Luffy, biding his time to make a move, glanced at Smoker during a lull in the action.
The Marine held his jitte at the ready, but his body wasn't wet. To beat Crocodile, a man made entirely of sand, water was essential. Thinking this, he called out to Smoker.
"Oi, Smoke-guy. You need water if you wanna touch him. Want me to lend you some?"
"Don't need it. My jitte has Seastone in the tip. Logia, Paramecia—doesn't matter. If they're an ability user, I can take 'em down without exception. As long as I hit 'em."
"Heeh... A mystery jitte, huh."
"Tch. Just talking to you gives me a headache. Why did it have to be you?"
Did he try to understand and fail, or was he not listening in the first place? Confused by Luffy's guileless reaction, Smoker cut the conversation short.
His brain might be lacking, but his strength was reliable.
It was frustrating, but Luffy was absolutely necessary right now.
Even with Smoker thinking this, Crocodile didn't consider them much of a threat.
Despite taking a few hits, his composure remained unshaken.
"Don't get so worked up, Smoker-kun. Your own incompetence invited this situation. Don't take it out on others."
"Yeah, I'm aware. I was just feeling pathetic about my own stupidity. That's why I figured I had to catch you—to contribute something to the Marines, at least."
"You shouldn't talk about things you can't do. Didn't you just learn that lesson?"
"Sorry, but I'm not the type to obediently do what I'm told."
They spent time gauging each other's moves.
Once it started, it wouldn't stop. Not until it was settled.
Consequently, the air grew visibly heavier, sharp enough to prick the skin.
Suddenly, Luffy bent his knees deep and launched himself forward as if fired from a cannon.
It was yet another charge. Approaching Crocodile with no apparent plan.
Crocodile waited for it. There was no fear or hesitation in his stance.
Luffy leaped lightly while still out of physical reach, using the momentum to stretch his right arm and fire a rapid punch. Crocodile evaded by shifting just one step to the left, turning his right arm into sand to swing it down.
Smoker, moving as smoke, intercepted that right arm with his jitte, stopping the attack before it began.
Their movement was excellent. Without exchanging words, they were coordinating, understanding their roles in the fight. Luffy attacked, and Smoker supported him—proof enough of their synergy.
But their opponent was a pirate reigning as a Warlord of the Sea.
Anyone could see that stopping him with just two people would be difficult. Smoker, understanding this, retreated, but Luffy was different.
He leaped forward as if shot from a gun, using his entire body weight to unleash a full-power kick.
It was certainly fast, but for a calm observer, not unavoidable. Because of the slight delay, hitting Crocodile became significantly harder, and the Warlord used his sand ability to dodge.
"Gomu Gomu no Stamp!"
"Targeting a weakness is a good idea, but combat isn't so shallow that you can win with just that."
Only the targeted abdomen turned to sand, and Luffy's kick passed through empty space.
Immediately retracting his leg to its original length, Luffy pressed forward again.
His lack of fear was enough to worry onlookers. His drive, which even exasperated the intercepting Crocodile, remained solely focused on attacking.
"You bastard!"
He lunged and swung his fist, but this time Crocodile's entire body turned to sand and moved.
Before Luffy knew it, the enemy had vanished from in front of him. Sensing an anomaly on his skin, he turned around just in time to see Crocodile rematerialize at a distance.
Teleportation at will. Fast, and nearly silent.
The distance between them had widened to dozens of meters.
"I'm different from the common pirates out there. I've understood my ability, trained it, honed it. Devil Fruit powers become stronger the more you train them."
"I know that much! I trained too!"
"You and I are on different levels."
He raised his right arm, now turned to sand, and swung it down. Once again, a blade of sand raced across the ground.
"Desert Spada (Treasure Sword of the Desert)!"
"Dodge it, Straw Hat!"
"You don't have to tell me...!"
Smoker flew into the air to quickly gain distance, while Luffy, directly in the blade's path, ran to the right to escape. Fortunately, the trajectory didn't change; it simply tore straight ahead.
When the attack ended, Luffy's eyes went wide with shock.
