The desert night outside Rain Dinners casino was quiet. Very quiet.
Tashigi stepped out first, her hand near her sword. She was still bruised from the earlier fight. Vivi followed her cautiously, eyes scanning the dark alley behind the casino.
"We should move quickly," Tashigi said. "The longer we stay, the more danger we're in."
"I just need to show you one more thing," Vivi said. "Then we can leave this place."
But the silence didn't last long.
From the shadows ahead came the slow, steady sound of boots hitting stone.
Step. Step. Step.
"Leaving so soon?" said a rough sounding voice.
Crocodile appeared from the shadows, his coat flapping, golden hook gleaming. He wore a smug smile. His presence seemed to dry the air around him. Robin walked calmly behind him, her eyes fixed ahead.
Tashigi froze. "Crocodile…"
Vivi took a step forward, her voice tight. "You're really here. Then it's true… You're Mr. 0."
Crocodile gave a slow, exaggerated laughter. "And you're smarter than I gave you credit for, Princess."
Tashigi stood beside Vivi. "You're the one behind everything, aren't you?"
Crocodile chuckled. "Of course. The drought. The rebellion. The chaos. All of it."
"You stole the rain from Alabasta," Vivi said, trembling with anger. "You used Dance Powder to fake rain in Rainbase and blamed my father for the drought. You caused a war."
Crocodile looked amused. "Yes. I did."
He raised a hand toward the sky, where no clouds remained.
"I took control of the weather. And the hearts of the people. I broke their faith in the king. In your family. And I did it all for one dream…Rule Alabasta and build an idea nation."
His voice dropped.
"I call this Project Utopia."
Vivi clenched her fists. "You call it Utopia… but you killed thousands of people! You made mothers bury their children! You turned our green land into dust!"
"And yet," Crocodile said coldly, "look at Rainbase. It's prosperous, peaceful, and profitable. That is what happens when the strong take control."
"You made yourself look like a hero," Vivi spat. "But you're just a monster."
"I'm a monster with vision," he replied. "Your people cried for a savior. I gave them a villain to hate, and a hero to love. I gave them someone to follow."
Tashigi took a step forward, eyes sharp. "You won't get away with this."
Crocodile smirked. "Is that so?"
He turned slightly, voice calm.
"Robin."
Robin stepped forward without a word, raising her hand.
Tashigi slashed at the arms coming from the walls.
"Too slow."
A limb coiled around her wrist like a snake and yanked it back.
SNAP!
Her scream echoed across the alley. Her sword clattered to the ground as her arm twisted unnaturally.
Robin didn't care. More arms burst from the cobblestones, wrapping around Tashigi's chest, legs, even her throat. They slammed her hard into the wall with a loud CRACK, pinning her like an insect.
Tashigi gasped, coughing blood. Her glasses cracked.
"Still resisting?" Robin said coolly. "Your strength doesn't match your will."
Vivi rushed forward. "Tashigi!"
But Robin stepped into her path, her hand already raised again.
"You should stay where you are," she said, voice flat. "Unless you want me to break your legs next."
Vivi stopped, but didn't back down. "Why are you doing this?! You know what kind of man Crocodile is! He'll betray you like everyone else!"
Robin's eyes narrowed. "And you think you understand betrayal better than me?"
Her fingers twitched.
Two arms sprouted behind Vivi and shoved her down hard, forcing her to her knees. One locked her head in place, another twisted her arm behind her back until she cried out.
"Don't touch her!" Tashigi yelled, struggling—but more arms grabbed her by the throat and squeezed.
Crocodile was watching it all like a king admiring a well-set trap. The confident smile never left his face.
"You're wasting your breath," he said. "Robin follows me because she's smart. She knows how the world works."
He stepped forward now, golden hook raised.
The ground cracked beneath his feet. Sand spiraled around him like a storm being born.
"I've waited too long for this kingdom to fall. I won't let a weak little girl or some broken Marine stand in my way."
With a flick of his hook, a stream of sand shot forward like a whip—it wrapped around Vivi's throat, lifting her off the ground.
She kicked and gasped, trying to breathe. Her skin was turning pale—the water in her body was being sucked away.
Crocodile's power didn't just strangle—it dried everything.
Her lips cracked. Her eyes reddened. Her breath came in short, shallow gasps.
"I have eaten the sand sand fruit. I am the desert," Crocodile said coldly. "You can't fight nature. You submit to it."
Vivi clawed at the sand, but her fingers slipped through it. Her knees trembled. Her body sagged.
Tashigi cried out again. "VIVI!"
Robin's fingers curled. A dozen hands twisted Tashigi backward, stretching her limbs to the brink. One hand closed around her broken arm and pulled.
Tashigi screamed.
Robin's voice was as calm as ever. "I could dislocate every joint in your body, and you still wouldn't be a threat."
Vivi, barely able to speak, whispered, "Tashigi… run…"
But Tashigi didn't run. Even as tears and blood fell from her face, she lifted her head.
"Captain Smoker… will avenge us…" she said, voice shaking but sure.
Crocodile sneered.
"Your captain won't save you. No one will."
He pulled back his sand-covered hook.
Then—
WHOOSH!
A white streak tore through the air.
Crocodile didn't even see it coming.
CRACK!
A smoke-covered fist slammed into his skull, smashing him into the stone with explosive force.
The street shook.
Sand burst in every direction.
Robin turned sharply, eyes wide—
But before she could react—
BOOOOM!
Mikita came screaming down from above.
"I'M DROPPING FASTER THAN YOUR STOCKS, LADY!!"
WHAM!
Robin was crushed into the ground as Mikita landed with her full ten-thousand-kilogram weight. The stone beneath cracked.
Gem dashed in, grabbing Vivi in one arm and Tashigi in the other.
"You two okay?" he said, eyes focused. "Hang in there, ladies."
Tashigi's eyes fluttered. "Captain Smoker…?"
Vivi stared. "That's… Captain Smoker…?"
Smoker stood above Crocodile's scattered, half-formed body. Violent smoke curled around his fists.
Crocodile's face reformed slowly. His hook reconnected, sand swirling into place.
He hissed. "You… fool. You laid a hand on a Warlord. I have government protection! Do you know what that means?!"
"I do," Smoker said, lighting two fresh cigars. "It means they'll come after me."
"You'll lose your job!" Crocodile roared. "They'll strip your rank! You'll be hunted!"
Smoke twisted around Smoker's fists.
"We could've talked, Crocodile," he said. "But you kept trying to kill me. Over and over. You hurt my subordinate. You almost killed a princess."
Crocodile stood tall, eyes burning. "You dare challenge the government? I am a Warlord!"
"I don't care what they call you," Smoker said.
He took a long drag from both cigars.
Then pointed his fist at Crocodile.
"Warlord or not… I'm going to take you down."