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Chapter 127: Luffy vs. Crocodile (II)
Crocodile ignored the noisy clamor.
After Luffy's declaration of wanting to become the Pirate King, the disdain in Crocodile's eyes lessened slightly.
His gaze swept coldly over the onlookers, devoid of emotion, as if looking at a swarm of ants.
"I never said I was this country's guardian god."
His voice wasn't loud, yet it cut clearly through the noise. "Whether I kill this kid or not depends entirely on my mood."
The citizens didn't take offense; some even smiled as if thinking, 'Just as expected.'
They were used to their "Guardian God's" peculiar attitude. Crocodile was always like this—he would step in to drive away villains threatening the country and protect Rainbase from any threat, yet he never accepted their gratitude, always maintaining a cold "I just did it on a whim" demeanor.
It was precisely this spirit of what appeared to be "selfless dedication" without asking for reward that made them view Crocodile as the kingdom's protector. In their eyes, this Warlord was a true hero—cold on the outside, kind on the inside.
Luffy watched this scene, frowning.
"Hey!"
He shouted loudly, not at Crocodile, but at the onlookers. "Don't get too close to this guy! It's dangerous!"
"He's a bad guy! This country becoming like this... it's all his fault!"
This caused the crowd to burst into laughter again.
"Kid, what nonsense are you spouting?"
"How could Lord Crocodile be a bad guy? He's protected us for years!"
"Exactly! Don't try to sow discord, you pirate!"
Seeing this, Crocodile let out a cold laugh.
"Hear that, Straw Hat?"
He slowly raised his right hand, the golden hook reflecting a cold glint in the sunlight.
"In the eyes of these fools, I am their 'Hero.' And you... are just a babbling pirate."
His body began to turn to sand, his feet merging into the ground as flow, while his upper body remained humanoid, floating in the air.
"But it doesn't matter. Hero, villain... these titles are irrelevant. What matters is..."
Yellow sand condensed in his hand, forming a rapidly spinning blade of sand.
"...You will die here today."
The moment his voice fell, Crocodile moved.
With a wave of his right hand, the spinning sand blade whistled through the air. But the target wasn't Luffy.
It was a three-story shop behind Luffy!
"What?!" Luffy's pupils contracted.
BOOM—!!!
The sand blade easily sliced through the building's support pillars. The entire structure began to tilt and collapse, bricks and debris raining down. Inside, shop assistants and customers who hadn't managed to escape screamed in terror from within the ruins.
"Help! Save us!"
"The building's collapsing!"
Crocodile didn't even glance that way, staring coldly at Luffy.
"Watch closely, Straw Hat. I don't care about these people's lives. Whether they worship me or hate me, it doesn't change the fact."
His body fully turned to sand, melting into the ground. The next second, he emerged from the shadow behind Luffy, his golden hook thrusting straight for Luffy's heart.
"This country is my turf!"
The hook tore through the air with a sharp whistle.
Luffy spun around violently, his rubber body twisting at an impossible angle to dodge the strike by a hair's breadth. However, the wind pressure from the hook still sliced a tear in his red vest.
"You..." Luffy's eyes went wide. Not because he was almost hurt, but because of Crocodile's action just now. He looked furious. "Why did you attack those innocent people?!"
"So what?"
Crocodile's figure turned to sand again, reappearing on the other side of the plaza.
"The weak have no right to choose. Their lives, their beliefs, their fate... all lie in the hands of the strong."
He raised his hand, palm facing up.
"Just like now. I hold the fate of this city, the fate of this country. And you..."
The sand in his palm began to spin violently, forming a miniature sandstorm.
"...can't even control your own fate."
"Sables!"
The sandstorm suddenly expanded, transforming into a massive tornado connecting heaven and earth, sweeping toward Luffy. Wherever it passed, the ground was plowed open, debris was sucked up, and even horse-drawn carriages parked by the road were pulled in and instantly shredded.
The onlookers finally realized something was wrong and began to flee in panic.
But it was too late. The suction of the sandstorm was too strong; people near the edge were dragged in, their screams sounding exceptionally shrill amidst the howling wind.
Luffy grit his teeth, digging his feet deep into the ground. His rubber arms grabbed a nearby lamppost, anchoring himself firmly.
The gale tore at his clothes, sand pellets stinging his face, but he didn't retreat a single step.
"I won't let..."
His voice was barely audible in the wind, but the fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever.
"...someone like you... continue hurting Vivi's country!"
His rubber arms suddenly stretched out, reaching toward the people being sucked into the storm.
His arms wove through the air, grabbing one person, throwing them to safety, then grabbing the next...
"Foolish," Crocodile commented coldly. He waved his right hand, intensifying the sandstorm's power.
But Luffy moved faster.
His body moved at high speed along the edge of the storm, his rubber arms extending in all directions like multiple tentacles, saving the trapped people one by one. Although the sand cut countless small wounds into his body, he paid them no mind.
Finally, when the last trapped person was thrown to safety, Luffy turned to face Crocodile.
He was covered in cuts, his clothes tattered, and his straw hat sat askew. But those eyes were shockingly bright.
"You bastard... you've really pissed me off!"
Luffy took a deep breath, clenching his rubber fist. His legs began to compress, storing energy like a spring.
The compressed legs released explosively, launching Luffy like a cannonball toward Crocodile, his rubber fist stretching to its limit behind him.
"Crocodile! I'm definitely... gonna send you flying!!!"
The fist tore through the air with unstoppable momentum, blasting toward Crocodile's face.
For the first time, a subtle change appeared in Crocodile's expression, seemingly surprised by the boy's explosive power.
But soon, when he realized there was no power wrapped around the fist capable of hitting his true body, the surprise in his eyes turned to disdain.
No Armament Haki? Does someone like this even deserve to stand before me?
Crocodile didn't even bother to dodge.
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