Without much sound, a massive fissure had been carved into the earth. He realized the power of the attack.
"Whoaa!? The ground split!?"
"There are many annoying obstacles, but this is a land of sand. In a desert battle, there is no human alive who can defeat me."
Targeting Luffy, who had stopped to look at the fissure, Crocodile turned his lower body to sand and took flight.
Approaching furiously, gliding silently over the ground, he raised his right arm.
Sand was scattering from it.
"I will prove that to you now."
"Take this! Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"
To intercept him, Luffy stretched his right arm and fired a punch.
Seeing it head-on, Crocodile tilted his neck slightly, turning the left half of his face to sand to deftly avoid it. His forward speed didn't change; he barely expended any effort.
A fearless smile was on his face, radiating immense confidence.
Seeing the frontal approach, Luffy didn't run.
This was convenient for Crocodile too. Once within arm's reach, both attacked.
Luffy stretched his left arm backward, using the retraction force to unleash a punch.
Crocodile ducked under the punch as if dropping down, swinging his own right arm.
Trailing a crescent of sand, his right arm swiftly caught Luffy's arm.
"Bullet!"
"Crescent Cutlass (Barján)!"
The two figures crossed in an instant, ending up back-to-back with some distance between them.
Outwardly, there seemed to be no major injury, but when he stopped moving, Luffy looked at his arm in horror.
Though there was no pain or external wound, the appearance of his arm had changed drastically from the previous attack. It had withered away like a mummy, dry and brittle. He couldn't put any strength into it; it swayed limply in the wind, looking so alien he hallucinated it wasn't his own arm.
Luffy grabbed his shoulder and screamed.
"Uwaaaaaah!? My arm turned into a mummy!? My arm... is a mummy...!"
"The essence of sand is dehydration. This right arm steals moisture from anything it touches, returning everything to sand. Want to try becoming a mummy yourself?"
When Crocodile turned around with effortless grace, Luffy was in a panic.
He had felt pain from attacks many times before, but having his arm wither until he couldn't move it was a first. He couldn't focus on Crocodile. But then, realizing something, he grabbed the hose for the water.
"That's right, water...!"
He put the hose in his mouth and pressed the button.
He hurriedly drank the water. The change in his body was immediate; his arm popped back to its original state like a balloon inflating.
Confirming he could move it, he slumped his shoulders in relief.
"Haa, that was close!"
"Kuhahaha! Wasn't that supposed to be precious water?"
Crocodile laughed at Luffy's state. It was likely a laugh of mockery.
"Even if you can touch me, the water in that barrel is limited. When it runs out, you lose all means of opposing me."
"Shut up! I'll just beat you before that happens!"
"It would be nice if you could, but do you think I'll just stand by and watch?"
Soaking his body again, Luffy entered a combat stance.
What Crocodile said was true. Once the water was gone, there was no way to touch him. If that happened, he knew he would just be beaten one-sidedly.
He had to settle this before then. Luffy hardened his resolve.
Crocodile laughed, thinking such a thing impossible.
In terms of simple speed and power, Luffy was impressive. But in terms of ability usage, tactics, and strategy, Crocodile was leagues ahead.
This wasn't an opponent he could beat with guts alone. To win, he needed to use his head.
Luffy thought.
Not just now, but before, Kiri had told him: abilities become stronger depending on how you use them.
Suddenly, Luffy smiled. Apparently, he had a good idea.
Crocodile's brow twitched at the change in expression.
He didn't think much caution was needed. However, given the boy's bizarre statements, he recognized that he couldn't predict what Luffy might do, so on that point, he remained wary.
"I don't just punch, you know. I can fight with my head too."
"I can imagine. Don't expect me to be impressed."
"Then I'll show you! Gomu Gomu nooo~!"
Saying this, Luffy began running in a straight line again.
It was exactly the same scene as before. Crocodile found it strange and simply stood there, waiting.
"Bell~!"
As he ran, he stretched his neck and delivered a headbutt.
Crocodile dodged it lightly, veins popping on his forehead. Feeling mocked, a sudden surge of anger flared up within him.
