Chapter 324: Desert Law
The tattoo on Ian's arm had been inked during his time in Salamis, and the pattern was naturally the flag of the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
But to be honest, as news of Ian becoming a Warlord spread, many people might know who he was, but not many had actually seen the emblem of the Dragon Hunter Pirates.
Clearly, this man in the turban was one of the few who had recognized it.
However, after identifying the tattoo on Ian's arm, he immediately lowered his head and began drinking the water in front of him, not daring to glance at Ian again.
Ian drank his fill of water with great satisfaction, letting out a comfortable sigh, and then set the empty wooden bucket on the counter with a thud.
He called over the restaurant owner and asked, "Where is this place?"
The owner gave him a strange look and replied, "This is Yuba City! A port city in Alabasta."
"Oh, so which direction do I go to reach the capital of Alabasta?" Ian continued. "How long will it take?"
"Are you talking about Alubarna, sir?" the owner said. "Just head east from here. As for how many days, it depends on what kind of transportation you use."
Ian slapped his forehead. Right, Alabasta was a desert kingdom. Traveling through it wasn't like anywhere else—if he relied on his own two feet, walking through the desert would kill him.
So he asked, "Where can I buy a camel?"
In the desert, the most common mode of transport was camels, and that was the first thing that came to Ian's mind.
"Turn right when you leave, keep walking straight, and you'll find a market. They have camels there," the owner answered.
Ian nodded and bought five more buckets of drinking water from the owner. But when it came time to pay, the price the owner quoted made Ian jump.
"Six buckets of water total, that'll be 900,000 Berries!"
"What the hell! Why don't you just rob me?" Ian's eyes nearly popped out at the price.
The owner gave a bitter smile and said, "Sir, you might not know this, but Alabasta has been suffering from a severe drought for the past two years. It's hardly rained at all. So over the years, the price of drinking water has skyrocketed. Even the water we sell here is shipped in from elsewhere, so naturally, it's expensive."
Hearing this, Ian suddenly realized. Oh, right. Drinking water in a desert country was already expensive, and Alabasta hadn't seen rain in two years.
And if he wasn't mistaken, this drought would last another year... because it was all Crocodile's doing!
Shaking his head, Ian felt the pain in his wallet but had no choice but to pay up. He hoisted the stack of five water buckets onto his shoulder and walked out of the restaurant.
After Ian left, the man in the turban leisurely settled his bill and followed him out.
Once he reached a quiet street, the turbaned man looked around to make sure no one was watching, then pulled out a Den Den Mushi from his pocket. He also took out a small white anti-eavesdropping Den Den Mushi and placed it nearby before making a call.
Click. The call connected quickly, and the man immediately spoke into the Den Den Mushi: "This is Barney. Current location: Yuba City port. Here is my report: I just encountered the newly appointed Warlord, 'Black Dragon' Ian, at a restaurant here. He seems to have just landed in Alabasta. His purpose is unknown. Please report immediately and provide instructions for action!"
After Barney finished his report, there was a moment of silence on the other end. Then, after a long pause, a voice came through: "Well done, Barney. Follow 'Black Dragon' Ian immediately and report his location at all times. The Chief of Staff is already heading to your city. He will contact you then!"
"Understood!" Barney was startled but quickly acknowledged.
Then, tightening his turban and clothes, he set off in the direction Ian had gone.
By this time, Ian had already found the camel market and was picking out his mode of transport. With the enthusiastic introduction of the camel seller, Ian chose a sturdy-looking camel. He swung himself onto its back and tried riding it.
To be honest, this was Ian's first time riding a camel, and he found it quite novel. Luckily, these camels were well-trained and had gentle temperaments. After a bit of practice, Ian gradually got the hang of it.
So, following the map of Alabasta he had bought on a whim, he headed east.
With the camel, he no longer had to carry the water buckets himself; they were tied to the camel's back. Since the desert sun was scorching, Ian also bought a set of desert clothing—the kind that wrapped him up tightly to block out the sand and wind.
