from the sand, quickly moving its limbs, kicking up a cloud of dust as it sped away, disappearing from the sight of those guarding the ship.

This was much faster than camels.

High-speed movement inevitably brought inertia; without something to hold onto, they would surely be blown away. The Subordinates clung to the lizard's back, gripping the bumps to avoid being thrown off in the rapid motion.

Sage crossed his arms, standing atop the lizard's head, completely unconcerned about the wind and sand that whipped through his hair and Fur Cloak, leaving a striking silhouette that made the Subordinates admire him even more.

Truly Sage Captain!

Lily even walked from the hill-like back to the top, facing the wind and sand, saying to Sage, "Sage, at this speed, we should reach Rainbase in one or two hours."

No one responded.

Lily turned to look at Sage, only to find his expression solemn, silent as he gazed ahead.

Was there something ahead?

Instinctively, Lily looked out at the endless desert, which stretched out with no visible end. Even if they had a direction, they would likely become lost and confused in this vast expanse.

As a desert area, it was naturally sparsely populated; otherwise, with such a large area, it wouldn't have a population of millions.

"Sage, I heard that the standing army here has a million soldiers, with one in ten becoming a soldier. If there are too many people, your Conqueror's Haki…"

Dealing with a few thousand was one thing, but against an army of a hundred thousand, would Conqueror's Haki really be effective? That number was simply too overwhelming.

If they entered Alubarna and were entangled by soldiers, with only a few dozen of them, they would have no way to fight against so many. No matter how skilled they were, they would tire out.

Sage's eyes flickered as he glanced at Lily, his calm gaze seemingly telling her that no matter how many there were, he did not take them seriously.

Lily smiled down, "That's really your style; once you set a plan, there are only alternatives, no failures."

"Ah?"

Sage replied, puzzled, "The sandstorm is too strong; I can't hear you. What are you saying, Lily?"

She had been moving her mouth non-stop, not fearing the sandstorm blowing into her mouth.

Lily was taken aback, her previously serious pale face now flushed as if scorched by fire. She twitched her lips, veins popping in her hand gripping the sword hilt, and immediately turned back to the lizard's back.

Paru, thinking there was danger ahead, leaned against the lizard's back, ready to speak, "Lady Lily…"

"Shut up!"

Lily shot him a fierce glare. "The sandstorm is so strong, don't talk to me! Or I'll throw you off!"

"Yes!" Paru felt a jolt of pain from her glare, shivering involuntarily.

In the high-speed movement, no one spoke, and due to Lily's terrifying aura, they didn't even dare to drink water, quietly waiting.

Considering the inconvenience of returning, even though they had a lizard temporarily, he didn't increase their numbers. If he remembered correctly, there should be mounts with Crocodile on the Rainbase side, but if they weren't enough, it would be troublesome. It was better to maintain their current number.

After about two hours, the lizard's speed gradually slowed, and in the distance, a city outline appeared, gradually approaching. It wasn't until they reached the city's edge that the leading giant lizard finally stopped, and the lizard behind it also came to a halt, quietly watching Sage.

This city in the desert looked far more magnificent than Naruhara, especially in the center, where there was a massive structure resembling a pyramid, topped with a golden Crocodile emblem.

The hero of Alabasta, the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Crocodile's headquarters was right here.

At the same time, it was also the largest casino in Rainbase, the Rain Banquet.