Because he had moved his feet reflexively, Luffy, unable to kill his momentum, was about to pass right by him.
Without missing a beat, Crocodile raised his left arm, hook ready.
The stretched neck snapped back with a snap characteristic of rubber. In that moment, Luffy was wide open. Crocodile swung down, intending to decapitate him in one go.
"Are you mocking me, you bastard...!"
Smoker thrust his jitte out again, catching the angry blow.
He was out of breath; his pained expression was obvious to anyone.
In the instant the hook was stopped, Luffy passed by. Crocodile's gaze shifted, locking onto Smoker, who looked ready to collapse.
Seeing a figure that didn't even seem to need a finishing blow, a cruel arc formed on Crocodile's lips.
"A dying man still moves? You must be near your limit."
"Haa, haa..."
He didn't seem to have the breath to retort.
Crocodile knocked away the jitte, which Smoker had been desperately holding in place, and swung his hook at him again.
"If you can't move, then rest. Lamenting your own powerlessness while you do."
Just having his jitte knocked away made Smoker stumble. Still, he tried desperately to evade, turning his body to smoke to retreat.
If he was touched, he would be torn apart. Crocodile had that kind of power.
In that precarious moment where it was unclear if he would make it, Luffy leaped at Crocodile's exposed back.
Sensing him, Crocodile didn't look back; he turned his head to sand to dodge.
Luffy's roundhouse kick cut through the air.
Aborting his pursuit of Smoker, Crocodile reformed his face and turned around.
Luffy was trying to dive into his guard. He was already close, and closing in fast. Even seeing this, Crocodile's attitude didn't change.
"Nngh!"
"Useless. No matter how wet you are, if I read the move and dodge—"
Suddenly, Luffy spat water from his mouth.
It was an action distinct from an attack meant to injure. Taken aback, Crocodile took the spray directly to the face.
Luffy grinned, his arms already moving at high speed.
(Damn it...! My body—)
"I won't let you get away now! Gomu Gomu no... Gatling!!"
A momentary lapse in guard, but a fatal mistake.
Though the amount wasn't large, water applied directly to the body had a powerful effect. Since it was on his head, his body suddenly stopped responding. Crocodile stood frozen as a stick, and Luffy's onslaught crashed into him.
Countless punches, unleashed with full power, rained down on his entire body.
A continuous barrage that gave him no time to breathe. No time to parry.
Innumerable fists hammered his body, drawing blood, and still, they didn't stop.
"Oooooooooh—!"
Then, abruptly, the barrage ceased.
Luffy paused to breathe, hopping slightly in place.
Crocodile couldn't move. He coughed, spitting out a massive amount of blood.
"And... Whip!"
Luffy's leg, swung with all his might, snapped like a whip and slammed hard into the target's waist.
Crocodile's body flew lightly through the air and skidded across the ground.
By now, it wasn't just the effect of the water. The countless punches had dealt significant damage.
Even a Warlord is rarely on the receiving end of attacks.
The severe pain, felt for the first time in ages, shook his thoughts surprisingly well.
The attack wasn't over.
Jumping high with full power, Luffy positioned himself above the fallen Crocodile, brought the soles of his feet together, and thrust them downward with tremendous force.
His feet slammed into the abdomen of the man who could not evade.
"Spear!"
As if forced out, blood erupted from Crocodile's mouth.
"Hammer!"
Falling, Luffy clasped his hands together, stretched his arms, and swung them down from high above.
Crocodile's body bounced helplessly again.
"Nnnngh...!"
Falling further, Luffy closed in on Crocodile. As if to say this is the end, he stretched his right leg high into the sky, intending to use the momentum of his fall to deliver an axe kick.
Finally, Crocodile's eyes snapped open.
He quickly turned his entire body to sand and escaped from the spot.
"Axe!"
Thud. The heel stomped onto empty ground.
A step too slow. He had lacked one attack to finish it.
As Luffy looked around, Crocodile, having taken his back, raised his hook.
"Brat, don't you underestimate me...!"
