"Nonsense! You're just a roadside tea stall—of course it's a small business!"
Before Logan could speak, Tuanzi slammed the table and exploded in anger.
"Two pots of tea—how much could that possibly cost? My master doesn't even need to pay, I've got money myself!"
The shop attendant didn't get angry. He only smiled politely.
"Little miss, our stall has been here for many years. We run on honesty. One cup of tea is five hundred Beli. One pot is five thousand Beli. Two pots make ten thousand Beli. No bargaining."
"What?!"
Tuanzi hadn't even warmed her seat before she jumped up and grabbed Logan.
"This is a scam! Five thousand Beli for one pot of tea?! Back home, five thousand Beli could buy a whole cow!"
The attendant chuckled.
"That's why we tell you the price first. If you can afford it, drink. If not, feel free to try elsewhere. You're clearly outsiders—normal not to understand Alabasta's situation."
Logan frowned but said nothing.
A single pot of tea selling for this price told him exactly how desperate this country's water shortage had become.
He gestured for Tuanzi to sit, then casually reached into his sleeve. A thick stack of Beli appeared on the table.
Back in Loguetown, the system had rewarded him with one hundred million Beli, and he had barely spent any of it.
Expensive or not—he could afford it.
Besides, this seemed to be the only tea stall around.
"Go ahead and count it," Logan said calmly.
The attendant's eyes lit up. He grabbed the money, fingers flying. Within seconds, he finished counting and bowed deeply.
"Right away, sir! Tea coming up!"
He jogged back inside.
Tuanzi puffed out her cheeks, clearly unhappy.
"Master, I'd rather die of thirst than drink their water!"
Logan sighed and gently brushed the cracked skin on her lips.
"You can suffer the pain of training as my disciple," he said softly,
"but you don't need to suffer the pain of daily life. Don't worry—your master can afford this."
"Even if you're rich, you shouldn't waste money like this! I'm not drinking!"
She turned her head stubbornly away.
Soon, the skinny attendant returned, carefully setting down two clay teapots and two cups.
The teapots were old ceramic. One cup had a chipped rim the size of a grain of rice; the other had a thin crack at the bottom.
Ugly—but usable.
Lifting the lid, Logan saw only a pitiful layer of tea leaves floating on top, with most of the broken leaves settled at the bottom.
"Well… better than nothing."
He poured himself a cup and drank.
After the long walk, he was genuinely thirsty. Senzu Beans restored energy, but they didn't quench thirst. Only cool tea could do that.
The moment it slid down his throat, a refreshing chill spread through his body, forcibly dispersing some of the desert heat.
The attendant swallowed hard as he watched, eyes full of envy.
"Tuanzi, drink," Logan urged after pouring another cup.
"It doesn't taste great, but it really helps."
She glanced once—then turned her head again.
"Not drinking."
The attendant shook his head repeatedly, sighing.
Logan smiled faintly and stopped persuading her. Instead, he turned to the man.
"We're not from Alabasta. Could you explain why tea is so expensive here?"
The attendant looked at the teapot again and swallowed.
"You outsiders don't know… Alabasta has always been short on water, but before, we'd still get a few rains every year."
"But for the past three years, not a single drop has fallen. People die of thirst everywhere. Water is the true luxury here."
He laughed bitterly.
"To be honest, seeing someone drink water the way you do—I can only imagine that in my dreams."
Logan took another overturned cup, filled it, and handed it to him.
"In that case," Logan asked,
"doesn't your king do anything about it?"
"Oh—oh! I couldn't possibly!" the man said nervously, but still accepted the cup and took a tiny sip. His respect deepened instantly.
Tuanzi glared at him.
When he didn't notice, she snorted and—out of pure spite—grabbed the teapot with both hands and lifted it over her head.
Glug—glug—glug!
Under the attendant's stunned gaze, she drained the entire pot of tea worth five thousand Beli in one go.
The man instinctively clasped his hands.
"Y-You… heroine!"
Tuanzi lifted her chin proudly, refusing to look at him.
But the faint curve of her lips revealed how much she liked that word.
Only then did the attendant answer Logan's question.
He sighed, his tone laced with sarcasm.
"The king? He's not worried at all."
"Because Alubarna, the royal capital, still has rain. Other regions haven't seen a drop in three years. Tens of thousands have died, and yet the king does nothing."
"And honestly, this drought is his own fault. If he hadn't secretly used Dance Powder, things wouldn't be this bad."
"This country?"
He shook his head.
"It's doomed sooner or later."
"I see. Thanks," Logan replied calmly.
"We'll head to the capital in a few days."
This matched his memories, though time had blurred many details.
At that moment, a man and a child approached the tea stall.
Both wore local headscarves.
The adult was a middle-aged man with an honest face.
The little girl looked about Tuanzi's age—delicate features, quietly beautiful.
In this sea of yellow sand, a child who still looked so clean and gentle was rare.
The man hesitated, then glanced reluctantly at his daughter before speaking to the attendant.
"I've brought my daughter… Now can you give me the half barrel of water?"
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