When greedy gazes from all around pierced through the air like sharp arrows, Who's Who finally snapped back to reality.
He abruptly lowered his head to stare at the Glint-Glint Fruit in his hand, its spiral golden patterns shimmering with an alluring luster under the sunlight.
"I can't wait any longer…"
He gritted his teeth and shoved the fruit into his mouth.
CHOMP.
Instantly, an indescribably foul taste exploded in his mouth.
Who's Who's features twisted into a grimace beneath his mask, his stomach convulsing violently as if trying to expel the horrific flavor.
It tasted like rotting fish guts mixed with moldy cheese, carrying a bizarre metallic tang that nearly made him vomit.
"Ugh—still so disgusting!"
He retched dryly but forced himself to swallow every bite of the fruit pulp, beads of sweat forming on his forehead and trickling down his cheeks.
Yet the moment the last morsel entered his stomach, a strange warmth suddenly surged from his abdomen to every limb.
Who's Who's body trembled uncontrollably as fine golden specks of light began emerging across his skin.
"What's this…?"
He stared in astonishment at his hands, where the specks grew denser until they completely coated his skin.
An unprecedented sensation of lightness flooded his entire being, as if every cell had been infused with weightless energy.
Who's Who tentatively took a step forward—
ZOOOM!
His body instantly transformed into a streak of light, appearing at the opposite end of the arena in the blink of an eye.
The speed was so tremendous that even he couldn't react in time, nearly crashing headfirst into the wall.
"Too… too fast!" He stared at his hands in disbelief.
Was this the power of the Logia-type Glint-Glint Fruit? That ultimate speed allowing one to move at the speed of light at will?
Distant spectators erupted in gasps of amazement.
Who's Who took a deep breath and attempted to raise his right hand.
With a mere thought, countless photons gathered in his palm, gradually forming a dazzling sword of light.
"Hahaha... Kizaru's Ama no Murakumo no Tsurugi…" he murmured, recognizing the signature technique of the legendary Admiral.
And just as he expected, his original Saber-Toothed Tiger Devil Fruit ability had vanished—replaced entirely by the new power.
When he tried to call forth his claws, only light appeared.
"Perfect…"
A triumphant smile curled at the corners of Who's Who's mouth as he looked up at the sky, where sunlight now felt exceptionally kind to his eyes.
Now, he finally possessed the means to challenge higher realms! Now he would return to challenge the All-Stars!
...
The Third Combat Island.
This arena had completely transformed into a desert of death.
While Shiki's competition had concluded, Bullet's match continued to be a stalemate of brutality. However, in Crocodile's arena, the sand was shifting.
Under the scorching sun, Crocodile's golden hook reflected blinding light.
His newly acquired Devil Fruit ability caused faint sand-yellow scale patterns to emerge on his skin.
Each breath he took carried a heavy, oppressive weight, and his control over the sand seemed even more absolute than before.
"Next."
Sir Crocodile exhaled a ring of cigar smoke, dozens of unconscious pirates lying at his feet.
His gaze swept toward the entrance tunnel, where heavy footsteps were approaching.
"Ultimate Eight Impacts: Warrior's Headbutt!"
With a furious roar, a figure shot into the arena like a cannonball.
Don Chinjao's sunken cone head gleamed with the metallic sheen of Armament Haki under the sunlight, shooting straight for Crocodile's face.
Behind him, Sai and the other Happo Navy officers filed in one after another, forming an encirclement formation.
"Heh... interesting."
Crocodile's golden hook suddenly dissolved into sand, while his back bulged with violent muscles, radiating overwhelming power!
The Mythical Zoan ability granted him terrifying physical strength and regenerative power, sweeping away the fatigue from hours of continuous battle.
The moment Chinjao's cone head struck, Crocodile's body suddenly expanded—his upper half remained humanoid, but from the waist down, it transformed into a massive dragon tail covered in sandy scales!
WHAM!
This bizarre half-human, half-dragon form made the Happo Navy members' pupils contract sharply.
"Desert Spada: Mirage!"
The enormous dragon tail slammed into the sand, stirring up a sandstorm that blotted out the sky.
Countless grains of sand reassembled mid-air, forming dozens of sand sharks resembling Crocodile's form.
These sand sharks had yellow flames dancing in their eyes, each possessing physical attack capabilities!
"Hasshoken: Drill Dragon!"
Chinjao roared, the rotation speed of his cone head abruptly increasing as he shattered three incoming sand sharks.
But more sand sharks were already pouncing toward the Happo Navy formation, their sharp sand teeth easily tearing through the Armament Haki defense of the front-line warriors.
Sai's dual blades cut down one sand shark, only to see the scattered sand immediately reassemble.
"Damn it! These monsters won't stay down!"
"Because this is 'Living Sand'." Crocodile's voice echoed from all directions.
His true form completely merged into the sandstorm, only his eyes gleaming with cold reptilian pupils flickering in and out of sight.
The Mythical Zoan form provided explosive vitality, combined with the Logia-like control, allowing him to disperse his consciousness into every grain of sand.
Chinjao suddenly closed his eyes and focused, Observation Haki fully activated.
"Found you!"
His cone head shot like a missile toward a specific point in the sandstorm, but only shattered a sand clone.
"Too slow, old man."
Crocodile's true form emerged from the sand within Chinjao's shadow, his golden hook wrapped in Armament Haki stabbing straight for the back.
"Desert La Spada!"
BOOM!
Chinjao was sent flying hundreds of meters by this strike, crashing through five stone pillars before stopping.
He vomited a mouthful of blood but immediately stabilized his stance.
However, his heavily heaving chest clearly indicated his body was far from its prime, his strength severely diminished.
"Grandfather!"
Sai's eyes widened with rage, his dual blades suddenly coated in Armament Haki.
"Damn you Crocodile!"
Crocodile calmly raised his golden hook, the desert beginning to swirl around him.
"Come on, let me show you my true power!"
"Sand Dragon: Desert Burial!"
The entire arena instantly transformed into an ocean of quicksand.
Countless grains of sand condensed into hundreds of desert pythons, each as thick as a bucket, opening their bloody maws to tear at Chinjao.
Even more terrifying, these sand pythons' mouths contained high-density Armament Haki, their bite force comparable to Sea Kings!
"Pathetic tricks!" Chinjao's cone head spun rapidly, shattering the attacking sand pythons one by one.
But the scattered sand grains immediately reassembled upon hitting the ground, the onslaught endless.
Seeing this, Sai shouted.
"Happo Navy, form up!"
Hundreds of navy members leaped from the stands simultaneously, the shockwaves of Hasshoken forming a dense firepower net.
Crocodile's figure flickered in and out of view within the sandstorm, a cruel smirk curling at the corners of his lips.
"Perfect timing."
His right hand suddenly transformed, becoming a sand dragon's claw covered in sandy-yellow scales.
"Mythical Zoan: Sand Dragon's Wrath!"
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