The sky was filled with yellow sand, and the air was thick with a murderous aura.
Crocodile struggled to his feet, his body swaying, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, and his eyes bloodshot.
His chest heaved violently, a few bones seemed broken, and the pain in his chest made every breath feel like his internal organs were tearing apart.
He raised his head, his gaze fixed menacingly on Straw Hat Luffy in mid-air, his eyes filled with rage and unwillingness!
Behind him, the Advanced agents of Baroque Works looked grim, their faces etched with shock and worry.
They never expected their boss, Crocodile, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, to be in such a sorry state!
"Boss... are you alright?!"
Mr. 1 stepped forward with a somber expression, his fists clenched, his voice low.
Upon hearing his subordinate's concern, a wave of shame surged through Crocodile!
Who was he?
A Shichibukai! Crocodile! A great pirate! The de facto Dominator of Alabasta!
But now?
To be blasted away in front of so many people by a rookie pirate who had just entered the Grand Line?!
This was an absolute disgrace!!!
Crocodile gritted his teeth, enduring the sharp pain in his chest, his face darkened, and he roared—
"Bastard!! That was strong enough!!"
He panted heavily, his face ferocious, his eyes burning with furious flames!
"But do you think this is enough to defeat me? Then you are gravely mistaken!"
He forcefully wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his gaze locked onto Luffy, his eyes filled with insane Battle Intent!
"Straw Hat, I admit, I underestimated you..."
"But you dare not look down on me!!!"
His voice was like a beast's roar, echoing across the entire desert battlefield!
"I am Crocodile! I am a Shichibukai! I am the King of this desert!"
"How could I be easily defeated by a pirate like you who just debuted!!!"
Crocodile slammed both hands onto the ground, his eyes cold and furious as he roared!
"Desert—Grand Sepulchre!!!"
Boom—!!
In an instant, the earth seemed to wail, and the entire desert battlefield instantly went wild!
The ground, already covered in yellow sand, rapidly turned into quicksand under the activation of Crocodile's ability, becoming an inescapable abyss!
The desert seemed to come alive, churning wildly under Crocodile's control, creating countless whirlpools.
Every grain of sand carried a strong corrosive ability, as if it could devour all life!
The earth was collapsing!
Centered on Crocodile, the ground of the entire battlefield was rapidly collapsing, and waves of sandstorms swept towards Luffy!
This was no ordinary sandstorm, but a death trap that devoured all things!
The former oasis was completely swallowed by this very move!
Crocodile's eyes burned with furious anger, his voice low and cold: "Die... Straw Hat!"
However—
Facing this terrifying scene, Luffy showed no panic.
Before Crocodile unleashed Desert Grand Sepulchre, he had already sensed it all through Observation Haki.
But he didn't stop it.
Because in Luffy's eyes, Crocodile could no longer stir up any trouble!
This man... was far from his opponent!
The next second, the sandstorm surge was about to engulf Luffy!
But just as countless desert whirlpools were about to sweep over Luffy—
"Swoosh!"
Luffy's figure suddenly soared into the air, instantly flying high into the sky!!
He didn't take the attack head-on, but... directly leaped into the sky!
"Six Powers—Moonwalk!"
Boom—!
He stomped hard in mid-air, the air exploded with a cracking sound, and he soared even higher, suspended in the sky!
Crocodile: "...?!"
Crocodile's eyes suddenly narrowed, his expression instantly frozen!
He had thought that Luffy would take this attack head-on, and no matter how strong he was, he would be bound by the quicksand and trapped!
But... this brat actually flew up directly?!
"This... what kind of joke is this?!"
Crocodile's expression changed from shock to complete disbelief, and finally, twisted into a furious roar!
"Bastard... it's the Six Powers' Moonwalk?!"
He stared intently at Luffy in mid-air, his eyes filled with shock, anger, unwillingness, and a hint of... faint despair.
This brat... how much more did he know?!
Conqueror's Haki... Armament Haki... Observation Haki... and now he can even use the Six Powers?!
How was anyone supposed to fight like this?!
His Sand-Sand Fruit was already countered by Armament Haki, and now, even his strongest sandification and devouring ability was easily avoided, leaving him completely at a disadvantage!
At this moment, for the first time, a deeply humiliating thought arose in Crocodile's mind—he was completely helpless against this guy!!!
Luffy in the air, overlooked everything!
In mid-air, Luffy looked down at Crocodile on the ground, his gaze calm and sharp!
He glanced down at the wildly churning sandstorm whirlpool below, without a hint of fear in his eyes, but rather a slight, disdainful smile!
"Crocodile..."
He slowly raised his fist, Armament Haki covering it again, and black-red lightning wildly danced on his fist!
"This time... it's my turn to attack!"
Crocodile stood on the ground, his face pale, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, his entire body already swaying precariously.
His hands trembled slightly, the speed of his fingertips turning to sand slowed, and even the power to control the sandstorm began to become unstable.
He lost... he knew it himself.
Completely and utterly defeated!
He was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he was the King of Alabasta, he was the Dominator of this desert.
But now, his ambition, his power, his dignity, all were crushed by this brat from the East Blue!
This outcome made him afraid! It made him angry! It made him unwilling!
He knew that he could no longer change his fate... he would be used by this pirate crew as a stepping stone to fame on the Grand Line!
He, Crocodile, would be nailed to the pillar of shame, mocked by the whole world!
This was more terrifying to him than death!
His former plans, everything he had painstakingly built, had all turned into bubbles!
He once wanted to take over Alabasta, find the ancient weapon "Pluton," and then use it to dominate the seas!
But now... he no longer wanted to find any Pluton... he even wished he had never come to this cursed place!!!
Unfortunately, time no longer allowed him to think further, because—
—Luffy's attack had already arrived!!!
High in the sky!
Luffy floated in mid-air, his Moonwalk lightly stepping, his body stably suspended, looking down at Crocodile on the ground, his eyes utterly cold.
At this moment, he had no pity!
Luffy thought of the destroyed cities of Alabasta, he thought of countless citizens lying in the streets, desperate and suffering from drought... He thought of Vivi crying and pleading, hoping to save her country... And the culprit of all this was Crocodile before him!
This guy was not worth pity!
"Crocodile!"
Luffy's eyes narrowed, and he extended both hands, fingers covered in thick Armament Haki, pointing at Crocodile on the ground!
"Die!!!"
"Gomu Gomu no Armament—Finger Pistol Machine Gun!!!"