Swaying along the road, Ian didn't realize that a tail had been following him from a distance.
Moreover, the road he was taking was the main route to Alubarna, so he had plenty of travel companions. There was even a merchant caravan of several dozen people ahead of him, which made it hard for Ian to notice anyone following him.
The desert sun was brutal, and the dry environment quickly made him feel parched. This was Ian's first time traveling through a desert, so he made a common mistake: he didn't conserve his water.
After just one day, he had already drunk two buckets of water. When he asked other travelers on the road, he was shocked to realize that his remaining water might not be enough.
It would take at least four more days to reach the next Alabasta city at this pace, and Ian only had three buckets left.
Ian caught up to the merchant caravan ahead, hoping to buy more water from them, but to his surprise, they refused to sell!
These merchants knew well that no one could predict what might happen in the desert, so their water supply was their lifeline. No matter how much money was offered, they wouldn't easily part with it.
Ian was a pirate, but he couldn't bring himself to rob them, so he had to return dejectedly.
Fine, if he couldn't buy any, he'd just have to ration what he had.
But what annoyed Ian was that some people in the caravan were actually mocking him!
Even though he couldn't hear what they were saying, their frequent glances back at him with smug expressions made it clear enough.
Damn it! Even if I'm a rookie who doesn't know the desert rules, do you have to laugh at me like that?
So, when someone turned to look at him again, Ian glared back fiercely. But with his head wrapped in a turban, he didn't look very intimidating, so the caravan people weren't afraid of him at all. They kept on laughing.
Tch! Out of sight, out of mind. Ian decided to fall back and stop following the caravan.
Some might say, "They dare to laugh at you? Go kill them and take their water!"
Come on, killing someone's whole family over a minor insult is something only a lunatic would do, right? Ian wasn't that crazy or extreme.
And so, after another day of travel, night began to fall.
The desert was scorching hot during the day, but at night, the temperature dropped so low it made you want to curse. Ian was glad he had bought the desert clothing; otherwise, dealing with such a temperature difference would have been a real pain.
In the distance, Ian saw the merchant caravan setting up camp. They lit a campfire and ate their food around it, while the camels knelt in a circle to block the wind and sand.
Seeing this, Ian followed suit and rested beside his camel.
The camel Ian had bought looked sturdy, but it had a peculiar trait: it often made a "Bzz! Bzz!" sound when breathing. This was because it was missing a tooth, and the gap let air whistle through. So Ian had nicknamed it "Bzz."
Bzz's body was warm, so Ian leaned against it to sleep through the night. Of course, to avoid being buried by sand in the middle of the night, he chose a spot on a high dune, just like the caravan.
However, in the dead of night, Ian was jolted awake by a series of high-pitched screams. He immediately stood up alertly and looked around. He soon realized the screams were coming from the merchant caravan ahead!
Their camp was not far away, and from his elevated position, Ian could see it clearly. Under the glow of the campfire, he saw that they were being robbed!
Just as there were pirates at sea and bandits in the mountains, the desert had its own breed of criminals: desert bandits.
Clearly, the caravan had run into some.
From a distance, Ian couldn't see clearly, but he could make out a group of veiled people wielding large swords, slashing wildly through the camp. Cries of pain echoed from that direction.
Ian watched but didn't move. He considered himself a good person, but not a naive one. So he had no intention of saving the caravan.
This wasn't just because they had mocked him during the day; it was also because he understood the law of the desert. That caravan might look like merchants, but they could just as easily turn into desert bandits in an instant.
Yes, it was the same as pirates at sea. When things were calm, they could trade for profit, but when they saw a lone traveler with something valuable, they'd switch roles in a flash.
Because the desert was like the sea—kill someone, bury them in the sand, and all traces were gone. Such low-cost crime inevitably led to this.
Ian watched coldly as events unfolded in the camp ahead, not interfering.
But then, after looting the camp, the desert bandits started fleeing—straight toward his direction.
Ian rubbed his hands together.
Perfect. My water supply is sorted!