Luffy couldn't turn around in time to the swift movement. Or rather, he didn't try to move, keeping his eyes forward.
Uncaring, Crocodile moved to reap his head. However, perhaps because his attention was scattered, he failed to notice the incoming attack.
The tip of a jitte, thrust with full force, struck the side of Crocodile's head.
Blood sprayed violently from the impact point. Smoker looked as if he had cleared some of his frustration.
"I'd be troubled if you forgot about me."
Unable to take a defensive fall, Crocodile collapsed. It was a miserable state in an instant; after being pummeled by Luffy, he was caught off guard by Smoker's blow.
Only after he fell did Luffy straighten up and look at Crocodile alongside Smoker.
For an impromptu team, they were a pretty good duo.
Crocodile hadn't expected this much resistance.
Failing to notice the water in Luffy's mouth was the greatest and basest mistake. Furthermore, losing his cool for a moment under the barrage was the reason he missed Smoker's attack.
Despite the unexpected heavy damage, Crocodile regained his composure rather than getting angry.
Without panic, he slowly rose, stopping on one knee instead of standing fully.
At that moment, strangely, the two felt a peculiar sensation.
An indescribable chill ran down their spines.
Crocodile was laughing.
After taking a one-sided beating, he showed a smile that could even be taken as good humor, and quietly lowered his right hand. He spread his fingers, touched the ground, and stopped moving.
"How many years has it been since I was hit this hard...? Making me use unnecessary energy."
"What? You giving up?"
"Idiot. Attack him while he's talking nonsense. I can't save you anymore..."
It seemed Smoker was at his limit. Having moved without treatment, blood was flowing again, and his legs were unsteady. Further support seemed unlikely.
Luffy glanced at him to check his condition, nodded slightly, and started to walk forward.
What stopped him was a single phrase from Crocodile.
"I'll show you the power of 'Thirst'."
Thump. He felt like he heard a sound that wasn't audible to the ears.
As he wondered what it was, the ground around Crocodile began to change.
Moisture was sucked out, vitality withered, and the land died in a way that was visibly obvious.
The scale of it expanded before their eyes, steadily transforming the world with Crocodile at the center, reaching for Luffy and Smoker with terrifying speed.
At this moment, the two were captivated by a sight they were seeing for the first time.
This was the power of a Devil Fruit.
They were witnessing an overwhelming power, distinct from their own.
Crocodile's attack, hard to distinguish as an attack, reached Luffy's feet.
In that instant, even the straw sandals he wore withered in a flash, as if their life had been stolen.
"Whoa!? My sandals died!"
"All things return to sand... Ground Secco (Dry Earth)!"
Grabbing Luffy by the scruff of his neck, Smoker blasted smoke from his body and launched them into the air.
Immediately after, a massive anomaly transformed the surrounding landscape.
The earth cracked open wide, beginning to collapse in the blink of an eye, sucking up even more moisture and changing its very shape. In the center of it all, Crocodile laughed fearlessly.
"Ground Death (Erosion Samsara)!!"
The earth, the surrounding buildings, the rubble—everything, regardless of classification, turned to sand.
It was as if he were creating hell. The way he created and expanded his own world was visible even to the two who had escaped into the sky, stunning them with its utter abnormality. A transformation so vast it was hard to believe he was an ability user just like them was happening beneath their eyes.
Vision was obscured by the rising sand, and they lost sight of Crocodile.
The scale expanded further, attempting to turn the entire area into a desert.
By now, they could no longer land.
With a body past its limit and on the verge of collapse, Smoker desperately used his ability to keep flying.
Even amidst this, Luffy tried to find Crocodile.
A desert had been born inside the town, but observing it, he realized the expansion had stopped.
Although visibility was poor due to the drifting sand, it likely wouldn't spread any further. It was safe now.
Luffy grabbed his own collar and called out to Smoker, who was positioned above him.
"Awesome... he can do something like this? Hey Smoke, looks like it stopped. Let's go down while we can and find that Sand-Croc. I'll kick his ass for real this time."
He called out, but there was no reply. Finding it suspicious, Luffy tried to look up at him.
