One Piece Chapter 161: The Green City, Elumalu

A massive turtle-like creature labeled “Baroque Works Transport-Turtle for Officer Agents ‘Banchi’” pulls a wheeled vehicle across the desert, kicking up clouds of sand. Speech bubbles read: “I sent Banchi to pick them up so they should arrive here by… Early morning tomorrow.” and “They should be heading here to Rainbase right about now…”. Smaller panels show an interior scene where a woman with curly hair laughs, “Haha… Well, I never said I ‘wasn’t,’ did II” while a man with slicked-back hair replies, “I never would’ve imagined you’d be Ms. Double-Finger, Paula!”. Banchi’s face appears in a close-up panel with sound effects “ドッドッドッ”.

A large reptilian creature with a long snout sits in a grand hall as a man in a dark coat speaks: “So I went with something else.” and “I figured waiting for the Unluckies to come back would delay our schedule.” Another bubble asks, “How are you sending out my orders to the billions stationed at NanohanaI”. A dynamic spread shows several Muffler Runners speeding forward with swirling scarves and rifles, accompanied by repeated “テヘ!” sounds and the label “Baroque Works Immediate Delivery Service ‘Muffler Runners’”. A close-up of a scarred man with a cigar states, “Then everything is progressing on time as planned… I see…”.

Luffy, wearing a hooded winter coat and scarf, grins widely and declares, “We’re here at Yuba!” while shielding his eyes. A small box notes “Earlier that day during noon”. Below, a wide desert vista of ruined domes and broken buildings fills the page. A lone figure in a hat and cloak stands in the foreground, saying “This place is the dumps!” as another voice exclaims “Wow…”. Large sound effects “どーーーん!!” and trailing “トゥゥゥゥゥゥ…” dominate the upper half of the panel.

The Straw Hats stand near their docked ship in the desert outside Elumalu. Someone suggests, "We still have to walk Northwest across the desert for half a day." Luffy is corrected, "Actually Luffy, this isn't Yuba." Another voice adds, "Now let's go look for this leader! Where is he againI" Luffy reacts in shock, "HALF A DAY!I" A map panel shows their present location at Elumalu after crossing the Sandora River, with labels for Yuba Oasis, Sandora, Nanohana, and Port Town Nanohana. Vivi, in her hooded cloak, confirms, "...Nowadays, yes..." Luffy stares at the city and complains, "The green cityI But there isn't anything green out here..."

Usopp yells, "NO, USOPP! DON'T GET CLOSE TO IT!" as a small creature appears. Reactions fly: "Kung fuI", "That's a Kung-Fu Dugong!", "OR A SEAL!I", "WHOA! WHAT THE HECK IS THAT!I A TURTLEI" The dugong strikes a pose with "KUOO!" and "FWOOSH" effects. It defeats several opponents with powerful blows, leaving them smoking as someone remarks, "They're very strong." A hooded figure notes, "Pathetic." The dugong stands victorious while the crew watches. In the next panels the dugong is addressed, "A very martial species, huh." It is explained, "It's their custom for the loser to become the victor's disciple." Luffy declares, "DON'T BEAT THEM EITHER! We got a winner over here."

The Kung-Fu Dugong continues training stances while Luffy shouts, "HOW MANY DISCIPLES DO YOU HAVE ALREADYI" The dugong replies with "KUOO!" and advice about proper stance. The crew discusses the situation: "They kept saying they'd accompany us so I had no choice but to convince them with some food." "What would you have done if it weren't for ChopperI" "We lost a lot of our food supplies because of you!" Luffy grins and announces, "Alright, let's go to Yuba then!" Chopper appears in his hat asking about the dugongs living in the river. Vivi questions the idea of bringing them along while Luffy wonders, "In any case, it's quite odd to see dugongs living in the river, Vivi."

Vivi explains the geography with a diagram: "The river has lost its vigour and is now being driven inland by the ocean." "But in recent years, Sandora River has nourished the lands of Alabasta. For ages past." She continues, "Is that why this town dried upI" "Yes, it's actually seawater. You can't use it to irrigate the lands around here." "So then the mouth of the river where the Dugongs were..." The scene shifts to the dried-out streets of Elumalu. Vivi notes, "Even just a few years ago, this place was still a lively town full of plant life." Someone asks, "ReallyI" She replies about occasional rainwater storage, adding that the town has managed to get by somehow.

Vivi explains the situation in Alabasta while the group walks through the desert town. "Nanohana's a special case, as it receives its water from the neighbouring oasis town Katorea. But that port town we visited earlier seemed to be doing fine." Luffy holds up a skull as she continues, "A drought so severe that no place in Alabasta has received a single drop of rain ever since... Starting 3 years ago, our country has been suffering from a severe drought." Nami asks, "Yes, but then..." Vivi replies, "The capital city of Alabasta where the King resides. That place is Alubarna. However, there was one place in Alabasta that somehow still received rainfall, and in higher amounts than it would normally get. This country's been through droughts before but to receive not a single drop of rain was unheard of in the several thousand years of our history." She adds, "But that all changed after a certain incident... For a while, the people thought of it as the King's miracle."

Two years ago at Port Town Nanohana, workers shout "UNLOAD THE SUPPLIES!" as a large ship docks. Townspeople gather while a heavy cart loaded with barrels is pulled through the streets. The cart suddenly tips, sending barrels crashing down. People scream "GET OUTTA THE WAY!", "IT'S GONNA FALL OVER!", "AHH! WATCH OUT!", and "CRACK!" as the barrels smash open, spilling their contents across the ground.

