Van Augur fired again.
The shot was clean, precise and perfectly timed between Crocodile's movements—something that, under normal circumstances, would have ended a fight before it began.
The bullet passed straight through her ribs and scattered into the air as a cloud of sand.
Augur narrowed his eyes.
Again.
Another shot. Another perfect hit. Another miss that wasn't a miss.
The woman didn't even flinch.
She laughed.
It was low, dry, and mocking, like sand grinding against stone. "Took you long enough to notice," she said, exhaling smoke from her cigar. "Or did you think you were suddenly losing your touch?"
Augur clicked his tongue in irritation. "So that's it."
She raised an eyebrow. "That's what?"
"You're not dodging," he said flatly. "You're not blocking. It just goes through."
Crocodile spread her arms slightly, grains of sand drifting lazily from her coat. "Congratulations. You've discovered the obvious."
She vanished.
Augur's instincts screamed.
He twisted, barely in time, as a golden spade erupted from the sand behind him, slashing where his spine had been a heartbeat earlier. He felt the air split, heat brushing his back.
He didn't hesitate.
Space folded.
The desert shimmered, and Augur reappeared several meters away, boots skidding through sand as he regained balance.
Crocodile snarled. "That power of yours—"
She materialized again, spade already swinging.
Augur fired mid-motion.
The bullet passed through her head.
She grinned.
"—is annoying."
Sand surged upward like a wave, forming blades, spears, hands—too many angles at once. Augur teleported again, shorter this time, appearing atop a dune.
Shots whistled through the air, carving paths through sand constructs, forcing her to reform again and again.
"I can do this all day," Augur said calmly, reloading with mechanical precision. "Can you?"
Crocodile's smile twitched. She didn't answer.
Because he was right—and she hated it.
Every time she reformed, it hurt.
Outside, she remained calm and smirking, but inside, her old and new wounds screamed in protest. The damage Whitebeard had done to her body had never fully healed. She had come to Arabasta to disappear, to recover, to rebuild.
Instead, fate had thrown her into the desert with two lunatics—one who hit her when he shouldn't have been able to, and another who refused to stay where he could be killed properly.
Her breathing grew heavier.
She masked it with rage.
Sand exploded outward as she launched herself again, faster this time, angrier. Augur vanished, reappeared, fired, vanished again. The desert between them was torn apart—craters, shifting dunes, sandstorms spiraling into existence and collapsing just as quickly.
Her movements slowed. Barely but enough to get hit.
She raised her spade for another strike—and something cracked against the back of her neck.
Her eyes widened.
There was no pain at first. Only shock. Confusion. How—
Her body went limp.
She hit the sand hard.
Cold.
Silence.
Augur lowered his rifle slowly, heart pounding, and stared.
Jack Sparrow stood behind her, swaying slightly, one hand still raised from the strike.
"Persistent woman," Jack said mildly, looking down at Crocodile. "I'll give her that."
Augur turned sharply. "Captain."
Jack glanced up. "You look like you were having fun."
Augur exhaled. "She's… troublesome."
"That's one word for it." Jack nudged Crocodile lightly with his boot, then winced as pain shot through his arm. "Twice in one day. I'm starting to feel bad."
Augur frowned. "How did you—"
Jack smiled, catching the look immediately. "Ah. You noticed."
"You hit her," Augur said slowly. "My bullets went straight through."
"Mm." Jack tilted his head. "She's a logic fruit user."
Augur blinked.
"…Logic?"
Jack waved a hand. "Logia. Same thing. Probably."
Understanding dawned in Augur's eyes. "Haki."
Jack nodded. "Armament, specifically."
Augur stared at Crocodile's unconscious form, then back at Jack. "You used it again."
"Briefly," Jack said. "Very briefly. Any longer and my arm would've… done unpleasant things."
Augur absorbed that in silence.
Then another thought surfaced.
"Why didn't I awaken it?" he asked quietly. "I was fighting her too."
Jack considered it, scratching his chin. "Maybe you weren't desperate enough. Or maybe she wasn't trying to kill you properly. Or maybe you're just unlucky."
Augur didn't look convinced, but he let it go.
Jack crouched beside Crocodile and unzipped her jacket.
Augur stiffened. "Captain."
Jack looked up. "Yes?"
"We shouldn't… take advantage."
Jack stared at him like he'd just suggested burning an orphanage. "I am offended on multiple levels. I'm checking her injuries."
He gestured. "See? Old wounds. Torn open again. Nasty."
Augur looked away, jaw tight.
"Carry her," Jack said, standing with a grunt. "We're heading back."
Augur raised an eyebrow. "That way?"
Jack had indeed started walking in the wrong direction.
Augur sighed. "Captain."
Jack stopped. "What."
"There's something important," Augur said. "Urgent."
Jack turned, frowning. "Did the crew abandon you and ran away with the gold?"
Augur stared at him. "…You really think that?"
Jack shrugged. "Worth asking."
Augur shook his head. "The village. Didn't you notice?"
Jack glanced around. Empty huts. No smoke. No voices.
"…That is odd," Jack admitted.
"There's been an attack," Augur said. "Nanohana. Big one. Fleet-sized."
Jack's expression sharpened. "Our ship."
"I don't know," Augur replied. "The attack started this morning. I've been searching for you since yesterday evening."
Jack inhaled slowly.
Gold. And also Gibbs, Ragetti and Pintel.
Maybe not Pintel.
"…Bugger."
He rubbed his face, then froze as his stomach growled loudly.
"…Right," he said thoughtfully. "We should eat."
Augur stared. "Captain—"
"I can't plan on an empty stomach," Jack said firmly. "It's irresponsible."
Augur opened his mouth to argue, then closed it.
"…How," he asked carefully, "do you plan to find food in an empty desert village?"
Jack gestured vaguely at Augur. "I was hoping you'd have some meat. And rum."
Augur deadpanned. "I do not."
Crocodile groaned.
Both men looked down at her.
"Doctor too," Jack added cheerfully.
Then the ground trembled.
Low. Heavy. Rhythmic.
They looked up.
Something massive crested a distant dune—a colossal crab-like creature, armored and towering, its legs pounding the sand with each step. It was easily the size of a small ship.
Jack's eyes lit up.
Augur slowly turned to him.
Jack grinned. "You thinking what I'm thinking?"
Augur watched the beast lumber closer.
"…Dinner?" he guessed.
Jack clapped his hands once. "Food has come to us. Always a good sign."
The desert groaned.
And fate, as always, smiled cruelly.