"Smoke, what's wrong? We can go down now—"
As soon as he looked up, he felt a drop of water hit his cheek.
Looking closely, against the backdrop of the blue sky and the blazing sun, a golden hook—stained red yet shining dully—was protruding from Smoker's chest.
It seemed what had fallen on Luffy's cheek was his blood.
Luffy's jaw dropped, eyes wide in shock at the unbelievable sight.
"Smoke!? Oi, hang in there!"
"Let's put an end to this... already."
The hook was pulled out, and immediately, Smoker and Luffy began to fall.
Smoker seemed to have already lost consciousness, or at least couldn't open his eyes; he didn't respond to Luffy calling out during their rapid descent.
Their bodies were caught by the soft sand, abruptly thrown from the town into a desert.
Fortune amidst misfortune, their bodies were not those of normal men. They didn't die from the impact.
Instead, Luffy, who failed to break his fall, landed hard on his back. The impact shattered the barrel.
The water, his only weapon, was scattered onto the sand. Luffy sat up, his expression changing.
Flying through the sky and returning to the earth, he found it was like a different world.
He had lost his impromptu partner. He had lost his water. And now, he truly understood the environment of a desert country.
The heat of the sand he sat on. The sand clinging to his body, the sunlight, the UV rays, the heat.
Although he could see buildings in the distance that hadn't been erased, in his current state of mind, they felt impossibly far away. Suddenly, sweat poured from him.
Whether due to the unpredictable events or the attack he had just witnessed, Luffy was dazed.
He was tasting the despair of being stranded alone in a desert, right in the middle of a town.
A gust of wind blew, and Crocodile appeared before him. Unlike the anger he radiated earlier, he now wore a calm smile.
Gritting his teeth in frustration, Luffy stood up.
Out of ingrained habit, he raised his fists, taking a fighting stance.
"This is the difference between you and me."
Not to rub it in, but as if gently admonishing him.
Seeing Crocodile's demeanor, Luffy felt a panic rising within him without realizing it.
"I'll praise you for pushing me this far. But that is all. You must have realized by now how difficult it is to surpass me."
"Kuh... Gomu Gomu nooo!"
Treading on the sand with bare feet, he ran to challenge him.
He had no intention of giving up, no matter the situation.
He cocked his fist back, intending to swing it through Crocodile's face.
"Bullet!"
Crocodile moved calmly. He ducked to dodge, simultaneously stepping forward and grabbing Luffy's neck with his right hand.
He lifted Luffy's body with a single arm and held him there.
This was the end. Finally, the corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk.
His right hand stole moisture from anything it touched. It was the technique he had just demonstrated.
Luffy's suspended body withered visibly, moisture draining away, his appearance transforming into that of a mummy.
He desperately grabbed Crocodile's arm with his hands, but he no longer had the strength to call it resistance.
"Gah, kah...!? "
"It's your loss again... Straw Hat Luffy."
Before he knew it, drained of all water, he had been reduced to an immobile mummy.
When Crocodile released his hand, Luffy's body fell to the sand with a soft, dry sound.
"Making me waste time..."
Turning his back indifferently, Crocodile walked away without delivering a finishing blow.
Whether he was exhausted or wanted them to suffer was unclear, but he turned his entire body into sand and vanished in an instant to head for his destination. Finding him now was impossible.
In the desert inside the empty town, only Luffy and Smoker were left behind.
Unseen by anyone, their prone figures were existences merely waiting for death.
Into this scene, a single shadow appeared with purpose.
Hiding in the shadow of a building, desperately trying to survive, he saw his chance and dashed out gallantly.
Running across the sand faster than anyone, he rushed first to Luffy, who had collapsed from dehydration.
Karoo, carrying a large barrel on his back, didn't waste a second thinking; he shoved the hose into Luffy's mouth and dexterously pressed the button with his wing. The water, shooting out with force, poured surely into Luffy's body.
Luffy's own will to live moved his throat, swallowing the water that rushed into his mouth with all his might. He worked desperately to supply moisture to every cell, muscle, and organ in his body.
