The sun was cruel.
It beat down from above like an ancient hammer, turning the sand into shimmering waves of heat. The desert stretched endlessly in every direction, broken only by the distant outline of mountains and the occasional scattered skeleton of a long-dead beast.
Vivi struggled to keep her footing as she trudged forward, scarf pulled tight around her face.
"We have to find Yuba," she said. "The rebels are gathering there—if we can reach Koza, we can stop this war."
Luffy marched ahead with a smile. "Let's goooo!"
Zoro barely blinked. "We'll make it."
Sanji offered Nami his last canteen. "For you, my sunshine."
Usopp collapsed dramatically. "I'm gonna die! Leave me with the cactus!"
But Rex—
Rex walked with rhythm.
Not stiff. Not brooding.
Relaxed. Confident. Smirking just a little.
"Usopp, if that cactus gets up and eats you, I'm not saving you."
Usopp rolled over. "You've changed, man."
"Yeah," Rex said, adjusting his collar. "I missed being funny."
Nami raised an eyebrow. "So you admit you've been acting like a moody statue?"
"I've been calculating. Someone had to stay sane while Luffy tried to punch a sandstorm."
Luffy blinked. "Wait, that didn't work?"
Nami laughed, and even Vivi cracked a smile.
Zoro muttered, "The heat's making him honest."
Sanji squinted at Rex. "What happened to brooding-and-silent guy?"
Rex winked. "He melted somewhere between drum cliffs and the last time Nami threatened to throw me overboard."
An Hour Later – Mid-Dune Rest Stop
They took shade under the edge of a stone outcrop, letting the heat pass. Usopp was face-down in the sand. Sanji was fanning Nami. Luffy chewed on an empty canteen.
Rex sat with his back against the stone, watching the sun.
And then…
[…Environmental conditions crossing risk threshold. Hydration levels nearing critical. Suggest water ration protocol.]
He smirked.
"Nice to hear from you, Michael."
[…Dormancy was optimal. You've adapted to this world efficiently. But dehydration is not subject to confidence level.]
"Yeah, yeah…"
Nami leaned over. "Talking to your other brain again?"
"Something like that."
She tossed him a half-full canteen.
"You'll need that before you pass out trying to act cool."
Rex took it, grinning. "That's why you like me. I balance lethal and dehydrated perfectly."
"I like you just a little less when you say it out loud."
Usopp groaned. "If I die out here, I want my slingshot buried with me."
"You're not dying," Rex said.
"Really?"
"No," Rex continued, "because if I die carrying your dramatic carcass through the dunes, I'll haunt you."
Later That Day – Sand Trap
Just as the group rounded a ridge, the ground gave way.
Vivi screamed.
Zoro cursed.
Luffy fell sideways.
And all at once—
They were sinking.
A pit of quicksand, wide and sudden.
Baroque Works had dug it deep — baited with faint moisture, hidden beneath cracked surface.
"…TRAP!!" Nami shouted.
Usopp flailed. "WE'RE GONNA BE SAND MUMMIES—!"
Rex moved instantly.
No panic.
Just momentum.
He grabbed Nami with one hand, Vivi with the other, and kicked off the ledge toward a rocky spire jutting from the pit's center.
Sand flew in every direction.
He landed, dropped the girls safely onto the rock, and vaulted back with one smooth leap to help the others.
Zoro was already using his sword to pull himself free. Sanji was kicking his way to the edge.
Only Luffy was smiling.
"WHOA! THIS IS FUN!"
"Try not to drown in fun," Rex muttered, yanking Luffy free by the scarf.
Moments Later – On Safe Ground
The crew collapsed on the rocks, coughing and covered in sand.
Nami exhaled. "That was... close."
"Too close," Vivi added. "They're setting traps now. They know we're coming."
Zoro nodded. "We'll need to change our path."
Rex dusted his hands off. "Let them try."
He stood tall against the sun, coat flapping lightly behind him.
"If they want a fight," he said, voice calm but iron-hard, "they'll get one."
He turned back to the crew — but this time, with a grin.
"And I haven't lost once yet."
Luffy clapped him on the shoulder. "You won't. You're awesome!"
Rex smirked. "Took you long enough to say it."
Usopp pointed. "Hey! Footprints!"
Everyone tensed.
Vivi stepped forward. "Those are rebel scouts... they lead to Yuba!"
Rex nodded.
"Then let's follow them," he said. "And finish what we started."