After the crash, Luffy lies on the ground asking "IS ANYONE INJUREDI" while a man yells "ARE YOU ALRIGHTI" Green powder spills everywhere. A man with a star tattoo on his chest panics, "Wait, this green powder is...!I...What is this anywaysI WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET THIS DELIVERED TO THE KING AT ALUBARNA... OH CRAP! THIS IS BAD!" Others shout "RUN FOR IT, GUYS!" and "WE WERE ONLY FOLLOWING THE KING'S ORDERS... ORDERS TO DELIVER THIS THING, WHATEVER IT IS! THAT'S ALL WE KNOW!" as the group flees in confusion.

The spilled substance is revealed as someone exclaims "Dance Powder...!" A close-up shows green powder pouring from a barrel. Nami reacts with shock, "WHAT!I" Luffy and Vivi stare in disbelief. Vivi confirms, "You know what that is, NamiI" Nami replies, "HuhI Yes... They were delivering dance powder...!I" In a large panel, Vivi states, "The powder that calls forth rain." She adds, "It's commonly known by its nickname."

In a desert city square, a hooded woman explains the strange powder to the group. "If you send it up to the atmosphere as a mist of powder, what it does is stimulate the formation of ice particles in clouds at sub-freezing temperatures to later have it released as rain." A cloaked figure murmurs, "Mhmmm, Mhmmm." Another adds, "It was invented in some country where rain was very rare." Luffy stares in shock as someone asks, "A powder that calls rainI" Luffy suddenly brightens and exclaims, "Ohhh, I get it. So it's a 'magic powder,' ehI" The woman continues, "So you're saying it makes rain fall." Usopp realizes, "That's what 'dance powder' is." The explanation goes on: "In short, it's a powder that artificially makes rain." The hooded woman grows serious. "But behind the blessing it calls forth lies a great pitfall... The people first danced with joy when it was invented in their country... As the name 'dance powder' implies." Luffy's face twists in realization. "HmI Wait, if that's the case, isn't that exactly what your country needs right nowI"

Vivi raises a finger and asks, "Can you understand what I'm getting atI" She reveals the dark truth: "And that pitfall is a drought in lands leeward!" Usopp gasps, "Ohhh, I get it! The rain clouds that normally drift leeward would now rain much sooner, so it'd be like stealing rain from your neighbouring countries!" Diagrams show clouds being forced to rain early by Dance Powder. Vivi explains further, "Dance Powder is something that artificially stimulates premature rain clouds." She concludes gravely, "So it's a powder that can be both a blessing or a tragedy, depending on how you use it... And that's why the World Government has officially banned producing or owning Dance Powder. Wars were started and countless lives have been lost... Exactly... Once people realized that." The ruined city square stands silent behind them.

Vivi continues the story with a grim expression. "That the people would suspect the king, after an incident like that... I guess it's only expected." She recalls the moment the truth emerged: "The truth behind the capital's abnormally abundant rainfall... The entire nation finally realized." The shocking discovery follows: "Once that huge amount of dance powder was uncovered at the port of Nanohana." Luffy, Usopp, and the others react in fury. Luffy shouts, "THERE'S NO WAY HE'D ACTUALLY DO SUCH A THING!" Usopp yells, "YOU IDIOT! HE WAS OBVIOUSLY SET-UP!" Someone cries, "HOLY CRAP, VIVI! YOUR DAD IS EVIL!" Vivi looks down, thinking, "Thinking about it now, Crocodile's plans must have already been well under way back then..." In the present ruined square, she states, "But the fact remained that a large amount of Dance Powder had been somehow delivered to the Royal Palace." A skull lies on the ground as the group stands in silence. Vivi finishes, "My innocent father was completely dumbfounded by the incident."

Vivi clutches a skull as chaos erupts around her in the flashback. "The start of a bloody conflict between the angry citizens who had lost their homes to the drought, and the innocent government...! It was all a trap laid out by Crocodile... And just as he intended, a rebellion arose!" The ruined city stretches out as she cries, "WHAT GIVES HIM THE RIGHT TO DO SUCH A THING!I" Voices echo: "All of it were stripped away because of one man!" "BECAUSE OF CROCODILE!" "People's homes and even their lives..." "The country's peace, its trust in the King, the rain." Small panels show Usopp, Luffy, and Sanji listening with intense, angry expressions as the weight of the story sinks in.

A massive close-up shows Wapol's face twisted in fury, sweat flying as he roars, "NEVER FORGIVE THAT MAN!" "I WILL..." In the next panel a cloaked figure with a scarred face crosses his arms and mutters, "Hmph... Bunch of kids." Nearby, a small figure in a black top hat with an X stares forward. An enormous explosion suddenly erupts in the distant town, the sound effect "ドゴオオオン" blasting across the panel as smoke and debris fill the air. In the wide bottom panel, several cloaked figures walk away across the sand while background onlookers react with startled sounds "ザッ..." "ザッ..." "ぐるぐる" as a small spinning figure tumbles nearby.

Smoke drifts over the ruined town as three figures walk forward, the large onomatopoeia "オオオオ" echoing above them. A hooded woman with a pearl headband cries out in alarm, "Just what're you guys thi-" while a blonde woman nearby snaps, "Hey," with an intense glare. In the large lower panel Luffy, wrapped in a cloak, is being carried forward; his fist cracks loudly with the sound effect "CRACK!" as he shouts, "Let's hurry up and get a move on." "My fists are getting antsy."

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