One Piece 96

Luffy & Co are on their way by boat to some harbor from which they can cross the desert, hopefully surviving a long voyage through a blazing land where the dunes of sand climb over 300 meters high.

Meanwhile some misserable people come to the kings palace to complain. The king is noble, he tells them he will listen to their complaints personally and treat them as if they were his own.

Vivi sends her duck on an important mission.

Crocodile sends his Erimaki Runners on an important mission.

Luffy & Co meet a bunch of Kung Fu Dewgongs. They say something along the lines of...

You must fight to defeat me if you wish to disembark here! If you're too afraid, go dock on some other shore, you wimps!

Translation by Chopper.

Usopp, the brave warrior of the sea, challenges them first.

Luffy challenges them second. They don't need any more challenge than that.

It turns out Kung Fu Dewgongs follow the one who defeats them wherever they go, so Luffy gives them a quick martial arts lesson...

And then they're ready to march of into the desert!

Everyone but Nami realizes they would all die if they ventured into the desert though, so Chopper bribes them with some food and they say farewell. One of many tear-filled moments along the way.

And then, the trip through the desert starts. Apart from everything you've read above some of Crocodile's ulterior motives are revealed. Only nobody knows his motives yet, they just know they're ulterior. What we do know so far is:

• Crocodile is the Mr 0 in Baroque Works. The big boss.
• Crocodile is seen as a hero by the people of the desert.
• Crocodile has been trying to set up the king by making it look like he (the king) is using dance-powder (to make rain) while the rest of the land is drying up.
• Crocodile sent Mr 2 to kill Mr 3.
• Crocodile has a sandline power.
• Mr 2 can imitate anybody he touches, and he has touched the king.
• Crocodile is Shibukai; very dangerous.

Sail on!