Karoo quacked frantically, as if calling his name.
Absorbing the water rapidly, Luffy's body began to return to its original form.
"Quack! Quack! Quack!"
Gulp. After a loud sound from his throat, Luffy released the hose from his mouth.
Immediately, he sprang up, bouncing to his feet. He compressed his body to gather power, then snapped his limbs out as if exploding, looked up at the sky, and roared.
"UOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!!!"
"QUAAAACK!!!"
Karoo spread his wings and screamed at the heavens alongside him.
Immediately after, Luffy froze and collapsed, ending up spread-eagled on his back.
Though he had narrowly escaped death, it wouldn't have been strange if he had died. His body was completely exhausted, and his color was far from healthy.
He inhaled and exhaled desperately, trying to calm his ragged breathing.
It took a while before he could turn his attention to Karoo.
"Haa, haa... Thanks. Why are you... here?"
"Quaaa."
Karoo tapped the barrel strapped to his belt.
He had listened to Vivi's request and followed Luffy.
Maybe he'll run out of water. Maybe the barrel will break in the chaos. Even if he beats Crocodile, he might be injured.
Considering every possibility, she had entrusted Karoo with a barrel containing a medical kit and water to follow him.
Karoo's objective was to save Luffy from a crisis; he absolutely could not take a hit.
He watched the battle from afar, fleeing with all his might when the area began turning into a desert. But he never intended to run away for good; he prioritized his safety strictly for Luffy's sake.
As a result, though it was dangerous, he was able to save him like this.
They didn't share a language, but sensing the circumstances, Luffy stroked Karoo's beak.
"I see. Sorry... I couldn't win again."
"Quaaa..."
Karoo shook his head, his attitude saying there was no need to apologize.
He already knew Luffy didn't intend to give up. He would chase him immediately and challenge him again. He would challenge him as many times as it took to win. Knowing he was that kind of person, Karoo trusted him and had decided to support him with everything he had until the battle was settled.
He lent a wing to Luffy as he tried to stand, and supported him once he was up.
Luffy's eyes scanned the area.
Crocodile was gone. Smoker was down.
Confirming just that, his expression changed instantly.
"Dammit, where did he go? I'll catch up right away and kick his ass!"
"Quaa!"
He punched his palm with resolve. Luffy was breathing hard, but looking at him, he seemed ready to fight immediately.
"Do you know where he went?"
"Quaaa!"
"Alright. Lead the way."
Karoo nodded powerfully, and Luffy's eyes turned to Smoker.
He still seemed to be alive. He couldn't leave him to die.
He walked over to him, lifted him up, and called Karoo.
"Let's take him too. He saved me earlier."
"Quaaa."
Nodding vigorously, Karoo rushed over to offer his back, and with Luffy's help, they loaded Smoker's body onto the saddle.
Not only that, but Karoo gestured for Luffy to get on as well.
Luffy realized what he meant but made a difficult face.
"It's fine. I'll run. Just help him."
"Quack!"
Karoo demanded it with a strong voice and a look that seemed almost angry.
Reluctantly, Luffy mounted Karoo, leaning over the slumped Smoker, riding double. Naturally, the weight was significant, and Karoo looked strained for a split second.
"Hey, really, it's okay. I'm still energetic."
"Quaaack! Quaaack!"
Shaking his head and refusing to listen, Karoo broke into a run.
He already seemed to know the destination. Suddenly relieved, Luffy realized his eyelids were heavy.
"Alright... just wait. I'm gonna... kick Crocodile's... ass..."
As if reaching his physical limit, Luffy fell asleep. He had pushed himself far beyond reason. Perhaps Karoo had foreseen this and insisted on carrying him.
The real fight wasn't here. It was ahead. In a place where Karoo couldn't interfere.
If he could get even a little rest, Karoo didn't mind the weight.
Everything is to win this battle. With that thought, Karoo roused his spirits and carried them.
He had been told where to go by Pell beforehand.
Carrying Luffy and Smoker, Karoo aimed straight for the Royal Tomb.
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