Chapter 103 Future, now, which is more terrifying? (Ch 103)

Juba.

A large oasis town and trading center in western Alabasta.

But at this time, Juba, once a western trade center, a major trading town, and a great vacation destination, is facing the fate of drying up.

Originally, with the water source from the Juba Oasis and the unique underground hot spring water, the city could last for a long time even without rain.

but……

This place seems to have been abandoned by the god of the desert. Since a year ago, not only has it not rained here, but sandstorms have been blowing continuously from time to time.

Over the past year, sandstorms have completely devoured this once beautiful oasis, leaving it completely dry.

At this time, most of the civilians in this town had fled to other cities, and those who stayed had almost all joined the rebel army.

So here, again, is Alabasta, the headquarters of the rebels.

There’s no water.

I believe that it won’t be long before even the rebels will abandon this completely dried-up city!

Juba.

Outside town.

At the site of the former oasis, an old man and a young man were standing with their backs to each other, holding up their hoes and digging in the sand.

The old man was wrapped in a coat, his hair and beard were all white. Judging from the wrinkles on his face, he should have been a wealthy man. But now, he was like this town, gradually drying up.

The boy was shirtless, with goggles hanging around his neck, short dark brown hair, and a small vertical scar across his left eye.

The young man was “Kosa”, the leader of the rebel army of the Alabasta Kingdom at that time.

The old man is the boy’s father, “Duoto”.

They were all members of the group that built Juba.

Why Yuba became an important trading center and tourist destination in the West.

It’s not because there’s a huge oasis here.

It was nine years ago that Doto brought Kosa and countless people here to develop this place together, which made it gradually prosperous.

Clang——!

Duotuo stopped what he was doing, turned around and stared at Kosa’s back, frowned slightly, and said seriously: “Don’t doubt it, Kosa.”

Kosa continued to dig the ground and ignored Duoto.

In the past few months, he asked himself countless times whether this was the right thing to do, but every time he heard about the demise of a town, his will grew stronger and his heart became more resolute.

Seeing that Kosa ignored him, Duotuo turned around, faced Kosa, and said, “You should also be very clear about the talent of His Majesty the King.”

Clang——!

Kou Sha paused while digging the sand, lowered his head, and said calmly: “Those who would say so are a group of elderly people.”

He raised his hoe and continued digging in the sand. “The reason I followed you to Juba wasn’t because of the king.”

“I know.”

Duotuo laid the hoe flat, sat on it, looked at Kosa and said with a smile: “It’s okay, haha! As long as it rains, the strange rumors will definitely stop.”

Clang——!

Kosa paused, put down the hoe, and rested his right hand on the hoe handle. “I also want to believe in the king, but…”

Kosa turned his head and looked at Doto, “It’s only been a few months, and the rebel army now has nearly 100,000 soldiers.”

He paused, and a scene of countless people fighting for water emerged in his mind. He then said, “And now people are dying. Unless it rains immediately, otherwise…”

He didn’t say any more, but Doto knew what he meant.

Doto stood up and looked at Kosa, the son he was once proud of but now a fool, and said again: “Don’t doubt it, Kosa.”

Kosa looked at Duotuo for a while and did not answer Duotuo.

He turned around, bent down, grabbed the hoe handle with both hands, and continued digging the sand.

Looking at the oasis covered with sand, he couldn’t help but think of the scene a few months ago when he rushed to the capital to meet the king as soon as he learned about the rapeseed flower dancing powder incident.

He really didn’t want to doubt the king, but this country and countless people in this country were suffering from drought and hunger at this time.

He knew that there were a large number of dancing fans in the palace. Even if he believed in the king, most of the young people in the country no longer believed in their king.

He tried to ask the king for dancing powder to use in other drought-stricken towns, but was refused.

His idea was actually very simple at first. Just a little bit of it shouldn’t matter! As long as it really rained, perhaps the rebellion in other towns could be stopped.

But the king disagreed and there was nothing he could do.

He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand why the king, who had the means to make it rain, didn’t use it. He knew that using dancing powder would bring disaster, so would there be no disaster if he didn’t use it?

Look at this country!

Look at the towns in this country!

Look at this country, once an oasis, now a deserted city!

Look at the countless people who have risen up to fight for water!

Is it true that the disaster that may happen in the future and may not happen yet is more terrible than the disaster that is happening right now?

He doesn’t know.

He just knew that he couldn’t bear it any longer.

He couldn’t bear to see the city’s blood gradually drying up and the countless people living in the city drying up.

So, he would resist, he would fight, and he would go and take the rain himself.

At this moment, a young man wearing goggles rushed towards this side quickly from the street of the town.

When he got closer, he braked suddenly and stopped where he was.

“Kou… Kou, Kou Sha.”

clang–!

Kosa stopped moving, stood up, turned his head, looked at the girl who was panting with her hands on her knees, and said, “What’s wrong? Kebi.”

“Suck~”

Kaibi took a deep breath, then straightened up, looked at Kosa, and said seriously: “Kosa… Aluma, Aluma just sent a message that Aluma has dried up.”

“Um!”

Kosa put down his hoe, stood up, and stared at Kebi in disbelief. “How could Aluma dry up? It’s the largest oasis in Alabasta, known as the Oasis City!”

Doto also turned to look at Kaybi and asked, “Why is it dry there?”

He stared at Kebbi and asked excitedly, “Where is the artificial canal of the Santora River? If the Santora River doesn’t dry up, how can it dry up somewhere?”

Kaibi glanced at Doto, then turned to stare at Kosa.

“The Saint Dora River has been destroyed by someone.”

boom–!

It was like a bolt from the blue, shocking Kosa and Doto so much that they froze in place at the same time.

“Was it destroyed?”

They could already imagine how panicked the people of Eruma were at this moment.

It has not rained for more than a year. The already dry oasis will be even more devastated if the canal does not supply water.

That……

Kosa put down the hoe, turned around and walked towards Kebi.

There is no time to hesitate.

He wondered who had destroyed Eruma.

He only knew that if it didn’t rain, the country would get worse and worse.

We must resist.

Even if the dancing powder would really bring disaster, he didn’t care. After all, that was a matter of the future. He only wanted it now. He just wanted it to rain in the gradually drying Alabasta.

“Kosa, where are you going?”

Doto looked at Kosa’s back and shouted quickly: “Kosa, don’t do anything stupid, don’t doubt, I believe it will rain in Alabasta soon, as long as it rains, as long as it rains…”

Looking at his stupid son Kosa who ignored him, Doto stopped where he was.

Tears fell like rain.

He had a feeling that Kosa might never come back.

He always firmly believed that it would rain in Alabasta, and he always believed in their king.

Because their king is so kind and loves his people so much.

He believed that he would never do anything that would harm the country or the people.